Son of Artemis

As I was in my own thoughts I was asked by a guard to come inside the hall. There the Stark family was already seated with Alyn standing in front of them.

William looked down at me and said in a serious voice "Where do you learnt all of the sea fairing boy." Fidgeting I replied " Basics from Old Torr and the rest is self learned my lord."

"Hmm...My wife gambled with me that your 1st year catch will be more than 80 stones worth fisheries. I rebuffed her and said that it's just her motherhood that favours you. But now you just contradicted my predictions in front of all my family; say how should I punish you ??"Asked William.

Before I could beg for forgiveness he laughed and said " Looks like you'll shit yourself if I joke with you a little more and my wife would just kill me, well then we take your haul as ample for this year and your village does not need to pay any tax for the year. As for you would be getting a loan to have your own galley you'll own it and you'll repay the loan by yourself don't thank me thank my dear lady and her madness to give you a damn ship. Listen to me boy your lucky that your face reminds her of " he was cut off by Melantha " Stop shouting nonsense William ; Nexus please go to your old quarters with Old Torr."

I just followed her command and ran from that place with my tail between the legs.

All of it went over my head and just as I started to understand the implication of the words I was joined by Torrhen and according to him both Lord and lady Stark are fighting over me as some Northern Lords are saying that I may be a Stark bastard to William with how Melantha and Edwyle treat me and he wants to banish me from Winterfell for like forever whereas Melantha likes me and that's the reason why she asked for me to personally come from our village to hand over our previous hauls as taxes.

Disturbing if asked me but as the next day came I was once again expected to meet Lord and Lady Stark in the Lord's Solar.

"Good, you are here come" said William in a soft voice and continued "I am asking for forgiveness from you as that was not how a Stark should have treated his own smallfolk."

"There's no need for forgiveness Lord Stark" I replied.

"That is one thing but I should show my sincerity to you as a Lord Paramount as you already know about the galley it will be present at your village's shore; My lady bought it from her connections through Blackwoods from a merchant from Seagard. I have ordered the 7 small fishing villages on the stony shore on your immediate vicinity to be joining your Redfish village. You'll be getting 10 Gold Dragon as Loan use it wisely as for the ship it costs over 100 dragons hence after everything you need to pay House Stark only in units of your yield and no coin until the completion of 13 year period we will expect our share regularly. You'll also be getting the sailors they are refugee from Mallisters Lands treat them with respect and thank Lady Melantha not me."

As he finished his speech I just looked over Lady Melantha moved three steps closer in her direction went on my knee took out my dagger and said "To Winterfell I pledge the faith of my future ship and ships to come. Hearth and harvest and I yield up to you, my lord and lady. MY spears and arrows are yours to command. Grant mercy to my weak, help to my helpless, and justice to all, and I shall never fail you." and then I cut my hand and let drops of blood run through the cold floor looking at my actions the first to take into account was Artos Stark and he stood and started to laugh and said to his sons Brandon and Benjen " Look a true Northmen at just an age of 7"

Listening to those words Melantha ran towards me and patched the cut with a piece of cloth that god knows where came from she patched it until the maester could come here. And that's how my adventure, torment and ship came in my possession.

5 days later we left winterfell with a contingent of 20 guards and Lord Artos and his sons accompanied by Glovers and Forresters.

As we came to the same parting point I mustered up my courage to ask Lord Artos "My Lord your presence at the inauguration of my ship would give me extreme pleasure and to host you and your sons and our humble village."

Lord Artos looked towards me and answered "You didn't think it through did you fishmonger ;how do you think that the Mallisters contingent at the ship will give you your ship ; my presence is for the sole reason; And for your invitation we will gladly accept it and I hope you take me to your First haul."

"It would be my pleasure Lord Stark" I replied readily which he rebuffed by replying "My elder brother is Lord Stark; I am just Artos"

"As you say Lord Artos."I said.

After a week we reached Redfish village at morning.

"Welcome to our humble village my Lord."said Old Torr excitedly.

As we move closer to the village we heard shouting and screaming and Artos suddenly started to call his men to move with arms it all went in smokes as I heard the screamings and let loose a pony and rode him just behind the Stark men with Alyn in front of me.

I knocked my bow with an arrow and bit three arrow shafts in my mouth for saving time in case of seeing some action.

As I reached near the little huts I saw the Stark men cutting through what I can say bandits in poor leather armours and as they saw the Direwolf banner they started to ran in the direction of the beach.

Not giving an inch Lord Artos followed those with 4 of his men with me, Alyn, Brandon and Benjen at his heels and as we neared and Lord Artos cut through them I saw a black carrack with a pirate flag as soon as the ship's resident saw their men being cut down by Starks; few who were on beaches started to run towards the ship and by the time we reached there the men already escaped on the ships and started to taunt and jeer us as all this scenario was going down I fired my first arrow and it went straight through the eyes of a sailor with good clothing.

As the pirates absorbed what transpired among them another arrow found its mark in a pirates forehead.

And so the pirates who ran away on the ships started to curse loudly and started screaming " WHAT IS DEAD MAY NEVER DIE".

And so first 3 then 5 then 10 and all in 17 men started coming down the ship and that moment my first skirmish and legend started to unravel in this world.