Chapter 5: Our Steel is Strong 5

House Greensmith Chapter Five

Hillview Hall 154 A.C.

A/N: Thank you for all the support it means a lot to me and thank you for the advice from the chosen few. Just to make things easier for me Brown Honey will be shortened to BH. Thanks now onto the story.

When shit spreads, it contaminates everything in its vicinity, and oh boy has shit ever hit the fan in the last year. The North so respected for it's stability in leadership from house Stark is now in an unspoken Cold War between the five sons of lord Cregan, who has been reluctant in naming an heir to the North, causing tension between brothers.

The eldest son of two and thirty namedays was Rickon Stark, the only child born from lord Cregan's first marriage to lady Arra of house Norrey , a family hailing from the Mountain Clans. Being a man grown saw Rickon married to Jeyne Manderly, with the couple already having two daughters named Serena and Sansa. This meant lord Rickon had the Mountain Clans and house Manderly onside and may have the Umbers as well if the rumors of Rickon discussing a betrothal for one of his daughters with lord Umber is true.

If my memory serves me right Rickon also made a reputation for himself during the conquest of Dorne but sadly died in one of the final battles at Sunspear. The conquest of Dorne started in 157 A.C. if I recall correctly so I have some years left to shore up the home front before heading to war and possibly saving a Stark's life.

Following Rickon were the twins of Jonel and Edric Stark, the first children born of lord Cregan's second marriage to Alysanne Blackwood. They were full grown as well, being twenty years old already, but only Jonel was married, having been wedded to Robyn Ryswell not long ago. Edric was not idle in the matrimony department, to bad the girl he is pining for is his five and ten nameday old niece Serena, the daughter Rickon is in talks to betroth to lord Umber's heir. Jonnel has better support for lordship of the North thanks to his marriage of Robyn since her sister is married to lord Glover, giving Jonnel a solid group of support from the western half of the North while Edric has no one.

A daughter followed for lady Alysanne, who the noble couple named Lyanna. After the daughter came another son for lord Cregan with the ensuing birth of Barthogan right after Lyanna. Barthogan has been fostered by house Karstark for the last seven of his six and ten namedays while also gaining a name for himself fighting Wilding and Skagosi raiders near Karhold. Being unmarried as of now has left Barthogan a bit lagging behind Rickon and Jonnel, but he still had solid support in his foster family the Karstarks as well as the backing of the Black Brothers from the Wall.

The last child born from lord Cregan's marriage to lady Alysanne was also, as of now, his last son in the form of Brandon Stark, a four and ten nameday old lad, who if the rumors were true had a huge fucking chip on his shoulder from being the fifth born son. The youngest son of lord Cregan had little in the terms of backing but it would only take one ambitious lord to see him as an opening, both lords Hornwood and Bolton had daughters around Brandon's age, so the lad could have a chance.

Lord Cregan is now married to lady Lynara Stark, a distant cousin to the lord of Winterfell. The couple have three daughters as of now ranging in ages between eight and three.

This has altogether thrown off the equilibrium of Northern politics, turning men who usually adhore such petty squabbling as Southern nonsense into men attempting their best underhanded methods in siding with a chosen Stark brother. Lord Hornwood himself has had abundance of noble visitors as well if the Men at Arms who deliver his BH are to be believed.

Brigands, Thieves, and other unwanteds have taken advantage of many lords' focus on Winterfell to assume almost free reign in terrorizing the Smallfolk of many nobles, petty and major alike. Hillview has become a prime target for an infestation of such men. The Fuckers even had the balls to start our outer wall on fire in the middle of the night, thankfully it was caught and put out before fatal structural damage could occur but the effect was profound. Ser Ben had a field day tanning the men's hides for the negligence of that mistake.

After that success the bastards grew even bolder and somehow smarter in their attempts to break into Hillview. Within two weeks of the attempted burning they successfully broke past the outer wall, making a mad dash for the BH building. Once inside they strangely picked through the finished casks fairly lightly, only taking a small portion of what was stored there. My men were stumped when that came up in the investigation but I had a gut feeling the Bandits were searching for a more lasting piece of loot, like the recipe of BH per chance?

This could've been disastrous, if there had been a copied down recipe in the building. That little book was nicely tucked away inside the safe found in my Father's study. The attempt, as blatant as it was, easily moved these men right up into the number one spot of my shit list. Lyla and my Father also wanted the men dealt with as soon as possible, fearing for the safety of our youngest family members, so it will be done as I have promised.

Forty Men at Arms were selected to accompany me on the mission to exterminate the Bandits terrorizing the surrounding area of Hillview. The shitheads had changed game plans after their failure to steal my recipe, the unwanteds now had decided terrorizing our fishing villages was a valuable substitute for the loss of the recipe, well let's see how they will like our steel as payment.

The first village we reached was Green Town, now called such in honor of my speech and numerous trips with Torgun to fish the river here, with it being the closest village to Hillview at half a days ride away. Green Town instead of being the peaceful little town, was ransacked, dead men folk laying in the middle of the village while the women and children were tucked away on the two ships just out of reach of the docks for safety. No home was left untouched either with all the Smallfolk's valuables and nick nacks taken from every. single. one.

Just looking at the wanton death and destruction of my people made my blood boil, then I found the body. A small boy no older than my Torgun lay face down dead with a sword wound in his back, cut down running away from men grown no doubt. My anger turned to righteous fury at the sight of what these animals given human skin had done on my lands. Before we could chase down the creatures that did this my men and I pulled the boats back into their docks as well as trying to console the people aboard them of their losses.

It continued to wrench at my heart when the wives who stepped off the boats found themselves as widows of the men slain. I hated myself for leaving the Smallfolk to bury the dead on their own but my retinue needed to continue the chase less this happen in the rest of the villages.

We rode hard for the next village, myself driving a truly brutal pace for men and horse alike. This was intended to get us there around the same time as the Bandits if our adversaries were traveling at a similar hurried pace, hopefully though we can catch them before they reach the village if they are weighed down enough with loot.

The Gods did not smile upon me this time as my men and I road upon the neighboring village of Green Town already being raided by the Bandits. Finally seeing the animals, as they were no longer men in my eyes, responsible for all the harm that has befallen my people these recent weeks re ignited the fury I felt seeing that dead boy in Green Town. With a shout of " Our Steel is Strong!" my men and I descended upon the creatures like a hammer strikes upon hot steel.

The unwanted bastards were caught by surprise that resistance had caught up to them so fast , shown by them being in the middle of looting the buildings of the village. Man after man fell to my hammer swings, a chest caved in here, a head smashed like a pumpkin there, it turned into what was truly one of the most brutal fights I have ever had a hand in, yet.

A half an hour is what it took for my men and I to go door to door clearing out the thirty Bandits that thought attacking my lands was a sensible idea. One thing stuck with me about these cretins though, they were too organized and them having enough knowledge of my lands to allow for such successful attacks worried me greatly.

The search of the bodies recovered all of the valuables taken from my Smallfolk as well as a peculiar ring found on one of the dead shitheads. The ring was what looked to be a Man at Arms signet ring made in bronze but with the sigil hurriedly scratched out, as if trying to hide the house tied to it. Well the fucker didn't do a good enough job and I was able to identify the sigil that caused my blood to re boil in anger, house Dixon will know how strong my steel is.

Before revenge can be planned house Greensmith will need to rehabilitate it's image and rebuild what was broken by these bastards, but I had a sinking feeling this wouldn't be the only attack on my lands in such mass. For now I needed to return Hillview to discuss my findings and the rebuilding efforts with my Father.

"This is worse than I expected son if the Dixon's are somehow involved in this uprising of banditry upon our lands." was the summary my Father came up with after hearing my tale.

"It points to it though Father, what with lord Hornwood seemingly embroiled in the squabbling at Winterfell this is the perfect time for ramping up aggression from the Dixon's point of view. These attacks were too well coordinated to be anything less." was my argument for such deliberate actions.

"I know it does son but what are we gonna do? Besides master Lief we are alone against a house that has a longer history than ours, bringing credibility with age, something we lack to extremes." was my old man's saddened response.

"I say if the Dixons wanna fight dirty so do we Father. I came up with a plan on the way home from the extermination, a spy planted in Dixon's land. The spy would have to be someone important though to become acquainted with master Rickon." I mused over my plan to my Father.

"While not considered honorable, it is an apt reply to what the Dixon's have done who do have in mind for the task son?" came the question from my now interested Father.

"We give them what they want Father, BH. I have a man in my building who I trust completely for this task of pulling the wool over master Dixon's eyes. He will feed information to us while building and subsequently sabotaging any attempts of master Dixon to start a BH business." was the lengthy explanation I went into about my plan.

"Interesting son how would your man send the information back to us though without breaking cover?" came the now vested question from my old man.

"Easy, our Merchants aren't well known within house Dixon's lands so one pretending to be from Barley Lief Hall coming to trade grain will go completely unnoticed and be able to ferry notes between us." came my almost casual explanation of the final part of the grand plan.

"It sounds like a well thought out plan son but how can you trust these men to be loyal to our cause and not give up the ruse?" was the final inquiry my Father had on the matter.

"Both men I have worked with closely for years Father. Gerold and Keenan are good men with families here at Hillview, and will do this task if I ask it of them." I told my old man trying to ease his worries of my men's honor. Gerold was one of my Head Processors at the building and a man I have known since my squire days at White Harbor, hells I was the one who taught Gerold his letters and numbers.

Keenan was a merchant who originally moved farm tools and other goods to different hamlets before my BH business took off, now he's one of the richest merchants around Hillview after I employed him to start making BH deliveries. These basic loyalties also tied in with the fact both men did have families in Hillview making it easier to sway them into seeing this plan will insure those same loved ones' safety.

"Very well son see this done and let house Dixon find out how strong house Greensmith's steel is." was the lordly reply from my Father.

"With pleasure Father." I answered as I left the study.

Gerold and Keenan were both quickly briefed of their new roles, which started immediately, while I also made sure to make clear this operation would only last a year, to limit separating Gerold from his family for too long. As a token of my appreciation for them completing this task they both received a hefty bonus that will see their families set monetarily for a while. By the end of the week the men were rolling off to house Dixon lands.

Things didn't get any less complicated after my spies left Hillview as more groups of bandits popped up weekly only to get buried six feet deep by my hammer and Men at Arms. Almost two moons passed before bandits finally decided messing with Greensmith lands wasn't worth the risk for now.

Bandits weren't even the only problems I had , now my successes thought it would be a good time to start biting me in the ass, beginning with the crops. Planting field expansions had grown so much while my attention was demanded elsewhere we were now loosing crops because of inability to harvest them quick enough with the main issue coming from the fact all crops still had to be cut down by hand with a reaping scythe. It took me a week to get a prototype of a horse drawn reaping machine up and running followed by a moon of testing and improving it till the machine was ready to be sold.

Orders quickly started piling in from nobles and smallfolk alike soon after the reaping machines were put up for sale. The orders quickly became too numerous to handle and my Father and I had to cave and hire two more blacksmiths, but we foresaw this and had two young men trained and ready to work their own forges so we didn't have to rely getting more from the Manderlys. This allowed for three of the blacksmiths to be constantly building one of our three farming machines while the fourth worked on weapons and armour for the Men at Arms. My personal forge still saw plenty of activity as well , just with more personal projects instead of almost endless orders for customers.

With time freed up from fulfilling machine orders my focus could turn onto another issue quickly becoming apparent, the speed the grain is being turned to flour. This was another one of the problems that slowly built up while the bandits distracted Hillview with their attacks. Now though I was able to modify my lumber mill designs into a flour mill one, using a similar water wheel paired with gears that will move a large flour grinder, it will cut down another time consuming process.

A few of the mills were placed in a couple of the larger hamlets that were well suited for the building and others were constructed in all the fishing villages to allow for quicker transport times for farmers based closer to the villages than the hamlets as well as provide more industry for each fishing village.

Green Town though was going to be completely redone as my self invoked penance for the loss of life reaped by the Dixon crony and his bandits. Men were already selected and sent for training in the neighboring villages to succeed the handful of dead sailing fishermen. Homes were to be rebuilt as sturdy as could be, and it was at times like this I really wish I would have remembered the recipe for Cement. I also wanted to put up a wooden palisade as well but my Father vetoed that idea saying Green Town wasn't important enough for it yet. I had to bite my tongue in that argument since it would have been futile to my Father's mind at this time.

I couldn't blame the man either since my Father is preparing for a trip to meet with the Flints of Flint's Finger in an attempt to buy some of their quarried stone. Distance and established trade relations forced our hand in approaching the Flints of the Finger, as we already sold them BH and in turn bought their salt, instead of approaching the Mountain Clans who we have no existing trade relations with, yet. The trip itself will take a month and a half just to reach Flint's Finger so my Father will be gone for quite a while, plenty of time for me to have the palisade built around Green Town.

An Inn will also be added to Green Town in my attempt to turn it in the direction of a blossoming trading outpost. A fantasy of adding a third ship to Green Town also played in my head till I discarded that idea since Green Town already had two fishing boats while the rest of the other fishing villages still only had one and I didn't want to show too much favoritism too soon. The flour mill was also a hit in the town, providing more work and a higher frequency of visiting farmers who will travel as well as trade there.

More buildings and shops would also be built when required as I wanted to stuff as much into Green Town as humanly possible. One thing I did add as an after thought was a bath house of similar style to the Japanese bath houses. A large copper tub able to fit ten people was placed in the center of the men's and women's areas. One of the walls in each room was fitted with ten personal washing stalls attached to it while the opposite wall held four large caldrons of simmering water that could be dumped into the tub, replacing the cold water, or scooped into a bowl for use in the personal stalls.

This would be my test bath house to see if the idea would catch on as building more would cost money for obtaining the stone needed for the floors, as wood would rot from all the water. Price of entrance was another factor, as I was charging a Copper Penny per person, a perfectly reasonable amount but would anyone willing pay the fee to clean themselves, only time will tell.

Overall I was pretty proud of how my plans were being executed upon Green Town and I know one day it'll be a happy little river-port town that will shown off by house Greensmith. Today was also the day my Father will be departing for the Finger and our little family sent him off together.

"Father have a safe trip and may the Gods bless this deal." I told him as the man was readying to leave.

"Don't worry too much son I will be back before you all know it!" my Father exclaimed boisterously as usual.

"Well I may have some news that will make you hurry back Ser Rod, I'm pregnant again!" Lyla jumped in with a splash.

"Are you going to be constantly trying to surprise me like this with your pregnancies dear?" I tiredly asked Lyla.

"Hey don't act like you trying to get me with babies isn't one of your favorite activities Alyn!" Lyla threw back at me, and damn it she's right.

"Hahaha! Wonderful Lyla it will be a blessing to return with you swelling with another Greensmith. Now Torgun come give your grandfather a hug and I will be off." my Father stated before Torgun ran up to him for his hug.

"Bye Grandfather hurry back you haven't finished your story about Raventree Hall." My eldest son babbled at my Father who just beamed down at him.

"Don't you fret lad when I return you'll be sick of all the stories I'll tell." Ser Rod teased his eldest grandson before saying one last goodbye and leaving through the first gate with five and ten Men at Arms. As the gate closed behind them I couldn't shake a bad feeling rising in my gut. Lyla quickly distracted me away from my thoughts with excited talk of our new babe and the feeling receded to the back of my mind, for now.

The feeling quickly returned after Lyla and I separated so I could work in the study and gather my bearings for my first time flying solo as Head of House while she went to check on Tormund. The amount of work I actually got done was pitiful because of the nagging sensation I seemed to be feeling and it didn't leave till dinner time. When I showed up to the hall I was taken aback by the absence of someone important.

"Lyla dear where is Torgun?" I asked feeling particularly paranoid right now.

"He asked to pray in the Godswood after Ser Rod left and I haven't seen him since. I did have a couple of guards go with him so I'm sure he's fine dear." came Lyla's answer which didn't calm me down, at all.

"I'm gonna go fetch him Love, I could use a walk to clear my head anyway." I stated as I left, walking to the Godswood just inside the western part of the outer wall.

As I approached the Godswood I spotted the guards my Wife assigned to my son.

"Leroy, Gunthor, at ease you men have watched my son enough tonight head up and get some food." I commanded the two guards.

"Thank you Ser Alyn, been getting pretty hungry watching the young master." came Gunthor's reply as the men returned inside the keep. Now I just need to grab my wayward son.

House Greensmith's Godswood wasn't as large as Winterfell's but it still had the same heavy and spiritual aura given off. The half acre cluster of trees were so packed together if made seeing five meters into the thicket impossible. The dark night sky didn't lighten my paranoia any as I neared the Heartree only to be greeted with sounds that made my anxiety skyrocket. When I entered the Heartree clearing I saw Torgun immediately but he was playing with a small furry creature. Wait is that a fucking Wolverine?! My brain just kinda shut down for a moment after the realization my son is playing with a rabid three foot long and fifty-ish pound animal.

"Father look I made a new friend!" Torgun shouted after he finally noticed me standing there with what I can only assume is a godsmacked look.

"That is nice son. How did he get in here though?" I asked sounding calmer than I felt.

"He showed me these weird images in my head of a hole he dug Father and then started showing me pictures of animals, I think he's hungry!" my adorably naive son spilled out to me, while the Wolverine just looked at me from next to Torgun's feet. To make things worse how am I gonna explain this to Lyla?

"Well come on then son it's dinner time and you can bring your new friend does he have a name?" I asked trying to gauge how enthralled my son is with the animal.

"I named him Fang since when he yawns he shows off his big teeth!" Torgun explained to me as the three of us walked up to the keep.

Fang's existence went over with Lyla about as well as I could expect, by being banned from our bedroom for a few days but seeing Torgun so happy with Fang made it worth it, but why hasn't this bad feeling in my gut left yet?

Gerold P.O.V.

Keenan and I made steady progress on our week and a half long journey to Woodmen's Keep, the ancestral home of house Dixon. It was a pretty apt name considering the keep was surrounded by nothing but leagues of trees that made up the northern most part of the Hornwood forest. We had passed nothing but massive Oak after massive Oak tree as we neared the home of the Dixons.

If I hadn't been curious before about house Dixon's attacks of Hillview I started to get the picture now. The lack of farmland ontop of an over abundance of the resource the North will never be short on painted a picture of a poor house, similar to the ones in the Wolfswood if what I heard is right. Makes me thankful to have met Ser Alyn when we were nothin but wee lads, hells I probably make as much as what the Dixon's pay there entire retinue of Men at Arms.

The task my friend has given me now though is more dangerous then everything he's ever asked me but I knew Alyn would not of asked if he didn't think I could do it and get home after my year is up, I will not fail Alyn or house Greensmith on this task.

Keenan also seemed resolute about his role, as he should be since he only has to come and go not stay like me, but the man knew his role and had Alyn's trust so he shall have a little bit of mine.

My plan was also very simple, reach Woodmen's Keep, establish myself as a valuable asset for master Rickon, then sabotage each step as subtly as possible. A major second objective that Alyn requested of me was gathering information on house Dixon, financial standing, Men at Arms and ride-able horse counts, among any other useful tidbits of information I felt important enough to send. Woodmen's Keep is now coming into view atlas, time to put on a Mummer's Show.

The wooden keep was in far worse condition than I thought possible. Twin wooden towers stood, somehow, dilapidated and appearing ready to fall over at any moment, I do not know how the Dixon's live in them. Better question is why haven't they renovated the damn thing when they sit on a stockpile of the resource it's made of? Was master Dixon really wasting the last little bits of coin he had to pay bandits to attack Hillview instead of using it to fulfil basic needs? But why make himself and those under him suffer so?

I'm curious how the man will react when he finds out Ser Alyn and Rod are accelerating their plans to replace the outer wall of Hillview with stone, an expensive endeavor they may just shoot master Dixon's jealousy through the roof.

It didn't take long before we were let inside the wooden pallisade into the Dixon's courtyard and low an behold master Rickon is already standing there, probably to find out who the fuck we are.

"State your business for coming to Woodmen's Keep, as master of house Dixon I demand it!" was what the master prick greeted us with, the pinnacle of humble noblemen I tell you.

"I come bringing trade from Barley Lief Hall good master and this is a man I met on the road trying to reach Woodmen's Keep." answered Keenan thankfully pulling all attention to myself the dick.

"It is true good master I traveled all the way here from Hillview Hall to gain your patronage!" nicely done, I think I really sold that grovelling shit.

"Well good man anyone looking for an escape from those First Men pretenders is welcomed here at Woodmen's Keep but what do you bring to the table that requires my patronage good man?" was the egotistical questioning reply from master Rickon and what the fuck did he mean by First Men pretenders?

"Good master I was a Lead Processor for the Greensmith's BH business and have the recipe memorized. I am willing to offer this knowledge to you in exchange for a place to call home." Gods I hope lying like this doesn't always come so easy when my stay here is over.

"Let us move this conversation to my study good man, I believe it will be mutually beneficial." the pompous ass commented before turning and motioning me to follow like I'm some kind of dog.

The discussion was as painful as you could expect but in the end I did what I needed to and bought myself time in these walls. It didn't make being here feel any more safe though, at least Alyn gave me permission to run if shit got to hairy for me.

My first seven weeks in the keep of house Dixon was pretty uneventful since I was out and about trying to find Maple trees on their land. I found exactly five and twenty so far but still had another half of the forest to cover but I was hopeful to double that number by the end, oh joy! I did witness an interesting occurrence when the heir of house Dixon left with half of the forty Men at Arms of the Dixon's not to be seen again for months before reappearing back inside the walls almost dead on his horse, interesting.