"So how does it look to you, Lyn?"
"It looks very good, Taylor. Someday you must tell me how you achieve that colour of scarlet, and that shine." Lyn was a short woman, with the face like a wrinkled apple, and the personality of a happy grandmother. She was only fifty-five, but here that was enough to already have grandchildren. I liked Lyn actually, she was one of the few that didn't stare at where my arm had been, and called me by my name instead of Lady Hebert. As she put it when I asked, "I've seen and clothed the naked body of every lord and lady of Winterfell for the past forty-five years, warts and all, hard to stay proper after that."
"Maybe someday." I moved my arm again, making the experimental cloth I was holding move, bring out the crimson red and shine from the spider silk itself. It had taken almost three months, but it was worth it. Now all I needed to do was focus on some of the other colours I was almost, and hope they came out as good. I realized Lyn was talking, catching the end of what she was saying. "I am sorry, was lost in thought, you were saying?"
"It's alright Taylor, I was saying how much this would go for in White harbor."
"Quite a bit I imagine?"
"Enough to not…" She was broken off by the sound of a horn, but she continued right after. I kept one ear on the conversation when I realized that there was more activity near the front gate then there should have been, even with Eddard returning. "Enough not to work for a year at least, as I was saying. Find the right buyers, maybe even a dragon or three."
"That much, you think I should do another trip? I just got back from the last one." News of my work had gotten out around part of the north it seemed, and I had received some commissions for different jobs. I had made a bit of money by this point, less than I probably could've, but still had some being added to the bank.
"That's up to you, but I would suggest going sooner than later if you do. The longer you wait, the closer to winter it becomes, which means less merchants."
I hummed in agreement, as we worked at rolling the cloth back up. We were interrupted again when Lyn's granddaughter burst through the door, almost yelling about dire wolves. Getting the story from her took a bit of work, and Lyn and I set out to see the new residents that Winterfell had.
My first look of the direwolves, I was reminded of Rachel's wolf Bastard, who she had since he was a pup. The Stark children had them in the kitchen, feeding them milk, with people against the kitchen walls, looking at the pup. Moving closer, I spoke up, "So what are their names?"
It seemed they hadn't seen me approach, to absorbed by the pups that each Stark child had in their laps, including Jon. They were all either grey or black, except for Jon's who was an albino it seemed, with white fur, and the only one with it's red eyes open; I could tell, due to it staring at me. Robb spoke out first, in what I called his mini-lord voice.
"We are still thinking of them, Taylor. What do you think a good name would be?"
"Well there's always Spot." I hadn't had a dog growing up, but I had wanted one for a time. My suggestion got a laugh out of Bran, while Robb just shook his head. "Then I don't really know. How did you get them."
"Jon and Robb found them." Bran said, as he stroked the head of his pup. He launched into the story about finding the finding the dire wolf with the stag antler in its throat, when coming back from the execution. I didn't let my disgust about Eddard taking Bran to see a man killed show though, as he continued.
"I see." Was all I could say, as I watched the Starks play with their wolves. I left soon after, heading back to my rooms, with my roll of cloth. I had had plans for the day, before the wolves had interrupted me. Dropping my load off, I spent most of my time reading, and exploring further down the tunnels.
Of the tunnels, the one connected to the winter town seemed to lead out into a old stable. I made sure to mark where that one was, in case of any emergence. The tunnel to the keep was locked shut, and I hadn't been able to find the keys, or a way to force it open. The last tunnel though was too dangerous to explore as much, with a cave in where it connected with the crypts. Worst, as the crypts went deep, it kept growing colder, more than it should have, and most of bugs died from the cold after any time spent down there. I didn't know why, so I had been exploring the library for any references to what it may be. It wasn't if I could ask anyone why, it would reveal far too much.
Things started to pick up speed though, when, at dinner that night, Eddard revealed to everyone in the hall that the King of Westeros was on his way to Winterfell. That got a bit of rustle, it had been apparently been some time since a king had been in the north. There would be a great deal to prepare before he arrived, so we would all be busy over the few weeks. It took me by surprise when I felt Eddard approaching my set of rooms the next day, and I made sure that I hid as many bugs as I could. As he knocked on the door to my room, I made sure everything was in its place.
"Good morning, Lord Stark." I said after I opened the door. Eddard looked slightly tired, as there were dark circles under his eyes, but he stood straight as he nodded his head.
"Lady Hebert, may I enter?"
"Of course, it's your castle." That brought a small smile to his face, as he entered my room.
"Taylor, I was informed you may wish to travel to White Harbor, is that correct?"
"Yes Lord Stark, that's correct. I finished a bolt of silk, and I was informed I would find a good price for it there."
"You would, there is certainly more of a call for it there then here. May I see this silk?"
"Very well then, it's just upstairs in the workshop." I led the way upstairs, and let Eddard into my work room. He glanced at what I had out, namely the different attempts at pre-dyed silk. I brought out the red silk bolt and laid it down on the table in front of him.
"Marvelous," He breathed out, feeling the silk between his fingers. "This is just as strong as the rest you have produced?"
"That is correct, Lord Stark."
"And this took you two months to produce?"
"Two months to figure out, more like three weeks to actually make it." I was getting better at weaving all the time, and I was proud of it. If I was back home, I probably could have made a go at being a Rogue at this point. "Why?"
"I would ask you hold off on travelling to White Harbor, at least until after the king arrives."
"May I ask why?"
"I wish to commission you to make a gift for the king."
"I see, anything in particular?"
"If possible, I would like silk such as this," Eddard said, picking up the red silk to illustrate his point. "Yet in black. Also a thicker cloak also in black, for my brother Benjen if he shows."
"It's may be possible." I began as I walked to the other side of the table, where I kept different coloured samples of the pre-dyed silk. I didn't have many, it was difficult finding dyes that could be digested, but with a few I was growing close. The red was the only one I was really happy with, I also had a black, a dark green, and light icy-blue. "I am close with these colours, and they are almost done, but hopefully they are ready in time."
"Each of these is quite nice." Eddard felt each of them, before handing them back. "What is wrong with them?"
"Nothing major, mainly I do not have the amounts of dye correct for each sample, making the silk streak."
"Very well, will that be difficult to fix?"
"Not at all, Lord Stark. But it would be helpful to have Lyn's help for the actual making of the gift. She has a better eye for fashion after all."
"That is fine, anything else?"
"Yes, should I make anything for the Queen as well?" That brought Eddard up short, and he paused. I guess what I overheard from the guards was true, there was bad blood between Eddard and the Lannisters, the queen's family. It seemed they had own joined in the rebellion at the end, sacking the capital city while the queen's own brother killed the king he had been sworn to protect.
I didn't say it out loud, especially with Eddard around, but I agreed with the kingslayer, and was surprised that it hadn't been done sooner. Everything I read and heard said that Aerys had deserved his title of mad king, and loyalty and oaths should only go so far. So many problems from my home came from people's misplaced loyalty in the PRT.
"No, that would be alright." Eddard said, before he focused back on me. "If that is all, there is much to do."
"That's all, Lord Stark." That was the last I really saw of Eddard until I was finished the bolt of black silk. It took me a few days to get the mixture of the dyes right, and after that most of my spiders were dedicated to making it. Around me Winterfell kept growing busier as people prepared, and each Stark and Theon came to me to be measure for new clothes. With some of the silk reserve I had built up and Lyns help, we were able to finish the clothes in time, and I finished the bolt of black silk that looked like it had threads of silver in it when the light hit it right.
The king was within view of the walls when the septa came for Arya who had spending the day with me, and he was approaching the the South Gate when I finally got a good position in the walkway between a few of the buildings, so I could see the king's party. As soon as they had entered my range I tagged each person with a bug, including the people in what seemed to be a small house on wheels, pulled by forty horses. Altogether there was over four hundred people entering Winterfell, and I didn't know or trust any of them.
Eddard and his family were waiting for the royal family, and when they knelt to a very tall man with a stomach to match, a head of bushy black hair and a beard to match, I guessed that was the king Robert Baratheon. He and Eddard seemed to be friends, as he pulled Eddard into a hug with a large laugh. They spoke together for a moment until Robert moved on to Catelyn, and Eddard moved to greet the Queen Cersei Lannister. When Robert spoke up about about going to the crypts to pay his respect, I moved a few more insects on to, and ahead of, them; so I would be able to follow their conversation, while I stayed where I was to watch the queen and her family.
Looking at the Lannisters, I could see that each of them shared the feature of blond, almost golden hair. The queen and the man who had grabbed her hand when Robert spoke of going to the crypt, who I took to be her twin brother, were I admit beautiful even by modern standards; as they shared the same hair and green eyes. The children though couldn't be more different then their father though, each of them looked more like their uncle then Robert.
There were two that were standing nearby that stood out though, when compared to the rest of the royal group. One was a tall man, with a very bad burn across half of his face, with a helmet shaped like a the snarling visage of a wolf or dog. The other from a distance could have been mistaken for a child, but I was close enough to see more clearly. This was the queen's brother it seemed, and while I could tell he was a midget, I couldn't see why he was the "imp". His blond hair hair streaks of black through it, and while not my type, his face certainly was not ugly.
I could see the Lannisters were not impressed with Winterfell as they were led to where they would be staying, the prince's face even slightly twisted in disgust. I followed them with my bugs, as I headed back towards my room, where I could prepare for the feast that was happening tonight, while I also listened to Robert Baratheon offer to make Eddard his Hand. As I worked at putting on a dress with one arm, I began to plan.
