Disclaimer:
A Song of Fire and Ice does not belong to me, nor do any of the images shown. This fic was created by me for entertainment purposes.
NA 1: This is a translation from Spanish, made with a text editor, so spelling and grammatical errors are possible. My apologies to all.
NA 2: If anyone wants to help with corrections or translations, and serve as an editor, please send me a private message. Again, my apologies to all.
Robb 2
The lords continued to arrive and after twenty"five days, they were all at Winterfell. Robb welcomed them all and ordered a census of their warriors, peasants, horses, supplies, and equipment, with the Karstarks and Manderly standing out as the most cooperative in equipment and people prepared for war.
The Manderly outnumbered all others in supplies, while the Umber excelled in numbers and in shouting. As expected, Lord Bolton refused to provide resources, supplies and troops, bringing only half as many warriors as the rest. If the Robb of his memories had done a simple sum, he would have known that he could not trust this Lord in even a small measure, but he was only a child and was easily fooled.
Robb made no mention of the results of the census, though all the lords knew he had ordered one. He maintained formalities, treating everyone equally, except the Manderlys, whose representative, Wendel Manderly, was summoned by his order before his forces were fully assembled. He met with him several times since his arrival and before the final meeting, Wendel had become his shadow and had sent a group of his men, along with some of Robb's servants and aides to Master Luwin, back to White Harbor with an important errand and a letter to the Iron Bank and the Sea Lord of Braavos.
Robb also had time for Bran, and every night, without fail, he left his lords to be with his brother and give him small doses of knowledge, never more than he could take in. Mostly, they were fantasy stories to distract him and keep him from going mad from the pressure he was under.
Finally, Robb recruited an extra three hundred men to join the Winterfell guard, and also recruited other men from his own peasant forces, bringing the total of five hundred extras to the Winterfell force. This would be effective after his departure. He did not want Lord Roose Bolton, whom they called "Lord Leech" to learn of his preparations against treachery, revolt and invasion.
Now, Robb was in the great hall, heading the table of the great lords. At his right side was Wendel Manderly, a somewhat fat bald man with walrus whiskers, and at his left side, Rickard Karstark, an old man with an unfriendly face and a neat white beard. Beyond Wendel was the female bear, Maege Mormont, stout and ugly as a bear. She looked as if she could compete with a bear at arm's length.
Robb, who knew the physical description given of his brother Jorah Mormont, the exiled, wondered if they would not name their island after the appearance of these people, although it should be noted that the eldest daughter of this bear, despite being tall, had an excellent figure, perhaps due to her youth.
The lords did not overlook the seats that had been assigned to them by Robb's order, nor did they overlook that Lord Bolton was exiled in the last seats, though he seemed indifferent as if he did not notice anything or as if he was not offended.
Master Luwin was a nervous wreck because of this order, as lords were to be placed according to their importance, and Wendel Manderly, a foreign lord to Northerners despite decades in the North, Lady Maege, a minor lord with a few men, and Roose Bolton, one of the strongest in the North, were seated in places that did not belong to them. In fact, it could be said that Lady Maege was taking Roose Bolton's place and Wendel should not even be at that table. He should have ducked out of events like this and hidden his foreign face from the rightful lords of the North.
"My lords, it is time to discuss the leadership of this army," Robb declared in a normal tone of voice.
Although the northern lords were not used to such a tone of voice (as they usually spoke in a high pitch that could be classified as shouting), they all shut their mouths and looked at him as if he had grown another head. Even Roose Bolton, who feigned indifference, blinked once breaking his calm facade. Robb nodded to indicate that he understood their surprise.
"Gentlemen, now before you, I am the first to acknowledge not my faults, but my shortcomings in terms of experience. Most of you have already participated in more than two wars, one even before I was born. My age of fourteen being the second of these shortcomings. In my father's absence, I am your lord, the lord of the north, and it is my duty, honor and privilege to lead you into battle to secure the welfare of my lord father and the rights of the north that have been violated and trampled upon.
"However, as I have said, I am young and inexperienced, so I must consult with you, my loyal lords, who should lead this army south for the purpose of freeing my lord father from the hands of the regicide queen and her bastard fruit of incest," Robb finished and fell silent to make room for his lords.
"It is clear that only my lord can lead this army," said Roose Bolton in a neutral tone and in a low voice, almost a whisper.
"Ha, Bolton, now is not the time to lick the lord's soles! "Jon Umber declared in a booming voice, emphasized by the fact that the dining room was silent after his statement. Didn't you hear what the boy said? He's too young and prefers to leave things in the hands of capable men, so…" Rickard Karstark pounded the table with the full weight of his open hand, drawing everyone's attention and interrupting the great Jon.
Grey Wind, who was lying next to Robb, stood up and watched the unfolding events with interest. Robb did nothing but stare at Lord Karstark.
"Shut up, Umber! "Rickard scolded. Don't make fools of us all and lose your head for lack of brains in the process. For like all of us, you listened well to the young lord's words when he said it was his duty, honor and privilege to lead the army.
"If you didn't understand, that means that any attempt to take command in his place is considered a breach of his duty, honor and privilege as you sir. Which will cause you to lose your head instantly," Lord Karstark explained with several grunts in between.
Big Jon scowled, first glaring at the old man in anger and then at Robb.
"Boy, are you a wolf or a snake? "Jon Umber scolded, causing Maege Mormont to rise and reach for his sword, followed by Wendel Manderly.
"My grandfather was a wolf. His first son, Brandon, was a wolf. His daughter, Liana, was a wolf. And by all accounts, my father is also a wolf, though a silent one. Me, I plan to be a direwolf, and they say these are more cunning and intelligent," Robb said casually.
Big Jon frowned more and as he thought, Robb could almost hear his brain begging for mercy for the effort because of the wince he winced several times and the time it took him to respond, which was nearly a minute. But when he finally did, he slammed his right hand on the table, making it bounce and splatter food on a few careless gentlemen. Then, his laughter spread throughout the dining room.
"Shit, I get it. Boy, maybe you're right. Wolves don't do so well going south. Maybe we need a direwolf," he concluded with a chuckle and sat back down to gulp down a mug of ale.
Master Luwin hurried to wipe the sweat from his brow as Lady Maege and Wendel sat back down, shaking their heads in frustration at Big Jon's poor intelligence.
"My lords, let us enjoy this feast while we can," Robb said to declare a return to the celebration, and uproar broke out again at the surrounding tables.
"My lord, you said earlier that the queen murdered the king and that the queen's son was the fruit of incest. Can you tell us, my lord, how you learned of this? "Lady Maege Mormont asked, and the lords instantly fell silent again and looked at him.
Robb nodded calmly, setting aside the prey of chicken he had just devoured. It was a relief to eat with these brutes, for table manners were all the same. Still, Robb finished chewing before speaking.
"I have been in communication with my lord father since he left Winterfell. He was interested in the reasons for the death of Lord Arryn, his mentor, whose sudden death and subsequent descriptions and details of it made him suspect murder.
"In researching, my lord father learned of Lord Arryn's last words, which were, "the seed is strong." Without context, however, my lord father did not understand their meaning. Still, he continued to investigate and became interested in his mentor's latest movements in the capital, which led him to several children and a book. The children, he discovered, because of their appearance and the accounts of their caretakers, were bastards of the king, and the book was one of the great houses, which spoke of marriages between these and the lesser houses of their descendants.
"The old hand, my lord father's mentor, was interested in the descendants of King Robert Baratheon, and in particular, in the appearance of his bastards, who, as the book mentioned, were black"haired and blue"eyed. The king had more than fifteen registered bastards and one legitimate one, and all of them were black"haired and blue"eyed. However, not a single one of his legitimate sons had black hair, and their eyes were green.
"Viewed in this light, there was reason for suspicion. Unfortunately, Lord Arryn died before he knew anything more or could tell the king of his suspicions. However, my lord father, thank the old gods, had better luck than he did and more clues as well.
"As my lords must know, my brother Bran suffered an unfortunate accident while climbing a tower. There they found golden hair and recent footmarks, leading to the assumption that the queen's long golden hair was there. Then, in his convalescence, my brother suffered another accident when a man wielding a Valyrian steel dagger tried to slit his throat while he was unconscious.
The lords cursed and pounded the table, cursing the Lannisters. Robb paused while they calmed down, and when they did, he continued speaking.
"As you know, my lord father is not a man to act on impulse. He only acts on the basis of reason and honor, which is why my lady mother, aware that we had no real proof, left for King's Landing to tell him of the latest developments. Because of this new evidence and coupled with what he already knew, my lord father concluded that the suspicions of the former hand were real and that it was likely that his son was pushed from the tower upon witnessing something he should not have seen.
"Again, however, they had no conclusive evidence, as Bran suffered a blow to the head and barely remembers anything of that day.
"As for the dagger, a friend of my lady mother's informed her that it belonged to Tyrion Lannister. I suppose she, blinded by her feelings, committed the imprudence of kidnapping the dwarf to question him about it, without consulting my lord father for fear that it might escape her hands.
Robb paused and looked at Roose Bolton.
"My lord, some have told me that you are noted for your cunning and intelligence. What do you think of this particular little matter? "He asked, looking into the Lord Leech's clear, unperturbed eyes.
"My lord, I would say that your mother's friendships are unreliable. The Lannisters are noted for their intelligence and cruelty, but that friendship of your mother's makes them look foolish and incapable," Roose Bolton said quietly, forcing everyone to prick up their ears. Robb nodded regretfully.
"Unfortunately, my lord father did not think so. He believed in the man's honor and chose to think his information might be a mistake or that the Lannisters made a mistake. That is why he decided to send my lady mother back while he investigated things further. Then my lady mother met Tyrion Lannister, and we all know what happened next," Robb said regretfully.
As the lords argued over Lord Stark's decision, Roose seemed to grow frustrated and decided to take Robb's bait, or perhaps he was baiting him to make him lose his temper. Whatever it was, he spoke.
"Unfortunately? "asked the Lord Leech twice because the first time the lords were in an uproar and nothing was heard. Robb nodded indifferently.
"As I said before, my lord father decided to trust that man because of his friendship with my lady mother. He just told me in his last letter that when he decided to listen to his instincts and tell the king everything so he could investigate the matter on his own, he took pity on the queen's children. King Robert was not known for his mercy towards children, and he believed they would be killed if his suspicions were confirmed. That is why my lord father went first to the queen and told her what he knew.
"To his dismay, she admitted that her sons were bastards and not only that, but that they were the bastards of her twin brother, and seemed even proud of it, refusing to accept any mercy or exile. My lord father could do nothing to convince her to flee before she spoke to the king, who was on the hunt at the time. Just after the queen's confession, the king suffered a regrettable accident resulting from too much wine, served by his Lannister cupbearer, and sustained a lethal wound.
"My lord father, unable to confess everything on the deathbed of his friend and brother so as not to make him die knowing the truth about those he believed to be his children, chose to keep silent and take charge of everything after the king's death. The king appointed my father guardian of the realm until his supposed heir came of age, making his will in the presence of some witnesses, including Ser Barristan Selmy, who was also the king's guard at the time of his accident and informed my father of the wine and the Lannister cupbearer, who turned out to be Lancel Lannister, son of Kevan Lannister the brother of Tywin Lannister. According to some rumors insinuated by my lady mother's supposed friend, this Lancel Lannister had been seen in suspicious and too close attitudes with Queen Cersei Lannister, to the point of indiscretion.
"After the death of the king and due to the events unleashed by my lady mother's abduction of Tyrion Lannister, my lord father had few men to trust, while the queen had two hundred Lannister guards at her disposal, so she could resist the king's last will and refuse to comply, or directly attempt against my lord father because of what she knew, as I suspected happened to the previous hand. So my lord father was in serious trouble until my lady mother's friendship came and offered him the support of the gold cloaks, three thousand men he claimed would support whoever paid them the most.
"Needless to say, my lord father was outraged, but after spending several months in the south, he had already understood that honor was a strange word there, so he accepted the humiliation and relied on my lady mother's friendship to get men with which to stand up to Queen Cersei and arrest her, since she would neither leave the throne willingly nor accept exile with her bastards.
"And this is all the information I received from my lord father in his last letter. But since his whole plan depended on this supposed friendship, I can only think that Lord Bolton is right and my father was betrayed and captured by this supposed friendship and the queen, who now accuses him of treason and holds him prisoner," Robb concluded.
He had not finished speaking when Great Jon stood up and with his clenched fist pounded the table with all his might, drawing splinters and drawing blood.
"Who is it? My lord, I demand to know the name of this traitorous wretch! "shouted Big Jon at the top of his lungs.
No one rebuked him, and even Maege rose to demand the traitor's name. Robb sighed, and everyone fell silent and stopped fussing when they realized he was about to speak.
"He was a former ward of Lord Hoster Tully, my lord grandfather, and grew up with my lady mother and her sister. He had a nickname. It was given to him because he came from the Vale, from a place called The Fingers. And as he was a small boy, they called him Littlefinger, but his name is Petyr Baelish, current coin counselor. As no word has reached us that he was arrested with my lord father, I fear that he was indeed the one who sold him to the queen. Why he did this I cannot understand, as I do not have much information about him.
"My lord father did not investigate him, which now resulted in his capture," Robb said regretfully and looked at Roose Bolton.
The other lords seemed to remember and looked at him as well. Roose remained calm, but a flash of anger passed through his eyes, or so Robb thought he saw. Whatever it was, the lord with the reputation of being cunning and clever now had the full attention of the North, who demanded information from him about Petyr Baelish.
"I am not the only one who knows his reasons," he said, looking at Lord Karstark. Everyone, the oldest of you should know, too. The boy who challenged Brandon Stark for Catelyn Tully's hand was also named Petyr Baelish and was also a ward of Lord Hoster Tully's Vale," Roose Bolton said in a whisper so muffled that some lords leaned in to hear him.
"My lord father was at the Eagles' Nest at the time and could not have known of it. And it seems my lady mother believed his friendship was above her grudge… or thought there was no reason for such a grudge," Robb corrected regretfully.
"The women…" Great Jon choked on his words as Lady Maege fixed a cold gaze on him.
"It is clear that Petyr Baelish has great enmity for the Starks, and there is no doubt that he has betrayed our lord. We must demand his head," Rickard Karstark declared. Robb shook his head.
"My lords, we are in no position to demand anything, for there is no honor or duty in the south. My lord father is a prisoner with my sisters, and as there is no news of the rest of our people, I fear they have already been silenced.
"So I repeat, we are in no position to demand anything, for there they understand only force. Fortunately…" said Robb, standing up and looking at the cracked table where Great Jon crushed his hand, "My lords, strength is something we have plenty of! "Robb roared, and they all guffawed and shouted in support, with shouts of "Stark!" and "Long live the North!"
…
"Brother, the lords call you the Winter Wolf," Bran said excitedly as Robb helped him lie down next to Master Luwin. Robb grimaced as he heard him, and Master Luwin smiled, knowing that the nickname was not to his liking and that his plans to become one had failed.
"Who the hell called me that? "Robb asked indignantly. Clearly, he preferred to be called the Direwolf. Even the Cunning Hound would be acceptable, but the Winter Wolf was too common for his taste.
"It was Big Jon, he said that next to you there was ice and cruelty in the air. And it was like being in a storm in the dead of winter," Bran said apprehensively, seeing that he hadn't liked his nickname.
Robb rolled his eyes. He should have put the brainless lord next to the leech lord, but he remembered a saying from his old world that "if you put a thousand fools next to one villain, you'll get a thousand and one villains," and he had to make sure to keep the fool safe from the villain's influence, even if it meant having them at his side. This decision was already giving him a headache.
Robb was quick to pat Bran's little head, who had already recovered from his malnourished state over the last month and now looked like a little red"headed teddy.
"He said, "Calm down, it's not your fault, and with how loud that man is yelling, I think I'm already sentenced to that nickname. There's nothing you can do about it. Besides, even though it's a vulgar nickname made with the wit of a jellyfish, it's intimidating, at least to those who know winter. It is not the stuff of legends, but the things of the world are often more frightening than the legends," said Robb to comfort the little one and himself. Now go to sleep, I have to go turn Rickon. The nursemaid took him a while ago and I didn't say goodnight," he added.
"He's a baby, he goes to sleep at dusk," Bran said, showing off himself.
Robb shook his head again. The only reason this brat hadn't fallen asleep was because the lords' cries had kept his heart in his hand.
…
"Bran, Winterfell is in your hands now. Remember everything I've told you," Robb said, and Bran nodded casually on his horse as Rickon wept at the castle gates in his nursemaid's arms and Shaggy howled locked behind the walls.
"Don't worry, I'll follow your advice," Bran said with assurance and confidence.
The little plasta wasn't really saying goodbye to him, so he wasn't worried about seeing him off and was playing brave. Robb rolled his eyes in his mind and patted him goodbye. Master Luwin looked at Bran in disbelief at his inexplicable poise and suddenly acquired courage.
"Master Luwin, I will soon send a suitable captain for the guard, and do not forget my orders regarding improved security. I will inform the person I send," Robb said.
Robb did not intend to be cryptic, but if he told Master Luwin that he would send Rodrik, who would meet with Catelyn Stark, the latter would think he had become a fortune teller or ask questions Robb preferred not to answer. Master Luwin nodded, thinking Robb had more secret plans because of his constant meetings with Bran and the boy's pallor when anyone asked him about what he studied with his older brother. He threatened to whip anyone who tried to get information out about Robb's plans. Bran wasn't too discreet, but at least he hadn't revealed anything and managed to scare off the more gossipy servants.
An hour later, Robb was riding at the head of an army of twenty thousand men, at the side of Roose Bolton, whom he liked to think he had surprised by calling him to ride at his side.
"My lord, your open distrust of me has puzzled me, but now, being the first lord to be called to ride at your side, it makes me think my lord is somewhat brazen," said Roose Bolton after an hour of silence and ignoring each other. He did not speak because Robb had beaten him in keeping quiet, but because protocol demanded that he speak to his lord. What it did not demand was that he be truthful, so that was an olive branch on Bolton's part.
"The distrust you have earned with your bungling attempt to test my intelligence! You're lucky I'm young and don't have the respect of these men, or your little act would have cost you your head instead of your place in the dining hall," Robb chided in a cold tone.
"My lord, I apologize for my behavior. I have already sent an urgent message, and three hundred well"armed men and the proper supplies will be arriving with us at Cailin's Moat," Lord Bolton offered.
"Lord Bolton, I know the history of our houses. I even know a few things about you, such as the birth of your bastard and the death of your heir. I won't say we are equals, but let me be arrogant and say I understand.
"Your rival lord has fallen prisoner, and there are only children in command. It is an opportunity, and he must at least test the waters, for a man without ambition is a dead man. That attitude is not something I disapprove of, and it is not something this world we have created disapproves of either, so I will not be hypocritical by calling him a traitor or other such insults.
"However, despite the fact that this world accepts strength and power as an excuse to climb positions, as our ancestors have already demonstrated, you must also remember that the price of failure in these attempts to rise in status is your head. It will not stand on his shoulders or that of his heirs, allies and kin if he dares to pull another little stunt like this," Robb warned in a calm, casual tone of voice. Roose bowed formally from his horse.
""My lord, I appreciate your advice and will bear it in mind from now on," Roose said vaguely, leaving Robb unsure if he was accepting defeat or postponing his plans for a better time.
Robb nodded being equally vague, knowing that any future attempt at treachery would result in the fall of Bolton's head.
"My lord, you seem to be aware of much more than you are saying. Earlier, I seemed to note that you already knew the reason Peter Baelish betrayed your father, and that is why he told us of his origins," Lord Bolton said, his words could not be construed as a statement or a question.
"I did not know, but given the man's treachery and his obvious resentment of my family, I assumed my lady mother left out some important parts of her relationship with him," Robb said calmly.
Roose was not talking to a fourteen year old boy who would be startled to be caught in his plots, but to a man who had lived a full life and had faced compromising situations before. Roose was somewhat expectant of such situations, and nodded in agreement following Robb's earlier example.
Robb's conversation with Roose Bolton lasted half a day and was pleasant. He even came to sympathize with the leech Lord for his cunning, cruelty and intelligence, as well as his almost inhuman self"control, great patience and consistency in his behavior and way of life.
After a quick lunch, Robb rode with Lord Karstark, who spoke proudly of his sons. Robb pleased Karstark by appointing his sons as his bodyguards, though he knew this had been one of the reasons for the fall of the old Robb. He was not the old Robb and he would be an idiot to allow such a thing to happen again.
At the end of the day, Robb ordered a crossbow from the blacksmiths accompanying them, wondering how good the Kingslayer would be with a crossbow embedded in the sword arm. He knew this plan had high odds of failure, but he had always wanted a crossbow, and this was his first line of defense. Later, he could try models that prioritized efficiency over personal pleasure.
…
In the evening, Robb invited the lords to his table. This time, Roose Bolton sat on his left and Rickard Karstark on his right. Wendel Manderly sat next to Bolton and Jon Umber next to Rickard Karstark, followed by Leidy Maege Mormont.
Robb noticed that the giant was intimidated by the Bear Woman and decided to seat her next to him to avoid any trouble. Lord Bolton noticed the seating choice and gave Robb a small, knowing smile.
The next morning, Robb had to endure the shouting of the giant as he rode beside him and complained in a tongue"in"cheek manner about having to ride after "that pretentious, old Karstark shit" and the "too"pale" Lord. This caused a terrible headache for Robb, who wasn't used to this kind of fuss, as in his old world people didn't usually shout. In fact, he just didn't hang out with rowdy people because it made his head hurt, as it did at this moment.
"You have it coming, my lord," Maege Mormont added at last, noting Robb's altered state.
"Are you going to reproach me for wanting to eat in peace? "Robb asked with righteous indignation.
"When that peace is at the expense of my own, I must admit it bothers me a little, my lord," he added as if he had forgotten.
"Leidy Mormont, my head is spinning, just name your price for your lord's peace," Robb said.
"My lord, I would not dare ask anything of you. Your welfare is my priority, and the problems of my territory must be solved by me, as well as the matter of my eldest daughter's marriage," said Leidy Maege.
Robb grimaced in his mind. He had read that these women were not interested in marriage, even this old bear did not mention a husband, which meant that all her daughters were bastards, and no one commented on it.
What on earth was the point of mentioning a husband now? Robb glanced slyly at the eldest of the old bear's daughters, who, although her hair was already white, her daughters didn't look a day over thirty. The eldest of them, at most, looked to be twenty"eight. She was also pretty, nothing to do with her mother's callus, she must have gone out to her unmentioned father, perhaps some unfortunate bard whom this bear kidnapped, because these used to be handsome men….
"Do you find her attractive, my lord? "Leidy Maege asked mischievously.
"Shit, this bear sure is saucy," Robb thought, but immediately a feeling of sadness came over him and, by the way the bear was groomed on her horse, she could tell. Robb sighed and shook his head.
"You have said nothing inappropriate, my lady. I have simply remembered that I am a lord now, and that comes at a price," Robb said, thinking of the Freys. That was another future he could not avoid and for him, an unpleasant matter he did not wish to remember.
"My lord fears he may have to exchange his hand for a political alliance," the old bear asked assertively, but from her earlier reaction and her words, there was not much to imagine.
"I fear it is more than a hunch, my lady," Robb said with a grimace.
"A woman who is supported by the beautiful? "Leidy Maege asked, trying to cheer him back up by reminding him that there are fates worse than death, and in spite of himself, Robb smiled.
"I guess I'm lucky then," Robb said with a half smile.
In the books they kept mentioning that the Freys had weasel faces, but there were several beauties among them, and the bear woman was right, there were worse fates than being forcibly married, like being forcibly married to an ugly callus, and in this world there was no lack of examples of that, like the case of Lisa Tully, married to an old man who could have been her grandfather. In the books she gave a creepy description of what it was like to kiss his toothless mouth and watch his raisin face while they had sex….
"Wait a minute, there are worse things than no beauty," Robb thought. Of course, he didn't deny that beauty appealed to him almost one hundred percent of the time, and that was just to leave a margin of error. But cases where a woman attracted him and, upon opening her mouth, caused him repulsion were also common, not to mention her manners and manner….
Robb remembered something that was fundamental to him and looked to where big Jon rode with growing horror.
"Old gods, if it was you who brought me here, I don't care if she is careless, even if she eats like a pig and belches at the table, please, old gods, let her have brains and sense!" thought Robb in despair as he rode on with the others.
Beauty no longer seemed such an attractive trait to him, after all, his own appearance was acceptable, and the wretches who would turn out ugly would be his children if he married someone ungraceful. But the one who would suffer sleepless nights and constant headaches if she married someone as outrageous and brainless as Jon Umber would be him.
He was likely to die of a stroke before he was thirty, and that was being optimistic. If he made it to his twenties without suffering several heart attacks due to his steadily rising blood pressure, that would already be quite an achievement…
"My lord has nothing to worry about, the Umber are unique beings, even in the north, I don't think I'll find a twin in the south," Leidy Mormont consoled, understanding his fears about it.
"Leidy Mormont, I hope for my sake that's true, because I think if it isn't, you'll see me, your Winter Wolf, running off to save my sanity," Robb said in a serious tone.
Leidy Maege laughed heartily. By the end of the day, Robb had added another guard, Leidy Mormont's eldest daughter, Dacey Mormont.
The march south continued with haste and without pause. Robb continued to get to know his lords better, suffering headaches every time it was his turn to ride with the thunder"throated, easy"laughing, stunted"brained, war"loving, loyal"to"the"death, steamroller"strong, loud"mouthed giant like no other.
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