Chapter 10

Only about a minute walk from the fort was a small mound with rotted support beams partially collapsed with water being about ankle deep till a steep drop further in.

"This it?"

"Aye, I've asked around and got some answers from a greybeard. Said it used to be an iron mine till they hit a water pool drowning forty thralls and two ironborn cursing their souls as long as their bodies are not laid to rest in the sea." Stated Rickon

Stepping closer to the mine entrance, I reach a hand down to the water, sticking two fingertips before tasting the water. It's not salt water. This may be a blessing in disguise as every sailor needs water for their voyages. In fact, it's one of the more expensive things for sailors on any sea.

Immediately, I began to remove most of my heavy armor and weapons before stepping into the entrance.

"I'll see which way it turns. We may have a new well for the fort and a source of income depending on how big it is." I state as I enter the water.

Going into the cold, dark abyss using the left wall as my guide in the depths of the mine, and I could still feel some ore sticking out of the walls. The deeper I go the darker it gets but as I feel a large hole to my left I also see a light glowing and getting closer it was glowing algae as it lights up the wall it'd attached to. Looking around the glowing wall, I find a small rock covered in the glowing algae. Using the stone navigating the mine became so much easier, and due to the uneven tunnels, there were air pockets at the top of them, allowing me to go even further. it seems the deeper I go, the more algae forms. Eventually, I find the source of the water as it leads to a under water cave, and as I surface, I find ancient markings all over the walls. Each wall seemed to have ancient carvings depicting great battles even of a ship fighting a sea dragon and another of a great warrior standing upon the corpse of a giant leviathan. Looking around the cave, I find great tunnels wide enough to have four men walk shoulder to shoulder and not touch the walls. Choosing it as a bad idea to go down the creepy tunnels leading to God knows where, so I make the simple decision to collapse the entrance and seal this area off to deal with later.

After using my time stop to increase my strength as I break the arch of the hole bringing it down sealing it and packing the now free clay and dirt into it to properly make it water tight and with no water pressure, it held. Once I resurfaced, I noticed how Rickon looked at me as if I was some miracle until I realized just how long I was under.

"Found air pockets down there, and this helped me see." I state while holding up the rock as I toss it into the shallows as the water reactive algae makes the stone glow.

Seeing some understanding on his face, I trace the mine above ground as it does lead about twelve paces from the eastern side of the fort and turning to rickon. I give an order to have the thralls build a well and to have the rest pail out the water from the mine. With all that needs to be done, I realize I'm going to need more men, and luckily, literally stealing able hands is not discouraged but incouraged in this society.

For the next few weeks, it would be nothing but constant work for everyone as all hands were needed for the work on the small growing potato farm or the work to revamp the mine or the constant work to keep the hole in the mine sealed with the addition pf clay to prevent leaks. Regardless of the toil, in my free time, I would craft snow shoes, skies, sleds, and even chains in the forge and it was hard work but with a few weeks worth of practice each item I make is to a usable standard and with the new stockpile I set up the men tell them how each item works how they shall help us raid the frozen shores with its deep ice.

On the day of us embarking on the raid, I made a discovery in our waters it was that red swam all around westeros as I found the shark with it slightly red snout swimming in our small dock so I gave a command through our growing mental link to defend the shore as I and the few men I could spare set off to raid some wildlings and with less men to manage we packed more supplies in our hull allowing us to make the voyage.

it only took a day to reach Bear Island, but unlike most iron born who would've raided them, I traded a few spare furs for wood to repair any damage to my ship. Granted, a few wished to raid them, but the explanation that we lacked enough men to do so was obvious. We did not stay long as many of the resident bears hated our kind, which is understandable, but I think I caught the curiosity of maege and dacey Mormont for not looking down upon them for being women in the few exchanges of words between us for the trade.

Arriving upon the frozen shore it became apparent that the name fit the location well as we docked our ship with ice spikes along with an anchor to hold our ship as we set off using the crafted snow equipment making us move as if it was regular land with those on skies being the scouts as some men drag sleds with our supplies as we go through the coast until we came upon a sleeping village just as the sun began to set.

"We wait for night fall, and then we strike. Kill any animal you see that could pull a sled or they have the chance to escape." I order as we wait upon a hill in-between the snow hills with the village situated in the valley of the hills.

With the cover of night, we snuck into the village as we killed the sentinels with well aimed axes and arrows. Once in we set upon the the area they kept their sleds and animals as we killed their dogs. With their tools for escape gone, we moved from tent to tent, grabbing the occupants and gaging them with cloth gags and in time the whole village was in chains netting us about twenty adults and ten children. Thirty new hands to work the field or in the mine and some of the children were even young enough to be raised by some drowned me to make sure they become proper ironborn.

With our captives in toe, we set off back to the ship to return home with our spoils of new wolf pelts and lots of furs and great bone sleds to replace our wooden ones to haul other loot we gained. With more people, my plans for the fort should go quicker with more hands available regardless if said hands must receive certain "incouragement" to work.

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hello author here.

Sorry for the slow update. I've been a bit busy with work.

Thank you for reading.