Chapter 11: Gathering Evidence. [Edited 11/08]

"We'll reach Dreadfort in less than an hour," I told my companions. "Remember to behave properly when we meet Lord Bolton."

"And why are we here, Robb?" Theon asked, eating atop his horse.

"There have been reports and stories of people disappearing around the castle. No one knows who's responsible, but we'll find out."

"Remember, depending on the perpetrator, we may not be able to act until I speak with my father. I don't trust Roose Bolton," I continued. "Our priority is to gather evidence to return to Winterfell and plan our next steps."

"Do you believe the rumors we heard from Lord Hornwood?" Jon asked.

"It doesn't hurt to investigate, Jon. Remember, as Starks, we're obligated to protect the northern smallfolk. If we can look into the rumors about smallfolk fleeing to Lord Hornwood due to fear for their lives at Dreadfort, that's what we'll do," I said firmly.

Knowing the original story, I already knew how sadistic and cruel Ramsay was. I planned to gather enough evidence of Bolton's crimes and bring it back to Winterfell to make my case that we should destroy the Boltons before my father. This way, the North would remember that the Starks aren't like those in the South (a characteristic that had been secretly discussed since my father took over the North), and we would get rid of a family that would betray us.

I would use my insects to investigate the entire castle while resting there. That way, I could locate all the torture and flay rooms and perhaps obtain disloyal correspondence from the Boltons.

Thirty minutes later

"Welcome, Robb Stark!" Roose Bolton greeted us as we arrived at the outskirts of Dreadfort.

"What is the reason for this visit from the ghost of the North?" Lord Bolton continued.

"I've heard about the disappearances happening in this area recently, Lord Bolton. I decided to offer my help to you," I replied.

I was ninety percent sure Roose would decide to use Ramsay's friends as bait to absolve House Bolton of any wrongdoing. This way, I could quickly eliminate them and prevent Ramsay from having support in the future.

"Our search has been a failure, my lord," Lord Bolton responded. "We've searched for them and haven't found anything."

"So you won't hesitate to accept my help?" I asked.

"No, my lord. I offer you bread and salt, and I will prepare accommodation for you and your companions," he replied as a servant approached with both plates.

"Thank you, Lord Bolton. I'm sure we'll root out this scum," I said seriously as my companions and I finished the hospitality ceremony.

Lord Bolton

"See what you did, you damned bastard," I shouted at Ramsay as we gathered in my office.

"Now the heir to Winterfell is snooping into things he shouldn't, thanks to your inability to stop your stupid hunts."

"What shall we do, father? Shall we kill the Starks?" Ramsay asked.

"No, you idiot. We can't touch them for now. They've come from Hornwood and announced they were heading to us. If anything happens to them, everyone will know we're involved in their disappearance," I tried to explain to this disgrace. I didn't know how it had ended like this.

"Now you will go with your little group and lead them into one of those hunts they do. You won't accompany them. We'll use them as an excuse, and they'll die in battle," I ordered.

"I'll instruct my soldiers not to leave anyone alive. That way, they won't be able to speak or involve us in this," I continued.

"But, father, they are among the few who support me," Ramsay said, throwing a tantrum.

"I don't care, bastard. We can't let the Starks find out how we're involved," I said firmly.

"Very well, father. I'll go tell them to prepare for a night's adventure," Ramsay said with his head down.

Watching Ramsay leave, I rose to give orders to the soldiers under my command.

Robb Stark

As I eavesdropped on their conversation from my room, I marveled at the advantages of listening in from a distance.

Knowing the series was a great advantage. Roose acted just as I expected. He was ready to sacrifice Ramsay's friends while they escaped unharmed. He was always seeking advantages for his family, waiting for the right moment to betray us.

We would rest from the journey for a couple of hours. Then, we would go out with my group and the Boltons to look for clues when the sun went down. Planning for Ramsay's group to be in the middle of the chase would practically force a lethal response to defend his victim, but the truth is that I didn't care. They weren't that important in the grand scheme of things.

While resting, I used my insects to investigate Lord Bolton's office. My insects were more than capable of moving letters. I would read all the correspondence while Lord Bolton was out of his office.

"Heh, slippery rat," I murmured as I read a letter from the Redwyne and another from the Lannisters, offering rewards if Roose obtained the vodka manufacturing method.

I started with the factories the previous year, and it had been a success across Westeros, increasing my family's income by 80%.

My father wasn't very pleased with the decision to sell alcoholic beverages, but the taste and profits won him over. Vodka was excellent for warming the body in the cold climate, and its relatively low price made it affordable for most people in the North.

People loved the new "Frostbite". Most in Westeros were accustomed to only drinking wine, beer, or strong spirits, and there was almost no competition.

When such a different drink hit the market, it was obvious it would quickly grow in sales.

The first few months were tough, as only people around Winterfell knew about the drink. Until the great annual northern gathering arrived, where different lords met once a year to discuss regional politics, defense of the North, and other important events. During the banquet, my father and I decided to provide 5 barrels of vodka for the lords to try.

I couldn't help but laugh when I remembered Lord Umber being so drunk that he started a fight with Galbart Glover, arguing that vodka was superior to northern beers.

Lord Wyman Manderly requested a meeting with my father at the end of the banquet, excited about the profits vodka could bring to other parts of the Seven Kingdoms. He proposed that if my father trusted him, he could market it in the different realms, keeping a small portion of the profits while the rest went into Stark family coffers.

After that meeting, Lord Manderly hurried back to White Harbor with 60 barrels of vodka in a giant procession, guarded by soldiers from various houses who would focus on defending the cargo.

As I continued reviewing Lord Bolton's letters, I found the most essential thing: his diary. Inside this diary, hidden under the floor of his office, Lord Bolton wrote about all his plans and atrocities, how his family had never stopped torturing people, and his plans for a new revolution, among other topics.

Taking a pen, I began transcribing the most revealing information onto a parchment I had at hand. I couldn't steal the diary, as that would show Lord Bolton that someone knew his secrets and could mount a defense when we returned to besiege the castle. The correspondence with the Redwyne and Lannister was transcribed verbatim onto my parchment. When I finished transcribing everything, I decided to truly rest, leaving my insects with instructions to protect and attack if anyone entered our rooms while we slept.

At dusk

Preparing to search for the group kidnapping peasants from Dreadfort, Jon, Theon, and the others joked to ease tension. The guards who would accompany us were severe. None of them mentioned Lord Bolton's orders, but it didn't matter if they died. A group of guards or smallfolk accusing a northern lord's heir wouldn't change anything. Therefore, it wasn't necessary to keep them alive to talk about who else was involved. I already had enough evidence to present my case to my father. For now, we would only go after the group of criminals.

"Ready, guys?" I asked as we mounted our horses.

"Ready, Robb. These criminals won't know what hit them!" Theon said.

Nodding, I turned to the leader of the Dreadfort guards.

"Let's begin the hunt, ser."

"Understood, milord," he said with a severe voice.

As we approached the village outskirts of Dreadfort, I started spreading my insects within my range, searching for traces of a group of people chasing someone. When I found them, I signaled to the rest.

"Over here, there are tracks ahead of a pursuit. We must hurry before they reach their victim," I said seriously.

As we got closer, we could hear the curses from the group of criminals, creating a knot in my stomach.

"There she is! The little bitch is around here," shouted one of the bandits, speeding up and urging the rest of his group and the hunting dogs to pursue the girl.

"We have to hurry," I told the others, dismounting from my horse, taking my bow and arrow, and preparing to shoot. Without hesitation, I aimed at the head of the nearest bandit to the girl, releasing the first arrow before he reached her. Without stopping, I continued taking more arrows and releasing them quickly. My arrows flew one after another through the air, heading straight for the heads of my enemies. The rest of the group remained on horseback to quickly approach. Jon jumped off his horse without stopping, tackling one of the rapists to the ground as he drew a Knife and thrust it into his chest.

While the rest of my companions finished off the criminals, I quickly approached the girl they had been chasing, trying to calm her with my voice as I took a bandage from my bag, calling my insects with medical modifications, crushing them into the bandage to clean her wounds and ease her pain.

After doing my best to heal the girl, my group was already preparing to return to Dreadfort, where we would rest for one night before heading back to Winterfell.