13 Chapter 13

Sansa told me about her meeting with Little Finger. Which was a great improvement compared to what happened in the show. I told her to write to Petyr Baelish after the battle, I didn't need the armies of the Vale but I wanted them there to witness the aftermath.

Sansa wanted to send Brienne and Podrick to the Blackfish at Riverrun, So I told her about Walder Frey's plan to use her uncle Edmure to break the siege on the threat of harming his son. I convinced her to send them with a letter like the one in the show and write a letter for me confirming my identity as her brother and leave everything to me.

I had her, Rickon, and Sir Davos prepare for our journey, The ravens had reached every House in the North by now and I had no intention of going around the North begging for help on a horse.

***

While Brienne and Podrick left for Riverrun. Rickon, Sansa, Ser Davos, and I stood outside the gates with Olly and Ser Alliser inside their crates. Ghost wasn't coming with us, He is... in a very crucial time of his growth right now.

"So, How are we going to do this again?" Ser Davos asked me while looking warily at the crates shaking and nearly falling over a few times.

"Simple, We will go to all the Northern houses that didn't swear allegiance to the Boltons, We will show them the wights and convince them to send their men to help us reclaim Winterfell. After we finish dealing with one house we will move to another and another till we finish. Hopefully, by the end of the day, We will have convinced the majority of them to give us their support." I repeat to him what I already told them back at Castle Black.

"And we will do this by teleporting? Is this the word that you used?" Sansa further inquires.

"Yep." I didn't plan to spend all of my time trying to garner support for my cause, I had far important shit to do. Sigh, I know that I will probably never reach the level of the Iron Born, Who were able to teleport their ENTIRE fleet and blindside not ONE but TWO! TWO MOTHERFUCKING DRAGONS!!!

"But what about the crates? We didn't take any men with us because you didn't want them to know about your ability to teleport. How are we going to take them with us?" Sansa asked.

"Like this." I snap my fingers conjuring four shadow golems. Another shikigami that I made in my spare time and managed to give them the ability to change their appearance into human form, They weren't able to communicate, however, So their range of usage was pretty limited.

The horses were frightened by their summoning and their riders were scared, even more, Rickon looked like wanted to run back to the Castle again.

"All of you put your hands on my back, We going right away," I told them.

All of them were hesitant at first but slowly all of them put their hands on my back and shoulder.

"First Stop, House Mormont."

***

We were allowed in as soon as the men saw the banners of House Stark. And now we stood in front of Lyanna Mormont the young She-Bear.

"Lady Mormont," I greet the little girl that became the lady of the Bear Island after her mother and sisters died in the Red Wedding.

"Welcome to Bear Island." She says and stills letting the silence hang over us.

"Lady Mormont, I m not here to waste your time with small talk. I have come here with my sister and brother to ask for your support in helping us reclaim the North." I would have let Rickon say this, As he was the last heir of Eddard Stark, But he was just standing there looking at Lyanna Mormont with his mouth agape and blushing. Damnit, Rickon. That's not what we discussed.

She looked at her advisors at discussed with them what to do in hushed sounds. "As far as I am concerned, You are a Snow," She looked at me. "And Lady Sansa is a Bolton, Or is she a Lannister? I heard conflicting reports." She mocked while looking at Sansa. "And your brother is a child. That is if he really was your brother, Ramsay Bolton says that he already executed Rickon Stark and is showing everyone the head of a black direwolf as evidence." She said as she looked at Rickon.

"You are a child! And I am Rickon Stark the son of the warden of the North Ned Stark, Smalljon Umber was the one the head of my wolf, Shaggydog, to Ramsay before siding with him. I managed to escape Last Hearth in time before he caught me..." He shouted at the She-Bear in her own home.

"I did what I had to survive my Lady," Sansa said diverting the little girl's attention. "I am a Stark, I will always be a Stark."

"If you say so," She said to both Rickon and Sansa, much to their chagrin. "In any case, You don't just want my allegiance. You also want my fighting men?"

"Lady Mormont, I understand your...--" I get interrupted.

"I understand that I am responsible for Bear Island and all who live here. So why should I sacrifice one more Mormont life in someone else's war?" She asks.

I stop for a bit. "Look, I know how you feel. You are in a position that you never thought that you would find yourself in, You are now responsible for so many lives at such a young age."

"I am the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. When I swore my oaths in front of the heart tree, I was sure that I was never going to involve myself in the matters of the realm ever again. Yet here we are. The reason that I am here today is that the North can't stay divided, We need to be united for the real war." I stop to let her process my words.

"The dead are rising again" I finish and gesture for one of the crates to be let in.

The former Alliser doesn't even wait for a moment before jumping out of the crate once it was opened, He lungs at Lyanna Mormont But I hold him back with the chain around his neck.

Lyanna, Her Maester, And her master-at-arms all jump back, But I have to give credit to her for not crying at composing herself fast enough.

"W-What in the seven hells is this?!?!?" The maester who was content to let Lyanna handle the situation immediately shouts out.

"This is a wight, He was once a brother of the Night's Watch but he died beyond the wall. We managed to contain him and three others and we plan to show them to all the lords and garner their support." They were almost destroyed when a few of those who believed in the seven thought that they were brought by the magic of heathens who worship the old gods. I had to execute a dozen of them before the others calmed down. Now, Only those who worship the old gods are allowed within the vicinity of them.

"As you can see, my lady. We can't afford to fight them with our enemies at our back. The longer the Boltons occupy Winterfell, The longer the North stays divided. What do you say?" I ask her.

The maester tries to whisper something but she stops him. "House Mormont kept faith with House Stark for thousands of years, We will not break this faith today."

"Thank you, My lady. How many fighting men can we expect?" Sana inquires.

Lyanna asks her master-at-arms. "Sixty-two."

Sansa begins to say something but I speak before her. "If they are as half as ferocious as their lady. The Boltons are doomed." I smile at her.

***

We went from House to House right after we finished with the Mormonts and told them where to go. Almost all the lords refused us right away and almost all of the lords shat themselves with fear when they saw the wights.

All in all, we gained a bit more than 1,200 men and a further 300 in cavalry courtesy of Lord Manderly. There were further news after we returned to the Wall both good and bad.

The good ones were that House Reed will be able to join us, Giving us around 150 of their men. And that the mountain clans pledged 500 of their men for us.

The bad news was that the Dustins and the Ryswells pledged 700 men to Ramsay, Courtesy of Lady Dustin and her brothers. If only she knew that Ramsay was the one that killed her nephew, She probably still wouldn't pledge her men to us but she sure as hell wouldn't pledge them to Ramsay.

That puts us at a little less than 5,000 against Ramsay's little less than 7,000.

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