AN: Hello, I'm alive and yes I am sorry it has been a bit since the last update. Life has gotten in the way and although I am constantly thinking of the future and how I want this story to progress, typing it out has been a thorn in my side. I've started to make a big bullet point, of events I wish to hit and I believe it will help me progress and keep on point and not go months without an update, cause I know I dislike when other fanfics go months or even a year without an update, so I am striving hard to have a good sized update a month. With that, please review and give any critiques and what you feel about my story, my thanks! And on to the show as they say...
We had been on the road for 2 days now, travelling with horse and a few carts alike to carry supplies for the short journey. Along with the small assortment of guards and villagers, Lady Mira had accompanied along as well to go see the Starks, as soon she was going to go be a Lady in Waiting to a Southern Lord Paramount's daughter in the upcoming months and wouldn't be back in the North for a long while after that. I had asked some of the guards I had been sparring with as to what exactly a Lady in Waiting meant and they had explained the high significance and esteem that came from the position. Daughters from minor Lords would be sent and keep higher Lord's daughter company, give them company and friendship along with being a semi-attendant in everyday life and through that, the daughter might gain a higher marriage prospective and more honor amongst other nobility. I'm sure it was a highly sought out thing in this culture, to me it did seem a bit of a form of forced service for younger daughters, but I was not to judge this culture, after seeing dozens in the padawan years and studying hundreds in my research, it wasn't the most harsh to say the least. The more I learned of the smaller cultural details from this planet, I wanted to discover more and see what more they could potentially offer to the Galaxy perhaps.
Lady Mira pulled up along my horse I was given for the journey, she would switch between riding in one of the wagons or riding a horse, not wanting to slow down the party as we would, there wasn't a carriage that most high born ladies would use, but were very slow and prone to breaking down in this harsh dirt path environment.
"Ser Ethras, how is the North treating you? What do think of the land so far? Seen anything like this before in your travels with your former Master?" She asked me as her horse trotted next to mine a few feet away. I was thankful that a few worlds my Master and I had travelled to have had similar animals such as the horse on this planet, which we would ride for transportation, so it wasn't such a foreign act to do.
"It seems like very simple yet beautiful country my Lady, quite harsh yet has a very... hard to describe sense about it. Like one must be respectful and maintain a strong constitution to survive here I would say. Just based off the few days of travel I have seen." I replied back to her whilst she was looking around and finally settled back on me.
She nodded as to what I had said to her, "Yes quite a safe way to say as to where we live here Ser Jedi. I've been told many others would have a far harsher way to describe how we go about life in this very unique place."
"How do the rest of the kingdoms look upon the North as a whole then? Not in the highest esteem I take it?" I asked her back. There was about a minute of silence except for the noises the horses made from walking as she was thinking of a way to answer what I had asked.
"With people that have visited from either trade or travel and have seen what the North has to offer, they view us in a positive light I would say... those that have never been anywhere close to the North, or with extreme narrow religious views, they would see us as barbarians, living like savages in the snow and shutting ourselves out from the rest of the kingdoms while they prosper, opposed to us in every way really while never trying to understand us." She replied back to me while looking straight ahead with a bit of contempt.
"Most tragic I would say… closing one's mind off to what is unknown is something that keeps one from growing and a fear of what one does not understand. I have crossed paths with many towards myself, my heritage and from the way my Order operates. Sadly the only way I know to correct their narrow views is to show them that I am not their nightmare or worst fear and if they see me as different, they have to begin to question what they know and don't. Any more than that, I cannot control and it would be wasteful to try to change more than that really I would say." As I said that, Lady Mira looked towards me while she thought about what I had said.
"A strong view of what you can affect or not… I never considered it from that approach but I must say it is very intriguing and most notable very straight forward really." She replied back with a soft smirk at me.
"There are many views of people that would never change no matter what you do, so why try and fail when the best thing to do is stay true to yourself, your culture and people and leave any negative people from your mind really. My Master said many things but one I will always remember is a simple saying, 'Know thyself', simple I will admit... but with it comes great recognition and a truth if you will, a very freedom in one's self." I smiled back to her.
"I shall have to remember that, seems very simple yet a powerful message" Lady Mira replied back to me as the convoy passed an abandoned small farm village.
"Tell me my Lady; is this a common occurrence, old forgotten village's no longer in use? Does the North not have any people trying for land to call their own and grow upon it?"
"Sadly this is more seen than naught, the North has always suffered from a smaller population than the rest of the Kingdoms, we have so much land to call our own, and some might say the North equals all the other Kingdoms combined, yet out people barely would reach the numbers of the Riverlands or Vale combined. Being so far in the North and having such harsh conditions, especially doing our true winters, which we lose many to cold and starvation, very few people outside of the North can stand to live here and prosper, it is said we are a hardy folk and really the only ones capable of living here. That is why most Northerners see those that live south of us as simple pampered folk that cannot match us in the coldest of winters. Oh from time to time people will travel to claim some land and try to stay here, the Manderly's come to mind, they used to live in the south, the Reach to be exact, but they were driven from their lands and moved all of their household and people to up here in the North and swore fealty to the Starks hundreds of years ago and they were given lands and now have our biggest port and only city which helps us with trade. A few families of common folk or hedge knights looking for work will try, but there isn't a big wave of people coming for all our land to try to live it. This is why we also don't have much wealth compared to other kingdoms, less people mean less to tax and that means less food to buy along with other supplies or tool that might help our people prosper and survive more." She had a soft saddened look after explaining to me why the North seemed to live as they were.
"Hmm… what you say does seem to make some thought my Lady, harsh conditions do make it less desirable to live here, and less people means less work force, with both farming and work force being in less supply and for war, less man power at all. Has no one ever thought of a fix for this problem?" I asked her back.
Shaking her head, "No I don't think so Ser Jedi, though you would have to ask my Lord father or a measter to get a more proper answer, as I have not given to much thought to that proposed solution as you has asked. I just know how our history is and what has been happening for centuries upon centuries really to be truthful."
I smiled back at her answer as it seemed very honest, "No need to be disheartened my Lady, I was just curious if someone might have thought of an idea but it was not tried at least because of just following the old way of things that has been occurring. I have seen it happen more than it would seem, but alas I will wait and ask others to see what might be said, how much longer do you think till we reach Winterfell? Have you travelled this way before?"
"Oh yes, it has been a few years but I have travelled this way twice before, once when I was younger, then the last time around 3 years ago for a feast of all the Northern Lords. If I remember right, we are about a day and half away, we will most likely make camp tonight then reach Winterfell later on the morrow with good time the horses and carts take us." Lady Mira responded back smiling at me.
"Well I am sure it will be a pleasant day or two with the great North showing it's true colors I will say" I told her back with a bit of a soft chuckle and admiration. She joined in with a few giggles and nodded her head as to what I had said.
Indeed the next day passed by with no real issues, we stopped for meals and set up camp for the night and talking amongst more of the travelling party was a satisfying adventure to say the least. I was growing attached to this culture to say the least. After sleeping peacefully and breaking camp the next morning and riding again, I switched between various people in chats and after the whole day of riding I was told we were about to be intercepted by a welcoming party of guards from Winterfell. Riding on, as we curved around a bend then a small hill, I saw it. I have seen many things around the galaxy in my still yet short life, from the massive Jedi Temple, to various structures that look as if giant machines built them to be massive. What I saw from the distance, Winterfell had an auror of a mass stone structure that said one thing to me.
We are prepared to survive.
This massive keep was built tall, built strong and built to last the millennia it seemed. The town outside of it seemed almost dwarfed by this massive double walled castle that, if given any modern Republic engineering or weaponry, it might prove to be truly unconquerable. I wonder how long it had been standing, given that the Stark family has been in control of these lands for many countless generations. I hope I would be able to see their library and ask their master about any questions I had.
The party made our way past the town, which I was told called Winter town, just outside the walls and soon we began the entry into the massive home of the wolves of The North.