Chapter 38

Chapter 38: Leaving the North.

Roose Bolton, Weeping River, 278AC.

The night was quiet as Roose was carried into an awaiting river boat on the Weeping Water. The docks were empty in the small village where a simple trade ship lies, waiting for them. It was here that he would make his way south by ship and down the Weeping River, where a larger ship filled with ample provisions and funds would take him east to Essos, completing his escape from the Starks grasps.

Roose didn't expect himself to be caught in his escape and certainly not by Rickard Stark himself. He wondered what had gone wrong, did a guard spotted something out of place or did one of their guardsmen betrayed them? When they opened the doors to the dungeon to make their way out, they had been met with an armed resistance of Guardsmen and Northern Lords. The ensuing fight has been bloody, but Roose managed to escape and take one of the Crowl's down as well. The man, of course had put up a fight, wounding Roose in the process, an injury that was proving to be an inconvenience for his survival.

From Winterfell, he had been carried on horseback by one of his men in great haste. The entire trip has been exceedingly painful and had taken days of riding in which Roose had gone through a great deal of pain and discomfort. They stopped in a small village on route and had taken on the services of a healer who stitched up the wounds across his shoulder and chest, doing what he could to ensure that it didn't get infected. It wasn't a life threatening wound, but it would surely leave a scar and some lasting damage to his shoulder in the days to come.

At the Weeping Water, he met more guardsmen from the Bolton lands who his father had ensured were on standby, should something unexpected happen. The men were dressed as common sailors and they disguised Roose among the cargo as they set sail south along the Weeping Water. They slipped through the customs officers without being caught and soon were on their way to rendezvous with a trade ship off the coast that his father prepared.

Roose stood on the deck of the Agony as he watched the coast of Westeros fade from view. He felt a feeling of disappointment that it would be sometime before he came back to reclaim what was his. The Starks may have come out on top this time, but he would return in time and make a new collection of Stark skins to decorate the halls of the Dreadfort and bring about the resurrection of his house. He wasn't singularly focused on the fall of the Starks like his father was, but they were still his enemy. His father lacked the patience to deal with them and Roose wouldn't make the same mistake.

The ship had a good stockpile of gold on board and a strong crew that were once loyal to his father, though now him until to his death. The supplies however, wouldn't allow Roose much more than a wealthy life style in the Free Cities. Some men might consider that a win, considering his predicament, but Roose found the idea of it dull. Certainly, he could find some entertainment within the Free Cities, but what he valued the most about being nobility in Westeros was the games he could play with his power.

Some men may run off to become sellswords, fighting for riches in battle and glory. Roose wasn't one of those men, he has no intention of becoming a sellsword, though he did intend on making his riches, but he intended to be entertained while doing so. Entertainment came in many forms, to him it was the experience of seeing how one reacted, a study of the mind in a way.

"My Lord, where shall our destination be?" The Captain asked hesitantly.

"Slavers Bay." Roose said softly. Roose heard intriguing things about Slavers Bay. Traders spoke of men who were molded from birth into emotionless soldiers who felt no pain. He was keenly interested in how one went about the creation of such things and if they were truly emotionless. Perhaps he could put it to the test and purchase one, see if they indeed felt no pain.

Rickard Stark, Winterfell, 278AC.

After Roose Bolton escaped the walls of Winterfell, Rickard sought to regain control of the chaos within the courtyard. The fires in the stables was the first problem that he tackled as the men all joined in a bucket line to prevent the fire from spreading to any adjacent buildings. They managed to contain the fire within the stables and put it out, preventing a total loss of the structure. The horses themselves had to be calmed and captured as well. The horses had mostly done superficial damage to the grounds around Winterfell itself, though a more lasting damage on several of his men and visiting Lords.

As soon as the horses had been rounded up, Rickard ordered riders to pursue the fleeing Bolton. He knows a sizeable lead, but his destination was surely the Dreadfort, in the Bolton lands. His detachment is headed by men from the Northern Mountain Clan, who were among the best of trackers the North had to offer. If anyone could find them before they reached the Bolton lands, it would be the Northern Mountain Clans and the Skagossi who accompanied them. Baldur has been livid at the death of his uncle and had been the first to volunteer to pursue the escapees.

Among the dead with Vilkas were a number of other nobility and guardsmen. Most notably besides the Crowl Lord were Adam Branch and Evan Bole of the Wolfswood Clans, Mykal Norrey of the Mountain Clans and Dalton Stout of Barrowton to the south. Rickard planned to have the godswood readied to hold a ceremony before seeing them off to their respective families and regions. The only positive outcome was that the Bolton heir would likely find few allies among those that suffered losses here, not that Rickard would expect them to find allies anyways, but one could never be too sure.

His most immediate pressing concern is the possibility of Dreadfort raising their banners if Roose managed to arrive back within the safety of the Dreadfort. While Rickard was certain that the combined weight of the North could break the Boltons easily, it would be a costly and lengthy venture, not to mention the political ramifications of having revolting lords in his realm keeping him from his duties as Master of Law. While he didn't think that King Aerys would have him replaced, Tywin Lannister would surely exploit the opportunity to rid the courts of Northern influence.

To prevent this potential outcome, or at least minimalize it, The Lord of Winterfell ordered the hasty assembly of riders from his vassals surrounding the Bolton lands to begin securing the outlying farms and villages to prevent levies being raised to defend the Dreadfort. If it comes down to it, they would at least have few men holed up within the castle to resist and little time to logistically support themselves for a lengthy siege. The Dreadfort may be strong, but it could be starved out like any other castle in the realm. Their chances of reinforcements would also be grim in this situation as well.

Fortunately, none of this came to pass. While the Mountain Clans failed to uncover the location of Roose Bolton, they reported that Lady Bolton of the Dreadfort opened the gates willingly and surrendered the castle to the small force with no signs of resistance. The trail to the Bolton heir went cold on the Weeping Water, where he boarded a riverboat and headed south. According to Lady Bolton, her son had gone west to Essos, though Rickard ordered patrols to continue the search on the chance that he was instead holed up in one of the villages along the Weeping Water instead.

As soon as the Dreadfort has been secured, Rickard appointed a Castellan to oversee the governing of the Dreadfort and ensured that any problems or resistance that may arise was dealt quickly. For this task, he appointed Martyn Cassel, a warrior and a noble that was a close confidant under his influence. He would ensure the Dreadfort remained pacified and ready it for the arrival of his son. Rickard planned for the Dreadfort to be the future seat of a new Stark branch under his son, Eddard.

He reached an agreement with Lord Ryswell and Lord Dustin for their backing in taking the Dreadfort for his son Eddard. It was often unpopular for a Lord to confiscate the lands of a vassal for their own sons, as it concerned other Lords that the same may happen to them. Given the actions of the Boltons, Rickard didn't believe that the North was too upset to see them go, with the exception of the House set to inherit, the Lightfoots. The Lightfoots were a small house near the east coast of the Bolton lands and a vassal of House Bolton who were due to inherit through the eldest son. While they weren't happy, Rickard promised them a chunk of the confiscated lands to satisfy their ire.

To shore up support for his taking of the Dreadfort, Rickard agreed to a marriage proposal between House Ryswell and House Stark. His second son Eddard would take the hand of Barbrey Ryswell in marriage and she would become the lady of the Dreadfort. This would ensure that the former Bolton allies were squarely in the camp of the Starks should any future claims on the Dreadfort be made. It would allow Rickard to pull Brandon back from his fostering in Barrowton, to take on more duties within Winterfell under the direction of his great uncle Rodrik Stark.

With his last son, he agreed to a tie with House Mormont in the future. On the western coasts of the North, they held an increasingly important position, along with House Glover whom they were tied to by marriage. Marrying Benjen into House Mormont would tie the Mormont's close to Winterfell and with them, the Glovers. Rickard didn't suspect them of anything but loyalty, but with him taking the Dreadfort and his plans for the next Lady of Winterfell to be a Tully, it would do House Stark well to have one of the most powerful Bannermen fully behind him.

With Lyanna, he planned for greater things. Lyanna and Lyarra would be travelling south with him to King's Landing where he would present her to the court and look towards making a match. While there, he would ensure that she spends time with Princess Aerea and he had high hopes that she would manage to catch Prince Rhaegar's eye. His daughter had a fair dose of Wolfblood in her, but she certainly had a northern spirit and a beauty that would draw suitors to her, she took after her mother that way. While Rickard favored a more disciplined approach to raising Lyanna, his wife allowed the girl's excesses and Lyanna developed some of the mischief of his Lady Wife in the process. His Great Uncle Rodrik hadn't been much of a guiding hand in that regards either, often encouraging her willful nature with his stories of adventure and fun, though at least he kept her well aware of her duty to House Stark. As his lady wife often spoke, a wolf may be wild, but a wolf also has a duty to its pack. Lyarra had turned out to be a fine wife while maintaining her nature and he hoped that Lyanna would as well.

Rickard envisioned great things for the North in the future and it had already been prosperous beyond his hopes in the last ten years. Economically and politically, they were greater than they had been in living memory. Trade was growing across the North and crop wields as well. Taxes were increasing each year across the kingdom, bringing further prosperity to House Stark.

House Mormont and House Glover were benefiting greatly from the Ice Trade, carrying their wares as far as Starfall in Dorne. Each year, they increased the size of their navy by building more ships for the rising demand of Ice, a luxury in the south, if one could believe it. Rickard had also given them permission to begin settling trade posts on the Frozen Shore north of the Wall, like those that had been settled on the east coast by House Crowl. While it wouldn't likely be as successful as the ones in the east, it would certainly bring a fair amount of trade from the wildlings bands and further bring the end to any raiders on the mainland. Ivory was rich on the Frozen Shore, something that was surely a luxury item and would sell very well.

House Ryswell had seen an increase in its sale of Northern bred horses as well. With the settling of the Gift and north of the Wall, a new market barren of horses was available for the Ryswell's to take advantage of. Great herds of horses could be seen walking along the newly improved King's Road bound north for sale in great numbers. Rickard had no doubt that as the population rose and the region was further brought under their control, the market for House Ryswell would continue to increase.

Barrowton was a popular destination for ships to dock with the increase in trade. With the future actions Beyond the Wall, Rickard suspected that much more business would be coming and going out of the lands, business that would suit the Stark lands as well. With his own direct lands producing more, he could afford to further supply places on the East and West coast with grain for sale down through Torrhen's Square to the Salt Spear. He also planned to invest in improving more of the roads to further tie the region in to Winterfell and promote trade.

Along the west coast, places like the Stony Shore and Sea Dragon Point were beginning to be settled again. With Quellen Greyjoy in charge of the Iron isles and the North's increasing fleet, raids along the Western shores were down and the Iron Isles were reaping the benefits of being on a new trade route. It was Rickard's hope that the raids would continue to drop as the prosperity of Lordsport grew and the Ironborn saw the sense in taking advantage of the trade.

The men of the Mountain Clans had also begun mining ores in greater amounts to supply the demand for ores from the ship building in the Mormont and Glover lands, as well as to provide plenty of animal products for trade to the south in exchange for foods to help them better survive the winters. Winters may be tough in Winterfell, but they were tougher in the Mountains for the Northern Mountain Clansmen. The ability to survive winter had always been a driving force for the North, none more than the Clansmen who suffered the worst of it.

On the east coast, Skagos continued to thrive well and has become one of the North's most prosperous houses in the last ten years. He underestimated the brightness of Helena Whent. She truly seemed to have managed Skagos brilliantly and come up with rather cunning inventions to defeat the Northern Climate. Skagos ships could be frequently seen along the coasts of the far North, trading with the most remote of wildling clans. Rickard was concerned with the death of Vilkas, though it wasn't a disaster with Lady Helena still managing the lands. Lord Wyman had also said good things about Erik Crowl who had been fostered in White Harbor. Vilkas has spoken his dying wishes well in urging Baldur to appoint him to a position of power within the House functions.

The Karstarks were pleased enough with the timber sales to Skagos and Rickard ensured that he reached out to them more often and went out of his way to keep them informed on the happenings of King's Landing. The Umbers were also in growing prosperity with the security of their lands returning and the opportunities for trade growing at Last Hearth. Lord Jon Umber had nothing but good things to say when Rickard had spoken to him about his house. It was important that he had words with each of his lords as often as he could, a good lord that knows his vassals is a good lord for the vassals.

Lord Wyman was, of course, sturdy in support of the Starks. Wyman has as sharp of a mind as Ser Barristan did a blade, and the two had also strong relationship as well. Rickard ensured that White Harbor and the Manderly's continued to prosper from being at his side with positions of influence in King's Landing and an open ear to their ideas. It was Lord Wyman who kept Rickard most appraised on the situations of the economy in the North and things of interest. White Harbor has of course benefited greatly from increased trade and would continue to do so, keeping the Manderly's pleased.

The Crannogmen of the Neck hadn't benefited in any obvious way from the North's more recent prosperities. Trade has always been sparse, going through the Neck by sea travel was always quicker and less expensive. Rickard had done his best to earn their favor by ensuring their concerns with the Freys were taken into consideration. His Justicars had yet to uncover anything of damning nature, though it was clear that Lord Walder cared little to stop banditry from plaguing the Crannogmen. Outside speaking harshly of them, he hadn't lifted a finger to directly cause harm to them. For now, Rickard would keep a steady eye on the situation through the Crown's Justicars and perhaps another means would come to him to increase their prosperity. The Neck was an important piece to the defense of the North and farming was impossible within the marshes so they benefited little from the newest farming methods that was spreading through the land.

The Flints of Cape Kraken has experienced an influx in Ironborn workers coming to work the land and raise their families. No doubt this was from the encouragement of Quellen Greyjoy who saw the sense and value in working the land more than reaving. Rickard would continue to encourage trade ties with the Ironborn as Wyman Manderly suggested, to firmly tie their prosperity into trade. Quellen has served the crown well during the Ninepenny King's war and beyond and Rickard hoped to support his ideals anyway he could.

Overall, the North as a whole was showing promising advancements. Slowly, the increased productions of food would allow a rise in population in the North and the lands to be more widely settled. In the days to come, Rickard would need to take steps to ensure that Winterfell was at the center of that prosperity, as the Starks had always done in the past. Ensuring that overland trade was better tied to Winterfell was just the first step in what was to come. As Rickard returned to King's Landing, he would give his good-father permission to carry out these tasks and ensure Brandon was part of it