Hi everyone. From your reviews, I realize many of you were upset by the sudden jump in GOT, and I understand your reasons. Now this jump was always the plan for the story, which I intended to make once I finally finished the war with Voldemort, but that part of the story simply did not want to be written. Instead of fighting with frustration and not getting anywhere, I decided to simply move on. I will add what scenes I actually managed to work out from the war in short flashback scenes so you can get a clearer perspective in the character development of our ninja team. I also have worked out lots of lore and the Big Bad for the story already, which I hope will come to a surprise to you. On the topic of GOT, since it's been a while since I've seen the earlier seasons, so there will probably be small mistakes as I am mostly relying on episode descriptions and summaries to remember. If any of you notice such mistakes, please don't hesitate to point them out.
Chapter 21
Once morning had dawned, a servant had knocked on their doors, informing them that breakfast was prepared, which they had brought to their rooms so they could talk more and not disturb their hosts from their funeral preparations. It was only a few hours later before they were called to attend the funeral ceremony after which the quartet returned to their rooms. They decided to wait until their new King called on them himself, both to give the appearance of authority to Robb, as well as give them time to rest and adapt.
The quartet had gone into the fight with Voldemort with the hope that the conflict would be finally over. They were chasing the man for nearly five years, hunting down both his followers as well as the Horcruxes of Voldemort that Dumbledore finally revealed the existence of to them in their seventh year. The argument that revelation sparked between Harry and Dumbledore was simply epic, and if not for Millicent, the old man would have died that very night. The knowledge that the Horcrux in Harry's scar had been removed by the unicorn blood in their first year at Hogwarts seemed to hit Dumbledore like a train, revealing that all of his plans for Harry were not only useless but also malicious. The man never recovered from the shock and guilt, dying two years later in his sleep.
In addition, after the first time Voldemort faced off against Harry and realized the disparity of their power, he turned his assets to instead bleed their support. Distractions and multiple attacks kept the team busy while his elite Death Eaters went after everyone that stood with Harry and the Order of the Phoenix. As losses mounted on both sides, Harry grew increasingly desperate to finish the fight until they finally managed to find the last Horcrux and corner Voldemort in his fortress, and just when they finally thought it was over, they end up blasted to a whole new world. Even for them, it took some time to adjust and accept their new situation.
It was on the morning of the next day after breakfast that Robb finally called his new allies to a meeting.
"Lord Peverell, I hope you're not upset for waiting so long to talk to me." Robb welcomed them in a large room with a table covered in maps and missives.
"You are a busy man your Grace and it gave us time to recover. Before we move on to discuss matters of state and war, we have a wedding present for you and your Queen." Harry turned to Neville, who handed him two large golden goblets, decorated with crowned wolves. Robb took them, marveling at the exquisite detail of the decorations.
"A beautiful gift." Robb finally said after looking the goblets over in detail.
"And a practical one, too. If I may demonstrate?" Harry took a wine bottle and filled one of the goblets at Robb's nod.
"Now, observe." Harry held out his hand over the goblet and released a rasping hiss. Robb stifled a gasp when he saw a strange striped snake emerge from the sleeve and open its mouth over the goblet. The moment a single drop of venom dropped from its fangs into the goblet, the eyes of the wolves on the goblet began to glow red.
"I recommend you use only these goblets to drink. We have placed magic on them to ensure you are warned against poison." Harry informed him once he had vanished the poisoned wine.
"Thank you again, my Lord. None have attempted such a cowardly act so far, but the future is never certain. Do you always walk around with a snake up your sleeve?" Robb asked curiously.
"Only this one. Acheron is to me what Grey Wind is to you." Harry had heard the tale of the King's direwolf, and he knew the man would understand.
"I have been thinking on how best to use your abilities in the war, but the main issue is that I simply don't know enough about your magic to make the right decisions." Robb began.
"We would be happy to give you a demonstration, your Grace. We also had a few ideas based on what we've learned of the situation." Harry began. "The first priority should be to recover your siblings, followed by the securing of the North and then punishing the Ironborn while your armies regroup for the push into the Westerlands while ensuring the safety of your current teritory."
"How do you propose we do all that?" The Greatjon asked from his seat.
"We can track down all of your living siblings. It will take about a day to prepare, but all we need is a little bit of your blood, your Grace. Once we know where your siblings are, we can go to them and bring them back. A simple letter from you for them will ensure their cooperation, and once we have secured them, we can use magic to bring them back here instantly. I believe your sisters are your sole remaining siblings?" Harry asked.
"Yes, and my half-brother Jon, but he is with the Night Watch. You're sure you can get my sisters from King's Landing?" Robb asked hopefully.
"They won't even know I was there, your Grace. I will take care of it personally. Neville will take care of securing the North. Like myself, he should be provided proof that he speaks with your authority, and everyone loyal to you will give him support while he asks the Ironborn to leave." Harry replied.
"You really think the iron cunts will pick up and leave just because he asked them to?" Dacey Mormont scoffed, knowing the reavers well from her years fighting them.
"Well, once they stop laughing and refuse, Neville will then proceed to kill them all. Just because we know they'll refuse to surrender doesn't mean we can't be civilized about it. We're not savages after all." Harry grinned as the gathered lords laughed at his words. Centuries of raiding and pillaging had left little love for the Ironborn in the rest of the continent.
"At the same time, Hermione will travel to the Iron islands and express your displeasure at King Balon's actions." Harry pointed to the tall woman, and her fang filled grin made everyone almost feel sorry for the man. Well, almost. "Millicent will remain to ensure your safety and health."
"Alright. Your ideas have merit. I'll decide on how to proceed after the demonstration and once you know exactly where my sisters are." Robb replied.
"Of course. We can demonstrate right now if you'd like. Who is to be present?" Harry asked.
"Everyone in this room." Robb suggested after looking around the room. The gathering was small, with only his Queen, both Umbers, Lord Karstark, Dacey Mormont, as well as his uncle Edmure and his great-uncle Brynden present.
"Not her." Millicent suddenly spoke up and raised her hand to point at the queen. Harry gave his wife a look and leaned towards her to have a quick whispered conversation.
"Sorry your Grace, I am still teaching them Common. My wife reminded me that the travel method we intend to employ is unsafe for pregnant women. I believe congratulations are due?" Harry smiled at Robb's shocked look, and from the look on the Queen's face, it seemed she was unaware as well.
"You're certain?" Talissa asked in a hopeful voice.
"I trust my wife's skills, your Grace. And you can rest assured she will do her best to ensure your child grows healthy and strong." Harry told her.
"We can talk about this later. Dacey, please stay with Talissa. Lord Peverell, the rest of us will come with you." Robb decided. As much as he wanted to sit with his wife and celebrate the good news, he knew that the matters of state had to take precedence now.
"Alright. Simply hold tightly to this rope." Harry pulled out a length of rope from his pocket and held it out for the people in the room. Once everyone had a tight grip on it, he let out a short hiss before they all vanished from the room.
"Gods that was horrible." Brynden Tully groaned as he finally managed to recover from the magical travel he was subjected to. Next to him, his nephew was still busy vomiting his breakfast. The rest of the group were also decidedly pale, giving murderous looks to the decidedly amused magicals who had years of practice with portkeys and knew all the small tricks to make the jarring transition more pleasant.
"The first time is always the worst. The return trip will be much easier." Harry's words caused them to pale further, but their mood changed after a few quick spells and a few sips of wine provided by Harry calmed their upset stomachs.
They realized they were brought to the same place where they first met the quartet. It was a good place to make a demonstration, as it was currently empty and lacked anything of value.
"Hermione will demonstrate first." Harry informed them as the woman walked up to the shore of the stream and put her hands through a series of symbols. On the last, the water in the stream churned violently then rose up, forming the shape of a dragon's head which wove like a serpent through the air before it crashed heavily on the opposite shore.
"Now imagine what something like that can do on the open sea, especially if it's a much bigger one, and that's far from everything she can do with water. And like I said, she's also a highly skilled swordswoman, though her swords are a bit unique. Like the Sharkskin blade she currently uses." Harry commented as Hermione took the weapon in her hands and swung a few times, showing just how heavy the blade was and how strong she was to use it.
"Why is it called Sharkskin?" Robb asked. He was curious as to why the blade was wrapped in bandages. In response, Hermione unwrapped part of the blade at Harry's instructions, revealing the sword's rasp like texture.
"That is one cruel weapon." Brynden whispered as he imagined what such a weapon would do to a man. It wasn't a very comforting image. Such a wound would be certainly fatal regardless on where it was inflicted.
"The Seven Swords were made in a much older and violent age. They are now simply relics and a reminder. Next is Neville. He will demonstrate both his iron sand skill as well as one of his puppets." Harry informed them.
Neville stepped forward now, opening one of the pouches on his belt, letting out a long stream of black dust snake out until he had a cloud as big as he was. Without a single motion from him, the cloud took a variety of shapes and even moved swiftly to hit a few of the willow trees by the stream's shore, easily cutting off several branches. Once he had gathered it back, he took the large scroll on his back and unrolled it, revealing strings of strange symbols. With a single gesture, one group of symbols burst into smoke, and when it cleared, the group now saw a wooden scorpion the size of a horse standing before Neville.
With a few twitches of his fingers, the puppet began to move with a distinct ominous clacking sound and the observers were standing in awe at the multitude of hidden weapons the puppet concealed in its innards. That thing was an army killer on its own, and Neville's declaration that he could control ten at the same time made them pale in shock.
"My turn now. You already saw my most powerful attack, so I'll demonstrate my other skills. Our combat magic is divided primarily into which of the five elements they manipulate. You already saw Hermione use water, and Neville's iron sand skill is a special type of lightning magic. He can also use lightning directly. I will demonstrate fire, air and earth." Harry then proceeded to raise a wall of stone before him, cut it to shreds with a swing of his arm, then breathe out a huge fireball above the stream.
"And finally Millicent will demonstrate three skills. The first is the special strength technique she mastered from her medic training." Harry gave his wife instructions, after which she walked up to one large oak tree and punched it. While the punch didn't look very powerful, the result was beyond shocking to the observers. The trunk simply exploded into kindling, making everyone present see the attractive and seemingly harmless young woman in a new light.
"Impressive, isn't she? Now she has the inborn ability to fuse fire magic with either earth or water. The results are rather unique you'll find." After Harry spoke to her again, Millicent turned to the remains of the toppled tree she punched and exhaled a cloud of pale mist that fell on the tree, causing it to melt rapidly as the corrosive cloud burned through it. Then, with a new string of hand gestures she opened her mouth again and to everyone's shock a thick stream of actual lava erupted from her mouth and fell on top of the molten remains of the tree. Even from a distance, the heat from the molten rock made Robb and his men sweat before Hermione moved in and spat a stream of water that cooled down the lava.
"I have so many questions now." Robb whispered as he finally processed what he had witnessed.
"I'll explain more about our skills once we're back in Riverrun." Harry offered the rope again which they reluctantly took again, returning to the now empty room.
"With your leave your Grace, my team will leave to prepare the spell to find your sisters. I'll stay to tell you more until it's time to add your blood to the spell. They'll also need a map of the continent." Harry told them.
"I'll have Vyman deliver one to your rooms." Brynden told him and left to do so, after which he decided to get black out drunk. Maybe once he sobered up, the world would make sense again. Either way, he had to admit his King had to be the luckiest bastard in the world to stumble into those four.
Harry spent the rest of the day with Robb, telling him more about the skills and magic he and his teammates could use, and slowly ideas began to form in Robb's mind.
"Oh god, this is so damn tedious." Millicent grumbled as she was carefully drawing a complex runic pattern on the back of the provided map.
"How do you think I feel? I never thought I'd actually use runic patterns in my life. Stupid new world and no proper potions ingredients." Hermione grumbled as she drew a larger and more complex pattern on the floor of the room. The pattern she was drawing was the runic form of the blood tracking potion, and even with the simplification of several sections, it was still a complex pattern that would take her hours to draw, recheck and correct. This was why Potions was considered an art, not a science as the brewing depended on both the brewer's understanding of the process as well as their skill in analyzing and preparing the ingredients.
With the proper ingredients, one could easily round up most of the variables in the pattern, allowing the brewer to cut out 80%-90% of the variable calculations, with the brewing process covering the rest as well as any compensation for unwanted ingredient reactions. The reason why many more advanced potions were so difficult to make was simply the fact that there were no ingredients that perfectly fit them, and why Potions Master was such a difficult and respected profession. That explained why a colossal git like Snape or a huge kissass like Slughorn were actually allowed to teach at Hogwarts despite their many glaringly obvious personal flaws.
Without access to any known potions ingredients however, the team had to use the full pattern for any potion they wanted to create, and that also meant calculating every single variable. Now Hermione was skilled enough to round up most of the values, but the potion they needed to use was a fairly complex one.
"Just be happy it's not a genealogy potion." Neville grinned from the side as his wife groaned at the thought. While fiddling with a component for one of his puppets, he leaned to the side as a ball of water passed where his head was. Hermione was a wonderful woman, but she hated teasing, which was why he loved doing it. Getting her blood boiling made for a very interesting night afterwards.
"How does this magic work?" Robb observed the strange markings on the floor with apprehension. The knowledge this magic needed his blood as well made him doubly nervous.
"Blood calls to blood, your Grace. The spell uses your blood to seek its like across the land, and when it finds it, the position is sent to the map. Now we were forced to rush a bit, so it might not be the most accurate, but we only need to be close enough to employ other magic to determine a more precise location. Now please hold out your arm." Harry held up a vial and his wand. To Robb's surprise, Harry didn't cut him, but with a wave of the wand, a cloud of red mist rose from his skin and gathered into the vial. It felt really itchy, but when it stopped, his arm remained unmarked.
"Now, the map will show us all your living siblings. When the circle stops glowing, the spell is complete." Harry told them as he poured three drops of blood on the map and the rest in the middle of the runic circle.
"That dot is you, here in Riverrun. Your sister Sansa is in King's Landing as expected, and your sister Arya should be... near Harrenhall?" Everyone in the room frowned at that revelation.
"Seems she actually managed to flee from the capitol. Now, what's this?" Harry looked as two more dots slowly appeared in the far North. "Well, this is a pleasant surprise. It seems your brothers still live your Grace."
The relief at that revelation was palpable as Catelyn started to cry in joy, knowing that the dark news of her sons death was false.
"With your permission, we will depart at dawn. Neville will secure the North and recover your brothers, while I will secure your sisters." Harry suggested.
"I will have letters written for all of you. I also had an idea for the Ironborn." Robb replied. "I will send Lady Hermione to Pyke. There she will sink all present ships, sack the city of Lordsport and castle Pyke, and once she has done that, she will send Balon Greyjoy to me so I can take his head personally. Once she is done on Pyke she will then travel to Harlaw with a letter for its lord. If he refuses my terms, she is to clear the island and move to another until a lord accepts my offer or there are no more Ironborn."
"I will ensure both she and Neville know enough Common to make themselves clearly understood, your Grace. Millicent will remain to ensure the safety and health of your Queen, heir and yourself until we return." Harry assured him.
"How long do you think it will take you?" Robb asked.
"A few days for me, King's Landing is not that far and we can move very fast. Hermione should reach the Iron Islands quickly as well, in the water she's faster than a shark. Neville will take a bit longer, he has to cross the entire North as well as stop to retake the occupied holds." Harry told him.
"That's a lot faster than I expected. It will be good to have my brothers and sisters back." Robb smiled. He could not save his father, but he'd be damned if he lost any more family.
The next morning at dawn, Robb and his guards stood at the gate of Riverrun with the four ninja. With little ceremony, the three departing ninjas rushed off, moving like shadows across the land, faster than even a horse.
"I didn't think anything could move that fast." Robb whispered in awe.
"We can move faster, but we're still learning the land." Millicent commented. Harry spent all night teaching them the local language, but they were still far from fluent.
Far from Riverrun, Hermione finally hit the ocean and relaxed as she swam at great speed through the water. The feeling of such clear and unpolluted waters was sublime for her and perhaps one of the few things she enjoyed about this new world. From her estimates, it would take her about a day to reach her destination, but she was in no rush so she decided on two days for the trip in order to be fresh for the fight. Even if these Ironborn were no threat to her individually, she'd still have to kill several thousand of them, and chasing them down once they started to panic and run would be sure to tire her out.
Harry had finally come close to Arya's location and could now use a simple point me spell to find the girl. Fifteen minutes later he tracked her down in a cave, and from the noise in the cave, she had lots of company. He walked in the cave just as two men were preparing to fight. The crowd had already circled them, and there were plenty of insults and shouted support towards the pair. A tall bearded man was squaring off against a giant of man with a burnt face and just as the fight was about to begin, Harry decided to cut in.
"Sorry to interrupt, but I'm here looking for someone." Everyone turned in shock at his voice, and his appearance left them even more confused as they had never seen a man dressed like him before.
"How did you get in here? Who are you?" The bearded man demanded.
"I am an agent of King Robb Stark, who has sent me to retrieve his sister. If you'd be so kind to point me to her, we'll be on our way." Harry said with a smile, completely unconcerned about the crowd of armed men before him.
"You have proof?" The burnt man asked gruffly. Sandor didn't care much for the girl, but he didn't want to see her killed. That and he was still owed a reward for saving her.
"I have a letter from the king for his sister." Harry threw the letter to the tall man, who passed it to someone behind him in the crowd. A minute later a young girl with short cut hair and another older boy stepped forward but still far from Harry.
"The letter is from Robb. He speaks the truth." Arya told the bearded man.
"Alright. Now let us discuss our price for letting you leave with her." The group leader turned towards Harry with a smirk.
"I think not killing you is reward enough." Harry grinned widely as he used Orochimaru's Paralysis spell to root the group in place.
"Is there anyone you want to accompany you, princess?" Harry stopped before Arya, walking calmly around the group who stood unmoving like statues in the cave.
"Those two." She pointed towards the boy next to her as well as the burnt tall man once she overcome her shock. She thought she knew what a killer looked like, but the moment she locked eyes with Harry, she realized she was wrong. This man before her was far more dangerous than anything she had seen. Once she had spoken, Harry simply nodded and the two twitched and almost collapsed before they managed to stabilize.
"I found the first target. Sending her and two others to our room. Stand by to receive." Harry pulled out a mirror from a pocket and contacted his wife. After getting confirmation, he gestured for the trio to stand closer.
"Take this." Harry handed them a length of rope before he activated the portkey, sending them away from the cave.
Almost five minutes after he left, the Brotherhood without Banners was finally freed from his spell. Feeling both confused and frightened, the group decided to quickly relocate and to flee as fast as possible if they ever encountered the strange man again.
In Riverrun, Robb was alerted that Harry had recovered his sister and had sent her and two others to him so he rushed to where they were expected to arrive. Millicent was already present, helping them recover from the portkey trip. He felt relief when he saw Arya and then turned to see who else had come with her. The young man that was sitting on the bed across from her was unknown though something was familiar about him while the third shocked him still.
"Seize this Lannister dog." Robb growled as his men moved towards the Hound.
"Robb, wait. He saved my life." Arya managed to get unsteadily on her feet. Everyone stopped at those words as they looked at the Hound.
"Very well. You are free to leave, Clegane." Robb said as he embraced his sister.
"If it's alright with you, I'd rather stay with the little girl, your grace." The Hound grumbled. He didn't know why he said that. Maybe he was more tired than he thought. He was getting sentimental.
"We can talk about that later. For now, get some rest." Robb turned to Smalljon. The implied order to keep a close eye on the man was quickly understood.
"And you are?" Robb turned to Arya's other companion.
"Gendry Waters, your Grace." The boy bowed nervously. "I'm just a blacksmith."
"We can always use those. Dacey, see that he is taken care of, then send him to the castle smiths. If he's any good, he can earn himself some honest wage. Does this suit you, Gendry?" Robb asked the boy who nodded quickly.
"Come on, mother would never forgive me if I didn't tell her you're here. We have a lot to catch up on." Robb hugged his sister again and then led her out of the room.