As always, I don't own anything of George Martin's world
Chapter 16
The ship rocked as the waves battered its hull, making it lean sharply to the left before rolling to the opposite side.
The sudden movement would have thrown most people clean off their feet, but Brienne had plenty of experience with rough seas.
In order to get to the mainland from her home, the island of Tarth, one had to cross Shipwreckers Bay. Which on it's calmest days tossed ships about like they were mere toys. Even the famous bright blue waters around Tarth itself were notorious for their swells.
Her trip had been uneventful thus far, the most notable event was the cold that now embraced them. Once they had passed the three sisters the crew had brought out several furs made from sealskin that proved invaluable to staying warm in these waters. What would have been a cool spray of salt water in the south was a icy slap across the face here.
Despite the cold spray and wind hitting the boat Brienne maintained her position on the foc'sal, making sure she was out of the sailor's way, to witness the ship's arrival to their destination.
White harbor was now in sight. It's white walls rising above the rolling hills on the surrounding lands. Behind them she could see the northern city structured into a simply grid and above the city's roofs, the turrets and walls of New Castle sat upon a hill looking over it all.
The harbor was busy, like every harbor she had ever seen, and she could feel the blanket of noise envelope her as the captain steered the ship up to an opening on the pier.
Once the crew secured the ship and lowered the gang plank Brienne thanked the captain for the safe journey, shouldered her pack, and went ashore.
She worked her way through the city as she searched for a stable to buy a horse for her journey to Winterfell, stopping at a bakery to ask directions as well as buying before moving out towards the eastern gate.
She had just finished her fresh pastry stuffed with minced mutton when she felt as if she was being watched. Not in the usual way that people stared at her, where they gawked at the sight of her in armor and for being a good head taller than most men. It felt as if someone was following her.
Never one to shy away from a confrontation she turned on her heel and immediately scanned the street.
Most people looked at her in confusion for her abrupt turn as they passed by, but one man standing roughly twelve paces behind her merely raised an eyebrow before closing the distance.
Brienne looked him over trying to decide if he was a threat. The sword on his hip suggested the possibility of trouble, but he had kept his hands well clear of it by sticking his thumbs under his belt. She didn't see any sigil on his cloak and it prevented her from looking for one on the leather armor he wore
"Seven blessings sir, how may I help you?"
The man nodded to her before replying,
"May the old gods keep you, I was curious as to your reason for coming to the greatest city in the North?"
"I have a task that requires my attention."
"A task you say? Your own or one that was given to you?"
"It was given to me, which makes it my task. Who are you to make such inquiries?"
"A man with a task of his own." The man replied
"Then I wish you luck with yours, but I must be off to work on my task. Good day sir." Brienne turned to leave when the man walked you to her, keeping two arm lengths away but drawing alongside her.
"I'm afraid I will have to detain you a bit longer from your task."
Brienne turned to face him again and replaced her polite expression with that of annoyance.
"You are mistaken sir, my task was given to me by the Hand of the king, Lord Argilac Baratheon himself. So I would advise you from hindering me."
"The Hand of the king?" The man looked curious for a moment before pushing his cloak over his shoulder to show a crest that it had hidden.
Stitched over his right chest was the merman of House Manderly. "If it is truly a task set upon you by the Lord Hand then do you have proof?"
"Are you sworn to house Manderly?"
"That is correct, I am Horace of Woolfield, I help keep an eye out for potential trouble arriving in our lord's city."
"And you assume all southerners are trouble?"
"Not all of you, just the ones who arrive by themselves in full plate armor."
Brienne found she couldn't really fault that line of thought. She pulled out a leather wallet.
"This letter was signed by the hand of the king, it states that I am acting under his orders."
She opened it and held it up for him to read. He read it over quickly, an eyebrow raising as he did.
"I see, well in that case I do believe I can help you."
"How so?"
"I can get you an audience with the Lord of White Harbor. He would be more than willing to help an agent of Lord Baratheon."
Brienne thought it over for a moment before replying.
"I accept your offer."
"Then please follow me." The man then took off at a brisk pace through the crowd, Brienne followed a pace behind him.
Horace led them through the grid of streets, that all seemed to have the underlining smell of fish, until they came to the gates leading to New Castle.
Horace spoke to the guards at the gate so that she would be permitted with her armor and sword. Then continued on.
She followed Horace through the gates bearing the sigil of House Manderly and across the courtyard and into the castle until Horace pushed the doors open to the main hall where Lord Manderly was holding court.
The great hall had a pale stone floor that matched the stone columns stretching to the ceiling. Each column had a different sea creature carved upon where the column met the ceiling. On the southern wall there was the carving of a river that started out narrow and dark green, then paled and widened as it went along the length of the hall ending in what looked to be a white harbor. On the Northern wall hung banners of the houses sworn to House Manderly. Waterman, Volent, Tarkin, and Craver to name a few."
Brienne focused her eyes forward as Horace walked to the guard at the front of the line and quietly spoke to him as the farmer currently kneeling addressed the man sitting upon the ornate chair placed on a dais.
The man sitting in it was easily fatter than any one she had seen before. His immense girth easily surpassed the late Robert Baratheon.
"I am sorely sorry for your village's suffering." Lord Manderly spoke in a baritone voice that sounded more sincere than most nobles she had met.
"I will have guards sent out to hunt the men who raided your granaries and bring them to justice.
Should the grain not be found you have my word that House Manderly will replace it from our own stores.
Please share with my steward all the information you have on the raiders before you leave."
The man thanked the lord of White Harbor and went to the steward as he was told. Then Horace walked up and bowed.
"Apologies for interrupting your court my lord, but we have a visitor who is here by order of the hand of the king."
"An agent of the crown in our hall?" A bushy eyebrow nearly disappeared into the lord's hairline. "My my this is indeed a rare, if not unprecedented event." he called over to Brienne "Please step forward."
Brienne did so and gave him a polite bow.
"Greetings and seven blessings Lord Manderly. I am Brienne of Tarth."
"Seven blessings to you as well my lady! I hope you have enjoyed your visit to White Harbor so far. How might House Manderley be of service to the crown?"
"I was instructed to come North and ascertain how serious the wildling threat North of the wall is. As such, I intend to go to Winterfell to ask Lord Stark of the situation, my lord."
"Ah, I see." Lord Manderly's voice had lost its joviality and the hall had become very quiet. It seemed the small folk had an understanding of the situation just as much as their lord did.
"My good people," Lord Manderly called out to the room at large, "I beg your pardon, but this matter must be attended to personally. Please wait out in the corridor for a few moments. I'll have some food sent up from the kitchens for you while you wait."
The people in line bowed and filed out of the hall without any fuss and the doors closed with only Lord Manderley, Horace, four guards and her left in the hall.
"What do you know Lady Brienne, of the clans beyond the wall?"
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Brienne turned in her saddle for one last look at the northern city before turning westwards.
Her meeting with lord Manderley had been brief but helpful. She had learned from him there was a king beyond the wall, something she had never heard about before, he had also told her that it was every clan that was supposedly heading south and that their migration was not voluntary.
When she had asked what was driving them south he had studied her before replying with. "An old foe thought defeated ages past."
She thought that he was being metaphorical about the king beyond the wall or maybe an old dispute with one of the clans. But then he asked her if she was familiar with the white walkers.
She wasn't one to put much stock in ghost stories, but then again Lord Manderly didn't seem to either. Regardless of the reason, she had a better grasp on the situation then she did three days ago. She had sent a raven south from New Castle prior to her departure with the news of the King Beyond The Wall to Lord Baratheon and was now continuing on her way to Winterfell accompanied by 5 knights sworn to house Manderly.
Lord Manderly had insisted on sending an escort with her for her journey, stating that the Northern land was not to be underestimated and it would not look well on his house for letting an agent of the crown get lost.
She turned westward and looked out at the rolling hills covered in the morning frost. She had a long way to go, but she never shunned from a challenge before. Tapping her horse's flanks she set a steady pace for her party, beginning the second leg of her journey.
01010
The wind blew fiercely against him, but Jon had long grown accustomed to it. He and Edd had finished their work for the day and were now making the long trip down the stairs back to the ground for their supper.
As they climbed down they spotted a group of riders approaching from the east. There were only ten of them so it wasn't a dispatch or an inspection.
By the time they reached the base the riders had already arrived and unsaddled their horses.
Jon was shocked when he recognized one of them.
"Theon?" Jon couldn't imagine why the Greyjoy heir would have joined the watch, especially with his pride of being the heir to Pyke. "What are you doing here?"
Theon didn't answer right away, instead he brushed his horse down for a moment before sighing aloud and turning to face Jon.
"Isn't obvious," he said sullenly, I'm a member of the knight's watch."
"No shit," retorted Grenn, oblivious to who Theon was. "He meant why you choose to be here moron, did you finally get caught fucking your neighbor's goat by village sheriff?" He and Edd had a laugh as they say Theon's face redden with anger.
"I am Theon of house Greyjoy, mind your tongue!" He stood in Grenn's face glaring at him. He focus on Grenn made him miss Edd, who stuck one leg behind Theon and one good shove from Grenn sent the ironborn sprawling on the ground.
As he scrambled to his feet Jon intervened.
Giving his friends a look as he pushed the angry noble to the side. Grenn and Edd gave him a pair of toothy grins but left the two and went to the hall to warm up.
Jon shoved the blustering Theon around the corner till he stopped fighting him. Once he was calm enough Jon asked him what lead to him taking the black.
Theon leaned against the stable's walls looking at the ground as he answered.
"I was sentenced here by the king due to my father breaking the treaty he signed."
"He started another war?"
"No, he was preparing for a new war. Built the ships, trained the men. Yet Stannis learned about it somehow and sent for me once he learned of my father's plans. I was a guest at the Red Keep for a while, but once he received confirmation of my father's actions he sentenced me here."
"Wasn't your death supposed to be the punishment for him breaking the treaty?"
"Apparently fighting along side your brother spared me the axe, now I get to freeze to death on this gods forsaken wall!" Theon hit the stables in frustration.
Jon looked at him for a moment as his shoulders dropped and he shook his now probably throbbing hand
"For what it's worth Theon, I'm sorry."
Theon sighed as he looked at the boy he had mocked continuously when they were growing up for being a bastard with no future. It seemed that the drowned god had a sense of irony and decided to bring him to Jon's standing.
"I appreciate that Jon." Straightening his shoulders he nodded to the castle's dining hall. "Let's go join your friends," after a beat he ground out "I should probably apologize for my actions."
"They are my friends but don't forget they're also your brothers now." Jon said as he lead the way, "they won't hold your actions against you, adjusting to the watch is tough for most men, and you're definitely not the first man to yell at Grenn. In fact he almost killed me the first week we met."
"Truly?" Theon exclaimed, shock plainly written on his face.
"With hindsight I admit I had brought it on myself with my behavior at the time. But we moved past that and have become fast friends, I trust him and Edd with my life."
Theon shook his head in disbelief as they made their way to the hall. Once inside Jon gave everyone a proper introduction to Theon, marking the start to his new life.
Thank you for taking the time to read the story and for the criticisms, they help me double check my writing and remind me of details i sometimes over look.