c18

Bloodstone, the Stepstones…

Harry sat with his children as they played around the main hall, smiling wide as he indulged in their childish enjoyment of the moment. No plots...no danger...just uninhibited joy.

Such moments as these were few and far between these days Harry thought sadly, his eldest son and daughter Jasen & Elinor were both now walking and was speaking with surprising skill for their age bringing a lump to Harry's throat as it was a painful reminder that his children were growing up quicker than he would like. He loved them all and on the one hand wished that they could stay children but knew on the other hand that this was not possible and he was proud of them. Just as he was of the dragons that were still growing and would one day make the Targaryen dragons look small in comparison he was sure.

The addition of Lys to their small kingdom had not gone unnoticed, a sharp letter of rebuke had arrived from Jon Arryn which had Harry laughing for hours. 'Upsetting the apple cart' as it were really riled up the old man but Harry did not care, the old Arryn lord had been about to throw himself behind a plan that would have seen Harry and his people reduced to slaves so what consideration did he deserve? Harry thought with anger but did not show it so he did not scare his young children. The stone masons were already hard at work there rebuilding the buildings of the city and the use of potions he had provided had revived their vineyards and other growing land, which would allow them to start growing their own food and making wines to sell again.

The only hiccup in the plan was that the supplies of lumber to rebuild the Lys merchant fleet had not arrived yet which brought a frown to Harry's face, the Mormonts who Harry had sent ravens too did not seem to be cooperating and so he would have to go to Bear Island and see just what the hell was going on.

Aside from that Harry thought with relief there were no problems, his investments were doing well, trade was up and their web of allies was slowly expanding. The only real concern he had was his wife.

Rhaenys had been very distant since she had returned from Dorne, Harry had been worried that something might have happened there but Kanoro had assured him nothing had upset her, in fact she had seemed more at peace that Harry had ever seen her except when she was with their children. In fact she had even started to delve into the Targaryen journals that they had recovered in Volantis with a gusto that had surprised all of them, forgetting her aversion to her Targaryen heritage at least on that level.

Speaking of which, here she was Harry thought as his wife came into the main hall.

"Mummy!" Jasen and Elinor cried out in excitement at the sight of their mother, rushing towards her as fast as their little legs could carry them. Rhaenys bend down to catch them both in her arms and hugged them tightly while a wide smile appeared on her face. Their other children all slowly walked or crawled to her and she gathered them all around her, kissing each of them on the head while Harry watched with a smile although he gave Rhaenys a questioning look when he caught her eye. She gave him a smile that was supposed to be comforting but it did not ease Harry's concerns.

-x-

Later that night as they prepared for bed, Rhaenys finally told Harry in private what he been occupying her mind.

"Harry, you can summon anyone with that ring can't you?" She nervously asked Harry who immediately became tense as he worried she was going to ask him to summon her mother again.

"As long as I know their name and they are actually dead then yes." Harry told her wearily, hoping he was not going to upset her but there were some lines best left uncrossed.

"I need to see my father." Rhaenys told him and Harry actually blinked in surprise. She had hated her father more in many respects than her grandfather, specifically for what Rhaegar had done to her mother Elia. Harry knew that although his wife had warmed to some of her Targaryen ancestors like her grandmother Rhaella, most still disgusted her.

"Why?" Harry asked not denying her request but looking on with simple curiosity and some worry, he did not want to see her hurt.

"I have to know why?" Rhaenys said her voice shaking slightly with emotion as she tried her best to explain. "Why he did it? Why he abandoned my mother, brother and me to run off with a Stark bitch?" Her voice getting angry at the mention of Lyanna Stark, while she did not know the role the Stark lady had played in the events that led to the Rebellion she had still been a contributing factor.

Harry was however very concerned about this, going in search of secrets like this often made you learn things you wish you had not. Whatever had happened could not be changed and might well be dangerous but he could see the look of desperation in his wife's eyes and knew she would not let this rest, so he sighed and asked her.

"Are you sure? You might not like the answers you get." He said simply. She nodded and said with an edge of desperation to it.

"I have to know."

Harry took the Resurrection Stone off his finger and slowly turned it over in his hands twice then with one last look at his wife, hoping she would change her mind turned it a third time when he saw how determined she was.

A form of a man of Valyrian descent simmered into existence near the foot of their bed, making Rhaenys gasp as although she had wanted this the sight of her father, a man that she had not seen in years and hated for so long it was nearly overwhelming with the wave of emotions that came with his appearance.

"Father!" She said breathlessly, words she had practised in her head suddenly vanishing like they had never been there. The spirit of Rhaegar Targaryen however looked around in disinterest before ignoring Rhaenys completely before he turned to Harry and asked with a complete lack of care.

"Why have you summoned me Tyrell?"

Harry's own eyes narrowed with anger at the total dismissal of Rhaenys who looked on, shocked and hurt at the rejection. She actually managed to catch his gaze and looked pleadingly into his eyes.

"Father. It's me, your daughter Rhaenys." She was desperately looking for a bit of recognition or emotion at the sight of her but Rhaegar instead ignored her again and looked towards Harry, not caring a jot that his own daughter was looking at him heartbroken and Harry was beginning to look furious.

"I demand that you release me! I have earn my rest and I want to return to it." Rhaegar said not giving Harry any consideration either and Harry instead became very cold as he spoke back to the dead prince.

"Not a chance, not until you have answered our questions, your grace." Harry said with obvious disgust directed Rhaegar.

"No." Rhaegar said looking angrily at Harry who did not finch and turning to the still devastated looking Rhaenys, giving her a nod. She returned it and gathered her courage before asking the questions she needed answers too.

"Why did you do it? Why did you run off with Lyanna Stark and abandon your family?"

Rhaegar visibly struggled against answering the questions but when Harry spoke, the deceased Silver Prince could not hold back the answers.

"Answer her." Harry demanded, Rhaegar immediately started talking.

"Because I needed to create the Prince that was Promised, I had to have the 'ice' to my 'fire." Rhaegar told them. Harry was shocked at the answer as was Rhaenys and Harry quickly asked.

"And was this 'prince' born?" Worry started to appear on his face, hoping that the answer would be no but Rhaegar proudly said the words that destroyed his hope.

"Yes, the boy that will rule Westeros and save this world from the ancient enemy once they return."

A son, Harry thought with dismay. If that boy made a claim for the Iron Throne then it could bring about the civil war he had predicted even sooner and unite several factions or divide them further, a war he and his would be hard pressed to stay out of. Rhaenys' existence was already known to an unknown number of people and while he doubted many knew of the second son of Rhaegar Targaryen it was a potential threat to his wife's survival and that of their children Harry thought, his mind running a few miles a second before he remembered his wife who was looking absolutely crushed at what she was being told. He crossed over and took her in his arm, rubbing her back gently before glaring at Rhaegar who was completely unmoved by the scene in front of him.

"How did Elia and her children fit in to your plans? What was Lyanna Stark's role in this? And finally where is the boy now?"

Rhaegar did his best but could not refuse Harry the answers.

"The girl would have married him to solidify his position while the boy would have been disinherited to secure my second son's hold to the throne, all wasted now she is wed to you." Rhaegar said not even bothering to identify his own children by their own names before he continued. "After the annulling of my marriage to Elia by High Septon Maynard Lyanna was wed to me so our child would be legitimate. Her unwillingness to go along with my plans was of no matter." Rhaegar said and Harry finally realised why Rhaegar cared so little for his own family.

His visions and desire for the Prince that was Promised had become his sole focus and nothing else mattered to him, not to mention he so sure of his own decisions as being the best way and expected everyone to simply follow them because they were for Rhaegar thought best, his own form of the Targaryen madness bound up with his own ego in being the one to bring forth the prince that was promised. The news that Lyanna Stark had been truly unwilling was another piece of evidence towards this.

"And the boy? Where is he now and what is he doing?" Harry asked noticing that Rhaegar had stopped talking. Rhaegar's face had he still been flesh and blood would have coloured with the effort at trying to resist answering but it was unfortunately for him...futile.

"Winterfell, he is at Winterfell being raised as the bastard son of Eddard Stark unaware of his true heritage or destiny. Lord Stark named him Jon Snow."

With that Harry banished the spirit of Rhaegar and he and Rhaenys just stood there as she cried into his shoulder, he honestly felt awful for allowing this to happen. Had she hoped he would have said that he never meant to hurt her or her mother Harry wondered? Or to say that he loved her? Harry honestly wanted to bring Rhaegar back to life just to torture him to death for the pain he had put Rhaenys through but he swallowed his own anger and just comforted his wife, she needed that more than his fury at her father at the moment.

They stayed like that for a long time until they lay down on the bed and Harry asked her the question he needed to ask.

"What are you going to do?"

She was silent for a while and Harry could almost see the gears turning in her head as she thought about it.

"Nothing, he is a creation of my father's madness. I can forgive Lyanna Stark as from what we have just learned she is innocent in this and I am not going to hold any hatred towards….my half brother." She said those words coming out like dagger blades. "I can live with this knowledge, I hope but I don't know if I can ever meet him without being angry. Not at him but this entire mess that our father created." Her face was unsettled when she said that and Harry pulled her back into his arms and kissed her forehead.

Her confusion was understandable, he would be there for her in any way he could but this was he thought a worrying new development that would need to be discussed with their inner circle.

-x-

The next day using portkeys he assembled their closest allies and described to them just what they had learnt. The room was absolutely silent in shock at the discovery of Rhaenys' half brother, no more than Rhaenys herself who could not meet the gaze of anyone in the room but regardless they had to decide just what to do.

"I don't know if he will make a play for the throne himself but since he is a potential claimant I want the documents relating to Rhaegar's marriage to Lyanna brought here. I know they are kept in the Citadel so Alwyn if you could find an excuse to visit and retrieve them that would be best, just so we can keep the secret hidden for now and protect the boy." Alwyn nodded, completely serious as they all knew what was at stake if this situation was mishandled.

"Most Targaryen loyalists except for a few have proven unreliable, they would sell us to the Usurper for his favour if we approached them." Zara said with a scowl, bunch of cowards she thought which was echoed by several others in the room. "Only a handful like the Velaryons and the Darry's have proven trustworthy outside of Dorne, at least our other supporters make up for the shortfall though. Boros Wallian has just allied himself with House Mooton to bring the pirate haunt of Port Maril to heel which has strengthened them all." Zara reported and all nodded in agreement, they had a strong network but would it be enough? Harry worried although he kept that to himself. He personally would feel more comfortable with more support.

Then Rhaenys spoke up for the first time all day.

"If we do not have an army as big as we would like then maybe we need more dragons to compensate, we could train up some new dragon riders to expand our force potential." Rhaenys suggested, shocking them all with the extreme idea of increasing the number of dragons at their disposal. It had been difficult to keep the three they had already hidden and hatching more would only make it harder but Harry thought coming around to the idea, it would be a tremendous boon to their military might he thought with cold detachment and certainly make it easier to fight on multiple fronts.

"Who did you have in mind?" Harry asked, again surprising the people gathered who had assumed he would be against it. Rhaenys looked to her former ladies who shook their heads as did Kanoro for differing reasons of their own before making her suggestions.

"Aeron Velaryon and Daena Baelerys, you and Kanoro have been training them to be warriors and their loyalty is beyond reproach. I am sure they could be a vital asset." Rhaenys said and with a look around to see what everyone thought and was glad to see many relieved at the suggestions, happy that it was being received with approval.

"I will show them to the stored dragons eggs and allow them to choose their eggs before I leave for Bear Island, I might be able to learn more of Jon Snow while I am there." Harry said with annoyance at the long trip he was facing up to the North. Having never been there before he could not simply apparate up there or use a portkey and there was no way in hell he was going to use his dragon to fly there.

That left the traditional way, by ship which would take a couple of weeks at least Harry groaned. He left aboard the Silence that night after allowing Aeron and Daena to chose a very dark grey egg and a purple egg respectively that Rhaenys would help them hatch once with her dragons providing the necessary magical fire and they were given the same pendants that Harry and Rhaenys themselves had once used with their dragons but no longer needed to ensure the two new dragon riders could establish their own bonds with their dragons.

The Bay of Ice, Northern Westeros. Two Weeks later…

Harry watched from the wheelhouse of the Silence as it made its way through the bleak and cold waters of the north. The winds were very sharp as they lashed the crew who shivered even in their warm furs, looking towards Harry who was not acting cold at all and wondering how on earth he did it. The answer was of course warming charms but Harry was more focused on the waters around them as was the lookout in the crow's nest for potential ice flows that sometimes happened around these parts, after all it was known as the Bay of Ice for good reason.

Bear Island was a welcome sight when it finally came into view, slightly larger than Bloodstone it was covered in thick forest. The export of lumber had therefore become their primary trade although given the North had a few forests it was not sold very widely. The ruling House Mormont was one of the poorest houses in the North as a result and on the other hand one of the most respected for their fierce and brutal warriors having to repel wildlings and Iron Born attackers all the time.

The fishing village where they docked was typical of Northern simplicity, what was absolutely necessary and nothing more. Simple stone buildings with thatched roofs and a small number of small but sturdy looking fishing boats littered the dock. The suspicious looks sent his way did not bother him or his men as they tied up the Silence and made their way towards the wooden walled castle called Mormont Keep. It was not as strong as a stone castle of course and would need repairs far more often as wood rotted but it was sturdy looking and Harry was impressed at the alertness that the guards and other members of the household showed when they arrived.

He was permitted to enter the long hall but when he got there he sighed in dismay at the outright hatred the women of House Mormont were glaring at him with. He was not unsurprised that they had not greeted him at the dock but outright hatred he could do without.

"Greetings Ladies Maege, Dacey and Lyanna Mormont. I trust the day has been good so far?" Harry asked trying to be polite to the current lady of House Mormont Maege and her two daughters Dacey and Lyanna only for them to scowl at him and Maege said.

"It was until you showed up Tyrell, now kindly fuck off back to your elaborate castles in the south."

Harry was taken aback at the sheer hatred in her voice and wondered what the hell he had done that could possibly have angered them so much, he had never to his knowledge even met a Mormont and was proposing a deal that could make them a good living. Why would they hate him?

Then suddenly it hit him.

'It can't be because of Lynesse Hightower can it?' Harry thought incredulously, the stuck up lady from the Reach that had once been married to the last lord of the island and through her own desire for rich things encouraged her husband to indulge in slavery? They had a distant blood tie Harry would admit but other than that all they had in common was the fact they were both from the Reach.

Catching the eyes of Maege Mormont he scanned her surface thoughts and frowned when he saw that this was indeed the case so Harry thought, getting angry for having to deal with this he told them with as much cold as an arctic wind.

"Clearly getting screwed by bears has made you blind then." Harry said and all three were shocked at his response as were the guards, his and theirs but Harry was not done yet. "If you cannot tell the difference between me and the whore of Hightower then you half wits need to get fucking eye glasses."

Taking advantage of their shock at a Reach man using such language when they had never even heard Lynesse curse, Harry pressed on with his point.

"I am offering a deal to sell your lumber and make a lot of coin, money you could use to actually hire a proper healer for your island and buy better weapons and more food. Recruit more fighters to defend yourselves from the wildlings and the Iron Born but if your are quite willing to stay the way you are then by all means I can find someone else. So fucking listen." Harry snapped at them.

Maege and her daughters did not like being insulted by this Reach man but the points he had made about the coin they could make selling the lumber did stop them responding, they did not trust him in the slightest but they held their tongues...for now.

Harry saw that he had their attention at last so he started talking.

"Lys is in need of a source of lumber to rebuild its fleet after the war over in Essos, you have plenty and I have a potion that can be used to make the trees grow faster. I will give that to you and provide warship escort to the lumber convoys to protect them from the Iron Born and ensure one of your people is taught the healing arts from one of my own people. I do this because Lys is one of my vassals and their strength is my strength and all you have to do is send the lumber and get paid. Only a bloody idiot would turn down a deal this good." Harry said finishing with the implication that they would be fools to turn it down.

The Mormonts were silent but although their pride told them to make him fuck off, they could not ignore the advantages of this deal. Their reputation in the North had been damaged badly by Jorah's actions and it had taken a substantial loan from the Starks to pay off the debts he had left them with. A chance to restore their standing and make their situation stable again was something that they could not pass up.

"Let us discuss between ourselves and we will give you an answer tomorrow Lord Tyrell." Maege Mormont said and Harry grimly nodded, knowing that was all he could expect for now although he took note of the fact that she had called him Lord Tyrell. A small measure of respect, well he thought that is a start.

-x-

Harry was returning to the Silence, now alone he not sure if coming here had not been a colossal waste of time. The Mormonts would never be his allies as their hatred of anyone from the Reach was blinding in its intensity and there was still his wife's half brother to think about. Harry began to feel weary of all that had happened over the last few years and all that was happening now, events did not seem to be slowing down and he could only imagine just what else was next around the corner. Was this what life was? He thought with his body, mind and spirit feeling more tired than ever, a constant struggle with no reprieve until you died?

He was trying to put those feelings aside when he suddenly felt a surge of magic nearby, he whisked around with one hand on his sword and the other had his dragon ring on ready to face whatever it was when he was shocked to see a raven with three eyes staring at him.

He stopped still and stared at the raven with suspicious eyes, the bird was not real Harry thought able to sense that much but the mind that was projecting it was far older and stronger than any Harry had ever felt with a great deal of magical power. His eyes connected with the bird's and a flash of images flooded his mind.

A Weirwood Tree larger than other standing higher than most castles, surrounded by snow.

A vast terrain that went from the Wall to the Tree.

An old man sitting amongst a mass of roots in a cave saying.

"Come find me."

Harry was startled blinking only to find the bird had disappeared, never had he experienced something like this and now that he knew where this supposed old wizard was, he could apparate there...if he chose too. Whoever had let him see those images knew that he could apparate and would in all likelihood be able to prevent him using it to escape if it was some sort of trap. Portkeys too would likely be countered.

But at the same time this was magic like he had never seen before, that of the Old Gods and a being as powerful as the one he had just sensed might be a danger to him and to his family. One way or another Harry had to know he thought with grim determination and trust in his skills to survive whatever he found there.

So with his guard raised and his swords ready, Harry closed his eyes, concentrated on the Great Weirwood tree and with a pop vanished from Bear Island.

The Great Weirwood, Beyond the Wall…

The winds here were even colder than those on Bear Island, that was the first thing Harry noticed after he arrived. Reapplying the warming charm he looked around and was astonished at the sheer size of the tree in front of him, yes he had seen it in the images sent to him but to see it with his own eyes was something else entirely Harry thought with awe, not least because and the very strong magical aura that was coming off of it. At the base where the entrance to the cave was, a small being came out and spoke to him.

"Harry Tyrell, the Three Eyed Raven is waiting for you."

Harry nodded in acknowledgement, shocked at the small imp like creature that could only be one of the legendary Children of the Forest, very large and expressive eyes and no larger than a human child of ten, greyish green skin and dark hair. Any other time Harry would have been excited nearly to the point of stammering with anticipation but that was not what he was here for today. So he followed the Child down into the cave and found it reassuring that although there were wards, none of them would prevent him from leaving.

After a trip down the dark and long tunnels they emerged into a larger open area with masses of roots twisting their way all over the place. It was hard to make his way to the centre of chamber where he saw a man far older than any he had ever seen. His thin and atrophied form tangled in the mess of roots around him, his skin looking so pale and thin that it could break with the slightest touch but what no one else other than Harry would see was the incredibly powerful magical aura that surrounded the man. It was so blinding that had it been an actual light Harry would have had to look away to stop himself from being blinded, a magic user that had been honing his craft for decades maybe longer Harry thought with awe. How much might he know? It was an intriguing question.

"So you are the one that has caused all the chaos?" The old man wheezed as he cast his blind eyes on Harry who could feel the intense magical senses of the old warlock tuned in on him. Harry was somewhat offended especially as the old man laughed. "Do not think it an insult boy, I am grateful for all you have done. While the future is still constantly shifting I feel there is a greater chance of survival in the Long Night to come and for that I thank you."

"The Long Night?" Harry enquired with a chill running up his spine that had nothing to do with the cold environment. Despite being raised in the Seven worshipping South, he knew the legends of the Long Night as well as anyone. A dark fable of a time where the land had been blanketed in endless snow and night while humanity and the Children of the Forest had struggled against an undead demon foe known as the White Walkers. A time when mankind had nearly been wiped from the face of the world and endless cold and darkness threatened to carry on forever.

And from the way this ancient magic user was talking, it was substantially more than a just a dark fairy tale.

As if he could sense his thoughts and probably could Harry admitted, the Three Eyed Raven told him.

"They are no myth and they are very much on the rise again, for thousands of years they have slept and gathered their forces while waiting for a time when mankind has grown complacent enough to pose no threat. When magic has become all but extinct and humans to greedy to unite against them, such as now." He added with sadness and Harry held his head in his hand in dismay, he had seen the world and knew the chances of humanity uniting together were very slim, groups of them yes but the truly noble that would be needed to lead them and guide them would be in short supply and worst with little to no magic in their arsenal. He finally understood the mural he had found in Volantis, made by the First Men to warn future generations of the threat and after all, the Northerners had not built a continent spanning seven hundred foot high wall to keep out wildlings and establish a thousands of years old order to guard it for nothing had they?

It might be naive of him to just blindly accept that these creatures exist with magic anything was possible, so regretfully Harry thought that he should take the warning seriously.

"I fail to see why I would make things easier in this war that you are so afraid of if indeed the Walkers return now? And more pressingly why have you contacted me? I highly doubt it was merely for a chat." Harry said with suspicion. The old warlock gave him a stern look and spoke with such authority that Harry could not help but feel like a boy again.

"Removing the Mountain will save many lives in the days to come, weakening those that would divide the land to take what they want and leave it broken. Establishing new lands and an army that might sway the course of the Long Night and bringing magic back to Westeros amongst other things young man. Do not underestimate the weight of your actions. If not for you thee would be no Free Slave movement in Essos and many would toil in chains their entire lives that now know freedom. The Martells would never know of Rhaenys Targaryen's survival as she and her ladies would die trying to flee their captivity if your men had not found them. All the pit fighters and the healer you freed would have died as sacrifices to the Red God along with all their children. The Stepstones would have remained as a haunt for pirates and thugs for centuries, Jaime Lannister would have taken far longer to find his own honour without your help, what could have become of the knowledge and wealth of Valyria had you not found it first and these are just a handful of examples. Had you not been there to alter things the future would be far more dire, do not underestimate your power to affect the scales for better or worst." He warned harshly, Harry taking that to mean be careful in case you make things worst which did anger him as much as it was a call to stop and think more. The fate that could have befallen those closest to him was a sobering thought that made Harry more glad than ever that he had been there to help them but his thoughts turned back to his second question.

"So I assume there is something you want of me? So get on with it." Harry said sharply, still unsettled by the power of this man.

"Leave Jon Snow alone." The Three Eyed Raven said firmly and Harry's eyes narrowed as he heard the words. "There are some journeys we must take for ourselves and your interference could prevent him from learning the lessons he must if he is the one we all need him to be. I am not saying to stay your hand in everything just be mindful that some things will and must occur, if not one way then they will happen another way and one that could be far more destructive. You will meet Jon when the time is right but for now, you must keep your distance."

Harry's eyes narrowed as he started to suspect that the real reason for the Three Eyed Raven contacting him now was due to their discovery of Jon's existence, but while he could understand the importance of keeping the boy safe there was a big thing that was bothering him.

Harry did not like making decisions based on the predictions of this old man, he had always distrusted people who lived their lives by trying to follow prophecies, Dumbledore in the other world might have done so much more to help Harry's own counterpart in preparing him for things to come but instead allowed many to escape prison after the first war with Voldemort and many junior death eaters were allowed to stay at Hogwarts despite the risk which eventually got Dumbledore himself killed.

In this world Rhaegar Targaryen's obsession with prophesy had led to a bloody civil war that had destroyed a nearly three hundred year dynasty, tens of thousands dead and the current ruin of Westeros under the Baratheons and Lannisters to name but a few.

Needless to say Harry questioned the intelligence of anyone who followed predictions of the future after those actions and he was tempted to throw caution to the wind and contact this Jon Snow anyway but wary of making an enemy of the Three Eyed Raven he stopped and decided his course of action.

"Very well, I will leave him alone but do not think I will be timid in current events." Harry said with stony certainty. The Three Eyed Raven nodded knowing it was all he could expect from him, Harry was then distracted from the old warlock by an inquiry from one of the Children of the Forest.

"Human, perhaps we might beg a boon from you in case we can be of aid in the times to come?" The one that spoke was the same that had bid him into the cave and spoke with a female voice, her large eyes hopeful and with a sigh Harry turned to face her.

"Yes, bare in mind it might not be within my power to give it though." Harry warned her with a backwards glare at the Three Eyed Raven. The Child then looked imploringly at him as she spoke.

"It is I assure you...Harry Tyrell." She said with a slight nervousness. "The presence of the walkers has weakened my people greatly and if we stay here it will only lead to our extinction. I know of forests on your islands where some of us could begin to rebuild our people, please could we send some of our people there?" She said her large eyes pleading with him to allow it.

Harry felt his heart going out to the small creature, she must be truly desperate to leave her home and put herself and her people at his mercy. Sympathy rolled through him and he was about to say yes when caution stopped him as once upon a time they had fought humans (with good reason he admitted) and his people might not take kindly to having a group of strange creatures settling on the islands. But he thought there were ways around that.

"There is a forest in the mountains of Grey Gallows." Harry said which made her eyes light up with hope so much that Harry wanted to give her a smile, reminding him of an elf his counterpart had once known. "I can set up wards to keep humans away from the forest so you might be left in peace and rebuild your people, but that is all I can offer." Harry said and the Child just starting smiling at him with such joy it was hard not to hug her.

"That would be perfect, there are caves that once belonged to my people there and it is more than large enough to suit us for several centuries., There are even Weirwoods there for us. Please, we would gladly accept your terms and it would save our people."

Harry relented, it was not everyday you could save a species from extinction and save a unique branch of magic at the same time he thought and with a grin said.

"Of course. I will make some portkeys to take your people there and install the wards myself."

Whatever else he might have said was stopped when he was rudely interrupted by the Three Eyed Raven.

"Save the Children of the Forest if you must, but since I feel that you do to take the threat of the White Walkers seriously, apparate yourself to the ridge north of here and see for yourself."

Harry shot him a look of reproach but it was ignored and to shut up the old man he did just as was suggested. Emerging into the harsh cold that was even worst here than any place he had ever been, Harry's breath was stolen away at the sight in front of him.

A mass of rotting and twisted corpses slowly made its way across a vast snow covered plain, both human and animal. There were even some giants wandering vaguely about but all of them were showing injuries that would have been fatal to a human and indeed were to them...once. Creatures missing limbs or even chunks of their bodies, even bits of their heads were moving around much to Harry own astonishment and horror. They moved slowly but in unison, nothing like Harry had ever seen before.

What scared him more though were the figures that he glimpsed on the hill opposite him, sitting on the backs of dead horses that still stood upright were tall figures of about six and a half foot at least. Some had white hair and all had the most tight and wrinkly grey skin you could image.

But as Harry stood there, his mouth open in a mixture of shock and horror he saw the bright blue unnatural eyes that gazed out across the undead army. One of them, seemingly the leader with a crown of ice spikes on his head looked up towards him and Harry wasted no time in vanishing with apparation.

The Night King blinked and then looked away, dismissing the human as nothing of consequence.

Bloodstone, Two Weeks Later…

He had set up the wards for the Children of the Forest and then with portkeys moved about thirty of them to the mountain forest of Grey Gallows which had taken up the rest of the day, a couple including Leaf, the one that had spoken to him in the cave had stayed behind to assist the Three Eyed Raven. Harry had given Leaf a portkey to take her to safety should something happen. The magical barriers around the tree were tied to the Three Eyed Raven and while he was still powerful his age was starting to tell. He liked the little creatures and with so little magic in the world, they were worth saving.

When he had returned to Bear Island the next day, the Mormonts had agreed to his deal. The tree growth acceleration potion had been gratefully received and a new series of crop rotation put into place, that way they could produce enough lumber to satisfy demand without depleting their forests.

But this was of little consequence to Harry as he sat in the vaults of his castle staring at the mural he had salvaged from Volantis, now understanding its significance for the first time and it was...illuminating.

Hard to decipher in places it told the story of the first long night, how humanity nearly died out all together until weaknesses in the creatures were found that allowed humans and the Children of the Forest to destroy them. Some of it had degraded but three specific weaknesses stood out enough for Harry to rediscover them.

A black stone dagger that seemed to be made from dragonglass and a metal forged from dragon's fire could kill the creatures, while fire would destroy their pets the wights. Decapitation or severe body damage did nothing but so far that was all he could read.

"So what can I do with that?" Harry said out loud since there was no one to overhear him. The early First Men seemed to lack more complex weapons, only having lightweight bows and spears with daggers and occasionally swords or axes. They often lost many taking down even one walker or a few wights.

Harry had access to a but more technology than they did so on a piece of parchment he drew down a few ideas that he would give to Alwyn when he returned from the Citadel. His friend would be far better at making these things into a reality than Harry would himself.

The crossbow could do far more damage and fire projectiles with greater force than the First Men's primitive bows. They would also be far easier for the more unskilled men and women that might have to take up the fight should the Walkers get passed the Wall. Dragonglass tipped arrows could be a great advantage if the time ever came to face them, along with fire tipped arrows against the wights. Aside from that Harry made a point to make more Valyrian steel for spear points, an easy weapon to use it could allow several men working together to overwhelm and kill a walker.

He stopped once he was doing this to wonder briefly as doubt crept into his mind, why was he involving himself in this? His islands were far from the North and there was no way that the Walkers or their wights could get pass the Wall at present according to Leaf. So why Harry honestly asked himself such he do anything?

Perhaps it was his 'saving people thing' as one person dear to his counterpart had once called it, a trait he and his opposite shared in equal measure, his counterpart Harry Potter might have been more reckless that he hoped he was but it boiled down to the same thing. A desire to help people and save lives.

But Harry's more ruthless and practical side asserted it was simply preparing for the threat that he or his children might face one day, better to have the weapon and never need it than need it desperately and be left without.

Well, Harry thought to himself, the future certainly wasn't getting any brighter. Better be ready for when the storm hit.