261-262 AC

„And if you make this canal from the river over there to here you can irrigate your fields with the help of the river. This means you no longer have to pull buckets out of a well."

It was now half a year since I began my journey through the North. Today I helped farmers of House Karstark to improve their fields. Lord Karstark had told me during an audience about an earthquake, that nearly wiped out his entire population some years ago. I had organized a gigantic tree planting session, which would later hold the loose earth near the hills around his land. This would also improve his farmlands, which were sparse. Fruit trees, able to resist the cold were planted and I showed his household staff, how to make jam to preserve it. Already the smiths in his land were churning out the blades for plows and other tools and the farmers where over the moon.

Lord Karstark welcomed me eagerly, because my deeds had already spread. Since my first attempts to improve Lord Manderlys territory, many anticipated when I would come to their lands and help them. I gave the farmer next to me a small pat on his shoulder and took my map back. I had drawn sketches of the river and fields to show the irrigationplan.

„Lets end it for today. Remember, the people in the surrounding villages will need to come together. Without everyone giving it their all, we will have a hard time to improve our lives. I hope I have their support?"

„Of course Thomas, of course!"

„I crack some skulls, if I have too!"

The old man by my other side answered and I was once again reminded how crude most of the people in the North were. For all its „splendor" Westeros was still rather primitive.

Westeros was at the level just before the Orc invasion, 12th century earth, maybe. The Orcs, savage and bloodthirsty that they were, helped to bring improvements to society as a whole. New techniques to do things more efficient, or with less manpower, technology to improve it further and even Magic helped, of course. The work the peasants put into it to generate the enormous war economy, to sustain the wars in Azeroth were the backbone, the foundation of the Alliance army and all its accomplishments.

Lord Stark thankfully supported my spiel of „Three Sons" to improve the North.

One Son as the heir, one son for the next plot of land and one son for the lord in defense against southern aggression and wildlings from Beyond The Wall.

Just half a year after the ravens flew around and criers were stationed at markets and already most women were pregnant.

Most of the time I educated farmers in crop rotation, irrigation and proper use of fertilizer. Never forgetting my origins as a Paladin, I also healed people whenever I could. This gave me a reputation and minimized the resistance people held against me teaching medicine to the women of the villages, while their husbands were out farming. Most surprising were the different smallfolk, who offered to follow me and help in my quest to improve the North. The North was big and many settlements were abandoned. After the time together, everyone and their cousin knew I wanted land to reestablish the Order and a handful of people with talent decided to follow me. Many Lords praised me for my political accumen, after I shamelessly stole a famous saying from my first live and told the people „Do not ask what the Lords of the North can do for you. Ask yourselves what you can do for the North. Help me create a better tomorrow! To make the North great, again!" over and over. It was like I wanted to become president and toured the countryside. Hands were shaken, promises with the lords were made and manpower, as well as gold invested. The smallfolk knew there was not much money to go around as salary, but the hope for a better future was motivation enough for most to follow me and proved to be a true force multiplier over the years.

Sadly you cannot reach everyone. In Scottland I learned you can at best influence eight out of ten people. Two, no matter what you will do, you will never reach. Those small-minded people, masquerading as smallfolk and two lords who barred my from their lands were against the farming methods and openly hostile.

Lord Bolton and Lord Whitehill, as well as some masterly houses sworn to them where the biggest opposition I faced. I was not even allowed to enter their lands, by threat of beheading!

Maybe it was because my second target during my tour of the North was house Forrester, which angered both lords, or because I felt the darkness in them and they feared the light in me. Or because they were just unreasonable cunts searching for a hidden plot. Meh.

My tour continued west and at Last Hearth of House Umber, I encountered my first squire. Jon Umber had such a strong connection to the Holy Light it was baffling. I talked to Lord Umber and showed him my powers. I spend near a moon in his lands. I literally had to defeated a group of wildlings, before he accepted my proposal. I would take Jon as my squire, but he would send his man-at-arms with him to ensure his safety. I was not insulted and agreed. This made him stunned at first, but he laughed all the same.

Jon Umber was passionate, loud and strong. He could read, just barely, but I could work with that. As Lord Stark had just started the paper business through my methods, we got some paper to waste, as I did teach him how to read and write in the common tongue and old tongue. Until his handwriting improved to a „proper standard" I forced him to make his own copy of my two Paladin Tomes. As much as he liked to train and whined about my „lessons" he completed them amicably, which made me proud and him not just a dumb, loud oaf, but a smart, loud oaf.

In Deepwood Motte we stayed for a moon turn, too. It was a run down wooden keep.

The ports were being expanded and more farmland cleared. I helped with improving as much as I could and instructed Jon on-sight. As he still had to first copy my Tome of Divinity and tried to connect to the light, he did not help much with the planning. He needed to learn many things and was sometimes bitter about it, but he listened when I spoke. Helping smallfolk, healing the ill and old was a humbling experience for him. Especially after he had a streak of idiocy and I let him wash the feed of the older women in a village. They were very pleased and he tried to be sneakier, instead.

The Tome of Divinity was over three hundred pages thick and he wined and wined as I first told him about his task to copy it. In the end he did it anyway. He needed two full moons to just copy it, but he was much more calm and concentrated afterwards. I could feel his connection to the light opening and was very hopeful for his future.

We made our way south to the stony shore, via Seadragonpoint. Just after setting up our camp along the way, Jon came to me with a question.

„Thomas, you told me all about the Holy Light, but why do I feel I am not ready? Not worthy?"

„Well, lad. I will tell you what my mentor told me, alright?" He nodded. I used my occlumency to remember the day Uther stood before me. „No one feels ready. No one feels that he deserves it. And you know why? Because no one does. It is grace, pure and simple. We are inherently unworthy, simply because we are human, and all human beings are flawed. But the Light loves us anyway. It loves us for what we sometimes can rise to become in rare moments. It loves us for what we can do to help others. And it loves us because we can help it share its message by striving daily to be worthy, even though we understand that we cannot ever truly become so. So stand there today, as I did years ago, feeling that you cannot possibly deserve it or ever be worthy of it, and know that you are in the same place every single paladin has ever stood."

His eyes shone „Do you mean it?"

„Aye. I am proud of you, Jon. You have made remarkable progress. Remember, as long as you do not abandon the light, it will never abandon you." I stood up and clapped him on his shoulder. „Come, you need to get some food in you and more training done."

He yelled and ran to the his tent. We sparred for an hour, before we began to prepare dinner. While I needed to show him how to prepare food and cook it right, he could hunt on his own. His „protector" snorted, when we cooked together, but Jon preened under my attention. He was beet red, after I told him reliable men would impress the ladies.

Later, in front of the campfire I thought of Uther. Was it like this for you, all those years ago? To educate a young lad into the ways of the Paladin? To help him prepare? To be ready for the cruel world? To not loose the light, despite looking into the darkness?

262 AC

We reached the stony shore and I immediately knew this was the region I wanted to settle down. Wide land, water sources and so much potential.

We spend about three moons in my future land before turning to Winterfell, again.

The stony shore had people living in small villages, or homesteads further inland. Ironborn incursions happened not often, but bigger settlements were raided almost instantly.

Scouts and lumberthieves would tell other Ironborn about bigger „prey" and start rampaging all over the shore. This was the major factor which held back any development of this region. I would make the coast safe. Beware Ironborn for you shall face my fury.

Jon did jinx us all in the beginning. He boldly „hoped to pay them the iron price back", after a farmer told us about the Ironborn. It would proof almost prophetic as we travelled along the stony shore. Three iron born incursions did we fight in this three moons, while helping the people forage and develop farmland. We also planted trees between the fields and the hills. The small folk was doubtful at first, but helped anyway.

The way east was almost boring. The Rills are a windy, flat piece of land with much potential, but not enough people. Until we reached Barrowtown and Torrens Square we only met three settlements. Hopefully I could remedy that in the future. Talks with the lords were easy, as our reputation preceded us. A letter from Lord Stark also helped.

Our return to Winterfell was met with some fanfare as many people recognized our troop.

I had made a banner for the Order and many recognized it swinging in the small breeze upon our arrival. Jon reluctantly learned how to stitch, because he needed to repair and make his own clothing.

After a quick hello and unpacking of our horses, both Jon and I were let to Lord Stark.

In Lord Starks solar sat five people. Lord Stark, Ser Cassel, Jon Umber, Maester Way-something and me. I had already forgotten the Maesters name, as he was a polite cunt. The detailed map I made during my travel lied on the table while I told the story of our troop. The smallfolk who travelled with me were stashed in two Inns in winter town, while a handful were in Winterfell and tended to our horses and equipment we brought along.

At the end of our report, which was verified by three other people, who were waiting outside, Lord Stark looked at me with a hint of irritation in his voice.

„You found seven different ore deposits. You found four coal deposits and you helped improve the yield of every farmer you came across by at minimum two times."

He stared at me. I blinked. What? Was that not enough, yet?

„How by the old gods and seven hells did you manage to accomplish that!?"

His voice was full of demand, rage, hope and disbelief. I looked at Jon, then to Rickard.

Taking a deep breath I gathered my thoughts. I was really pissed, somehow at his disbelief.

„I could say some deep bullshit about the gods and what not, but I will just tell you the truth." Jon snorted. „Most people I encountered liked to tell stories and were almost eager to help. Some I just needed to ask some open questions and others I simply spoke on their own accord. As I was nether a knight, nor a lord they did not fear I would kill them out of spite. Some of the mines and deposits I encountered myself. Jon found some abandoned mines, too. Mostly during hunts." My artificially nonchalant voice was replaced with a small dose of loathing.

„Your lords do not engage much with their people, I am afraid. And because of their „aloofness" and generally degrading behavior towards the smallfolk, they should instead protect and govern, they remain ignorant because of it. No one wants to help assholes and cunts that bite the hands that feed them." I took a deep breath and continued to speak.

"The knowledge hidden by the smallfolk is enough to write several books worth with, IF they could read and write, or count that is. The potential is there Lord Stark. The people just need to learn how to use it. Even without me the North could be much more productive if the land was governed competently. You and some other Lords are sadly the minority regarding competence. Most are glad to have a warm home and „lord" other people around like kings. No sane person would remain in those lands. Did you know I found two hundred seventeen abandoned settlements in the North?"

I set back after my small rant and every man in the room looked baffled at my reaction.

„We encountered five raids of ironborn at the west coast. Three places we managed to reach in time and killed every raider with impunity. Two times too many we were too late.

The people see themselves as northerners, aye. The problem is, that most don't venture further than a days travel distance than their hometown or village and are ignorant about the happenings around them. The Lords included. As they don't talk much with each other, they do not share much knowledge and are not able to call for aid. Seven Hells, some of those folks we met even had a feud, or grudge against some other villager for THREE generations. Jon, how many different farming methods were used by the different smallfolk?" Jon was surprised at my question.

„Uh, nearly everyone had their own methods. Some worked good, but most were rather bad. I never knew." He hung his head in shame, as he felt himself responsible as a future Lord. I looked at the Lord Paramount again: „I learned of the harshness of winter here, Lord Stark. The last three moons we traversed the land despite it. There is so much we can accomplish if we just work together and share, instead of petty feuds and strong arm methods. I hope you believe me, when I say I came here to help and improve the North.

I want to life here in the North, after all." My rant ended and the room was pin drop silent.

Rickard rubbed his head with his hands. It seemed he himself was rather ignorant about the general live of smallfolk.

Not a minute out of his solar I heard him yelling at his Maester.

Jon and I stayed in Winterfell for six moons. It was a „false winter" as it turned out.

Like „false summer" it can happen. Lucky us.

We had the hospitality of Lord Stark, which proved to be a boon as Jon could train in the yard and I could educate him and some volunteers in the Holy Light.

Lord Stark called me later into his solar again and promised me elevation to masterly house. We talked more amicably about the „true live" of the smallfolk and we shared some ideas. In the end I gained his trust, which I was glad for.

He would elevate me to a masterly house come spring.

During our stay I made several plans. Rickon as I was allowed to call him in private was now more open to my ideas. We even went to winter town together, after my group and me went there almost everyday to speak to the people and help around the town.

I managed to safe seven wives after childbirth in time and Jon helped me cure an illness, which me managed to contain in time, before it could spread. The illness came from polluted water, as it turned out. Rickard and I kickstarted a series of projects. It also helped, that these were the perfect examples to educate Jon and the others how to use the light to calm people. Volunteers of the residents, who helped me a lot were eager to move their bodies after being treated. We build sleights from scrap wood to travel during snow and two blacksmiths helped me by making shovels and other tools in the local smithy. The snow we had shoveled around was put into one place afterwards and I showed them how it could be compressed, after building a wooden palisade around it.

Rainfall and a freezing day later we hat a place to skate on. The children and couples loved it. We build buildings out of the ice we made and many were curious how you could sleep in one. Some demolished their shabby shack and decided to move in permanently during winter. The smaller woods around us were raided for soil and leaves to make fertilizer. The main road of Wintertown was widened, after a series of demolishing and such and we build some plots for trees to grow in the town. They were mostly nut trees and would provide some food and playthings for the children. Rickard was happy with the change of scenery and gave us prisoners as free labor to help.

I was very proud after we build proper outhouses. The irrigation was a pain to solve, because the ground was frozen. We dug a series of small canals around the town and built a damn along the far side of Wintertown to prevent flooding. The „rest" earth and dirt we used to reinforce and repair the roads. My „followers" build two stables near the biggest two Inns for farm animals and horses and one barn for food and fur for the people to store before and during winter.

Most brought their farm animals with them and the stink was really bad.

Right at the beginning of the seventh moon of our stay the weather changed.