House of the wolf

Five days later I am in the treasury of the Dreadfort looking at the riches of Bolton they should not be so rich but here it is in terms of monetary riches they are at least five times as rich as The Starks well not anymore now we have two of the strongest forts in the North and their treasury. That alone is priceless.

 

I guess it pays to be a traitor, all that Lannister gold is much more than you get for winning a tourney. The reward Roose got for treachery filling the treasury with gold once I found the keys in Roose´s master bedroom I went here myself. Without the key, there is no way of entering the room without months of hard work.

 

While I think my men are loyal and steadfast enough not to betray me, there is no need to give them the temptation to consider other options. I will never underestimate what a man will do for cocktails at the beach.

 

But even more important than the gold is the food stores! Enough to feed an army for six years. I guess Bolton took it to heart that the last time they lost a battle at the Dreadfort was because they did not have enough food for a two-year siege.

 

The only things I take out with me, are rings of unknown material but very expensive according to the craftsmanship and the black red, and yellow gems on them but they feel right on my hands.

 

As I´m walking outside to see most of the men are busy collecting valuables and looting what they can find. These men are mostly Sellswords and islanders poorer than beggars in King´s Landing so this is to be expected but to reinforce hierarchy, I claim half of all loot as tribute, only those who fought the hardest do not have to pay tribute.

 

I hear commotion by the gate and walk over I yell to York standing on top of the wall above the gate.

 

“What´s going on trouble?”

 

“No trouble my lord, Damon and the men you sent to white Harbor have returned they are all riding on horses my lord about two thousand men even more horses. Of the two thousand all five hundred of our men have been given horses to ride”

 

“Is Wyman Manderly with them?” I yell up.

 

“I don´t think so my lord” 

 

“What do you mean you don´t think so” 

 

“You´ll see should I open the gate”

 

“Open it!”

 

Horses gallop into the fort bearing my sigil of the wolf and the merman sigil of the Manderly but I don´t see Manderly the fat man himself self instead I see a beautiful green-haired girl but her hair is blond up top as are her eyebrows, so she must have dyed it to go with her green eyes. She is about the same age as me and I can also see she is wearing armor presumably ready to march if need be.

 

“You must be one of Wyman´s granddaughters?” I ask as she gets off her horse

 

She bows to me “Wylla Manderly at your service.” 

 

“Where is your grandfather?” I see a hint of a pout but she answers

 

“He rode to Winterfell with three hundred men almost two fortnights ago to answer Roose Bolton´s call to arms to aid him in taking on Stannis who has started to march on Winterfell”

 

“Woah woah slow down girl” This time she really pouts.

 

“Take into account I´ve only arrived back to the North this week, come follow me let's go eat and you can fill me in on all the happenings in the North and King´s Landing”

 

I lead the way into the hall away from the field that is still being cleared of corpses after we settle in she tells me all about the war on Blackwater Bay how the Lannisters beat back Stannis using wildfire and how he took up residence at the wall after his defeat.

 

Now rallying for support in the North probably intending to relieve Winterfell from the Bolton siege and gain the support of my little brother and sister. I have to hand it to Stannis he is relentless. Even in a position without his fleet and his home he still marches to fight for the Iron Throne.

 

Since Stannis intends to aid the Starks for support in the North Bolton can not simply wait for Stannis to arrive he will go out to meet him in battle before he gets sandwiched between Winterfell and Stannis. And by the time news reaches him about the Dreadfort being taken he will already be in the thick of the fight. I smile as I lean back to take a deep breath of air.

 

“What of the Ironborn where are they now?”

 

“Ramsey Bolton is trying to drive them off at Moat Catlin Stannis and the Mormo-”

 

“Ramsey! Does that malformed seed his mother should have spit out! Does he really have my sister?” She is a bit startled by my outbursts but collects herself.

 

“...Spit o?-ahem no one has been able to verify but it is the hostage the Lannisters gave to Bolton” 

 

“If that sun-gimped ghoul touched Arya I will let his butt sit on a pike until his tongue gives it a kiss” I clench my fists to calm down.

 

There is no need to rush a hundred of the remnants of Robbs's army along with another hundred of my army will escort the Bolton men to the Wall making about three hundred additions to the Watch. 

 

They will march on foot behind me while I will take a thousand men on horseback 400 hundred of them will be the rest of the remnants led by Greatjon. We will march towards Winterfell along with Manderly´s men led by Wylla it will be 2500 men on horseback.

 

Staying in the Dreadfort will be my most trusted men York, Damon and the guards Magnar is still recovering from being a doormat at a stampede and Arsa has also proven herself dependable and seems to have fallen for the charms of my man York if they should become an item the day draws closer when I can consider the men and women from the Wolf Pack and Company of the Rose who joined me part of the household.