Chapter 5: A Year

Eddard Stark

284 AC

Winterfell

The view from my solar window overlooked the walls of the keep of Winterfell and the growing town below them. I could see the town was busy with folks running back and forth busy but he early morning. Since we had returned to the North this had been the norm as people flooded into the town for work or to join returning soldiers. There was also the mass of thousands of over ten thousand d refugees from Kingslanding they had been taken back to the North.

These people had come to the North for security and safety along with the promise of work. The continuous wars and deaths including the sacking of Kingslanding had drawn them here. Now we were working to make Wintertown into a place worthy of such a population year round.

Before arriving I had surveyors from White Harbour sent to comb over the start lands for resources including mines that might be workable. I would need industry to support this growing populace. I also had the records pulled by Maester Luwin for all of my family lands. I wanted him to look for records of different mines copper, quartz, nickel and chromium, iron and of course precious metals. I wanted to get notice of any locations of ironwood that might be local and clear sands in the North.

The lands of House Stark was vast and surprising contained mines and forests of all sorts. The Maester was able to locate mines of copper, iron, quartz, and even silver. There was once a precious gem mine in the lands of House Stark. There was amine of a black stone in the hills near the Barrowlands that contained black rocks which I believed to be coal. Most of these mines have not been touched in a thousand years according to the records. Most likely the older Starks mined what could be reached easily and gave up.

I had plans with my rising population to start to reopen these mines. I had had idea show to increase production and start to get the benefits. I had already started to work on the iron and quartz which were not far from Winterfell. But the copper was up next and would be very useful for my current plans.

Wintertown or as some of the new southerners were calling it Winterton, needed to be redone. The plans in the past would not work with the current population grow it was experiencing. The influx of people had settled around the town with the returning soldiers had swelled the numbers to close to forty thousand a number something they only happened before in the middle of winter.

To combat this I started first to plan a proper city to be raised for Winterton. I had the Maesters sent to the North, Maesters Lucas and Maester Talbot to lay out the city plans. We started to tear down buildings one after another to create broad lanes through the city the ran to a center hub which would have a city park and baths. It was luck that there was hot springs in the area like those in the castle itself.

I introduced the creation of Roman concrete. A mixture of limestone ground pebbles with the ash from the very heated springs which appeared to be volcanic in nature. It is a rather frightening idea that my castle was built on top of a possible future volcanic activity. But it did make sense for why we had the hot springs warning these lands for centuries.

I designed with the maesters the first set of bathes. They would be an enclosed structure that would let the city folk to clean themselves safely to keep away sickness. I hoped to plan in the future soap and mandates that all of my citizens would keep clean. This should help to improve the birth rates and lifespan of my people.

Around the park and baths I planned to build important structures for the city. First was a large academy which is what I was calling the orphanage for the children that were being sent to us from the south. I had started that structure right away. It was being filled with people of the North to teach and educate the children. I hand selected the older men and women that were chosen to teach the boys and girls they were sent. The education would be in the Northern ways and customs including the Old Gods. The idea was to indoctrinate these children into our ways and show them love and support to raise them up to become loyalists to the Stark family. I took the idea from the Ottomans with the Janissary troops. They brainwashed them and turned children of conquered lands into their best troops. My plan was the same. I wanted to build a future army for the North and these children would become the core of that army.

I assigned injured veterans to the school to teach the children how to fight. They would be drilled with discipline and structure to follow orders while being taught stories of heroes of the North and Starks. In addition they would be taught or read and write, numbers, and even basics of different trades and engineering.

The academy had a large fence for a drilling yard behind the academy and land to grow. Hopefully I would be able to get smallfolk around the country to send second and third children to join the place. I made sure to give room to expand in the future.

The trick would be getting the nobles as the smallfolk the promise of food or coin would draw them into service. Every family that sent kids to the academy would get compensation in the form of food or coin to help them with their loss. The ages would start at five years old and graduate at fourteen. The graduates would serve for a mandatory fifteen years and then be given a small stipend after service so the the possibility of land or jobs in the future bureaucracy as tax collectors, instructors or heads of future villages, perhaps even minor nobility.

True the fact was I needed these children raised and trained to become an elite force with what will come in the future. The wars of the south and the threat from the far north beyond the wall. If we were going to survive I would need to incorporate these people as part of us and form them into an axe for House Stark to chop down the forest of enemies that would be coming.

Since I was already introducing to many changes I started to add crop rotations and improved oxen drawn plows to the Stark farmland. Seed drills was an invention that would save precious time for planting of crops and help with the northern soil. We had been sent livestock in way of coin to feed many of the orphans. I ordered the manure of the animals to be gathered and distributed to the local farms. The north due to the cold couldn't keep much livestock alive when winter came. It was normally a slaughter that unfortunately limited the chance for the north to use manure to help grow plants.

To change this I stole a plan from the Romans again. This time I created a the designs for dozens of large barns to be raised around stark lands. The barns were different in the animals would live in there during winter. In these barns there would be a false floor. Basically a second level that could be opened below the main floor in multiple locations. This area would be loaded with hopefully coals that the would be lit with whale oil. The coals would burn and. E pushed around under the main floor and heat up the main floor keeping the building warm during winter. It would require small chimneys to be built of copper pipes to let the smoke free to the sky.

The chance to get more milk, hard cheese from cattle, sheep, and goats should be worth the feed come winter time. This would hopefully supplement the dried fish and whale I wanted to get from white Harbour. I felt a little bad about institutionalizing whaling. But a single whale could feed hundreds for a month perhaps longer. The oil from their blubber could be priceless in winter or even war.

That was part of the reason I may have sent a letter to Kingslanding suggesting that the King banish the alchemist guild to the North to be watched after their crimes under the Targaryens. Did I feel bad playing in Robert's hatred of the Targaryens? Not really. I wanted a group of learned men and women that could be useful against the Others in the future. You can't tell me wyldfire wouldn't burn down some of those undead when they came. Plus a group of learned individuals they could make that substance should be useful to invent other things. Never mind their rivalry and dislike between them and the maesters may be useful to exploit.

The final two changes I had made was an agreement with House Glover and House Forester for ironwood to be sold at discount to House Stark and House Manderly. In return House Glover would be sent shipwrights to build their own fleet of whalers and galleys for defense. Hopefully in the future we can look to create carracks and better warships. But a defensive sleep with the ability to feed their people with fish for winter better would be helpful.

In return House Glover for the ironwood House Glover would supply men to help build their ships and for production of a road between Winterfell Deepwood Motte and one from Winterfell to White Harbour. These roads would be created with my new Starkstone, also known as concrete from my old world. Finally I would supply for coin my Starkstone to help rebuilt the walls of but Motte from wood in order to better defend the settlement.

For House Stark besides the roads for trade would help make Winterfell the center of the North. My hope was to imitate the idea of all roads lead to Rome. I planned the same for Winterfell. The Starks are the heart of the North. I planned to make Winterton the heartbeat of Northern trade. Further for the coin I would get ships built for House Stark in Deepwood Motte and White Harbour for trade and presence on the seas hopefully to be commanded by Benjen for finding Jon if he exists out there.

This was the start of the plans and there was many more just starting. But I felt like I was pushing too much too and perhaps I was. But I used the excuse my ideas came from the wolf dreams of the Old Gods which most of the Lords accepted for now.

But all of those plans were not my concern for now. Instead my eyes were locked onto a screen that flashed before my eyes continuously. It had been like that since I woke up and I wasn't sure how to react.

Congratulations on surviving your first year! In honor of your survival you are able to pick one bonus major ability boost. Please choose from the following:

1. Enhanced stamina - You can work day and night for hours longer than others before tiredness sets in. Where others may falter you will never tire. Sleep is lessened in order to get proper rest you only require four hours a night instead of eight. You can battle all day and still stand where even the toughest of men would falter. You will be stronger against sickness and poisons of the flesh. Note there is a level above this one.

2. Old Blood -Ice Magic - You are one with the cold. The blood of the first men make you immune to the cold. Not only that you can sense and start to understand the weather of the North. This makes it possible to access the basics of magic of the first men in the field of ice and wind. Note there are multiple levels above this one.

3. Old Blood - Warg - The blood of the a Kings of old sings to the animals of the world. You and your progeny gain the ability to warg into animals. If you work you can develop bonds to animals close to you and gain the ability to control more and more creatures. This will increase martial skills. Note there is levels above this one.

4. Agility enhanced - Your reflexes are as great as an Olympic athlete. You are the top one percent for your ability to move and balance. You can walk a tightrope with your eyes or balance on a single finger. Note there is a level above this one.

5. Elite Swordsmanship -You are what squires dream to become. Your ability with your chosen blade is enhanced to one of elite status. Few in the world will best you in a fair fight. You never need to train as your skills will never regress. Note there is two levels above this one.

6. The mind is a Weapon - You mind is part of the world and you have a sixth sense of the world around you. While you can not currently read minds often you will get feelings or senses to guide you.

It was a lot to consider and something that surprised me as it came out of nowhere. I never tracked how long I was here but it seems now I had an idea. It was something I would have to think on for the future.

The knock at the door drew me away from my considerations of what to pick. "Enter."

Maester Luwin stepped into the room and bowed, "My Lord, Mikken has informed me that he has created another trial for the blade you are requesting. I think you named the design a halberd?"

I couldn't help the smile that broke out over my face. It had been six attempts so far but I was determined to get this created no matter the cost. The North will never be a land of calvary so I needed a counter to one. I have the man a nod to continue.

The maester cleared his throat and continued , "master Throin the head bowyer has a set of new bows for you to use examine. He says he believes you will like his work as he has followed your suggestions to recurve the bow and created some of yew that are close to six foot in height. He invites you to witness a test whenever you are available my Lord."

A nod was given back to the maester at the statement to continue again.

"Finally my Lord the merchants are asking again after the planned large plot of land across from the academy." The words came out sullen as the maester was not fully happy with the idea of it. Luwin tried to hide it but it seemed the citadel did not like having knowledge spread. I am certain many southern noblemen would feel the same as knowledge is power.

"No."

The educated man blinked and his bald head crinkled as he frowned. "The merchants from White Harbour and other places hoped to setup shops in that area my Lord."

"No maester. I have plans for that area in the future. It is marked for future expansions for a reason." My knuckles rapped against the hard wood of my desktop as I considered my words. "There was once a brilliant man once said give the masses bread and circus and they will never revolt."

I turned my eyes away from the window and back to the man's face with a smile. "It is one thing that Robert will do right he will keep the masses happy with his excess. But my plan is different. I will build a colosseum there that will be a center hub of the North to meet for northern games, blood sports and events. It will be the envy of the North and South. But it will further be a way to draw others to Winterton. Plus it will be a way for us to make coin."

"Coin from tourneys? My lord rarely is the coin made there of value." The maester countered with a frown.

"That is because they tear down and rebuild the tourney yards always. They never build to sustain everything thinking of the future. Plus we shall make coin on selling food, drink, and even gambling on the games we will have performed. We will make coin on the entry and taxes on inns and brothels. It will have a cost to start up but it will pay for itself over generations a hundred times over. Plus it shall become a monument of the Stark family and our Starkstone that will make the rest of the Seven Kingdoms desire our products." I finished with a smile for the old man. "Do you have anything else to report?"

"Simply that House Ryswell will be arriving tomorrow to meet with you. Steward Poole asked me to remind you." Maester Luwin

I couldn't help but sigh as another Northern family with an unmarried lady coming to visit. While marrying Bethany Ryswell would remove an alliance with the Boltons she was not an appealing looking lady. Plus with William Dustin, a good friend, still alive I was not worried. A marriage to me could be used elsewhere for an alliance outside the North if necessary for something we need. Otherwise I would find a lady I could live with happily for the next few decades.

Author Note: A shorter chapter and far too much of an information dump but I believe it gave a good idea of Eddard's plans. While he isn't going to be giving gunpowder he has his own plans to make a mark on history in his name. Any ideas? Too far? Also we're the potential bonuses too much? There won't be many more of these sorta a one time thing.