House of the wolf

After dressing in light clothes despite how cold it is outside and putting on the rings I took from Bolton´s treasury I contemplate on what to do with the Dreadfort. One thing is sure, I have to take it for myself.

 

Even if some of my vassals will be displeased that the Starks have taken so much territory in the heart of the North for themselves, I have no choice but to claim Bolton lands directly now that there can be no peace between us.

 

For the longest time, House Bolton was our most fierce rival in the North, both our houses in the center of the North like the left and the right side of the heart. 

 

That´s why each one of their rebellions were so damaging to our house, every single rebellion caused us to bear losses that would take decades to recover from if at all. 

 

Sometimes Starks themselves would be killed in droves in a Bolton rebellion and there were even rumors that they hung the skin of Staks that they killed in a secret room in the Dreadfort.

 

I did not have enough time to find out if there really was such a room when I was there, but that is not the point, the point is that the Dreadfort has too much history and value to be released from our grasp.

 

The Dreadfort flying Stark colors will send a potent message preferably written with the blood of Roose and his bastard.

 

I walk to the corner of the room where Ice is lying against the wall, I pick it up and strap it on my back with my longsword at my side.

 

I take a walk outside to take a better look at the state of Winterfell. No matter how many times I see it I always wonder in awe when I look at the structure that is Winterfell. 

 

It is a castle many times bigger than most in my previous world and not only that it is on uneven ground, with first to third floors between buildings blending into each other, and the huge inner and outer walls surrounding Winterfell going up and down making it seem as if it is a living breathing thing.

 

After walking around for a couple of hours and looking around from the best vantage points, I see that what took the most damage from the siege are the first keep and broken tower.

 

The broken tower especially looks like it could collapse any day now, thankfully those buildings have long been abandoned even since before I was born.

 

I never understood why we did not rebuild it since it could allow for more than a third increase in our capacity for people.

 

But it seems this siege has forced our hands to tear them both down and rebuild.

 

As I´m walking around the first keep I see Bran standing beside a block of stone looking at the broken tower in sadness.

 

“Bran hehe are you grieving your favorite climbing spot” 

 

He reddens at my words “No, shut up!.. Never mind that just Look at this” he points to the block of stone he is standing by.

 

 “... nice rock,” I say after staring at a stone for a couple of seconds in silence.

 

He rolls his eyes “Yes it's a very nice rock it is almost three times as strong as the common blends while at the same time being lighter”

 

My face gets serious “Did you create this blend?” 

 

He shakes his head “Don´t mistake me for Brandon the Builder just because as a baby I took a liking to a chisel you found in the crypts” He responds making me rub the back of my head awkwardly.

 

“So if my gifts to you did not lead you to become a master stonemason how did you create such an effective blend, don´t tell me you got lucky?”

 

He shakes his head again “You´re not the only one who took an interest in the crypts, there were more secret compartments than what you found and in one of them I found a formula for this stone before your eyes”

 

I look at Bran for a moment then at the stone “Is it hard to make?” 

 

“No, the materials are all easily available in the North, and as long as you don´t deviate from the formula and the method this is the result,” He says as he knocks his knuckles against the stone only to hurt himself and rub on his knuckles.

 

“You leave me no choice but to tear down and rebuild your favorite ruins” I chuckle as I say this.

 

He gives me a stink eye but says nothing. 

 

“Are you serious about going to the Wall?” 

 

“Of course, if I can become a greenseer I will finally be able to do something to help our situation”

 

“You have done plenty, don´t put all your stock into magic coming to save us, even if I know I am not a greenseer I am a skinchanger and not completely ignorant of magic in this world Bran, and let me tell you this” 

 

He´s looking down but I know that he is listening.

 

“Magic will manipulate you as much as you manipulate it, if not more so. So question everything that you see and hear about it, and trust your instincts when they tell you something is wrong” 

 

I unclasp my longsword from my waist and hand it to him. 

 

“I can´t take this your sword-”

 

“Now that I have Ice it would be selfish of me to keep two swords of such caliber all to myself when my little brother is going on such a journey. This sword has been with me through many battles take it and show me you are serious about this” 

 

He looks at the sword for a while then stretches his arm out to receive it.

 

“I will train it until it becomes part of my hand,” He says. 

 

“Good,” I say as I start walking toward the training yard since I will also need to adjust to swinging Ice, a much larger sword than my longsword.

 

But the good thing is even if Ice is a much larger sword their weight is similar and I am large enough for Ice to be considered a perfect weapon for me.

So I head to the training yard a bit giddy, looking forward to what I will be capable of wielding valyrian steel.

The sword that has been with our house for hundreds of years and named after a sword that is rumored to have been with our house for more than a thousand years.

"What happened to the original?" I wonder aloud.