Chapter 37: Leaving the North

White Harbor

"It's a pleasure to work with you, Lord Manderly," I said graciously to my host in the white harbor.

The fat lord laughed merrily. "No, it has been my pleasure to host you, Lord Stark."

I nodded at him and left the room to prepare for my trip south. I had only two or three more stops before I could leave the North via the Kings Road, following in my father's footsteps.

I needed to stop first to chat with Lord Manderly, as I required his help taking Tyrion to Daenerys when the Lannisters started the war. The only way to do so would be through the ocean.

I knew I could trust him even if I didn't give him all the details, as it needed to remain a secret for now. We needed Daenerys to stop the White Walkers, and helping her, even indirectly, would earn me some favor with her. I didn't know how the future would unfold, but I wouldn't oppose marrying her for the Crown. Hopefully, with my manipulations, I could help her avoid troubles through Tyrion.

One week later

I could leave Winterfell a few weeks ago with everything in good hands. My only stops were to check on the critical territories on the way and ask some lords for favors, like Wyman Manderly. Right now, I was finally approaching Moat Cailin. It had been in disrepair for decades, and not much had been done to it in these years. It would take a long time to restore it to its former glory, but at least for now, it was fortified with more than a thousand soldiers—one-third of them archers and the rest foot soldiers.

In addition to those thousand soldiers, over two hundred people handled menial chores, from cleaning to slowly repairing the Moat.

With the blacksmiths urgently producing weapons in FrostStorm, we didn't have the manpower to completely fortify this location. However, when they finished what they could do before the war began, they would travel here to start working and provide support to all the coastal lands in the North.

They would be safest from this place since the orders I sent by raven a couple of weeks ago, after Father left me in command of the North, were being carried out by now. Most lords have been training troops for years, and they would send more to continue strengthening the Moat's defenses. From the Reels to White Harbor, each vassal house would send at least a hundred more soldiers, accompanied by servants and provisions, to start arming it.

I had a couple of months before the War of the Five Kings began, and it would be vastly different from canon, thanks to all the changes I had made. But for now, I needed to travel south to start compiling information that could be useful—from the number of soldiers in the houses near the North to anything that could help us in the long run.

"Open the gates!" a guard shouted from the top of a tower.

I slowed as I had been wearing a cowl to hide my identity. I didn't want merchants traveling to the South to learn about my movements, but here, where there were only soldiers and servants, I could start acting like the Warden of the North.

"Identify yourself," said a guard in the middle of the bridge.

Taking my cowl off, I saw the guard's eyes widen slightly.

Giving him a smile, I dismounted my horse and approached him.

"Good day to you," I said lightly. "Take me to the person in charge."

The guard nodded and started guiding me toward the gatehouse tower, where the person in charge was situated.

Walking languidly, I observed my surroundings, noting the people hard at work. I made a mental note to ensure they were paid what they deserved. I was so focused on noting the changes that I overlooked until we arrived at the solar door.

The guard knocked on the door and led me inside when Lord Galbart Glover allowed us to enter.

Noticing his start when he realized my identity, he stood up from his seat, where he had been busy with some notes and messages, and addressed me formally.

"Lord Stark," he nodded. "To what do I owe this pleasure?" he asked concernedly.

The Glovers had been fiercely loyal to the Starks for decades, and the current lord had extensive experience in warfare and was respected for his military acumen. So, it had been easy to entrust him with the honor of overseeing this important position for the defense of the North.

He was a practical and tactical leader who understood the importance of strategy and logistics in war.

"I like the work you've done here, Lord Glover. I want you to know that the North will thank you for your hard work," I said appreciatively.

Lord Glover puffed out his chest with a happy smile, knowing his lord was pleased with him.

"And I want to thank you for the honor of protecting our lands, Lord Stark," he said firmly.

"There was no better choice, my lord," I nodded at him.

"I'm only passing through, as I have other duties now." I continued, sitting and drinking some wine a servant provided while exchanging pleasantries.

"I just want to explain a few things before I leave," I began. "First of all, in the next couple of weeks, some brigands will start joining the forces here," I said lightly.

I noticed that his shoulders relaxed slightly. With the available workforce he had, they couldn't progress as fast as he would have liked.

"And I thank you for that. It's been hard, but we're doing what we can with the resources available," he said gruffly.

"I understand that, my lord." I nodded. "Aside from this, all the blacksmiths working secretly in the new town will start coming here when they finish their jobs in FrostStorm. You will have extra help with everything here, and the workers stationed there will move to this side of the North," I continued.

"Some will come here, while others will go to White Harbor or the Reels." I took a sip of my wine and relaxed in my seat. "I want the North to be impenetrable. Trouble is coming, and we need to be prepared."

The lord nodded in understanding. He did not have all the details but knew trouble was on the horizon.

"That will help a lot, Lord Stark," he answered. "Is there anything else you wish to tell me?" he asked.

"No, that was everything," I shook my head. "Now, would you be so kind as to prepare a room for me to rest before I leave for the south?" I asked him.

"Already done," he nodded. "Clara will take you to your room, Lord Stark," he said before tilting his head.

"Are you traveling alone, my lord? Should I send some of the guards with you?" he asked with concern.

I stood up and shook my head. "No, Lord Glover. I have to do this alone. No one from the South must know we are preparing for war, and I need to work alone to gather intelligence on the forces of our enemies before it starts."

"And who are our enemies, if I may ask, my lord?" he asked seriously. "I will follow the Starks to the grave, but more information would be useful," he added quickly.

I snorted in good humor. "The Crown will be our enemy. When King Robert dies—and I don't give him more than a year to drop dead—the Lannisters will try to stay in power."

Lord Glover shook slightly before composing himself. "And they won't leave us alone," he said grimly.

"Indeed, but it isn't so simple," I said calmly, explaining the Queen's infidelity and all that information from the door.

The lord let out a weary sigh. "I hate wars, Lord Stark," he admitted.

"We all do, but we must make difficult decisions for the sake of our people," I agreed with him. I couldn't imagine all the horrors of war, as I had never lived through one, but just the thought of it horrified me.

"We will be ready," he nodded firmly. "How much time do you think we have, my lord?" he asked.

"As I said, less time than we want. I give it a few months until the war starts in the Seven Kingdoms. Now, I'll go rest before I leave. I trust that when I return with my father, the North will be completely secure from outside threats," I said, finally leaving the room.

Next Day

Mounting my horse, I prepared to begin my journey south. I decided to avoid visiting Greywater Watch, as it would take too long to traverse the Neck's swampy region. I was short on time, so I couldn't afford to waste it.

With everyone working hard to prepare, I needed to make myself more valuable, and gathering information on our enemies would be the best way to occupy my time.

I didn't know war personally, and the maester's teachings amounted to nothing more than theoretical knowledge, which just wasn't the same. For that reason, I delegated many of my duties to those who knew better.

Thankfully, the King's Road was tranquil and easy to navigate since the bandit purge. No bandit in their right mind would wander through the North after that, and the few foolish enough to try were dealt with so swiftly that they couldn't do much harm to our population.

The trip south was boring, and my only company was my insects, who devoured any biomass they encountered since I had little else to do.

I had left most of my swarm in Winterfell with orders to protect it from anything threatening the population, so I had less than a million insects following me.

It was more than enough. As I traveled, I collected more and more, and I had enough energy to create special insects if needed.

Staying close to the swamp, I was trying to find any exciting flora or fauna, as the region might offer some special properties, but I hadn't been lucky so far.

Hopefully, that would change since the Neck was mysterious, and I believed there would be interesting things to discover here. If I didn't find anything, I would visit again when I returned with my father from the South.

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