Chapter 160

"We're coming with you on this expedition." Smalljon Umber said without any fanfare as both he and Harrion Karstark stood in front of their small host numbering 400 and 300 men respectively.

They'd come out of Last Hearth with their small host and had stopped him a few hundred yards away from the Castle.

Using a surface Legilimency probe told him that Smalljon was serious about this. And he refused then the Umbers would stop him from crossing their lands.

With the Umbers and Karstarks united in this matter, if he still wanted to go to the Wall then he would have to go further West and travel through the lands of the Mountain tribes to get up to the Wall.

How bothersome.

"Why?" he asked.

"Our reasons are our own." Harrion Karstark replied. A surface legilimency probe told him that they wanted a share of the glory and any wargs, giants or Children of the Forest he might find in the North.

They also wanted to get into a few skirmishes with the wildlings up North and gain some battle experience as they had only ever participated in small scale skirmishes with a dozen wildlings or bandits.

He spurred his horse to move onward and came face to face with the two heirs sitting in their own horses "I will allow you to join me on this expedition. But know that if you or your men slow me down then I'll leave you behind."

"We'll not slo…"

"I'm not done speaking." He said and gave a glare to Harrion Karstark using a little mind manipulation to scare the older man into submission.

"I'll share my scouts so that they could teach your men how to find food in the land North of the Wall. I'll also give each of you a warg of my own for the duration of this expedition. That would be the extension of my help to you. But… if any of you die on this expedition, then it won't be on my head. Is that clear."

"Definitely." Smalljon Umber said and Harrion Karstark simply nodded, a little subdued by his cheap intimidation tactic.

"Very well then." He said as he lead his horse forward while the two heirs followed him "I'll send my men to check if your men are truly ready for this expedition. Those that are not well prepared will be sent back home."

"That…" Harrion Karstark started but a look from him made the man gulp in fear "…is acceptable."

"I agree." Smalljon added as well "I thought my men were well prepared. But just by looking at how you men walk, I could tell that my men are not prepared enough."

"Good." He said and they continued on their way to Last Hearth.