Eddard IX

"My Lord, it is not wise. Such plans will run the coffers dry, they were already low due to the war, the need to pay for men and their needs was already high enough." Maester Luwin spoke once again, worry clearly visible on his face. "I advise caution, my Lord."

Eddard wanted to be cautious as well, but war was coming and ships as well as infrastructure was needed. 'We have two or three years to build up, to prepare.' The Voice spoke true in Ned's mind, as such Luwins concerns were noted but ultimately dismissed. "I cannot afford caution, not now. In time you will understand." Soon Luwin left and so talks with various Lords would begin. One of the guards entered after being called, it would be his job to fetch those Lords.

First was the minor Lord that cared, to whom Ned talked to during the march. "I will send men to dig and construct a small inland port for river craft to dock and transfer their goods, with your lands sitting at the mouth of Long lake tributary and the White Knife it will become a trade outpost, a small one at the very least." Eddard spoke as the young minor Lord became more and more pleasantly surprised.

It would be a godsend for the minor Lord, and so more words were exchanged, Eddard promised a water powered mill to be constructed in the following years after the inland port would be finished. Way to send more goods down the river came first though. Even if coppers for the realm it would mean that the minor lord himself would have more spare coins for investment.

Ferries, one to transport people and goods across Long Lake tributary and the second for White Knife, both will be ordered from the Manderlys for the right sum once ship building effort would end, war came first but this was not mentioned to the minor Lord.

Polite words were exchanged, loyalties sworn and so on. Eddard preferred to be blunt yet he fell in a rhythm after saying one honeyed word after another.

The second was another minor Lord, this time of house Sapheart, a man as old as his father Rickard would have been, Eddard thought. Lands of this house were close to Winterfell itself, the man's wooden keep and a village of two hundred souls that live off the Wolfswood was located at one of the White Knife's minor tributaries, but still one that was wide and long.

House Sapheart was weak and poor, or rather weak in numbers of men and gold but come winter or summer drought they never starved. Wood was their main domain of profit, with a cut going to house Stark itself as lords of the Wolfwood with many petty lords living there. There were other minor houses that had similar trades with wood but it was Lord Sapheart that Eddard chose, his house's geographic position was simply the best.

"The number of trees you will be allowed to cut down will increase tenfold but instead of sending it all the way downriver it will stop at Wintertown at the small port that will soon be constructed there, the price you will get for it will be lower though, it still should be more profitable." Eddard spoke much to the surprise of the minor Lord, the man was denied time and time again from being allowed to cut more wood by Rickard.

"This is most welcome to hear my Lord." The man bowed, thanked and swore loyalty, the same as any other would. Soon after he left, it was common not to look the gifted horse in their teeth, the man didn't even ask what the wood was for. 'Something that would need to change, but not now, we don't have enough time.' The Voice added, Eddard agreed.

The day was over and the people went to sleep. Time, it was something that Eddard lacked most. It was time to go to sleep. Celebrations and feasts didn't leave him much time to speak to every Lord in detail.

Another day and another visitor, this time it was Wyman Manderly, a man Ned waited the most for. War was coming and Eddard wanted to finally secure his Western shores as it was an opportunity. "My Lord Stark." The Great Lord bowed, the man was great both in size and the wealth his family owned. As they had the most prosperous City in the whole North and the port that was the center of trade of the whole east.

"Sit, Lord Wyman." Ned smiled, he spoke many times with the man and could say that he cared about his lands, at least more than most Lords that seek to exploit the people that lived within it. 'He just knows that it's better to share a large cake rather than eat a tiny one alone.' A phrase Eddard didn't hear before, but it was common from the Voice to add something new here and there.

"Thank you, my Lord." The man did as asked, after having seated himself he spoke once again. "Words arrived to my lands that Lannisters showed up at the Fever river to prospect the road."

Eddard smiled. It was good news, it was weird that in matters of where gold was involved he trusted Lannisters more than his own foster-brother and foster-father. There were words from the Capital of more problems arising and the south-north road construction being forwarded more into the future. 'While important, the east-west road is even more so. We cannot afford gold, silver, stone, knowledgeable workers or even common farmers to spare on the project ourselves.' Voice added, Eddard could do nothing but sigh.

It didn't go unnoticed by Wyman Manderly. "Something of matter Lord Stark?" He asked worryingly. Ned smiled, yet deep inside his mind he worried that his most important vassal would think him sick in mind.

"Mere memory, Lord Wyman." Eddard lied, his eyes closed as if reminiscing. "I still remember war as if it was just yesterday, thinking of all the lives that could be saved and the ways that we could do better." It was partly true as well, even Voice himself did so sometimes. "Mind tells me to prepare for the next war and implore some of those thoughts, yet my heart still tells me that no more wars will come under now that the Dragons are gone." 'Yet I know.' Eddard couldn't agree more with that simple phrase. 'Ironborn.' He added in his mind, as if to make himself remember why he spends most of his free time thinking, conspiring even.

"Aye. War is not a thing that we were thought about as the boys, there was no glory or honor on the swamps we fought in, only blood, guts and dead friends." Wyman lost quite a bit of his retinue and came close to death himself, Eddand remembered. "There is other news, Lord Stark." This time bad news given his lesser Lords' face, Ned deducted.

"Speak, Lord Wyman. Some say that bad news are only hidden opportunities." He had hoped that no son of the man died, it would be a poor opportunity.

Wyman nodded and spoke as Eddard wanted.. "It is about ship construction. I had my master shipmen calculate the need for resources and work needed to complete the order of five galleys and thirteen cogs a year. While we have calculated the advances of wood production with the sawmills you have proposed, my Lord… the ropes and steelworks are what we lack the most, or rather skilled craftsmen and smiths capable of crafting them. "

Eddard listened to Wyman's explanation, but he himself knew nothing much of shipbuilding. 'Neither do I, but it is possible to make rope faster using watermills. Don't ask me how though, you need a few big brains to figure it out.' Voice spoke inside Ned's mind, making him want to sigh again. He already planned increased steel production for as important reasons as the ships, there would be no point in moving people from one project to another as the problem itself of not having enough skilled people would stay.

Having thought of an answer, Ned finally responded. "We have plans of increasing iron production and centralization of steelworks but these are merely plans as of now. There are some plans for rope production as well, though in early phases. Importing such things now would be of great price, given the ship rebuilding efforts of the Crown and the prices they offer. I will have to ask you, my Lord, to focus on building Cogs for now, under Stark banner and for Stark gold as we previously agreed on." Debts would need to be taken to accommodate all of his plans, Eddard worried about the future. Not to mention people he would need to find to sail said ships.

Maester Luwin took to making lists of all the projects that were started by Eddard. "Plans for bridges, ferries, roads around Winterfell for goods transport, three water powered sawmills, one water powered mill, ironworks including another set of watermills with relocation of smiths from nearby villages alongside their families and prototype constructions of blast furnaces alongside ironmasters… My Lord. I do not believe that our coffers will be able to withstand such rapid expenditures." Eddard worried as well, but war was coming, one that he had to win without Stannis and Robert and most of the Seven Kingdoms at their backs. Iron Islands had to cease to exist as raider outposts, and as such grim things had to be done. Enough men, women and most especially children died or were enslaved right under Crown's eyes that did nothing to stop the raids. In the end Voice was right, he was no longer Ned or Eddard. He was now a Lord of Winterfell and the Warden of the North and he would borrow gold from the Others themselves if it meant the safety of his people. It was his duty. It was his honor as a Lord and as a Stark to bid him forward.

'Wow… Chill down a bit Ned.' Voice spoke, sounding a bit worried.