The Hoffits

The Hoffits, I know this word is unfamiliar to everything surrounding Game of Thrones. It is said that the first person to see them was a foreigner who spoke another language, and in his poor English, he tried to say "it's Hoff," but he reversed the words and said "Hoff it's," and over time both words merged and became known as Hoffit or Hoffits in plural.

A Hoffit is someone who greets you with a good morning, good afternoon, or good evening every time they see you. They can greet anyone passing near their castle all day long. And when you come across them, they can engage in a conversation from dawn till night, even if you don't show much interest, as there's nothing better for a Hoffit than to converse and listen to stories of great battles, heroes, alliances fighting for glory and the blessing of the gods, of dragons. These stories and tales are distant from their own way of life.

The life of a Hoffit, as I mentioned before, begins with a "good morning" and involves carrying out daily missions like collecting grain from the fields, extracting iron and gold from the mines, or obtaining stone from the quarries. They grow at a slightly slower pace than what they initially aspire to be, which is warriors, and they prepare daily for war. However, war is something distant to them. Instead, they strive to establish good relationships with the alliances that share the kingdom, and if there are problems, they try to resolve them in the best possible way.

In k276, the first known Hoffits in all the realms of Game of Thrones reside, and their daily lives took a drastic turn when they saw a blue dragon in their kingdom for the first time. Their faces filled with astonishment at what they saw, but soon turned to terror as they witnessed that beast burning their fields, their meager troops, and their castles.

Vangark the Tyrant, as they initially named him, and his minions had arrived in their kingdom. In the blink of an eye, they dethroned the queen and sat on the Iron Throne. This brought several moons of sorrow, during which they lived in hiding as they could fall victim to the flames of any member of those who were now settled in King's Landing. They called this period the era of the Red Moon.

Our Hoffits belong to the alliance of UnC, and their Duke at that time was Childericus, who always boasted of having participated in great battles but failed to convince the conquerors as he often ended up getting burned during the Lord of the Lords days. In an effort to improve relations with The Tyrant, he decides to appoint a Hoffit as an ambassador, hoping that the kindness of their words and good manners, which characterize these creatures, could bring both parties closer.

At the beginning of the eighth moon after the invasion, the king starts receiving ravens from UnC, this time signed by Lady Sam - "Your Grace," "My King," "Your Majesty" - and, of course, a "good morning," "good afternoon," or "good evening" according to the time of day. That's how the missives always began, something that started to sit well with him, as his fellow conquerors referred to him only as "The Grandfather," "Old Man," and other epithets commonly used by uncouth mercenaries. "Finally, someone who shows respect," he thought.

As the days went by, relations between UnC and The Tyrant grew closer, and soon this alliance would reap benefits. Lady Sam rushed in with a message in her hand and handed it to her Duke.

-Good morning, my Lord Childericus,- she paused to catch her breath and continued, -a message from our King.-

-What does the tyrant want?- wondered the Duke of UnC. -More tributes?-

-No, my Lord, please read the message.-

Childericus unrolled the message, and after reading it, he read it again in disbelief.

-He will cede us all the domains of the kingdom, from Castle Black to Sunspear.-

-Yes, my Lord, only Kings Landing will be his lands.-

-We did it, Lady Sam!- he exclaimed. -Inform the entire alliance!-

-I will do so, my Lord!-

Obediently, Lady Sam delivered the communication to every member of the alliance, and inside, she felt a tremendous satisfaction. She felt important; she achieved what her Duke had been trying to attempt for many moons, and she accomplished it in less than one. She began to earn the respect of many and the envy of others.

As the days passed, another raven arrived at the tower, and the newly appointed ambassador once again crossed the hall and handed the message to her Lord.

-My Lord, a message from the king.-

-Well, well, surely he will give us Kings Landing!- he exclaimed, laughing, and those present laughed with him.

But as he finished reading, his face became distorted.

-The tyrant requests ten men to fight alongside him in the upcoming war.-

Many of those present called themselves warriors and were the first to shout.

-Fight alongside the tyrant? By the Seven Gods!" one shouted.

-We will never fight for him!- added another.

-If we refuse to fight with him, he demands that we abandon the kingdom,- the Duke interrupted, crumpling the message in his fist.

-This is her fault, my Lord,- one said, pointing at Lady Sam.

-Yes, it's the Hoffit's fault that she fights alongside him.-

-Yes, let her fight.-

Lady Sam, not understanding what was happening and feeling helpless against those unfounded accusations, shouted, -Fine, I will fight!-

Silence dominated the grand hall, only to be followed by laughter from the majority of those present.

-And I will fight alongside her!- Ch1r1sh made her way forward, another Hoffit standing beside Lady Sam, realizing the foolishness of what had just been said.

-And me!- Bezedash added, not entirely convinced.

-Us too!- Scum and Freedon Nad chimed.

-Thank you, guys,- Lady Sam said gratefully.

And so, six Hoffits gathered in the middle of the hall, ready to fight alongside the king.

Shortly after the war began, Childericus presented them in the throne room to everyone who composed that improvised alliance called The Band (LxB).

-My lord, my finest warriors as requested,-Lady Sam said, bowing, as the doors to the room opened, and the Hoffits stumbled in, colliding with each other. They wore makeshift armor that was too big for their bodies, wielded chipped swords they could barely lift, and carried old wooden shields that dragged on the ground as they walked.

The disappointment among the members of LxB was evident, but engaging in an argument with the Duke of UnC at that point would not be fruitful.

In their first war, despite the victory, it was the Hoffits who had the worst experiences during the battles. They received repeated shouts from the king, as they struggled to understand many of the orders, being their first time in a fight of this magnitude. Their castles were burned, and their resources were plundered.

In the days to come, Shin dedicated himself to training them. With the help of the kingdom's blacksmith, he forged armor tailored to their sizes, swords they could wield, and lightweight yet sturdy shields to protect them.

With each war, their senses sharpened. They understood what they had to do, and courage and audacity became part of their personalities.

Lady Sam, Ch1r1sh, and Bezedash began to take center stage wherever they went. They were always together. Lady Sam was in charge of capturing as many castles as possible to reap all the benefits. Bezedash, who initially harbored distrust toward the alliance that had burned and plundered his lands many moons ago, now ventured on solitary attacks and castle captures while his comrades rested, ensuring the kingdom's victory. Ch1r1sh was the one among the three whose warrior spirit awakened, accompanying the king and his company to battles in CCS. Rumor even had it that she acquired a blue dragon egg. All three of them began to gain recognition from other members of LxB, who now regarded them as part of their company. However, their former UnC alliance comrades viewed them with suspicion, unable to believe that they were fighting side by side with those who had once conquered them. They were no longer the little Hoffits who only carried a shovel and a rake; they were now warriors who could rank among the most impactful contributors in the battle of the kingdoms.

Until the day they departed from King's Landing toward the north, they had to face an unknown enemy, the Night King and his army of the dead. The battle would take place in Winterfell. It was yet another adventure to be remembered in songs and poems. They marched with confidence, believing they would achieve victory once again, but for the first time, they would be separated in battle. Bezedash fought alongside the Unsullied, Ch1r1sh guarded the gates of Winterfell with the people of the North, and Lady Sam stood by the heart tree, protecting Bran, and later Loconet, who had fainted.

Each of them fought bravely in perhaps the toughest battle of their lives. In Winterfell, the enemy breached the gates, and Ch1r1sh, the boldest of them all, was caught by a giant who squeezed the life out of her. Shin, who was just a few meters away, surrounded by the army, could do little to help. Next was Lady Sam, who, in an act of bravery unlike any before, attacked the Night King, but he swiftly struck her down with his ice sword, leaving her lifeless in the snow. Bezedash, like a noble knight, fought on the outskirts of the castle, protecting Daenerys, but he fell mortally wounded at the end of the battle.

Days later, funerals were held for all those who perished in the Battle of the Long Night. Many mourned their departure, but Shin was the most inconsolable among the members of LxB. They were his wards, even the king looked with regret as the bodies on the pyres and remembered the first time he saw them.

-You know that if you ask me, you can change their fate,- a woman in a red cloak whispered in his ear.