Chapter 206

A MONTH LATER

Lord Stark sat at the main table with Lord Commander and Maester Aemon beside him and looked at the various lords and some ladies sitting in front of him.

All the important and some not so important lords had come to Nights Watch in the last one and half month.

All sitting in the Great hall of Castle Black along with the commanders of the men in the Nights Watch.

Even the reclusive Lord Reed had left Greywater Watch and come to the Wall to answer the call. The man had taken the death of his son with far more grace and strength than Lord Stark had taken the death of his younger brother.

His aunt herself had only arrived here early this morning as she didn't want to stand in ceremony for the Starks any longer than she absolutely needed to.

On his right sat his aunt Barbrey Dustin and on his left sat his grand uncle Lord Rodrik Ryswell. The other lords in the table included Lord Whitehill, Lord Dustin (another one of his aunt's nephew on her husband's side), Lord Hornwood, Lord Flint and a few other minor lords.

Behind him sat the sons of those lords as well as the newly 'enhanced' Varko, Baka and Ygritte. As well as General Karsi, General Bronn, Fleet Admiral Muron and Walton.

Usually lords are not permitted to bring their retainers with them on such meetings but judging by how he was the one who led the 2nd expedition to the North of the Wall and the one who brought back the proof of the White Walker's return, he was being given a celebrity's treatment.

"My lords. My ladies." Lord Stark started "You all know why we're here. You've already seen the Ice sword brought by Lord Bolton. You've already heard the news and rumors about the Wights. Some of you may not believe it. But my sons saw and fought the Wights with their own eyes. My own brother, Benjen died at the hands of a White Walker. I assure you that the White Walkers are just as real as you and me. And they've returned."

"The coming Winter is no doubt going to be the longest and the hardest you����ve ever lived. Many of us will not live to see the next Summar. But we need to do everything in our power to make sure that our children live on to see it. We need to come together to make sure that our children will live and one day have children of their own."

"I called you all here not only for the purpose of telling you about what's coming but also so that we could start the preparations for it."

From there on, Lord Stark explained how every house need to gather enough food to feed their people for at least 10 years of Winter. More if possible.

Not only that, but they also needed to start training their men. Not only their guards but their levies as well.

They knew that the upcoming war will be long and bloody. That even with the presence of the Wall, many people would die. And the dead would need to be burned and replaced by the new levies.

He told them to buy warm clothes for their people, create new underground shelters that would allow whole villages to huddle up inside during the snow storms that may last for months at a time.

By the end of the meeting, Lord Stark told the lords about the story of the last lord of the Moat Cailin. How he didn't prepare for the Winter properly and how his whole family perished when the estimated 2 year winter turned into a 6 year one.

He told them that the precautions they take right now might be the difference between the survival of their family as well as their people.

In the end, Lord Stark asked for the great lords of the North to accompany him in another room where they will hold a War Council in which they would decide their strategy and their method of fighting against the White Walkers.

Lord Stark ended the meeting by telling everyone that he had already sent a letter to King Robert and expects a reply before the end of the month.

He had also sent a letter to his goodfather Lord Hoster Tully and his foster father Lord Jon Arryn and asked for their presence in the matter that could very well endanger the whole realm.