Rumblings on the Horizon
Winterfell- 290 AC
"….made 20 thousand more Gold Dragons in taxes last year than the year before. Most of that comes from saving gold on food. Unfortunately our expenses have continued to increase exponentially. The Northern Army is a huge strain on our current resources and that strain will only continue to grow as the number of soldiers in the army grow. Luckily past Starks have always made sure to live frugal lives and made sure to save as much gold as they could in case of a serious winter. There was a little over a million gold dragons in the coffers three years ago but with all the new projects, we are down to a little over seven hundred thousand dragons. I expect that if we continue as we are, we will run out of gold within the next three years My Lords." Luwin finished reading from his report before looking up at Hadrian.
Harry could hear his uncle Ned clutching the arm rests of his chair so hard that the wood was starting to creak. Harry himself just kept calm and stared at the flames in the hearth of his solar. His only reply to the Maesters words was a small "Hmm". Other than that he was content to just sit and listen to the reports. Reports that the Maester continued when Harry continued to remain silent.
"Lady Mormont states that the construction at Sea-Dragon Point is going reasonably well, although they are starting to run behind schedule due to a lack of manpower. She expects them to fall further behind schedule in the future if she cannot get more workers. Some trading with the South has begun using two of the ships you captured from the Ironborn. As per your instructions, the ships have only begun trading with the Westerlands and are avoiding the Reach and further South. This is starting to bring in a little bit of gold to the area but not nearly enough to even make a small dent in expenses. The only thing the North has worth selling is furs and wood and you stated they are not to trade wood and furs are not in that high of a demand in the Summer. So I don't see trade in this area increasing much more in the short term." The Maester paused. Hadrian could feel Luwins and his uncle's gazes on him but he continued to keep his silence and watch the mesmerizing dance of the flames.
When it was clear he wasn't going to say anything, Luwin continued. "Construction of the Naval base on Bear Island is a different story however. According to Lord Jorah Mormont, the construction is costing significantly more gold than expected. Maege Mormont has still managed to keep the construction efforts on schedule despite the costs as they have recently finished building a small port and dock but they are running out of gold. "
Luwin only glanced up at Hadrian for a moment this time before he continued speaking. "Lady Mormont claims that there is not enough gold to begin training sailors. She will need more before anything can be done." Harry could hear his uncle constantly shifting in his chair. Despite that he was content to remain silent for the moment.
"Hadrian." His uncle called his name in a strained voice.
Harry released a small sigh before he dragged his attention away from the flames and towards his uncle. Ned had a grimace on his face and his hands were clenched on the armrests of his chair so tightly that his knuckles were white. Ned released a breath and noticeably calmed himself before speaking. "We are running out of gold. Perhaps it might be a good idea to stop some of the projects until others are finished, or until we build up more gold again."
Harry immediately shook his head. "No. Those projects are necessary for the prosperity of the North. They will continue as planned."
Ned grimaced. "Harry." His voice was incredibly strained now. As if he was struggling to keep his emotions under control. "We cannot afford to lose so much gold. Winter is coming and we will need gold to feed the North if it is long enough. With our relationship to The Riverlands in tatters, The Reach is our best option for buying food. They know that though and are sure to charge us high prices. We need as much gold as we can get. We cannot afford to lose much more."
Harry sighed. In truth his uncle was right. They did need as much of a safety net as possible in case of a harsh winter. That didn't mean he was willing to stop the projects that he had already started. That would be the same as throwing away gold and it would severely hurt his reputation.
He turned to Luwin. "How many ships has Lord Manderly built for the trade fleet?"
The Maester quickly started shuffling through papers while Harry waited patiently for him to find what he was looking for. After a few minutes he started to get slightly irritated and let his mind wonder towards thinking of ways to improve record keeping.
He was brought out of his thoughts by the Maesters voice. "Here we are. Lord Manderly has built twenty trading cogs in the last two years for House Stark and a further twenty for House Manderly. There is also six warships that have been built for House Stark."
Harry took a moment to contemplate those numbers. It was more ships than he originally wanted to be built. Harry originally only wanted a dozen trading cogs for House Stark and a dozen for House Manderly to take part in the trade expedition. Lord Manderly did ask if he could continue to expand the fleet but Harry never expected it to reach these numbers so quickly.
The trade expiditon was meant to take place over a year ago but was unfortunately delayed by the Ironborn rebellion. It seems Lord Manderly didn't slow down ship production at all during the extra year. In truth, Harry considered it a boon. No matter what he told the others about testing the viability of the trade fleet, he knew it would be a success barring some unforeseen disaster. History on Earth showed him that much.
After considering things for a while longer he nodded to himself and spoke. "Send a raven to Lord Manderly. Tell him to begin preparing the trade fleet for its first voyage. I want all the ships but ten to be ready to sail in a moon. Tell him that I will be travelling to White Harbour to see the fleet leave and discuss other matters of import with him."
The Maester nodded and started writing down notes of what Hadrian wanted done.
Meanwhile Harry turned to his uncle whose anxiousness hadn't eased at all. "Say what you want to say uncle."
Ned still looked hesitant but after a moment he took a few deep breaths to calm himself and began to speak. "I understand that you believe all these projects are important for the Norths development nephew but winter is still coming. If the winter is harsh, we will need all the gold we can get to prevent our people from starving. The trading voyage may work, but if it doesn't we might be in serious trouble. "
Harry slouched back into his chair and looked his uncle in the eyes. "You have a point uncle; the trade voyage is a gamble. Barring a huge disaster, I have confidence it will work, but there is always a chance that a storm will destroy the fleet. Then we might have a problem on our hands. Still, there are options that should bail us out of trouble should the worst happen."
Ned sat up in his chair and looked at Harry intently. "Oh, what options?"
Harry shrugged. "I have a few ideas in mind to help boost the economy further. I haven't had the time to devote to them properly but I suppose it should be something I should start looking at more seriously. These include things like looking for new sources of wealth in the mountains. None of our ancestors have done that, so there might be something worth some value. There are also a few more ideas I've had but they will be more complicated." Harry said, thinking of a few ideas, such as alcohol or glass production. Both of those ideas come with their own set of issues though. Not including the time he would need to spend to develop them that he could spend on other things.
Ned gained a gleam in his eyes. "You believe there might be wealth in the mountains?"
Harry shrugged, honestly unsure. "Some of the mountains in the North are part of the same range as mountains in the Westerlands. So there is a chance gold can be found there. If not, there should at least be iron or precious gems."
After a second he continued. "I will start looking into that at a later time though. When there is more time to devote towards it. There is also always the option of taking a loan from the Iron Bank."
Ned frowned severely. "I don't like the idea of getting into debt with the Iron Bank."
Harry nodded. "Neither do I uncle. It is something that I would like to avoid if at all possible. Still, it is something to keep in mind should we get desperate."
Ned hesitated before speaking. "Would the Iron Bank even loan us gold? The North has never been known for its wealth. They might doubt our ability to pay them back."
Harry couldn't help the snort that escaped him. "I wouldn't worry about that uncle. It would be easy to get them to loan us gold and it shouldn't be a problem to pay them back either. Braavos is a coastal city that is well known for their shipbuilding. Despite that, there are hardly any trees near the city itself. They have to buy a lot of their wood. We could probably get away with selling them wood at a decent discount for a number of years until the loan is paid back that way. I doubt the Iron Bank would refuse."
Ned looked towards the Maester. "Luwin?"
The Maester who had been watching Harry with an impressed expression answered the implied question. "It is well known that Braavos has a hunger for wood that is never truly sated. I agree with Lord Hadrian that the Iron Bank will probably agree to loan House Stark gold without issue and there is a decent chance they might be agreeable to a being repaid in wood. "
Ned visibly relaxed in his seat. "Good. That's good." He muttered.
Harry wanted to feel insulted that his uncle had so little faith in him but he could find it in himself to be so. He knew Ned was just worried and couldn't deny his worry was justified when they were burning through gold at such a pace. He was just happy that some of the stress on his uncle had lessened. He knew Ned hadn't had a pleasant few moons since returning from the war. What with the tension between him and Catelyn and the tensions with the Riverlands. He wanted to speak about that some but he wasn't finished with the previous topic yet.
So he continued speaking. "Loaning money from the Iron Bank is the last thing I want to do though either way. Not only is it a bad look for House Stark but I would rather not be at the mercy of any foreign powers. So that is something that I would only consider if there absolutely no other options." Not to mention it would mess with some of his other plans for the far future.
Namely opening a bank of his own. Not that something like that was likely to happen for at least a decade or two at the very least. If it happens at all. Harry so no reason to mention the possibility though. He knew it would just add more stress onto his uncles' shoulders that wasn't needed.
Ned nodded. "I understand and I agree. It should be the last option."
The three of them sat in relative silence for a few moments. In which Hadrian let his uncle just relax for a minute before he decided they needed to continue.
Harry looked at the Maester. "Any news from the Riverlands? About how the Tullys are reacting to me cutting off our trade?"
Harry saw his uncle tense right back up at the question. He felt a moment of guilt for putting his uncle through this but squashed it as quickly as it came. He knew he probably over reacted to Edmure Tullys insults when he was in Winterfell but he had to punish the Tullys in some way for overreaching. Besides, this would be better for the North in the long run. He didn't want his Kingdom to be dependent on another. This would just push his people to work even harder on increasing the number of farms and their food production.
Judging by the glance the Maester gave towards his uncle, he didn't miss the reaction either. To his credit though, he was quick to answer without hesitation. "There hasn't been any ravens from the Tullys my lord. So I can't say how Hoster Tully is reacting to the news or if he even wants to reopen negotiations for trade."
Harry sighed in slight disappointment. He was hoping that Hoster Tully might send a raven, either to threaten him or to try and repair ties. At least it would give him an idea of what to expect from them from now on. Unfortunately that wasn't the case.
For a while after the feast that Edmure Tully crashed, Harry did consider sending one of his Huntsmen of Winter who skinchanged with a bird to spy on the fish lord so he could find out what Hoster Tully is up to. Unfortunately their numbers were still extremely limited and he already had them on other tasks that were just as important.
There were five of them located in Winterfell at the moment. One of them was the head of the organisation whose job it was to report to Harry and to keep track of all the others. Another one of them was tasked with training a new member of the organisation. Two of them were currently trying to locate all the spies that were in the castle and determine who each of them reported to.
There were another three members currently outside of the castle. One of which was watching Lord Karstark as he trained the army for any signs of disloyalty and to make sure he did a competent job, as the army was too important to risk. Another was sent to start investigating Skagos so that he could have as much information as possible before the war, while the last was searching the North for any more skinchangers that would be useful to add to their numbers. He would desperately like to keep an eye on others things as well but unfortunately he is forced to prioritise.
Luwin continued, taking out a letter. "There has been a raven from Lord Blackwood however." Harry saw his uncle perk up before he saw the grim expression on Luwins face and settled into his usual mask of icy seriousness.
Luwin cringed. "There has been some tension from the Faith in the Riverlands and a few sects in the Vale. He states that some followers of the Faith have been killing those who worship the Old Gods that still exist in these areas. There have even been some signs of burnings that have happened. "
Eddard Stark looked grim. "Let me see that." He commanded.
Luwin handed the letter to his uncle whose face looked more and more grim the longer he read it. After a while his shoulders slumped and he passed on the letter to Harry who wanted to hear from his uncle before doing anything. Ned composed himself after a few moments and spoke. "According to Lord Blackwood the Faith in the Riverlands has been growing more fanatical for a little over a year now. At first there were just a few murders of Old God worshippers, now there are dozens of murders every fortnight that have been getting more and more brutal." His uncle sighed. "He believes it might be a resurgence in the Faith Militant. He wants me to write to the King and ask him to take care of the problem."
Harry sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Harry has no hope that King Robert will be able to handle this problem. If this is truly a resurgence of the Faith Militant then he knows that things are probably going to escalate in short order. To the point of causing untold amounts of chaos in the South. It is not so easy to kill an ideal. After thinking for a few minutes he came to a number of conclusions.
In truth he doesn't believe this is a bad thing for the North. Not completely anyway. He is obviously upset at the loss of innocent life but there isn't really much he can do for those in the South. His power is meaningless there. There are advantages that can be found in this disaster for the North though. If it is the Faith Militant resurging then this will probably keep most Nobles in the South occupied for quite some time, allowing him to move with much greater freedom. It also means that the South might become drastically weakened in the next few years. Another advantage is that many Old God worshippers might look to flee North, providing him with greater amounts of manpower that he desperately needs. It also provides the North with something to rally against. Meaning it will be easier to command some of the more stubborn nobles.
That's not to say there won't be challenges however. He will have to keep an eye on the Nobles in the North who are devoted to the Seven, such as Lord Whitehill. He will send one of his Huntsmen who are in Winterfell to keep an eye on that Lord, just in case. Another issue is that he is supposed to bring the Giants and the Children of the Forest South of The Wall soon. This will probably create even more members for the Faith Militant. Not that it will stop him. It is still something to keep in mind though.
Harry sighed and spoke to his uncle. "Gather two hundred men and send them to Moat Cailin. They are to prevent any Septas or Septons from coming into the North. The last thing we need is for them to spread their words in the North and create chaos. They are allowed to accept refugees, but each one must be thoroughly searched before they enter into the North. After that I want you to instruct Ser Rodrick to start training more men, there is a chance we may need them in the future."
His uncle pursed his lips but nodded. Harry looked at Maester Luwin. "I want you to write ravens to all my banner men and inform them of the situation in the South so that they are prepared. Inform them they are also to be on the lookout for and Septas or Septons who may be preaching violence against Old God worshippers. They are to be executed. I also want you to write to them and inform them that I am forbidding the construction of anymore Septs in the North until we can be sure that the situation is resolved. Those practicing the Faith of the Seven are allowed to repair and maintain the Septs they currently have but are not allowed to build anymore. We don't need this problem spreading to the North. Write to Lord Manderly and Lady Mormont to instruct them that all Septons or Septas who travel to White Harbour from the South are to be send back immediately. I don't care if it is the High Septon himself. "
His uncle pursed his lips. "Does this not seem a little excessive? I'm sure Robert or Jon will be able to fix this before it becomes too much of a problem."
Harry shook his head. "Something like this can spiral out of control very quickly. Robert is the Protector of the Faith and Jon Arryn isn't ruthless enough to stop that from happening. Desperate men are the most likely to join the Faith Militant. The more chaos in the South the more desperate men there will be. It is important that we cut any attempts to spread such chaos in the North off at the knees."
Ned sighed. "Very well."
After thinking for a few more moments Harry spoke again. "No member of our family is to leave Winterfell without at least ten guards. We make for a tempting target for any members of the Faith Militant who will manage to sneak into the North. Other than that it is business as usual. I will still be going to White Harbour. Afterwards I will make a trip up to Last Hearth and then the Wall."
With that Harry stood up and made his way out of his chambers. He was deep in thought as he thought of all the implications of a new Faith Militant. He went through dozens of plans and discarded just as many as he slowly walked through the halls followed closely by his guards. He passed the courtyard where Jon and Rob were learning their forms for the sword and where others were sparring. He knew the next few years were only going to get more difficult.
Harry stopped and just watched his cousins for a few minutes, enjoying the sight of their carefree smiles and their boundless optimism. He only hoped that he would be able to protect those smiles in the years to come.
After a while he carried on walking, his legs taking him towards the Godswood.
He didn't hesitate to enter once he found the gate. His guards stopping to protect the entrance. Harry walked through the natural beauty of the Godswood followed only by his dog Padfoot.
He immediately dropped onto his knees once he reached the Heartree and extended his hand towards the bark while closing his eyes and stretching out his mind. In moments he found himself in the Green. He flew though the different paths and branches at an incredible speed compared to when he first started practicing Greenseeing. It was only a few short moments before he found himself standing in a familiar looking cave covered in roots where he waited.
He didn't have to wait very long before a small figure approached out of one of the tunnels connecting to the chamber.
Harry took a deep breath before looking down into the eyes of the Child of the Forest. "Leaf." He greeted. "We need to talk."
To read ahead: Pat_ (slash) TheLifeandTimes19.