Jon had spent the last days riding far and wide exploring his lands. They had crossed into the lands of the New Gift a few days previously and Jon was taking the opportunity to learn the lay of his lands. He liked what he saw so far. The hills were thickly forested, there were streams aplenty that were filled with trout and other fish, the valleys had lush green grasses growing so tall they brushed against his horse's belly as he rode through them, and here and there he found groves of apple and pear trees mixed with vines of wild grapes and bushes heavy with blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and currants. These were rich lands his father had given him, and it showed the level of faith that Lord Stark had in him by entrusting him to resettle the New Gift. He was determined to succeed and make his father proud.
His uncle had told him that they would reach Queenscrown today, and he was excited at the prospect of finally seeing his new home. Uncle Benjen had warned him that the tower would need some work to make it habitable, and the village around it would need to be rebuilt, but he was ready for the challenge. He wanted to see his new home and help his lands grow and flourish. He wanted his people to prosper and grow strong. He swore that he would do everything in his power to do so.
He was happy with how the journey from Winterfell had gone so far. Jon couldn't remember a caravan of wagons and wayns such as his ever making such good time. Even Uncle Benjen, a seasoned campaigner in his own right, said as much. Perhaps it was a sign of the Old Gods favor on this endeavor? Which reminded him...
"Uncle Benjen, is there a Heart Tree near Queenscrown?"
His nuncle thought for a bit and said, "Aye, there is. It grows on the west bank of the lake, surrounded by oak trees and pines."
"Good. I wish to pray when we arrive, to thank the Old Gods for blessing us with a fast journey."
Benjen grinned a bit and said, "Jon, it was you that let us have a fast journey. You're the one who showed the kind of leadership needed to get your people to cover all these leagues."
"Uncle, I barely did anything!"
"You listened to those around you. You took advice when it was offered and used it to make your decisions. When Alyn suggested something to you, you didn't let your pride get in the way of making the right decision. When I offered you my thoughts, having traveled this road many times myself, you understood that I was speaking only from experience, and not in an attempt to usurp your authority. That showed the people who traveled with you that you had wisdom enough to listen to those who might know more than you.
"The way you handled the situation with that thief, you showed that you were not a man to shirk his duty. You also showed them that you would be fair. You heard all the evidence, and only then did you make your decision. But beyond that, you showed him mercy when many young lords would show only cruelty in a vain attempt to 'prove' themselves strong."
"It didn't feel like mercy. He will still be maimed for life."
"Aye, he will. But that is the price of thievery, Jon. He lost a finger, but he could have lost his hand, or even his head. Your people saw how you handled that situation, they saw you uphold justice, yet be merciful as well. You may not understand it now, but your people will be loyal to you because of that. Because they know that you will be fair with them."
Jon nodded as his uncle spoke and rode along beside him in silence for at least a mile. When he spoke again, he said, "Thank you Uncle Benjen. I still don't feel like I'm the one responsible for how well our journey north has been, but thank you."
They rode in silence for the rest of the morning, even Lord Tyrion had little to say by this point in their journey. And as the sun climbed higher in the sky, Jon began to see the sunlight glinting off of a lake. His heart started to beat faster and his breath grew shorter. With every step of their horses, he drew nearer to his new home. As the lake drew nearer, he could see a tower starting to rise out of it. A tower with merlons that had once been painted gold, but had since faded to yellow. Queenscrown. He was home.
But as they drew nearer, and the details began to show themselves, Jon felt his excitement begin to turn to despair. He had known that Queenscrown had lain abandoned for decades. But he had never quite grasped just what that meant. This wasn't a village that only needed to be cleaned up and a few minor repairs made to make it livable again. His new home was a ruin. As they got closer, he could see that almost nothing remained of the village that had once stood along the shore. The houses had collapsed in on themselves and the inn was nothing but two walls with a tree growing through the floor.
Jon closed his eyes tightly and allowed himself a moment to feel the despair that was threatening to overwhelm him. He knew that he could not show what he was feeling to his people. It would dishearten them and they would begin to doubt him. So when he opened his eyes again, they showed no sign of the despair he was feeling, they showed only his resolve to make Queenscrown everything it once was and more. He had a mountain of work to do in order to accomplish that lofty goal, but accomplish it he would. He reminded himself that Father wouldn't have given him this task if he didn't think he could do it. It would be hard work, but it would be rewarding work.
Spurring his horse on, Jon cantered away from the column and rode up to inspect his new home more closely. When he reigned up in the ruins that had been the village he looked around and saw that there was perhaps more to work with here than he had first thought. Yes, the buildings had largely collapsed, but their remains had kept the area from becoming too overgrown and it would not take long to clear them and begin rebuilding. Looking about some more, he began to plan where they would set up their camp while the village was rebuilt.
With his column approaching, Jon called out, "Ser Alyn! Have the men set up their tents around what remains of the inn. Put the horse lines along those trees to the south and dig the latrines half a mile to the east of the last set of ruins. Have Bannen bring his wayn up to the lakeshore before he pulls his team off of it. He has the boats with him and we'll use them to head out to the keep until we can inspect the causeway."
"At once, M'lord!"
It was the work of a few hours, but Jon was happy with how the camp was set up and the people began to prepare for their stay. Unlike the last few camps, this one would be rather more permanent until the village was rebuilt. Jon and several of the smallfolk that had emerged as leaders of their fellows walked through the remains of the collapsed village and they all began to lay out what would go where. Several of the men wanted to lay claim to the best sites for their homes without delay, but Jon was ready for that.
He told them, "My friends, I understand your desire to see your new homes built quickly so that you can get your families out of the tents that you have traveled these many leagues in. But we must lay out the common areas first. It will do us no good if we are not prepared for winter when it arrives. We need to site the granaries, the bakery, the butcher shop, the blacksmith, the stables, and many other needed shelters before we can begin to look to our own homes.
"We also need to look to our defenses. My Lord Father, my uncle the First Ranger and myself all made plain the dangers that we would face in the New Gift prior to your decision to join with me and again prior to our departure from Winterfell. We need to determine where to build our walls to protect us all. And to do that, we need to have the village largely laid out. It will do us no good to build the walls only to learn that we failed to leave space for the granaries. You will be in your houses soon, I promise you that."
There was some grumbling, but that was expected and it nothing untoward was said. Jon could not fault them for that either. While his home was already built and standing on its island, he would not move into it until the work of rebuilding the village was well underway. He was their Lord yes, but he needed his people to see that he shared their hardships and their burdens and he was not asking them to do something that he himself refused to. It was a lesson his father had drilled into him on many rides and journeys around the North. Jon refused to live a life of ease while his people huddled in tents.
While they continued around the village site, several of the builders that had accompanied him from Winterfell used small wooden stakes with rope strung between them to mark out where the buildings would go and how large they would be. A small guardhouse with a gate would be built at the start of the causeway out to the island and the main road of the village would head straight out from there to where the walls and gate would be built. All along it would be the shops that he and his smallfolk would need. Here, the baker would build his ovens. There, the butcher would build his stalls. The basket weaver would have a shop just there. While the weavers would work their looms over here. The brewer would have his barrels and vats there with a few tables and benches set out before it for those who wished for a tankard or two over the course of a day.
The new inn would be rebuilt over the ruins of the old one. It would be a small place, but it would be well heated with a six foot hearth at either end of the building. The granaries would built in that direction, near the lakeshore with the main woodsheds alongside them. Smaller woodsheds would be spread throughout the village, both to increase the storage of fuel and to keep it close at hand for the villagers to keep their homes warm in the winter. A small open field would be left beside the woodsheds to shelter some of their livestock in the event of an attack.
While Jon and several of his men had been deciding on where each building would go, many of the remaining men and women had already started clearing the ruins of the village. Several of the timbers from the collapsed structures were salvaged to be reused. That would save both time and effort when they began to rebuild. To Jon's delight, a small clay pit was found only four miles to the west. The clay would be invaluable in building the daub and wattle homes and shops of his people. And for sealing up the cracks in his home's walls that he was sure were there.
In no time at all, axes were ringing out from the nearby wood. Deadfalls would be cut up for firewood and many of the closest trees would be felled to be milled into lumber. That had been the one oversight in their plans. There were no skilled woodcutters among his smallfolk. Unless...
Jon turned on his heels and found the one man he knew of that had experience felling trees for more than just firewood. When he found him, Jon said, "Shadd, may I have a word, please?"
Shadd looked up with his face carefully blank. Like his face, his voice carried no emotion. Jon knew the man blamed him for the loss of his finger and he likely resented him for it. But he was also smart enough not to let it show. Jon respected that in him, the man was no fool. Shadd said, "Yes, M'lord?"
"You told me during our journey that you worked felling trees?"
"Aye, M'lord. For one of your Lord Father's mills."
"And you learned how to choose trees that would make good planks, posts and beams?"
"Some, M'lord. I know the signs to look for to see which tree is healthy and strong enough to build with and which one isn't. But I never worked in the mill myself."
"That is still more experience than any other man here. If you wish, I would like you to take charge of setting up the sawmill. Pick your men and start marking which trees you think should be milled and which should be used only for firewood. Eventually, we will also need more felled to be used to build the walls of the settlement. Do you accept?"
Shadd's head had jerked back at Jon's offer and his carefully constructed mask failed him. He asked Jon, "M'lord? Why me? You judged me guilty of thievery, of stealing from you personally. Yet now, you offer me a position of responsibility and trust?"
"Every man deserves a second chance, Shadd. And more than that, your skills are valuable and needed. Do you accept?"
"Aye, M'lord. And thank you."
"You are welcome. Now, there is a stream that leaves the lake and heads east. I'm not sure if it flows fast enough to set up a mill along it or not, but that is where we will site the mill for now. This will be hard work, Shadd. You and the men you choose will almost certainly have to hand hew each log to craft the planks, beams and posts that we require."
Shadd actually grinned at that. "Hard work is nothing new for me, M'lord. I've been doing one form of work or another since I was naught but a lad. You'll not find me wanting once we start."
"Good man." Turning his head slightly, Jon continued, "Ser Alyn? Will you please go with Shadd? See that all the people understand that he is my forester and that no trees are to be felled without him first inspecting them to ensure their usefulness."
"At once, My Lord."
While the two men walked off to be about their task, Jon smiled. He had never felt good about taking Shadd's finger, no matter that he hadn't had a choice in the affair. And he was aware that the man resented him for it. But perhaps now, by giving him a position in his household even if it was one born of necessity, would salve those wounds and help both the man and himself flourish.
Turning on his heel, Jon called out to one of his guards, "Wayn! Get one of the boats prepared to take me out to the keep! We need to inspect it and see what work needs to be accomplished to make it habitable before Lady Wylla joins us here."
"Yes, M'lord," the sergeant replied before turning to roar at some of the other guards to "get off their arses and prepare his lordship's boat." Jon quirked a smile at that. Wayn had a voice that could scare his own mother.
Spying Uncle Benjen and Lord Tyrion watching him go about the business of rebuilding, he walked to them before asking, "Uncle Benjen, Lord Tyrion. Would you care to accompany me to the keep, My Lords? It it time I inspect my new home."