Author's Note: I thought I would be able to pump out a few chapters a week but I will probably just stick to one or two and have them fleshed out.
Kark22- I am an admitted Stark loyalist lol but I try to be fair in my wank of them. I know they have their flaws. And as for the dwarves going other places, I actually thought to do Dorne, but the red mountains have 6 or 7 lords controlling them. The Vale of Arryn have Lords living there as well and the mountain clansmen actually do live in these mountains. I might have them go north of the wall though, but I put the forktops south of the wall, so we'll see where the story goes. Of course they are a match for the white walkers, but at the same time, there isn't nearly enough dwarves to make up for the incompetence of the rest of Westeros, so the others will still be a big problem.
Miko56-Sorry my writing is still a bit rusty. This is my first story and i've been out of school for awhile, so hopefully the writing gets stronger as time goes on. The italics is just their inner dialogue.
Prince of Petersburg- Tell me about it lol I always see stories of how strange people come to westeros and people don't react accordingly. So I was hoping to get the reactions and awkwardness right. No, only dwarves. I feel like they don't get enough love in tolkien's universe, and it seems like Middle Earth really isn't meant for them. Middle Earth belongs to men and they go to places unknown when they die; the Elves belong in Aman and go to the Hall of Mandos; The dwarves...it is never really mentioned where the dwarves go after they die and I always found that pretty sad even though I'm sure they had Halls that Aule created for them. So because theres not enough loves for the dwarves, this is a dwarf centric fic.
Everyone else- Thank you for the comments, favorites, and follows. I hope you all continue to enjoy the story!
Eddard, Son of Rickard
"Look, milord', one of his men, Rory, said as he motioned him towards the edge of the cliff they all stood upon. " There is a boat comin right at us!"
"Aye, I see it, Rory. Can you make out if the man paddling is one of Mormont's or one of these foreigners?" Ned thought the saw the sigil of a bear on his jerkin but he had to be sure.
"Looks like a Mormont sigil to me, milord. Should we go down and meet his coming?"
"Aye, we shall. My Lords! He spoke loudly to the group of all the lords assembled around him. "Let us go down and see what this Mormont man has to tell us of these invaders." A cheer went up then amongst many of them. He knew they were getting restless and ready to fight. Ned also saw the looks he was getting from some of his lords, and knew they thought him weak for his patience.
They can think what they like but we do not have enough ships to get across, and some them agreed on cutting the trees and building ships. Building ships?!
Eddard had ran his hand down his face when the discussion had turned to that. He knew the Greatjon meant well and was eager for battle, as were his men, but that would take months they did not have and he needed answers before anything else.
Why has there been no movement above the decks from any of the ships, and no alarm raised by the Mormonts at their coming? What are they waiting for? Us?
Ned's mind turned at that. Could he and his men have been lured into a trap, he thought. He shook the thought from his head. Only One ship seemed to have touched shore while all the others are anchored behind it.
Perhaps the ship in the front made contact. If that is the case then I would hope Jeor keeps them in his care until our arrival.
Lord stark mounted his horse, and his men followed. They traveled down and met the man where his boat wade into shore. The man had a smirk dancing at his lips and seemed almost giddy. He nearly hopped out the rest of the way and swam to water, but he chose to wait for his boat to finally reach.
"HALFLINGS! HAR! BLOODY HALFLINGS!" The man yelled all this at them before he started holding his stomach and laughing endlessly. He and the men with him only looked at this Mormont man as if he had lost his mind. He seemed to realize his error for he quickly bowed and gave apologies.
"It is forgiven, soldier. Now give me your name, lad." Eddard thought the man might be the same age as him, but he seemed as green as any squire he has encountered.
"Bannen, milord. Been serving for House Mormont a few years now. He saw the army you brought and sent me to deliver a message."
"Aye we will get to the contents of this message in just a moment", he said, "But on what you said earlier, what did you mean halfings?"
Does this man mean dwarves?! He could not possibly.
Just then, his thoughts were answered, "Dwarves, milord. I swear it!" The man held his hand to his stomach as to show the height. "I aint never seen no dwarves in my life, milord, and they say them ships out there is full of them. HA!" He started laughing again and even harder this time.
Lord Karstark's gruff voice was heard then, "What do you mean they say? So you do not know for sure if there are halflings on those ships or not."
Bannen waived his hands then, like he was warding off some invisible incoming attack. "No milord, I swear it! Some of them dwarves and a man came down from the ship and been talking to Mormont for almost a sennight. Them the only halflings i seen though, but they say they brung thousands of them."
Thousands? And all Dwarves?!
Ned rubbed at his head then. He knew there was no easy decision that lay before him. If there was truly a colony of dwarves amassed in those ships, then he knew there must be at least some women and children. Could he really bring himself to kill a helpless dwarf, let alone their women and children.
This is folly. I do not want this to be true but I can sense no lies coming from the man. He comes here laughing as if it all were some great jest.
"Them dwarves got some fine armor though," Bannen was saying, "the finest armor I ever seen, Lord stark. I'm guessing they must of took it off some kids or something. HA! But they all had fine armor on, milord. It was only four of them, but each one had chainmail and plate looked like it could have been crafted for a little lordling. They even all carried weapons that was just as fine as their armor."
Ned saw fit to interrupt there, "Weapons you say? Mormont did not think to take these weapons from them when they entered the castle?"
Bannen smirked some at that, "Ha. And what does he have to worry about from a few bearded dwarves, milord?"
Ned realized how foolish his question must have sounded. "You also spoke of a man, Bannen. Did he have a weapon as well?"
"No, milord. He did have some type of wooden stick though with some big crystal in the top of it, and he carries it everywhere he goes."
Ned could see the disbelief in the eyes of his men at tale. Some had even guffawed openly at the story but Bannen simply turned to him and continued.
"Milord, I aint got no reason to lie about this, and that stick of his aint all there is to the man, either. He is taller than any man i have ever seen and all the men say how he looks like a Targaryen. I aint never seen no Targaryen myself but he got all the feat-
Lord Umber finally spoke up at that, "A TARGARYEN?! THE BLOODY DRAGON FILTH, I THOUGHT WE KILLED THEM ALL!"
"He aint no Targaryen...if you let me finish the story!" This man, Bannen, was bold it would seem. Greatjon was almost caught off gaurd from the man challenging him, but took it with good nature with a laugh and slap to the man's back that almost knocked him over.
Bannen continued then and spoke of this man and how his hair was a white-gold that reached down to the middle of his back, and his eyes seemed to almost glow. He said also how the dwarves from the neck up could be mistaken for a clansman, but then corrected that and said they were uglier than clansmen and the beards of these dwarves would the put clansman to shame. The story had started to become redundant at this point and Eddard had noticed his men growing weary of it, so he put an end to it and asked for the message from Lord Mormont.
"He asked for you, milord. You and all Lords of the north, Lord Mormont says these dwarves lookin to carve out a new home."
That statement was met with open disapproval from everyone around him, and Ned had to admit that he was not too fond of the idea of dwarves taking up home in the North.
It can not be done. The north may be the largest of kingdoms, but nearly every bit of land is owned by some lord or petty lord. And thousands of dwarves in my lands, the lands of my ancestors...it would look weak having a colony of halflings in my dominion. But how could I kill them.
Ned racked his brain over that as each of his lords spoke over the other in what they should do to these short invaders.
"Kill them all"
"Burn their ships!"
"Let them starve to death on them, and we aint even gotta lift a finger!" Lord Ryswell said that, and it was met with many approving grunts. Even Ned was inclined to agree with the man for they could not survive at sea forever.
But then they would need to come to shore, and the what? Rodrik's plan is a sound, but there are dwarves that have already made land and conact with one of his lords. No, first we must go to Bear Island and see to Jeor's message.
"Surely you do not mean to go and hear out these stunted creatures, my lord?" Roose's voice could barely be heard, and he had to strain to hear it. The man's pale eyes stared at him expecting an answer.
Gods, I hate those eyes.
"I do." He said simply. "We may starve them out now but they will eventually choose to come to shore."
"Aye and that is when we bring down the hammer on the half-men!" Some Lord said in the back.
Ned needed to make these men see reason.
He made sure his voice was heard by all when he spoke, "I am not sure about all of you my Lords, but we just finished a war and I do not feeling like waiting on these foreigners to starve just to kill them as they come to land. Our lands need tending to, and they need their Lords there to rule over them. Jeor is as true a northman as any and if he bid me to come, then i will come. As will all of you. We will hear what these dwarves have to say and then we will decide from there."
Most his Lords nodded at that and seemed content enough while Ryswell and Bolton continued their whispering and conspiring. Eddard could feel Roose's eyes at his back when he walked to go ready the small galleys with his men.
Let them Conspire, Ned thought. The Lords loyal to House Stark outnumber the Lords loyal to House Bolton and House Ryswell combined. Eddard knows that Roose might be a cunning man, but he is no risk taker. He still remembered the words from his father about Roose Bolton.
"Roose is much like his own father, my son. Forever thinking of ways to usurp the rule of the North, but never so bold to take the initiative to make it happen. The Bolton's know better." His father had been in his cups that night on one of his visits back home from the Vale.
Ned's mind was filled with thoughts and memories of times past as the boats made their way to the Island.
It had been many years since he had been to Bear Island before he was sent off to be fostered by Jon Arryn. Ned remembered hiding from his father when it was time for him to leave for the Vale. The whole castle had gone looking for him throughout the castle, but his siblings knew just where to find him, since that was all of their secret hiding place from time to time. Benjen ran and got their father soon after, and Ned got the scolding of a lifetime.
Once his father was done yelling, he sat Ned down and got down to a knee in front of him.
"My boy, I know it might seem unfair now, but I know you shall come to enjoy your stay at the Vale."
"But papa, I do not want to go! Why can I not stay here and run Winterfell with you and Brandon?" Ned had asked with all the seriousness of an eight year old.
His father only smiled, "No little wolf, Winterfell will belong to Brandon, and If all goes well while you are away, then you just might have your own home to come back to."
All never goes well when a Stark goes south. Father never got to see his plans through to the end, and Winterfell never went to Brandon. Maybe I never should have went south at all.
He wanted to regret leaving to be fostered, but he could not. He had made many friends in the Vale ,and Jon Arryn was nothing but kind to him. The man treated Ned and Robert like they were his own sons. He considered Jon a second father to him, much like he considered Robert his third brother. Or at least was. They had been on rocky terms when Ned left the capitol, even with their relationship being mended some over the death of his sister, Lyanna.
The way he looked at those Targaryen children...it is a look I shall never forget. And now I might be going to put women and children to the sword, the very thing I spoke against.
Maege, Daughter of a Bear
"Not now, Dacey. I have to go meet Lord Stark and welcome his coming, but once that is all done, then I will come find you and Alysanne and we can play all you like. I promise, sweet one." Maege held her hand to her heart to accentuate the promise.
Dacey seemed appeased with that and went running back down the hall she came from. Her daughters were her pride and joy, but sometimes they could be too much to handle, even for Maege.
She just shook her and head and continued her walk outside. She thought on the past crazy few weeks and what Lord Stark's coming will mean for these strange dwarves.
I wonder if Stark will carve them out a piece of land or send them packing.
Maege thought he would grant them the land once he hears what piece of land that these halflings were asking for. The Frostfang Mountains. The clansman do not even dare live in those mountains, they choose to live in the valleys surrounding them. It was madness.
I doubt there are enough caves in that mountain for forty thousand dwarves to live, and even if it is, I have heard tale of clansmen going into the mountains only to never be seen or heard from again. Even wildlings in the far north speak of dark things that dwell deep in the mountains.
The dwarves spoke openly during the discussion of their numbers and how many women and children they had with them. They even had the nerve to say they brought with them almost twenty thousand warrior dwarves. Maege had nearly snorted at that, and she had even seen Jorah holding his hand to his mouth.
Ha! Bloody warrior dwarves...Never did I think I would hear such lunacy. Their armor looked castle forged, but the plate of steel does not make the warrior.
There were times when Maege would catch herself staring at these visitors, analyzing them. She thought they did not look as stunted as she had expected a dwarf to be. They also seemed quite strong to Maege, though they never did anything of note to prove that theory.
Mayhaps they are warriors. They could come from a land where they fight other dwarves in small skirmishes and that is considered a war to them.
Maege thought that would explain the pride and confidence each one of these dwarves displayed. She had hoped to get a chance with them out in the practice yards to see if they would truly be up for the challenge or not, but they have not had the time.
If I got them in the yard, then I could finally wipe that cocksure little smile from the one named Thorin's face. That halfling seems to think himself above us, and that in itself is laughable.
The galleys were only minutes away and soon to dock. She heard the Greatjon howling at her even over the waves.
"HAR! I WOULD HAVE BROUGHT MY BEAR TRAP HAD I KNEW IT WAS THE SHE-BEAR COMING TO GREET US. MAKE ME A FINE BEAR PELT. HAR!" The Greatjon laughed loudest at his own joke while the other lords merely gave a slight chuckle besides him.
She noticed Lord Stark did not even give notice of the man's joke. He was simply staring off into the sea at the ships.
His mind must bogged down with the weight of North already, and now the man must deal with these foreigners. He has always been a somber lad, but now it would seem the Rebellion has only made him icier.
She greeted him when he got off of the boat, "my Lord, you look well...for a long faced Stark." She gave a mishcevious smile and that finally got a small smile out of this stoic man. She had thought Lady Catelyn would have melted the ice already, but sees it will probably take longer than she expected.
"Maege, it is good to see you again, my Lady." He came and wrapped her up in a hug that she returned.
"You as well, my Lord." Maege grimaced. "Though I would have preferred you visiting Bear Island without the eye sore sitting out at sea right now." She waived towards the ships.
Lord Stark grunted and held out his hand for her to lead the way once the last galley arrived, and they continued their talk on their journey into the keep. All the lords of the North had arrived and that filled the She-Bear with a sort of pride.
The North has always overcome it's foe through unity. That is how we have lived and prospered as a kingdom.
Lord Eddard spoke, "So what can you tell me of these dwa..dwar..of these halflings?" He stumbled over the word dwarves and settled for halfings. It would seem Lord Stark is just as baffled by the appearance of the dwarves as the residents of the Island were.
"Not too much, my Lord. Jeor has been dealing with them mostly, but I have been in and out of the room and heard some of the conversation. The dwarves and that man they travel with are wanting to find a new home for their people." Maege gauged his reaction at that, and continued when she got none. "They wish to live in the Frostfangs." She nearly whispered.
That got the reaction she wanted for Lord Stark whipped his head towards her almost comically. "What do you mean they wish to stay in the Frostfangs, Maege? Do these dwarves have a death wish or something? The Clansmen do not even dare live in those mountains."
"That is just what I heard one of the times I entered the room, and Jorah confirmed it to me later that night when we were having our meal." Maege smiled at him then, "I can see with the army camped across the waters that you were expecting a fight. This could be the best possible solution, my Lord. Let these dwarves go into the Frostfangs only to never leave them. And the dwarves that do live will have rough, short life."
She saw him rubbing his chin in thought and knew he was contemplating it.
"The clansman may not inhabit the mountains, but I doubt they would want to have an influx of forty thousand dwarves coming to their lands. And how could they possibly live up in the mountains, Maege? There are not enough caves to go around for that many folk." Lord Stark's words mirrored her thoughts from earlier.
"Aye, my Lord, I know. But apparently these dwarves make their all their homes in Mountains, and Jeor thought it might be possible since they would not be taking up any actual land space in the North. And one more thing, my Lord, the man they came with spoke of how these dwarves are nobility and of a royal bloodline. He had the same doubt written across his face as she had when she heard that.
They had finally arrived at her brother's room, and the guards let them within. Once the door was opened they were hit with a haze of smoke from those strange pipes of theirs. Lord Stark and the other lords immediately started coughing.
Maege watched as Lord Stark and the others finally got over their coughing fit as the dwarves looked at them with bemusement in their eyes.
"Brother, I have escorted Lord Stark and his men as you have asked, and now I will go find my little cubs and make sure they are causing to much trouble." And with that, Maege was leaving the room as quick as she entered.
I will leave them to deal with the politics of the North, while I go spend some time with my girls.
Thrain, Son of Thror
So this was the Lord Stark I had heard so much about.
Thrain was the giving the man a hard look, and noticed the Lord doing the same to him. He had other men with him as well and they all had on leather jerkins with images sewn into them. This man, Lord Stark, had a long face that could be considered sorrowful. His eyes were a stark grey, which he found fitting, and he was maybe a couple of inches shorter than Jorah Mormont. His jerkin had a wolf's head on it, and Thrain remembered Lord Jeor calling it a sigil.
Thrain took in the appearances of the others as well, but it was Lord Stark who concerned him the most.
This is the man who shall be the deciding factor for the livelihood of my people.
Thrain rose from his seat once the door was closed behind them, and went to offer Lord Stark his hand. The man hesitated but for a moment before he took the outstretched hand. He noted Stark's face seemed genuinely surprised at the grip he gave him and he almost smiled at that.
I have learned that these are a people who think little of me or mine, no matter how nice and welcoming they might seem. They offer me stay as a guest in their castle and smile to my face, yet i see the derision in the eyes of all of them.
Thrain only said, "My lord, I have heard much about you and yours from Lord Mormont."
Stark nodded, "Aye, and I have heard some about you and yours, but I would like to hear more." Introductions were made between them all, though some of the lords looked like the last thing they wanted to do was shake the hand of a dwarf. After, Lord Stark took a seat and all the others followed suit.
Some large man who almost matched Balwe in height deigned to not take a seat and walked right up to Balwe standing back in a corner. Balwe only smiled at the man and that seemed to set him off.
"Bloody Targaryen scum!" He looked ready to charge at the man, but this Lord Stark spoke the man's name, and that seemed to stay his hand.
These men understand loyalty. Something else we can find common grounds on.
Lord Stark chose to start the conversation off, "I suppose we might as well get down to business. Maege has already told me a bit of what has been discussed here already."
Jeor grumbled some at that. "That damned woman can not keep her bloody mouth shut! Well then let us know what she told you and we will fill all of you in on the rest."
Lord Stark looked right at Thrain as he spoke, "she told me how the dwarves wish to carve out a home in the North, and wish to take up residence in the Frostfangs."
Thrain and Lord Mormont exchanged looks. Mormont spoke up, "Aye, it would seem she told you pretty much what most the discussion had been about. I have told them of the lands in the North and South and even across the Narrow Sea. They seem set on seeing these Frostfangs with their own eyes, and I did not see any harm in running it by you, my Lord."
Lord Stark sighed, "There was no harm, Lord Mormont. It is just, the Mountains have ever been home to the clansmen, and though they do not live within the mountains themselves, the lands surrounding the mountains still belong to them, and should they choose to start dwelling in the Mountains, it would be well within their rights. I know they would not take to kindly to visitors coming to take up space in their lands without any forewarning."
Thorin could not keep quiet any longer. "Do you mean visitors, Lord Stark? Or dwarves? I have seen how your people have turned their nose up at us since our arrival!"
Thrain gave his son a look then that would make blood of his enemies curdle. The boy was always too headstrong for his own good, but Thrain thought that he would at least understand the importance of this meeting and not speak out of turn.
The look he gave him seemed to do the trick for he quickly got quiet.
"You dare speak to the Warden of the north like that?!" Some gruff man said with a bushy brown beard that had thin grey strains through it. His wore a black woolen cloak with a white sun stitched into it.
Lord Stark raised his hand, "It is fine, Lord Karstark. I am sure...Thorin, was it?" His son nodded. "I am sure Thorin meant no offence as I did not mean any offence with my words either and I hope none was taken."
Thrain saw fit to steer the conversation back on path. "No offence was taken, my Lord. And forgive my boy, we are weary and ready to get our people from those boats. We are not a sea faring people, you see."
All the lords gave him a confused look then. "Then who built those ships you travel on?" The man with pale eyes whispered.
That is Lord Bolton if I am not mistaken. I mislike those eyes and that voice seems almost downright sinister.
Balwe finally spoke, "Those ships were created by an old friend of mine, but it makes no matter who designed them. All the ships out there are yours now, Lord Stark. As long as the dwarves are given safe passage into the mountains, the ships are yours to do as you wish with them."
The drop of a pen could have been heard in that moment. Not even any of the dwarves had expected Balwe to say that. That had never been apart of any of their discussion.
Had this been his plan all along? To offer him the ships as payment, and we would get to keep the gold and possessions we brought with us.
He saw Thorin and Nain were both looking at the man with a newfound respect they had not had for him before that point. He knew they were expecting to have to give up everything just to start all over again, since that is exactly what he was expecting.
Lord Stark's eyes were as big as saucers and the rest of his lords were little better.
The man recovered quickly, "Hmm, I must say I did not come to Bear Island expecting this. Is there to be catch to this deal you offer me? It seems almost too good to be true."
"That is because it is too good, my Lord." Balwe said. "If this is to be our home now, then we have no need for the ships any longer. "
"You said our." Lord stark put in.
"Beg pardon?" Said Balwe.
"You said our, but you are not a dwarf. So I was just wondering what your relationships to these dwarves are, for I heard that every ship anchored out in the sea right now is filled with dwarves, not men."
Balwe smiled at the man. "I would consider myself an advisor of sorts to the dwarves, and I am the only non dwarf who has come with them."
Lord Stark did not seemed content at all with that answer but he let it be. The conversation quickly turned to the ships and the conditions they were in, to which Balwe answered all of their questions without hesitation.
"The only problem you shall have with the ships is cleaning out the dung of goats on the lower decks." Balwe answered to Lord Tallhart, who was wondering on the conditions of the ships.
"Goats?! And what, by the old gods, do you do with the goats?" The Lord Umber seemed terrified to hear the answer.
His cousin snorted at that, "We ride them of course. What else would we do with them? Make Love to them?" Thrain and the rest of his company laughed at that, but Lord Stark and his men did not look amused.
Lord Stark then took control of the conversation again, "And how would you house forty thousand dwarves? I do not think you all would be able to fit into the caves of the mountains."
Thrain looked to Jeor then who had been quiet during this whole exchange. "Lord mormont told me all about the Frostfangs and how the Forktop is one of the highest mountain ranges and that it has yet to be mined."
Lord Stark looked like he had swallowed something foul. "MINED?! That place has conditions barely able to survive in, let alone mine."
"We dwarves have faced a many a rough conditions, Lord Stark, and our people are great miners and builders." Frerin said.
Lord Stark looked at his son with sympathetic eyes, "Aye, I am sure that is true, but the North is a land unlike any other. I do not think your people would be abl-"
"Whether the dwarves can survive or not is not up to you, Lord Stark." Thrain was sick of the pity from these people. "We are a hardy folk, and have traveled years just to get here. The least you could do is let us at least see the mountain, and if my people determine it is not livable, then we shall be on our way."
Lord Stark looked to his lords and Thrain realized they had no real counter arguments for that.
If they think my people would simply perish in the mountains, then what could the harm be of letting us see and decide for ourselves.
The conversation went well into the night, and ended early in the morning with Lord Stark, Lord Mormont, Balwe, and himself being the only ones left in the discussion room. Everyone else had retired for the night, and have yet to wake up.
Thrain knew that he would have to deal with his own clan leaders once they started truly mining, and inform them on the taxes they will have to pay to Stark and the Clansmen. But he did not care about any of that. Giving up one fifth whatever they mined to both the Starks and Clansmen mattered little to Thrain once he realized what he was gaining from it.
A home for his people.