Chapter 7: Jon Stark II
For Jon Stark, everything was going as planned since the day Adrian Skyryder was married to his sister. He knew that House Skyryder and its Griffins would be a great advantage in helping House Stark ruled all of the North.
At first, Jon was aware of the risk of allying with Adrian Skyryder. Not only was the man a powerful lord in his own right with the ability to breed and raised Griffins as war mounts, but he was also ruthless to his enemies. The Battle of High Heart and the Great Andal Massacre marked his notoriety.
However, Adrian proved to be an honorable man than he imagined. He earns the respect of many Northern lords and the smallfolk through actions and deeds alone. The Northern Mountain Clans included.
The Northern Mountain Clans are groups of Northmen who dwell in the mountains north of Winterfell and in their foothills along the shore of the Bay of Ice. They felt offended when Jon named an outsider of the North, Adrian Skyryder, as Lord of the Northern Mountains.
However, Adrian managed to win the Northern Mountain Clans' respect and appreciation. It turns out Adrian has experiences diplomacy with the mountain clans of the Vale, who are often considered savages, and it was easier to converse with the Northern Mountain Clans. Within a year, the Northern Mountain Clans had acknowledged Adrian Skyryder as their regional lord.
In addition, Adrian and Jon's sister, Morgana, had been very close since they got married, maintaining a tender and respectful relationship. Adrian always trusted Morgana with the statement and ruling policies of their new keep Bastion's Peak. Jon got raven from Morgana, informing her brother that she and her husband are expecting their first child.
One by one, many Northern Houses began to accept House Stark as the ruling part of the North. With House Stark's charisma and fierce sense of honor and justice, it would have been inevitable, yet it would take a very, long, long time. However, with House Skyryder's fighting prowess and taming of Griffins, it happened quicker than he suspected.
Even the Boltons fallen in line, knowing they cannot hold off the tide forever. Jon was a little disappointed that the Boltons would easily give up. Personally, he would rather let the Boltons continue to resist, giving him the excuse to wipe their line face of the Earth. The rivalry between Starks and Boltons was thick and bitter.
However, despite his personal feelings towards the skin hunters, he has no choice but to grant mercy if the Boltons "bend the knee". One justice to one and another justice to other was not going be inspiring to a united society he was going to build for his people. For the greater good, all of the North must unite as one, especially for the day when Andals would come.
Jon has spies sent to South the Neck, to observe the Andals' activities with the other southern kingdoms. The Andals had conquered many cities, kingdoms, and lands in the South. They burnt out the weirwood groves, hacked down the faces and slaughtered the children of the forest that they came across. Everywhere they proclaimed the triumph of the Seven over the old gods.
Worse, the Andals started to marry their children to the southern kings and lords, to fix the system within, turning to their liking. Jon knew that once all of the South was there it would be a matter of time before they turn their full attention to the North. When that happens, they will be ready.
A knock was heard from the door of his private chambers. It opened and enter the room was Wuton, the Captain of the House Stark Guards.
"Forgive me for disturbing you my lord," says Wuton. "But a Raven has arrived today. It's from Bron Snow."
Bron Snow was one of Jon's most reliable men of the House Stark Guards. Despite his status as a bastard, Bron rely on his intelligence and cunning to adapted to almost any situation he come across. It was why Jon chooses Bron to be one of his spies in the South. However, it was not because of Bron's wits. It was because of certain abilities Jon recognizes to be—unnatural.
Bron was a Warg. A skinwalker, blessed or cursed by the Old Gods to enter the mind of an animal and control its actions. Bron has a pet eagle with him all the time, and it was believed Bron mind link with eagle to see what his bird sees. While some belevied Wargs are abnormal to society that needs to be hunted and destroyed, Jon only judge a man's actions, not for who they are.
Even Adrian Skyryder agreed with him, confirmed that the Old Gods work in mysterious ways, and the existence of Wargs was another sign of their power and understanding they cannot comprehend. It was the reason why he trained Bron to be a Griffin Rider.
After Adrian and Morgana were married and were granted the Northern Mountains as their local region. While protecting the western coastline of the North from Ironborn raids, Adrian focuses his time on the careful breeding, training, and reproduction of the Griffins.
The Seven original Griffins—Father, Mother, Warrior, Smith, Maiden, Crone, and Stranger—were consists of three males and four females. Adrian use each of the three males to breed with all four females. Each female become pregnant and begun lays seven eggs from each of the male they mated. From the hatching of the eggs, more Griffins were born.
Within two years, almost a hundred Griffins were born and more counting. Adrian carefully managed and controlled the Griffin population, as a master swordsman careful clean and sharpen his sword. Adrian also created a training instruction, certain rules or rule on how to oversee a proper and respectful relationship between a rider and Griffin.
The members of the Northern Mountain Clans were the first people of the North to be trained as Griffin Riders. Afterwards, behind them were Northern Houses that allied with House Stark, as well as members of Jon's House Stark Guards, Bron included. Bron was a good student, absorbing everything that Adrian taught him. He even bonded perfectly with his Griffin, Silent Wing.
Jon has reason in sending Bron South. Adrian praises his abilities as a Griffin Rider, and Bron was perfecting in observing the Andals' actions down South. In addition of long scouting and observing, Bron was to make a report to the Lord of Wintefell should the Andals made any approach to the North.
Jon read the letter the Raven brought in. Reading every word prudently, a sign covers his face, and he turns to Wuton and says "Sends a Raven to Bear Island. Lord Skyryder must be in presents immediately.
"Yes, my lord," Wuton says before he left.
"The Andals are coming!" Jon mumbles once he was alone in the room.
0o0o0
Adrain was at Bear Island conversing with the Lords of House Mormont and House Glover. He was discussing with the two lords on the development of the Northern fleet of the western coastline of the North to keep the Ironborn raiders in check. It was when he got raven from Jon, who summoned him to Winterfell.
Thanks to his Griffin, Stranger, Jon arrived in Winterfell a few hours later after receiving the Raven. The trip from Bear Island to Winterfell would take many weeks due several hundred miles in between. With Griffins, travel across the North would be quick and simple.
"You want see me, Jon?" Adrian asked once the two of them were alone.
Since the day they first met, the two men nurture a relationship of trust and respect between them. After Adrian married his sister, that relationship evolved into a brotherly friendship among them. Adrian became one of Jon's most trusted friends and advisors in the counseling when involves the politics of the North.
Adrian didn't say anything but handed him the letter from Bron. Adrian read it carefully and his face sign like Jon's before and says "So the Andals are coming North. I thought it will be a few decades before those bastards make their move."
"It seems like they had a changed in their plans," Jon confirmed. "According to Bron's reports, the Andals are building an army in the Riverlands. An army that ranked over twenty thousand men, knights and men-in-arms alike. However, more and more Andals are keeping coming every day and not stopping. Seems like they want to be fully ready when they launched their invasion in the North."
"What of Moat Cailin?" Adrian asked. "It's like you say it before in our last conversation, Moat Cailin is the gateway of the North and possible the only target the Andals will focus once they march from the South has the repairs been done yet?"
"No, not yet" Jon replied. "The workers and engineers you assigned me on Moat Cailin are still at work with the ruins of the keep. They told me it's going take a full year to have Moat Cailin built to its full strength. But with that large Andal army in the south, they can attack North any day."
There was silence between the two men before Jon asked, "I thought about what you say—creating a military order similar to the Night's Watch, yet consisting of Griffin Riders—if you can start, can you start as early as possible?"
Hearing this, Adrian hesitated for a moment, before says "It could happen tomorrow, next week, or next month Jon, but it would take years to fully finished potential. I told you before, such things like these take time until the fruit reach its full bloom!"
"Yes, you told me that already Adrian," says. "But the Andal army in the south says otherwise. Like you say before the Andal won't wait for long, not to mention they'll play fair as they look for any opportunity when they see any sign of weakness in their enemies' rank."
"True, but even a wise cook knows to adopt the right recipe to make sure the meal is delicious for the taster," Adrian explained. "This order of Griffin Riders is to represent the North's true temperament, consisting of members from across our homeland, nobles or smallfolk alike, men and women alike. If I want to make this order be right, it needs to be done right. Such as the training, discipline, and creed. Everything needs to be done perfectly down the detail of it."
"Fine then," Jon forced himself to agree with his friend. "But I just hope we'd be ready on time before the Andals make their move."
"Actually, they might be a solution," Adrian stated. "I had a talk with Morgana before I left for Bear Island. She mentions to me about some thing she heard from Lord Manderly of the White Harbor."
"What is it that may be of interest?" Jon asked.
"Well from what she told me," Adrian begins. "Lord Manderly's son, Jakon, who was a merchant captain, came across one of the Free Cities Essos. It was located in a vast lagoon, the northwestern part of Essos. They called Braavos of the Hundred Isles—or the Secret City
"Secret City?" Adrian repeated. "Why they called it that?"
"Well from what Lord Manderly's son had learned," Adrian begins to explain. "The city was founded by a ship of former slaves that escaped the Dragon lords of Valyria. Braavos is sometimes referred to as the "bastard daughter of Valyria".
Valyria? Jon has heard of the name before. Stories from merchant ships that sail the Narrow city talk of a great and powerful empire located in the southern western region of Essos. An empire forged with the power of magic and might of dragons.
"And anyway," Adrian continued. Braavos was founded by escaped slaves, fleeing the grasp of their masters. According to the stories, it was a group of slave women from the lands of Jogos Nhai, the moonsingers, who predicted where shelter could be found. Thus, the slaves travelled to the distant lagoon, hidden away from sight of the dragonlords by the wall of hills covered with pine trees and the fog covering the lagoon. The founders of Braavos that risked their lives for freedom has sworn a vow that no one in their city would ever be a slave, thrall, or bondsman. This vow became the First Law of Braavos, and is engraved on the arch spanning the Long Canal.
"Based upon what Jakon has says Braavos is a vast and sophisticated city surpassed by its massive wealth and resources. Yet the true power behind the Iron Bank, a force that is to be reckoned with, which even the city's rulers, the Sealords of Braavos has to fear and respect."
"What so special about this Iron Bank," Jon asked.
"It's a ruthless order of intellectual and calculated men often lends money to outsiders from what I heard," Adrian explained in a serious tone. "The bank is famous for its discretion and secrecy. A common saying among the Braavosi is "The Iron Bank will have its due—in other words they will find another yet equal measure o gets it pay no matter what!"
Jon did not like the tone in Adrian's voice and how this Iron Bank works. He asked "You want me to settle deal with Braavosi? With the Iron Bank?"
"If we want to be ready on time before that Andal army in south will be marched to Moat Cailin, we don't have choice Jon," Adrian told him. "But it's up to you to decide."
Jon gave it a thought. A very long thought. A thought over the future of the North. If he wants result done and fast, the solution was with the Iron Bank of Braavosi. Of course, how can he settle a deal with a mysterious order with cold and avarice intents. Yet with the Andal army growing down the south it's not like has a choice.
It was in that moment; Jon finally made a decision.
Glossary
Winter Griffins: The Winter Griffins is the military order of the North, consisting entirely of Griffin Riders. The order was created by the Lord of House Stark and Lord of House Skyryder, trained as aerial warriors or scouts of the northern sky. It is led by the Lord Commander of the Winter Griffins, whose authority and command are superseded only by the Lord of House Stark of Winterfell.
The sworn duty of the Winter Griffins is to protect the North from any threats, outside or within. Another equaling duty was to obey the command of the Lord of House Stark of Winterfell, such as enforcing his laws and creed throughout the lands.
The primary duty of the Winter Griffins was defending and patrolling the North from the sky. Thanks to Lord Adrian Skyryder's rigorous training course, all members of the Winter Griffins trained to be excellent Griffin Riders, with formidable survival skills, above-average archery abilities, and superb melee combat expertise, allowing one of them to successfully fight a dozen armed men on their own.
