Daisy knocked on the Maester's door, before letting herself in. He probably wasn't even in his room at the moment. Well, store room not bedroom. She wasn't spying on the man, though she should probably take a quick glance at his things if she had the chance. She hummed as she looked at the various dried herbs, and glass jars of odds and ends used for what was...theoretically medicine to these people.
She groaned. Damn, nothing was labeled. Daisy closed her eyes, her senses had registered something. Ah, heartbeat from the attached room. A few seconds later she heard the soft shuffle of footsteps and breathing announcing the approaching person. "Sorry for rooting around your stuff."
"Ah, do you require assistance, your Holiness?" Wolkan asked, hiding his surprise shockingly well.
Daisy turned to face him. "I was looking for some plants, thought you might have a few you wouldn't mind me nabbing."
"Of course, what are you seeking?" Wolkan approached respectfully, his heart beating far too fast no matter how hard he was trying to hide it.
She smiled, hoping to put him at ease. "Do you have dandelion roots?" He frowned slightly. "Uh..small yellow flowers? They turn all fuzzy and the seeds blow off? Super hard to get rid of? You do have those right?"
"Yes, we have them." He chuckled, stepping to one of the corner shelves and opening a drawer. Pulling out a package he set it on a small side table. Unwrapping it, he revealed the roots. "Is this enough?"
Daisy sighed, stepping closer only to pause. "Is this important? I'm fine if you don't have any to spare."
"No, I don't use it much." Wolkan rewrapped the roots and then held them out.
She accepted them and held his gaze. "You're sure?"
"I'm sure." He moved to closing the drawer he'd taken the roots from. "If I might be permitted, what do you require it for?"
"Tea." Daisy carefully stuffed the package into an inner pocket in her jacket. "It's not 'proper' tea, but I've been living with a Fitzsimmons for too many years not to have picked up a like of it. And well, Fitz is Scottish. They drink tea like you people drink wine."
Wolkan stepped to a different cupboard. "Tea? We have tea, though I've never heard of dandelion root used for it."
"Wait you do? Not a super rare expensive thing right?" Daisy had no interest in bankrupting people because she wanted some tea. She'd kill for coffee. "Do you have coffee?"
Wolkan shook his head. "It's similar to the cost of a bottle of wine. We purchase it from Essos along with most of our spices. Unfortunately I don't know what coffee is."
"It's made from dark beans. You roast them, grind them, then boil them. It tastes rich and bitter and supes delicious." She explained hopefully. "I'd do terrible things for a cup of coffee."
"I'm afraid I don't know of what you speak. I could make inquiries if you wish?" Wolkan offered, as he lifted a ceramic jar and held it out.
She accepted the jar, lifting the lid, and beamed at the sight of tea leaves. She breathed in, closing her eyes at the smell. Fuck, Jemma and Fitz's love of the stuff was contagious apparently. But caffeine had always been a weakness. "Oh thank god."
"You're most welcome." Wolkan sounded amused.
Her eyes opened as she looked at the Maester. "How can I repay you for this?"
"No repayment necessary, it's an honor to serve." He had a barely there frown on his face.
Daisy looked at the man carefully. "Is something bothering you?"
"It's just...are the Seven real?" And ah, crisis of faith.
Shrugging, she closed the lid on the jar of tea. "I don't know. I'm not even sure I am a god." Her mouth twitched at the disbelief on his face. "I'm not human, and my...kind? have been worshipped, some even called gods. But I can't hear prayer, bless or curse people, I only have the one gift or well two now I guess. But I don't know if your Seven are real or not. I know there's something to the old gods. I can feel….those trees are alive in a way that I can't really describe. So maybe? I've seen a lot of weird shit. I wouldn't be surprised if they were."
"If I may, what makes your people different from any other god?" He seemed genuinely curious, the lack of trembling awe was nice quite frankly.
So Daisy rocked back on her heels. "On my world the gods were at war. And the human world was just kinda their stomping grounds for killing each other. So this one 'court', the Kree decided they needed more soldiers than they had. I don't know exactly how, but it wasn't good. They ended up with human/Kree children they did things to. The inhumans. Human weaknesses, life span usually, but each inhuman had one gift. Mine is vibrations." She reached up and touched his hand letting the faintest of vibrations run through his arm.
Wolkan made a shocked sound.
She smiled softly at his expression. "But the gifts are dangerous, a lot of them can harm or kill the inhuman with them. I think in the first couple of years after mine woke I broke every bone in my body, especially my arms several times over. And the bruising and internal bleeding weren't great. Lincoln felt like he was burning alive. But human weaknesses also make us easier to control, at least the Kree thought so. Didn't work out for them. They ran off and hoped we'd just kinda go away. But that left a small group of inhumans mixed with humans."
"You're different from the rest though aren't you?" Wolkan asked carefully.
She grimaced. "There's a cost to fighting for too long. You die or...change. Between training and then...we had an enemy. He'd have killed every human on our world. I wasn't strong enough to stop him. A call was made to dose me with a….elixir of immortality I guess? It makes everything about a person stronger."
"Your Holiness, correct me if I'm wrong but you're a protector. And what you've told your followers is what you think will protect this world once you leave?"
Her cheeks heated at that. "Uh...yeah, a little bit. I'm not really...I haven't done this before."
"If I may, be honest. You seem to be a well intentioned being, honesty may serve you well." Wolkan dipped his head in a gesture of what was likely respect.
Daisy breathed out. Fuck. She'd been dreading that was going to be what she was going to have to do. Coulson would be so much better at this. Even had the coming back after a few days thing going for him. "That's not going to go well."
"Why should it not?" Wolkan asked.
She pushed some of her hair behind one ear. "I've never done this before, if I make a mistake it's going to cause problems for all of you. Just...religion is complicated and not my thing."
"Perhaps that is a place to start. Have you considered what people want from you is not a new faith, but rather a new way of expressing the faith they already have?" Wolkan folded his hands before him inside his long sleeves.
Daisy looked at the man. "How would you do it?"
"Well…"
Daisy stared at the men who'd chosen to follow her. She'd run them out into the woods outside of the keep. It was...well she had to speak their language if she was going to lead them. Something she absolutely was not qualified to do. Coulson had been wrong, she wasn't a leader. But she was going to have to be. "I know you have questions. Especially considering I went and used my name."
There was nodding as the men looked at her eager for answers.
She barely kept her wince internal. "Look, just sit down, ok?" Daisy dropped down onto the ground facing the twenty four men who'd chosen to follow her over everything. It'd been sixteen a week ago. "Right, I'm not a god that gets worshipped a lot. I just...am not. So everything about respect and loving other people is...it's an ideal to work towards. But following me won't get you anything. I can't give you anything, there won't be a reward or acclaim. It's about protecting and helping people no matter what. And that's not a sacrifice most people can give. Or should be judged for not making. If any of you want to go and repledge your oaths to Lady Stark you can. If you want a god who can hear your prayers there's your old gods."
Joran frowned. "Sacrifice?"
"Look the path I chose, the one we chose is hard. It's about standing up knowing you might lose. To be willing to lose limbs, your life, sanity, everything. I was part of a six person team when I joined. Our leader lost his arm, and continued until he died. Of the two knights one is dead and the other has a limp, lost her husband, then her lover, and is still fighting. Fitz is... His wife, our healer has...well she's changed and it's breaking her. Hell, I'm...well I'm only alive because I ended up not being human. It's not easy, or fair, and I started training you for it automatically because it's what I know."
Hogg looked at Joran and then back at her. "It's self sacrifice...for a better..everything?"
"Kinda yeah." Daisy ran a hand through her hair. "The world won't be better unless people do their part to make it so. But it's not easy."
Wilbur frowned. "I don't rightly understand, but I've just done what folks expected of me. And it left me helping that mad shit Ramsy. I heard the screaming and I didn't...do anything." His eyes were burning as he looked up at her. "I think I can sacrifice a lot to not have to just...stand there again."
There were murmurs of agreement. Joran gave a sharp nod. "I agree. And...I want to be someone...I want to do something that matters."
Daisy's heart ached for these guys. They were barely adults, if at all. They didn't deserve to feel worthless and have eyes that'd seen too much. "Alright, I'll teach you what I can. But I don't want any of you to think you have to do this."
/
Jon stared at the large map of the North. His face was solemn as he took in the position Sansa had secured for them. "The problem is the Karstarks are northeast while the Ryswells, Dustins and Moat Calin are southwest. We'll have to split the army."
"I'd gotten that." Sansa replied dryly. "We have Wun Wun and Daisy. If they try to force us to lay siege to them it won't work well for them."
Jon nodded, considering the giant and god none of the battles would be long. Their army was large enough that meeting them in the field would be foolish. A siege would be the obvious option their enemies would take. The Stark army wasn't large enough for a seige. "They'll see the Wildlings, see our banners and they'll hole up in their castles. But it'll take longer than we have to march our men to all of our enemies' doors."
"If you took a few hundred men and Wun Wun with you and rode hard to meet with the Umber host, could you take Karhold?" Sansa looked at him. "If you marched east I could take the majority of our forces and Daisy and go south and west. It would give us time to have secured the North before the Lord's Moot."
His fist clenched. "I can't protect you if I'm on the other side of the North. I don't like it."
"But would it work?" Sansa insisted despite the fact it'd leave her leading an army to battle without him by her side.
"Aye, it could work." Jon's jaw tightened as he looked at the map. "Her Holiness can fly can't she?"
Sansa paused and looked at him, clearly not expecting that question. "Yes, I've seen her do so once. And she traveled from nearly the Dreadfort to Winterfell and back in one evening. What are you thinking?"
"Do you think she'd consent to flying me from our western army with you to our eastern army once it reaches the Karhold? I could lead both armies, and protect you." Jon hated the idea of being separated from his siblings again.
His sister made a sound in the back of her throat. "We can certainly ask." Her lips twitched. "She'd have to carry you I believe."
Jon could live with the indignity. "It would be our best option. We don't have anyone I'd trust to lead an army for you."
"And Lord Umber may be a gifted warrior but his temper makes him utterly unsuited for command which leaves Lords Manderly and Cerwyn, neither of whom are ideal. There's Lord Glover but his loyalty is untested as of yet." Sansa sighed. "Your Sir Davos, is he of any use as a general?"
He shook his head. "That's not his skill. He's a good advisor, I'd recommend you listen when he speaks. Has got a good head on his shoulders and knows the true enemy is the one to the north."
"Your thoughts on Lord Glover?" Sansa took a seat, but her eyes were sharp as she listened to him.
Jon pressed his hands flat against the table. "He's tired and has lost much. But he's loyal, I think." His lips twitched. "Lady Mormont is the one you'll want to look out for that came with me. She's sharp as a needle. Sharp tongue that one. She won't be kind."
"Wonderful." Sansa just sounded exhausted herself. "We need a single solid strategy before we speak to the Lords. This could work, either with you in both places or with you in one and I in another."
He grimaced, but didn't disagree. It was the only way to secure the North fast enough for them to have a chance at time to prepare for the dead. "Rickon won't like being forced to stay."
"No, I wish we didn't have to ask it of him." Sansa drummed her fingers on the wooden arm of her chair. "I'd leave Manderly and Greatjon Umber here at Winterfell to hold it in Rickon's name till one or both of us can return."
Jon straightened and walked to the other chair and dropped heavily into it. "We have to find a way to get dragonglass, maybe wildfire."
"I've prepared a contract for the Ironbank. Six of them that we can accept which leaves us room for negotiation. An emissary party will have to be sent soon." Sansa gestured to her desk that was...well the weight of the paper likely wouldn't break it considering it was good solid ironwood. "As well as a series of tax adjustments, increase in trade to Essos, expansion of our trade fleet, an expansive series of measures for preparing for winter, the plans for the construction of an additional glasshouse, the rebuilding of Winterfell, and as close to a sustainable rate of goods to be moved to the Wall."
He stared at his sister. "Will the Lords accept it?"
"Yes. Lord Manderly is already bound by contract and self interest in supporting it. As are the Flints of Widow's Peak. Lord Umber is pledged to it, as is Lord Cerwyn. That's four Houses with enough power to force the rest to follow. Especially if Lord Glover and Lady Mormont follow suit." Sansa's face tightened. "We'll need Lord Baelish."
Jon straightened in his chair. "No. Everything you've said of him is wrong. He's a snake."
"But one I can handle." Sansa swallowed, her face tightening. "I may have a solution to keep him leashed, at least in part."
He frowned as he looked at her. "What?"
"Something I won't speak of till I'm sure it can be done." Sansa was cautious. "But we need the Vale. Their men, their protection at our backs."
Jon grit his teeth. He'd kill the man if he so much as touched his sister. "Have you already written?"
"No, but his whores will have passed the news to him already." Sansa held his eye. "We can't fight the dead alone. You said that."
"Using my own words against me?" He huffed, but reached out taking his sister's hand. "How complete of a battle strategy do we need for today?"
Sansa stood, walking to the large wooden trunk and opening it. She pulled out a garment of some sort. "You can make plans I ensure don't leave us vulnerable in a minute. First, I made you this."
He stood carefully accepting the neatly folded garment. As he looked at it, he recognized it as a cloak, one as fine as father had ever had. In fact it looked just like the one father had had. The leather had an embossed imprint of the direwolf of House Stark. "You made this?"
"As close to how father's looked as I could remember." She smiled ever so slightly at him as he stared at it in awe.
Jon's throat felt thick with emotion. "You always were clever with a needle."
"Arya was rather clever with her own." Sansa looked fond and sad at the same time.
He wrapped an arm around her, squeezing his sister in comfort. "She was alive last Brienne saw. When she hears we have the North again she'll come home." Because he had to believe that their youngest sister was alive. Rickon was alive and he hadn't dared hope for that. But now he couldn't help but dare hope.
Sansa shifted, burying her nose in his shoulder. They could plan a war in a minute. And then go find Rickon and just remind themselves that they still had each other. That not everything was lost. Not yet.
/
Sansa held Rickon's hand to keep him from walking into the Lord's hall. "I need you to promise me you won't try to defend me." She kept going before he could interject with outrage at the thought. "I can defend myself. You're going to be here to learn."
"As long as none of them try to attack you." Rickon has a slightly mullish look to him.
She knew that was a disaster waiting to happen, but one that was likely going to happen no matter what she did to prevent it. But for now this would likely be enough. "Listen, these will be your bannermen one day." She pulled him slightly closer and pressed a kiss to his forehead.
Rickon got a slightly pinched look on his face at the mention of him being in charge of anything. "I can go with the hunters afterwards?"
"So long as you stick by Jon." Sansa smiled at him, he was as wild as he'd been as a babe. But he'd need to learn to control it, though he had a few years. Years she'd ensure he was given. She squeezed his forearm, and then turned, her mask falling into place as one of the men opened the doors for her.
She strode, Rickon on her heels, Brienne faithfully guarding their backs, into the Lord's hall. When the Starks had been King's it was the room they'd ruled their Lords and land from. A great stone room, roaring fireplace and long tables and benches laid out. She kept her chin raised as she entered. The Lords currently in Winterfell were all in the room, as well as several others. Tormund, Davos, several surviving knights from Stannis's army. It wasn't a full court, but it was the beginning of one.
What had clearly been some argument silenced at her entrance. She moved to the head table, naturally going to the great wooden chair of the Lord. Jon stiffly coming to stand beside her. Rickon quietly took the seat beside her as he'd been instructed to earlier. Sansa stood looking at her court. "Let us begin shall we." She sat gracefully, her dress folding as it'd been designed to.
There was grumbling but the Lords did as expected.
Sansa spoke. "Lawrence Snow."
The young man stood, Lord Glover slapping his shoulder as he walked before her. Lawrence bowed. "Lady Stark."
"You're the last male issue of the late Lord Hornwood. As such it falls upon you to take his seat and his name. The Hornwood is yours." Sansa flicked her hand towards Lord Manderly. "House Manderly, House Flint of Widow's Watch and House Cerwyn have pledged their support in your ascension to Lord of Hornwood of the Hornwood."
Lawrence shook slightly with what looked like joy. He drew his sword, dropping to one knee, he held the hilt of his sword, the tip against the stone floor. "House Hornwood is yours My Lady, from this day till my last day and for all the days of my line. To serve as your bannermen, to come to your aid whenever called upon. Now and Always."
"Rise." Sansa held the young man's eyes. "We are approaching dark days. Your willingness to stand beside House Stark against the dead does you credit, and will not be forgotten."
There was some banging, Lawrence was clapped on the back by the Umbers as he was dragged back to his seat.
Sir Dondarrian hobbled forward. His leg was wrapped tightly as he leaned heavily on his crutch. He was the oldest of the surviving men of Stannis's army. He spoke, his voice deep but tight with pain. "Lady Stark. We followed King Stannis to the death. But we survived. We can't return to our homes knowing what's beyond the wall." His eyes flicked to Jon. "Stannis respected him, and I'd follow his command. So if you'll have us we'll fight."
"Then you shall have a place by my hearth, meat and mead at my table. I pledge to ask no service of you that would bring you dishonor so long as you remain in my service and service to House Stark." Sansa swore, it would be a boon to have knights in her service, even if it wasn't for life. It gave her legitimacy.
Dondarrian gave as close to a bow as he could give with his injuries. "Then we pledge our swords to your cause, will shield your back and give our lives if need be. By the old gods and the new."
"Enough of this." Lyanna Mormont stood, her dark eyes sharp as she stepped forward.
Dondarrian limped to the side, giving the floor to the Lady of Bear Island.
Sansa looked at the girl. She kept her brother's thoughts on her in mind. "Lady Mormont."
"I came because Ned Stark's son said the dead were coming with the Long Night. But all I hear is you're planning on marching south. I didn't come for that." Lyanna didn't waver as she stood before her, proud and unshakable.
She breathed in. "Without a united North we stand no chance against the dead."
"And you care about the North? Or are you a Lannister or is a Bolton. I've heard conflicting reports." Her tone was sharp.
Sansa reached out grasping Rickon's forearm that had gone tense, a low nearly inaudible growl in the back of his throat. "I am a Stark. I was born a Stark, I will always be a Stark, I will die a Stark." She stared at the girl. "Would you have all of our army's march to the Wall? What would they eat? Their weapons would be all but useless against the dead. And what happens if traitor houses attack their homes while they're at the wall? Do you believe they will stay on the Wall while their homes are burned? We have a chance to prepare for the dead. Or do you disagree, Lady Mormont?"
"Prepare how?" Lyanna half asked half demanded.
Sansa looked to Jon. "I believe my brother can explain our battle strategy better than I."
"Right." Jon spoke, the weight of command on his shoulders.
Sansa had a hardly noticeable smile as she listened to her brother lay out the strategy they'd worked out beforehand. It was a sound, and she could tell the Lords in the room approved.