:-[Chapter 9]-:
With a simple nod to the horn bearer, the Lord of Winterfell gave the final signal of departure. The sound of the horn was heard throughout the court. The servants, peasants and other who were gathered to wish their Lord goodbye simply bowed their head to the brave men. Some would not return, some would but injured. Some were dreaming of glory of the battlefield while other simply wanted to come back in one piece.
Closely followed by his sons and his household guard, Lord Rickard Stark was the first to pass through the gates of Winterfell in the direction where many men would not come back, war. The solemn atmosphere was suddenly broken by Hedwig, who let out the longest of howl.
:-[T.A.B]-:
The North was truly something to behold. The territory was larger than the rest of Westeros combined. Harry never really thought about transportation before. Even in his real life, he was put inside of a cupboard for most of the time. Before Hogwarts, he could count on the finger of one hand how many time he got inside his Uncle Vernon's car.
In school, he discovered the joy of broom riding. Sadly, Kalvyn did not let him bring his before coming here in Westeros, not that he could really use it anyway.
Thanks to the lessons with Lyanna, Harry was becoming fairly good at riding. Or course, he was nowhere near the level of the she-horse. The daughter of Rickard was born to be a horse rider.
Horse riding made him feel more and more as a knight of old England, especially in his armour and with his sword strapped on his waist. Without thinking, he checked again if Sura's favour was still in his armband. He didn't show it to the others. He wanted to keep this between him and her.
In front of him were Eddard Stark and Robert Baratheon. Their group had separated from the main group a couple of days ago. Rickard and Brandon had taken the main Northern host to cross the White Knife and arrived in White Harbor hopefully in a week or so.
Eddard and Robert were at the front as every leader should be, leading the men. They made the decision to send scouts, making sure the way was clear. Harry wasn't really worried though. With a host of five hundred seasoned northerners warriors, plus the men who had accompanied Rickard's son, they had a group of almost six hundred peoples. Only fools would attack such a group.
From what Harry understood, Moat Cailin would be their next destination. They would sleep there for the night and take the road again first thing in the morning. Thanks to his studies with Maester Walys, the young wizard was really excited to see the old fortress that had resist the Andal's invasion thousands of years ago.
For weeks now they ether slept in tents or in small villages. But with such a number, not all soldiers were lucky enough to have comfortable beds. Or course, Eddard and Robert always had the best room available, not that anyone complained. A Stark in the North would always be treated as royalty, even a second son.
Harry decided to stay with the men. Kalvyn wanted him to obtain the warrior mentality? Well, what best way to stay with the men that you will train with for the next months. Every day, before sleeping, the young warrior had at the very least a couple of spar with different guards. He decided to keep his training with seasoned warrior to keep his reflex sharp. He knew that he wouldn't probably fight with the army, but he was determined nonetheless.
Every night, he went to sleep exhausted but happy with his progress. He was able to fight longer and longer against the men. Ser Rodrik couldn't stay with him at all time, since his main duty was to watch over Rickard Stark's son. He gave him pointers here and there like in Winterfell but let the sparing to the Household guards.
"Hey Winterstorm!" a booming voice said, letting him out of his thought.
Robert Baratheon, who was in the front of the army, pointed out a gigantic fortress. A fortress that unfortunately was in a pitiful state. Only three towers remained standing out of the twenty that once existed.
'A very sad state.' Thought the young men. 'Maybe I could restore it once I master the Reparo spell. I remember Professor Flitwick once taught us that the spell could repair entire houses if the wizard what powerful enough and Kalvyn told me that I had the potential to be even more powerful.'
"Welcome to Moat Cailin, one of the oldest castle in Westeros. Once the greatest stronghold of the North, now a ruin." Eddard Stark said with a sad voice.
"Ah Ned! Don't worry about it. Maybe your Lord father could give you this castle for you to restore yes? If not, come with me at Storm's End so with can feast and drink until the Stranger come and get us."
"What about fighting Robert?" smirked Eddard.
"Ah yes! My third love. I cannot wait to fight those fucking pirates in the Vale. My blood screams for a fight."
"Aye, Ours is the Fury indeed."
"Indeed it is! My warhammer cannot wait to crush those fuckers' skulls. They think they can rebel against their rightful Lord? I am going to show them what the price for this idiocy is."
"Calm down Robert. Keep your strength for the actual fighting." Laughed the second son of Rickard.
"Too much energy Ned!" boomed Robert before rushing his horse in direction of Moat Cailin.
Harry could hear chuckles coming from the men beside him. It was rare that he heard men from the North laugh openly. Life here was hard and very few moments could offer joy or even small rest to the people.
"He really is something, isn't he, Lord Eddard?" Harry said, approaching the Winterfell's Lord son.
"Aye. He is a brother in all but name. His heart is in the right place. He will do a magnificent Lord of Storm's End." Responded the man.
The young wizard said nothing, not wanting to offend the brother of his two friends. Being a good man doesn't mean he would do a good job as Lord Paramount, in Harry's opinion. But Robert was very young still, barely thirteen years of age.
"Ser Rodrik. Please send a company of men with Robert to make sure he doesn't hurt himself, hum?" ordered Eddard.
"Yes my Lord." Responded the knight before barking some orders.
:-[T.A.B]-:
When arrived at Moat Cailin, Harry was offered a room. Since he didn't practice his magic in a while, he decided to make a change in his routine. Accepting the room, the young wizard asked for a few more candles, pretending to want to read the lessons that Maester Walys had given him before his departures.
The reason he wanted the candles was simple, he wanted to create more light to minimize the glow when he was experimenting with the Lumos spell. He was finally able to do it wandlessly and non-verbally. Now, he wanted to test to make an object shine and have stay that way for a long time. It was rather dark in his trunk with only candles for light.
He figures it was a good way to start channelling his own magic into an object. He had no idea how enchanting worked though.
'Might as well start somewhere.' Thought Harry. 'There are no books, no teachers and no Hermione Granger to help. I have already managed one spell without my wand, I will manage this as well.'
With this promise to himself, Harry locked the door to his room and opened his magical trunk. He quickly went down the steps and went to the center of the main room to sit on the white marble floor and started his work.
:-[T.A.B]-:
In the morning, Harry hadn't managed to make any progress whatsoever. Nothing that he could think of was working. He was expecting this of course. He had doubted greatly that he would succeed the first time anyway.
Wanting to be ready at the same time as the other men, the young warrior decided to go out a little earlier than usual. He had a routine to help stretch his leg before this long day of riding. With a couple of young warriors from Winterfell, they went on a small run around the camp.
It helped a lot with the cardio which also helped with his sword training. Harry was getting stronger and stronger. The men who he spared with were complimenting him on his progress.
After his run, they went to wash in a nearby river. One without lizard-lions.
Once he felt cleaner, Harry went back to Moat Cailin's courtyard, where the men were all getting ready to march across the Neck. The horses were mounted and the majority of the army was already awake. The young wizard could see Ser Rodrik Cassel barking orders left and right, making sure they were all ready for when Lord Stark would come out.
Harry immediately went to his horse, not wanting to be the last one. His armor and shield had been left by the river with the others when they went to wash so they would all be ready as soon as they were done.
The tower doors opened, letting Lord Eddard Stark through. Beside him was Lord Robert followed very closely by the Household guards. Before he could join his horse however, a soldier ran towards him before being stopped on the spot by the guards.
"My Lord, I bore a message from the front gate. Lord Reed is here to accompany from here to the Riverlands." The soldier said quickly, seeing the menacing look on Ser Rodrik's face.
"Lord Reed is here?" Eddard confirmed with the man who nodded quickly. "Please my good man, lead the way."
"Aye my Lord!" the man happily said.
The Stark boy immediately followed the man. It was his duty as a Stark to welcome all the Northern Lords who came across his way.
"Why the Lord of the Neck didn't stay in Moat Cailin with us last night, Ser Rodrik?" Harry asked the knight beside him.
"The crannogmen does not care for castles. They much prefer to stay in nature. They live in harmony with the swamp. Trust me on this, young Harry, if an army was to pass through the swamp, they would suffer so many loss to them, the lizard-lions, the bugs or the swamp itself. It is a formidable natural defence we have and an even better luck that we have a friendly Lord there." The knight explained while saddling his Lord's horse.
"How do they know each other, Ser Rodrik? Lord Eddard was in the Eyrie for years from what I understood."
"You listened well to your lesson with Maester Walys. You are right. It happened when Lord Eddard was an even younger lad. Me and a contingent of warriors for Winterfell were escorting him to the Vale. The lad was not doing good, missing his family and his home terribly. Fostering is important, but it is hard on the children. They do not always understand why their family is sending them away. Anyway, Lord Howland Reed and his men arrived from nowhere during one night, completely surrounding us in mere seconds." The Cassel man started to explain before going to saddle Robert's horse.
"The crannogmen surrounded you? How do they manage this?" asked a very surprise Harry.
"No idea." Rodrik said, being completely honest. "They are one with the swamp, like I told you. Lord Howland Reed lost both his parents to illness when he was very young. I do not know what he said to young Eddard in that time since he ordered us to stay distant enough to not hear anything. When they came back, the sadness was almost gone and he became again the young boy I knew at Winterfell. A friendship was born between the two."
"Sometime that is all it takes to form a friendship that will last for a life time." Harry said, thinking about Ron and Hermione and the adventures they had at the end of his first year.
"Aye lad. Now why don't you..." began the knight before getting interrupted by Eddard.
"Please come here Harry, Lord Reed wishes to speak with you." Called the Northman.
The young wizard let his horse in the hand of Ser Rodrik and walked in direction of the two lords.
Lord Howland Reed was a small child in which Harry at a head more than him. In his eyes however was a wisdom far beyond his age. He was wearing a cape that perfectly blended with the swamp behind him. His deep brown eyes were looking intently at him.
"My lord Eddard, lord Reed." Harry said bowing his head in respect to the two men.
"So you are Harry of the Winterstorm, yes? Said Howland, his voice soft like the wind.
"Aye my lord. The nickname was given to me by Lord Rickard Stark and his men when they found me." Harry answered truthfully.
"In his letter, Lord Stark told me that you possess a direwolf, is that true?"
The comment made Harry slightly offended. "I do not possess her. Hedwig is my friend, not some slave I keep to my beck and call. My lord." Finished the raven haired boy.
When he heard the young man answer, Howland let his smile appeared, letting out a sigh in relief.
"Good. I had to be sure that someone with a good soul was in possession of a direwolf, especially so close to the Starks. I can see it through your eyes, Harry of the Winterstorm, you will accomplish what you seek as long as you do not falter from your way."
He turned to Eddard, making eyes contact with his friend.
"Will you give me some minutes with him, my lord Eddard?" Howland Reed asked.
Eddard looked at both the men in front of him and shrugged his shoulders.
"I don't mind, but be quick about it, Howland. We need to get to the Riverlands and then the Eyrie. The road in long and treacherous." The son of Rickard said before leaving.
"Now that we are alone, we can speak more openly, Harry of the Winterstorm." The lord of the Neck started.
"What do you wish to speak with me my lord?
"You. Why are you the first possible direwolf skinchanger outside of the Starks in centuries if not millennia? Why do I feel there is more about you then meet the eyes?"
Harry tried to keep his calm before answering. "My lord, Hedwig came to me during the massive snow storm months ago while I was lost in the forest. Like I said earlier, she is a friend, not a pet or an animal in a cage. Lord Stark was kind enough to let her roam Winterfell and around the Godswood."
Howland didn't let his piercing look leave Harry once second. "Very well. I feel you are telling the truth about her. It is a pity she's not here however, I would have love to see a direwolf south of the Wall."
"Her path was to stay at Winterfell for the moment. She will be ready for the adventures to come."
The Lord of the Neck looked at him intently, still not looking anywhere but the young wizard's green eyes, trying to find deception.
"I will look upon you while to travel though the Kingsroad. The Neck is a very dangerous place for people not from there, even northmen." Finished the lord.
:-[T.A.B]-:
The journey through the Riverlands was eventless. They passed the bridge of the Twins without any issues, which was surprising if what Eddard and Robert said about Walder Frey was true. The man was said to be an opportunist to the core but let them pass without any fuss whatsoever. From what Harry understood, they were a deal between the Lord Paramount of the North and the Lord Paramount of the Trident. Lord Frey was left no others choice then to obey his lord's direct order
They've receive a raven earlier in the morning from Lord Jon Arryn saying that he had send a small escort to the Bloody Gates for them. He and his own army were already on their way to Gulltown, where the Vale's fleet was.
Harry was getting bored. Sure the sparring was there to help keep his mind and body sharp but the long travel on a horse's back was tiring. He could practice his magic at all so no progress was made on that front.
'I was not brought here to learn to control my magic. It is only a bonus from this live. I need to focus on being a warrior and discover the threat Lord Stark was talking about. I already know I can do wandless magic in less than a year of being here.' Thought Harry while trotting on his horse in the direction of the Bloody Gates.
The young warrior could easily see how this massive construction would stop most of the armies marching against it. From what he heard, sometimes the mountain clans were sometimes attacking but the Gates were always holding against them.
"Who would pass the Bloody Gates?" a strong voice said.
As the leader of the army, Eddard Stark stepped forward with his horse.
"I, Lord Eddard Stark, foster son of Jon Arryn and second son of Rickard Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Lord Paramount of the North, wish to pass." Eddard answered with an equally strong voice.
"It is good to see you again Lord Eddard." Said the knight of the gates. "Open the gates! Let them pass now."
The massive gates slowly opened before them. Leading the way, Eddard was the first to pass through the entrance, followed closely by Robert Baratheon and the rest of the northern host. Next stop, Gulltown.
:-[T.A.B]-:
Thank you everyone for reading Chapter 9 of The adventure begins! Please let a review in the comment, letting me know what you think about my story.
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