House Wisent Stables

House Wisent Stables, Wisenwood

Wisenwood Town

Ground Floor

In addition to the interior rooms, the stables have a picket line and fenced-in corral to the north of the building, as well as several water troughs along the outside of the building.

• Martial Stables: The war-horses are kept away from the riding horses, in their own stables. These stables are a bit sturdier-built than the household stables, and the doors are taller, so that the war-horses cannot see over them and become threatening toward strangers.
• Household Stables: The household stables see much more traffic than the martial stables, and are more thickly populated.
• Shoeing Stall: This stall is used when any of the horses in the House Wisent stables need shoeing, which is usually done by Mander, with assistance from Nestor or Ser Garwyn. There is a small anvil and hammer here, as well as a stool.
• Veterinary Stall: This still is used when any of the horses have taken ill, to separate them from the other horses, make clean-up easier and for any medical procedures that need to be done, including foaling. It has a small cabinet on the wall with a variety of equipment and concoctions used to dull pain and the like.

Second Floor

A set of stairs along both sides of the stables lead up to the upper floor, most of which is cut away or devoted to the storage of fodder, allowing fodder to be thrown down to the stalls below. There is also a short balcony between the two quarters where the master-of-horse and master ostler meet in the early mornings or early evenings to discuss what is going on, and make plans for the week.

• Master-of-Horse Quarters: Ser Garwyn's quarters.
• Master Ostler's Quarters: Mander's quarters are fairly cluttered, as he has more important work to tend to than housekeeping. He pays a woman to come in and clean up once a month or so, but sometimes goes a while before he remembers. He is almost never in here, save when he is sleeping.
• Armory: The armory is where the household barding for the horses is kept. It is not unusual for squires to also be found here, polishing barding. Currently, it holds the leather barding favored by Lord Josian, Ser Ormun's brigandine for his mount and Ser Ryfe's mail barding, as well as Ser Garwyn's barding.
• Tack: The tack is where leather bits and bridle are worked on, performing repairs as necessary. There are leatherworking tools, including impressive shears and metal pieces.

Personages

• Ser Garwyn Blackhorn: Master-of-Horse. The young head of the House Wisent stables and a knight of some fame. Ser Garwyn is in charge of training the war-horses of House Wisent, as well as overseeing the bloodlines of the house's horse.
• Mander: Master Ostler. In charge of care and feeding of the horses, as well as raising foals, Mander's direct responsibility also includes overseeing the stablehands. He is a gruff man with a workaday attitude towards his duties, accomplishing them solidly, but without much innovation or creativity.
• Crovin: Stablehand. A part-time stable-hand who works the house stables three days a week, Crovin also works at the Severed Hand, with his wife's family. He is a quiet young man used to just putting his head down and getting the job done.
• Nestor: Stablehand. A full-time stable-hand, Nestor can be somewhat lazy if left unattended, but he genuinely loves the horses and takes fine care of them. Nestor also has a way with horses, and has been known to handle even war-trained mounts that don't ordinarily permit others near them.
• Ralf Little: Stableboy. An orphan whose father was a Bull, Ser Ormun arranged for Ralf to come work in the stables. A boy of 8, he wants nothing more than to be a knight someday, and looks up to Ser Garwyn as his personal hero.
• Forley: Stableboy. An older boy of 11, Forley's family are old friends of Mander's who asked him to apprentice the boy as an ostler. The young man has a bit of a mean streak, often teasing Ralf, but has learned to keep his torments under control after Mander has shown that he has no hesitation tanning the boy's hide for his meanness.

Horses

These are the horses that belong directly to the nobles and retainers of House Wisent. They are not the end-all, be-all of the House Wisent herd, however, as a handful of horses (including two more Ryswell gifts) are kept at Palewood.

War Horses

• Marigold: Ser Garwyn's courser.
• Stokesley: Ser Ormun Ironsmith's destrier. Stokesley is a powerful, barrel-chested horse, a gift from Ser Ormun's uncle, Lord Felton Ironsmith.
• Thunder: Ser Ryfe of Barrowton's courser. Though once named as he is for the thunder of his hooves, the stablehands and stableboys like to joke it's now for the power of his farts. This poor horse is under-exercised and simply as old and undignified as his master.
• Huntsman: Lord Josian Wisent's courser. A black and dark brown horse, Huntsman moves quietly when ordered to do so. He is very intelligent, and obeys Lord Josian's hand-gesture commands in addition to verbal ones.
• Weir: Ser Raun Snow's rounsey. An albino rounsey, Ser Raun's horse is ill-tempered and rangy, clearly the result of going a long time with mediocre care. Nestor is bound and determined to win Weir over, but has gotten nothing out of his determination but a few nasty bites.

Riding Horses

• Star-Eye: A beautiful black palfrey with a single starburst of white over her left eye, Star-Eye is Kaila's horse, given to her when she came of age by her father. She often takes Star-Eye hunting with her.
• Saffron: A beautiful golden horse with white socks, nose and mane, Saffron is Lady Elizabel's palfrey. She is gentle natured, but loves to run.
• Frost: A pale blue-white palfrey, Frost is the horse that Lord Josian likes to ride when he is simply traveling. Frost is sometimes a stubborn horse.
• Rowan: An auburn palfrey, Rowan is one of the newest horses to the stables, a gift from House Ryswell.
• Hadley: The odd horse out of the riding stables, Hadley is the late Daenar Harclay's old garron, his constant companion from his days as a young adult. Nanna Snow has claimed Hadley as her own.