Chapter 6
First month of 195AC
" a short winter "
I mutter as I see the first signs of spring. The day getting warmer, some thawing and sun out more. But despite this all I still need my fur cloak and thick coat to go outside. I walk around the warehouse where my workers are stockpiling goods.
Farm equipment that my smiths forged the past weeks for my farmers. Along with clothes and trade goods put in too. The new equipment are made from good iron and well made at that. I going to be issuing them to farmers along with telling them to follow my new farming reforms. If they don't follow my instructions I take it back but since most already following them it shouldn't be a problem.
It's going to be the refugees who I settling up as farmers on the former lands of House Icemark who are going to cause trouble for me likely. I can't afford to feed and house them all spring, so I posted a message of free land and work. Their many former farmers along the refugees who jumped at the chance at farming again.
Especially under my rule and providing them the equipment plus seeds. But its not free and I getting ⅖ of each harvest they produce on my lands. Enough signed up that with good weather and competent farmers their be a huge return for the first harvest. My workshops and forges are now full with new workers.
The new Raven-2 are in production now with the flaws corrected plus the metal wheels having tread marks shaped into them. While not the same as a rubber tire it have to do and testing show their somewhat effective for off road riding too. Maybe I find a substitute for rubber tires one day.
Along with that my smiths are pumping out parts for the convoy of wagons and carts I be sending with goods to White Harbor. Dacy organizing most of it and I extending my House guards to over three hundred men. The trade caravan me and my partner in our Trade company white raven are sending is going to be huge. So it need a large body of guards to protect it.
Foodstuffs, clothing, tools, arms and cooking equipment are all along the many things we be selling in the only city in the North.
A few trappers had pass by Gondor recently and gave me some news about the rest of the North. Lord Paramount Barthogan Stark has nearly bankrupted his House. To my shock and surprised during the summer he ordered a massive restoration of Winterfell's walls and towers. And in fighting the rebellious Skagos by hiring a sellsail fleet but half of them died crashing in that island and it took two landings with heavy losses to established a foothold.
Brandon barely keeping the coffers from being empty but Lord Stark planning another campaign against the Skagosi. The trappers mention Barthogan likely going to tax the whole North for it.
Times like this I wished I have a maester with ravens.
I push the new away and continue my planning. The new House guards are equipped and go through training despite the weather. Had to ask Dacy to stop her production of Harts to make their uniforms at her workshop for three weeks. She reluctantly agreed and forced me to promise to let her go on a shopping spree in White Harbor.
I also host a big winter ball at my longhouse. The prominence townsfolk with their families were invited for a dance and free meal. Everyone else who didn't get a invitation got extra rations and free alcohol was made available at the biggest tavern for the night.
It was Dacy's idea to have it and a good one too. I met more of my people and their daughters who wanted to dance with me. But Dacy's maids keep me from taking one to my bed that night. And for the best as a Lord I can't be sleeping around with my small folks and need to find a suitable wife to take in the future.
A daughter of a minor lord or from a masterly house, heck the daughter of a rich merchant might do and hopefully the dowry be sizable. My House is still so new and considering that I a upstart their no way any major lord will offer me a bride.
But at least I make up for my common birth by proving myself in battle and wielding Red Rain. Beside Ice, Longclaw and Red Rain there no other Valyrian swords in the North. That only makes me stand out in the North and gives me some prestige. If Gondor grows enough and wealthy enough than just maybe I can attract a good match.
Anyway the ball ended well and I recruited some townsfolk to several newly created offices. My new castellan is Loki who served under me and was recommended by Dacy to serve in that role. My Treasurer is the wealthiest local merchant name Sigurd a honest merchant as you can find and well suited to the job. He was impressed with the double entry bookkeeping method I use and me keeping the coffers afloat despite nearly being exhausted from my projects or reforms.
He already looked over the list of goods we be selling in White Harbor and told me to try selling to foreign merchants there or to the wealthy White Harbor based merchants for greater profits.
A veteran name Halfdan is my new master of arms. He a quiet, loyal and a great soldier. Halfdan even has ideas of his own like how to train the levies and a training regiment.
Its a month before the caravan is ready and it is large. Eighty carts and wagons, more than one hundred personnel with different jobs and two hundred armed guards. I assemble them at the front gate of Gondor, my family is also coming but dad is staying home to plant the crops with men I sent to help him and weather is much warmer now with most of the snow gone too.
The whole town saw us off as the first trade caravan of the White Raven left Gondor. My partner Harry already in a wagon looking over a map with me riding on Stormcloud at the front. My family in a wagon in the middle of the group but with Ulf and Rolf on my sides riding horses too.
We left to cheers and a sunny sky.
Two weeks later
" how many?"
" close to an hundred milord and all hiding behind the hill"
" ok gather up some men and we take them by surprise."
I sighed at the news of another group of bandits looking to rob us. Only been a three days since we passed through the Barrowlands and got on the Kingsroad to enter Cerwyn lands. And already been attacked twice by large bandit groups and while we had crushed them their likely more out there.
Thankfully my scouts/outsiders are equipped with the new R-2 bikes spotted danger again for the caravan. Teaching my scouts to ride bikes was interesting and fun. Once they had it down, they prove the R-2 worth as a personal transport and tool of war.
The bikes advantages are there more silent, lighter, need little maintenance and don't die or ho lame on you like a horse. Disadvantages are its not as fast as a horse, you can't carry a shield or spear effective, certain terrains it be hard crossing and its weight limit less than a horse.
Overall for the scouting I using them for them. The R-2s are good and fast enough for the job. It's pretty funny see my family and other people reactions to seeing a bike.
Ulf and Rolf armed with swords and armoured in mail rode next to the wagon carrying the rest of our family. They all but Dacy look at me differently, Ulf and Rolf even treat me as if I the older brother. I know I gotten taller, my hair longer and I growing a beard but I still the brother they call Cnut.
I sigh to the thought nothing be the same again.
Back to the bandits I gather up eighty men and we all silently as possible ride horseback ahead then around the hill. Like my scout said there a bunch of them behind the big hill down the road. Mostly crouch down or laying flat on their bellies. There even a few women along the badly dress bandits with mostly makeshift weapons.
I draw Red Rain and gave the signal to charge. Only at the last minute do they notice us and by then it is too late. I smash deep in their group cutting them down with my Valyrian sword. My Housecarls quickly surround me before the bandits try to swarm me with numbers but it's over. They broke after the first charge and we chased them down the survivors down the road as they try to escape the slaughter.
Less than half a hour we won with thirty bandits captured and 67 dead to twelve of my men wounded. The prisoners talked when I begin asking them who they and find their former residents of Umber lands. Not enough food and Lord Umber can't spare any for them.
Its a all too common tale, Half the North likely starving and Lord Stark isn't doing much beside warring against Skagos. I decided not to take their heads and take them in my service to their surprise. A few refuse my offer so I have them hanged from trees and twenty ex bandits joined us. The chance for a full belly was enough for them to swear loyalty to me.
Over the next three days I defeated and killed dozens of bandits plus accept the survivors who bent the knee to me. Most are just hungry villagers and others are scum who deserve no mercy. We pass by some abandon villages and some with armed guards at watch.
Those villages happily trade us goods for a sacks of grain. The kingsroad full of hungry people on the move, small bands of people, and in one case what look like a whole village travelling the road looking for refuge. I toss a few sacks of food at some of these poor folks and tell them Gondor be a good place to settle. My family was worry about how dangerous the roads are but I calm their fears by riding in full gear and assigning three guards to them. When we finally reach Castle Cerwyn, Lord Cerwyn welcomed us and offers guest rights.
We set up a camp outside the castle and unpack a little for the night.
All while Dacy flirts with the Cerwyn heir a little while Ulf try not to stare at his second daughter who pretty cute. Rolf with his now wife Alys talking under a tree. Ragnhild with Dacy's maids are gossiping while Emma, Gunhilda and Harold are playing with other kids. Mother sewing on a wagon with some servants and chatting.
I walk with Lord Cerwyn and we talk about the North. He even thank me for clearing out much of the bandits in the area and offers some coins but I nicely refused the reward. Then we discuss Lord Stark's war with Skagos and I learned Barthogan caused the rebellion by actually sending a large armed force to collect taxes. From what he could piece together, these tax collectors didn't lasted long and Lord Stark is angry.
Both him and me agreed that Lord Stark's plan to heavily tax the North after this brutal winter is unwise and lead to unrest.
Dinner was good later that night and there was even a singer who sang for us. The next morning we left the castle and head east to cross to two rivers then one across head south.
By the sixth day since we left castle Cerwyn, we start seeing more villages and small settlements. The locals are super excited at seeing the largest caravan in recent memories. Even bigger with captured carts, wagons and goods from the dead bandits. I handed out a few sacks of grains at several villages to build some goodwill with the people.
The closer we got the more settlements and keeps of minor lords or knights we see. At one holdfast of a minor Manderly who a distant cousin to the Lord of White Harbor tries to cheat me out of some cattle by giving me low quality iron ore. But Dacy sweets talks him into trading the cattles back for a twenty pairs of Harts, some silver coins and me fostering one of his many sons.
The man has six sons and look happy to hand one over to me. Daeron Manderly a meek seven year old joins my household and looks unhappy at the thought at being toss at strangers. I wasn't exactly happy Dacy told me beating the crap out of a Manderly is unwise. And fostering a boy a cheap price to pay for the cattles which were be worth more in butcher houses of White Harbor.
I agree with her on that and Daeron I put with my family for the moment. The roads are also more full with merchants and travelers. Some people try to steal from the caravan but my guard, servant and newly recruited ex bandits drive them off. The ex bandits are working out better than I expected and beside a few bad eggs are performing good.
Finally we arrive at White Harbor, tall stone walls, guards and the main city gates. My scouts had dismounted from their bikes and await me at the gate. Where I had to talk with the guards to let me in and where I could find the merchant quarters.
I rode in with my Housecarls following and the city just as describe in the books. Clean, wide cobble streets, buildings built from white stone and I see the people looking at me curiously.
My new ward follows next to me pointing out things. We ride through the marketplace and see its in chaos. Its jam pack that their barely room to ride through and all the stands that sell food are empty or nearing. Suddenly a hand grabs my left foot, I stop Stormcloud and turn to see a misery looking woman.
" please milord , my family and hadn't eaten in days. Please can you spare coins for us"
She said and I see two skinny girls holding on to her tattered dress. I dig out two dragons and toss them at her. She gave me a look of surprise then starts crying and thanking me. I pull away and keep going until we reached the Merchant quarters. After filling out a few forms we returned back the caravan but the street are wild with news of a huge caravan full of food and goods.
Someone starts shouting Iron breaker and a man in Manderly colors appears in front of me.
" Lord Knytlinga of Gondor, Iron breaker of Rills who drove back the Ironborn and wielder of Red Rain?"
He asked and I told him yes.
" Lord Manderly gracely invites you to New Castle for a banquet celebrating the new spring"
He told me and hands me a scroll. Then leaves back to the New Castle while the smallfolks surround me. Many touch me while chanting Ironbreaker and death to the Iron islands. My housecarls get edging and start keeping their hands on their weapons but I calm them down. By the time we finally get back to camp my pockets are less full since I had to throw some stags into the crowds to distract them so we can get away.
The camp set up nicely and guards are in place with everyone else working on something or talking. Several people got fires going to cook dinner and some of my craftsmen are setting up their stalls. The tents are up and I can see my family at my personal tent waiting. I dismount, Daeron takes my horse and leads him to the makeshift stable that up.
I walk by the rows of the tents of my servants, guards, retainers and camp followers. My tent three times bigger than the anyone else and I greeted by Harold running up to me waving a wooden sword I got him. He tells me he going to be a kingsguard one day and swings the toy around.
I chuckle and see the rest of my brothers trying to read with Dacy teaching them. While mom, Alys, the rest of my sisters and the maids are sewing in a corner. Mother stands to hugs me and ask if everything went well.
New Castle, White Harbor
I told them we going to a banquet being held by the Manderly and we need to clean up. Mother and Dacy began telling my siblings to get ready and to the maids to start heating up water for baths. A little later I in a copper bathtub washing myself of a couple days of dirt. I used a bar of scented soap Dacy had made during winter to clean up and afterwards drying myself.
I dress in black Harts, brown boots, a black tunic with my badge on the front, a red cloak and Red rain on my hip. I waited an hour before everyone ready and dress in their finest clothes. This time we walk through the city, my housecarls and a escort of Manderly men with us. Once at the Castle I gave the scroll from earlier to a trident wielding guard.
I allow to keep Red Rain but my Housecarls have to stay outside but their be fed too at least. The banquet in the Merman's court with tables, chairs and bench are set up. Plates of different food dishes and at least six roasting hogs are cooking. The floor all planks fitted together nicely and their paintings of sea animals and ships nearly everywhere in the court.
The head steward and servants quickly seated us. My family place at a table further away while I seated three chairs away from Lord Luthor Manderly, the man likely the great grandfather of the Lord Manderly in the books. His heir a weak looking boy of five and ten name Arnold who looks ready to stuff his face. Daeron sits at another table with cadet branches of House Manderly.
Lord Luthor gives a short speech about the hard winter, the hardship the North faces and asks the old gods for a good long spring. Then we toasted and the feasting begins, their plenty of seafood, meat,chicken, bread, vegetables and drinks to go around.
I sat two between a knight from House Waterman who are vassals of the Manderly and the captain of the city guards. Both men gave shook my hand and congrats me on throwing the Ironborns back to the sea. I found my plate constantly fill with different dishes and my drinking horn too. Lord Manderly at some point in the banquet calls me out to praise me for driving back the Ironborn but he subtlety insults my common born background. Maybe its was an accident but describing me as the lucky spawn of a lowly farmer is enough to get me mad.
So I stand up and lift my horn to Luthor then said.
" You're too kind my Lord, killing Ironborns is a service to all who hate them, a good Lord should always protect the smallfolks and not put profits before them."
I grin as he realise I just insulted him by bringing up the taxes he tried to imposed during winter. He kept his cool while some of guests look awkward or upset.
His lady wife Bethany Manderly eyes me but keeps a calm face. The rest of the feast went well, a fool made us laugh with his performance and we got a treat when actors performed a play about a knight.
Near the end I had to boast about killing Ironborns and showing off Red Rain. There was some dancing and so I decide to dance with a Manderly bastard girl name Greta Snow. She is a plump dark hair girl with a large bust and average height. I had a nice time dancing with her and she was blushing most of the time.
My family also had a good time too through they mostly stayed in the background but Dacy was able to flirt with the Manderly heir and he seems smitten with her. We left late into the night my younger siblings were chatting happily about the banquet and the women discussing the styles of dresses they seen there.
Back at camp I changed into sleep wear and fell asleep in my cot. My family already in their tents and the camp guards on watch.
The next days are full of business or accepting invitations from minor nobles. Dacy's Harts sell well among the smallfolks and even some nobles. Most of the foodstuff we brought to sell are gone and other trade goods are going fast.
Several times people had tried to steal from us and some of the ex bandits that joined had started fights in taverns or on the streets. Had to deal with that while Harry established trade routes with White Harbor based traders. He had some success and I met foreign traders from the free cities, Summer islands, the South, Ibben and even from Slaver's bay.
With my new wealth I bought things from traders and also burgers are popular in White Harbor now. I now the owner of a dull grey steel plate armor, bought it from a Volantene merchant, a new saddle from a local merchant, a summer island bow but not made of golden wood sadly and new swords for my brothers.
I also got silk, dyes, lace and simple jewelry for the women. A new chainmail too from another Volantene trader and an sturdy axe from the Ibbebeneses. Those people remind me of Neanderthals with how they look and only one spoke the common tongue but with a thick accent.
Along with others things I buy are tools, maps, a book, seeds to certain crops and got a old stockpile of weapons from a Qohorik merchant. Their not the best but serviceable at least and I need them for my levies. Dacy told me by the fifth day she out of Harts and has orders from local merchants for more.
More than one time I been offered a king's ransom for Red Rain by rich merchants but I declined each time. On the eighth day at White Harbor I notice a ship in the dock with a black three headed dragon on the sail while talking with a Myrish trader about his city. It only took a moment for me to remember who uses that sigil. I excused myself from the trader and signal my housecarls to follow.
We watch as several men carry two large wood chests from the ship and a red haired man with a surcoat that shows a flaming red and yellow fireball on a black field sigil. My eyes widen at that coat of arms and we kept our distance as they unload the cargo on to a small cart then follow the group.
My Housecarls ask why we are following them and I told them the Kingdom is in danger. They look unconvinced at that but follow orders like loyal retainers should.
Fireball and his men went through the more shady part of the city while making many turns. Twice we almost lost them until they reach an old warehouse and enter it with two men standing guard. After a little scouting of the area and planning the two guards are taken out with spears to their throats. The bodies are drag and hidden in some trash and I collect a crossbow from one of them.
Silently as possible we slipped into the building and the ten of us hide behind some stacks of smelly pelt.
" here it is, if Lord Manderly supports the true king… there be more of it"
I hear a voice and move to see Fireball opening the chest to reveal them full of gold dragons to a man I seen just days ago.
" yes he might be inclined to help put Daemon on the thrones and remove that fasle born" the steward of New Castle say as he touches the gold.
" That is good!, to King Daemon the first of his name and true king of Westeros!" Fireball exclaimed and shakes hands with the steward.
The steward came with three men and Fireball only has six men with him. I line up the crossbow on him and fired once I got him in sight. The bolt flew straight into his back and the knight goes down screaming in pain. My Housecarls take two more down with arrows before I charge in with them following.
None of them are wearing armor and lightly armed. I cut down two of the survivors quickly and kill a third as he trying to flee. My men strike down the rest but Fireball still alive and trying to defend himself. We keep our distance as curses and screams at us while swinging his sword. But with a bolt in his back and heavily bleeding from the wound he slowly began to bleed out.
After five minutes or so he couldn't lift his sword and is on his knees. In a low voice he asks who I am and Daemon will kill me.
"I am a loyal supporter of House Targaryen!"
I tell the traitorous Master of arms of the Red Keep and thrust Red Rain into his chest. Fireball let out one final curse with his dying breath before collapsing dead to the ground. I had the men load the gold into sacks we found in the warehouse and steal all the gold, silver, jewelry or valuable items on the bodies.
We returned back to the camp with the gold and after counting I nearly faint from knowing I now own six hundred more gold coins. I paid my Housecarls to keep their tongues silent and they happily took it.
The next three day I pretty busy I hired the services of skilled builders, masons, a skilled smith, shipbuilders and also find an acolyte name Vaegon who was traveling Westeros but the maester he traveling with died recently. When I found him he was trying to get a ship to Oldtown and so I convinced him to go with me for gold.
Four days later at White Harbor
" As a lord of the North and Lord of this city, I sentenced you all to hanging for the murder of Quentyn Ball and my steward!"
Lord Manderly shouted with a red face at the street gang who found and looted the men I killed. Stealing their clothes and the weapons we left behind.
The oldest is just fifteen and youngest of the six is a mere ten. Fireball's crew alerted Lord Manderly he was missing and the city watch began to search for him. They found their nude corpses pretty soon and a day later found the stupid street rats showing off their loot.
They scream their innocent and beg for mercy as they are all being drag to the gallows.
" please milord we didn't kill them they were already dead, we just took their clothes and their purses were gone"
The oldest shouting out as the rope is tied around his neck. He minutes later swinging in the wind and the rest of his gang joins him.
I leave regretting not speaking up but I prefer not hanging myself. My people and the caravan are ready to go. Harry has gotten two major traders with their own caravans coming along with us. Which is great and I already planning a project that will benefit the Stony Coast.
The return trip took close to four weeks to compete. No bandit attacks and saw only a few groups of them far in the distance but they kept away. We had more small folks tagging along and it was annoying. By the time we reached Castle Cerwyn, patrols from from House Cerwyn met us and escorted us through their lands. The rest of the way went smoothly, any bands of bandits are destroyed and I restored order in a few places. Once we reach the outskirts of Gondor and I smiled wide after seeing the new farms or tiny settlements as we pass through the countryside.
The first week goes fast as I throw myself in work and organising projects. A bunch of new bikes are sold to one of traders who very interested by them. I have an message sent to Lord Fisher and work begins on the paved road with him helping on the route.
Over the next six months I also settled half of the smallfolks who followed me on his lands. While there not the most fertile lands in the North they can with the tools and advice I gave them produce decent crops with hard work.
Former House Icemark lands are resettled with over three hundred small folks and I installed my brother Ulf as a Master there as my vassal. The Masterly House Kynligia of Ulf's keep was established, his badge is my but with both the rune circle and raven a white instead of red. He be overseeing the new coal mine being built there and running the place for me.
Ulf was shock and surprise at my decision but accepted the offer of being of my bannermen. My levies are reformed and renamed the Fyrd.
I commissioned a doomsday book to survey my lands and assess the worth of my fief. With all the new folks flocking to my lands I have an possible 2,200 men I could call to arms if including old men and green boys.
One thousand and four hundred men are around military age and now have them training in two battalions of seven hundred each. My blacksmiths are foraging new arms and armor for my men. I arming them as the Macedonian phalanx.
Their be 450 pikeme, 50 light infantry/skirmishers, 50 archers and 150 cavalry. The pikemen be wielding 16 feet pikes, armour in helmet, mail and linothorax ( armor made from layers of linen) over it. Beside the pike they are armed with short swords, small lighter shields and daggers.
My officers are clad in mail and breastplates with helmets that have plumes plus armed long swords, axes and daggers. The light infantry are armed with four javelins, small shield, short swords, leather armor and slings.
My cavalry has lances, axes, sabers with steel helmets, cuirass and mail for armor. The archers are clad in leather armor with a short sword, their bow and a dagger.
The gold from Fireball allow me to have large amounts of steel to be imported from White Harbor and with what going to happen next year in the South I pushing production up.
Eleven month of 195 AL
"No I already paid my taxes to him last month!"
I shouted at the tax party that has come to Gondor.
" sorry milord but Lord Stark has ordered a war tax to put down the rebellion in Skagos"
The head of the group told me nervously and I reluctant allow them to fill their carts with goods from my storehouses. Food, cloth, finished goods, raw materials and even some of my stockpile weapons are taken.
They also wanted a sack of silver too and my doomsday book. When I asked why the book, one said Lord Barthogan Stark has heard of it and is interested in it. Wasn't hard to see Lord Stark wants to know how profitable my lands are and can tax it higher.
I give them the stags but tell them the book not finished. They shrug and don't press the issue then leave Gondor with their carts full later. After their gone I have Vaegon send ravens to Bear island and Fisherhold to alert them of second wave of taxes.
And also one to House Glover then checked on how much they take. I find almost half of the first harvest of the summer is gone and many village leaders later come by to complain of new tax collection parties. They like me are mad and demands I sent Lord Stark a complaint.
Vaegon has that done quickly and advise me to wait for his response before any further action. Dacy mad too and muttering how Lord Stark can't tax the North twice after such a bad winter.
I sighed and take stock of what is left. Thank the old gods the harvest was so great that there plenty to go around and the Stony Coast had a decent harvest. House Fisher's newly rebuilded fishing fleet has caught enough fish to flood the North in fish products.
The newly fishing fleet is an joined House Kynligia and Fisher venture. I builded the new ships with paid shipwrights who made them three times bigger than the old boats while Lord Fisher supplied the crews. Lord Fisher also got me to sponsor the building of a salt mine which provides jobs and now producing enough for our needs to sell the rest.
The new road call Raven road has plenty of traffic that we charge a small toll on merchants who travel it and shared the money.
The new tax going to cause much unrest in the North. Umber lands are trying to recover but a bout of some disease hit them last month, KarStark are currently our biggest buyer of foodstuff with the northern Mountain clans second. The clans remind me of the highlanders and I decided to build an alliance with House Wulls three months ago.
I arranged the marriage of my sister Ragnhild to their new young lord Clovis Wulls after asking Ragnhild and offering a big dowry to the Wulls.
Fifty gold coins, fur pelts, some sacks of grain and a good steel sword. And a month later in Gondor they were married in a average wedding with couple hundred guests, the clansman drinking all my beer and eating most of the food. But just last month after suggesting a survey of their lands, veins of silver have been found and I send miners to help build a mine for a cut of the profits.
I decided to take a ride out of the town with two dozen of my Housecarls and do some thinking. I thought about my lack of wife situation while I gotten some offers from minor nobles but I keeping my options open for now.
When I came back to the town Loki was waiting for me at the gate house and he looks worry.
"My lord the men of House Glenmore are marching on us!"
Alright another chapter down and so sorry for the wait. Things happened and I couldn't work this chapter much.
So next chapter there be a battle and then Cnut be gathering volunteers for the march down south. I thinking of a Valyrian descent wife but not from Westeros for Harthacnut.
I also got the new Blood and fire book and its pretty great. More or less a history book but interesting