The North
281 After the Conquest
Alaric's eye traced across his ledger. His desk was full of pens, carefully made instruments to write... because he and his brother and their pages, and scribes spent time writing frequently. Iron black ink covered the ledger's two columns. He nodded, and looked at the men in front of him closed the book and placed it with the ledger of the demesnes finances. Harrenhall had been, attending the tourney had been a necessary expense. It was an expected expense... he had the money to spare. "The progress with your hold Roose is good." His brother nodded. Roose had done his best to keep things orderly while he'd been away, "We may have a problem across the sea."
The second sons had sent a representative for siege weapons... and that would be a pretty purse to have for so little in cost. "You mean to cross the sea?" It wasn't really a question, "You just now returned." His brother's normally even voice trembled in what he new was an accusation.
"It will be worth it for the realm." Alaric replied simply reaching down to scratch the dog's massive head. "A few moons."
"You can't." Roose's protest was immediate. "There is, the Sea Wolf, you can't leave until its squared away at least."
He tilted his head to Lord Overton to the left of his solar's table, "I suppose that is a valid matter," Alaric remarked, "i'll need to speak with the Second Sons man but I will need to have Harrier, Raptor, and Eagle prepared for action when I call them."
"All three?" Lord Overton swallowed. "Of course Lord Bolton, it will be done."
He turned to other man, "Lord Eamon?" Alaric questioned to the head of house Whitehill, who shared a given name with the Lord of Overton.
Eamon Whitehill on the opposite side of the table from Lord Overton lips had thinned, "Forgive me my lord, but I must voice agreement with your brother's wisdom," Lord Eamon withheld any sermonizing, that sort of thing had never had any success in Donnel Bolton's day, and Eamon knew it, "To take all three ships into action, I should as your leal man also ask to what rapscallions you mean to battle."
Lord Eamon Whitehill had supported Donnel Bolton's forays against bandits. He had ridden down bandits for the previous lord of the dreadfort. Thus, to an extent Alaric regretted he was not on better terms with the man. House Whitehill had mines... that could have done with investment... Alaric knew that, but he could just never seem to find the time make the time to study the question... and of course there was always the matter of if he did invest them he would need to expand the roads... and a host of other things that were admittedly smaller. It was a question of priorities, and Lord Eamon was right to resent that.
"There is trouble stirring, I'd first like to ask Braavos what they know, and there are ships in the eastern sea which fly without colors who may be in Pentos's employ, maybe Lys, or some other city across the way," He paused, "But even if they cannot catch Harrier, they shadowed her course, and I will not abide such."
Lord Eamon agreed he should not have to. Alaric waited though for the other shoe to drop. "I must protest though any plans to sail for Volantis, my lord. You are needed here." Whitehill urged, and it was not just Roose. The truth was Alaric had had been lord of the Dreadfort for some time now... and while he had been a prosperous ruler, and his realm was at peace it had been a change from the way his father had ruled.
Donnel Bolton had often dismissed concerns raised by his vassals about the way he had raised Alaric and Roose... that Donnel had been too free in the reins. Alaric had returned from his time in Essos with booty, which had been all Donnel had cared to hear about. The Essosi small folk who had come and settled around Rohan had elicited some protests but his father had ignored them. Lord Eamon Whitehill had not been one of those who had protested that... but he no doubt remembered those protests even if Eamon had thought the time the horse breeding at Rider's March was a good thing to be done.
Donnel Bolton had chosen to accept those people and the young men who had come back with foreign wives. He would not hear complaints, but he also had not cared too much about it. Their father had not cared. Then of course... well Roose had been only five and ten when Donnel had died of his wounds.
Alaric turned to Braxton Overton, the Lord Overton's brother. "I want the ships ready, you have command." He informed Braxton. His personal arms man nodded turned sharply and left the room without a word to the other men. "Does that ameliorate your concerns Lord Whitehill."
"Ser Braxton's abilities are well vouched for my lord, I have great confidence he will deal with any pirates, or slavers from Essos." Whitehill remarked stroking his graying beard. Lord Walton, and Lord Cromby had been jostled by Braxton move through their ranks.
He glanced to Lord Ethering, who was Roose other neighbor of note, "That should resolve things then, Roose since I will be here until the Sea Wolf is ready to sail you may wish to consider the responsibilities of your hold fast."
The first demonstration that the situation was worse than he had imagined was that Ayreon had come in person... and bearing gifts. Scrolls from Old Valyria. The Voltene noble had fine classically Valyrian features. He was tall to the point of an almost effeminate willowy build. He couldn't grow a beard to save his life, but gilt on the long sword at side or not he was an accomplished duelist. "The first daughter does not plan to go to war," He remarked, "But the company requires siege weapons."
"So I've been informed." Alaric remarked. "Would you tell me why you are here friend?"
"I do enjoy your company, but you are correct," He replied sibilantly. "You had mentioned on your last visit to the city you intended to mount an expedition to the far east."
"I did, but that is a journey I cannot make myself."
"Which you said as much," The Volantene man replied, "Volantis is not prepared for a war but we need the second sons prepared to march along the dragon's road." That was the crux, fully laden the ships could make the run in under a month with stopovers along the way.
"Am I selling these weapons to Volantis, or to the Second Sons Ayreon?" He asked
"The second sons my friend... but it is I will admit with Volantene coin, with coin from the old bloods, and it will be appreciated." Alaric nodded... a half dozen trips, and they'd finally let him into the old city... and now there was this... and of course he didn't forget per se that Steffon Baratheon had travelled to Volantis as well... but for different things. "That being said, that appreciation is that we need more siege weapons, and we need them quickly."
No doubt what that meant was they wanted Eagle, and Raptor to sail laden with both. "To Volantis?"
"No the second sons are as you have been told in Braavos." Now was as good of time as any to ask about the Lorathi situation, and of Pentos he supposed. Ayreon sat back in the chair stretching his legs out to the well built fire in the solar that had been stocked in consideration for the southerner and his slight build Regardless of the weather at Harrenhall the Dreadfort's surroundings were a bit bracing for those not of the North, though it was a mild mid morning for a northman. "We believe the Lorathi ships of late are but sell sails, we expect a conflict with Lys, and Myr."
"And Braavos?"
"No, we expect Braavosi neutrality in this unpleasantness." Ayreon replied.
Alaric understood that there was a long history of conflict between Volantis facing Myr and Lys... and he was probably right that Braavos would not likely come to eithers aid... he visualized a map of the 'free cities', "What is the second sons objective Ayreon?" Volantis was old and wealthy but if Myr and Lys could bring Tyrosh into an alliance then they would win the war ... but Myr, and Lys, and Tyrosh frequently warred with each other.
"To fight a campaign against Myr," Ayreon answered, his purple eyes fixing Alaric's own pale eyes, "To do it quickly... that is why we need siege weapons. The triarchy is in agreement on this, but it must be with the second sons doing the fighting. We do not wish to see the Tigers returned to power my friend, but the threat is dire."
"What can you tell me of Lys's ambitions?"
"They are frequently visited by your Ironborn." Ayreon replied... ignorant or ignoring that the Ironborn were a separate kingdom of the realm and thus not his kinsmen, "we have concerns that they and other pirates and raiders will create a problem for our own merchants.
"I will not be able to visit this season Ayreon, but I will aid the second sons how I am able, but you must insure that my representatives are respected by the first daughter."
"Of course," The old blooded volantene agreed. The conversation meandered with Alaric not quite sure he was getting all the details, or Ayreon not quite as a result receiving the commitments of forces he was searching for. The discussion lasted well into the afternoon, with payment discussed for an expanded number for a variety of siege engines that in total would take a few months to produce, not quite into the new year, but which could be available in only a week or so to the camp that the Second Sons intended to erect later in the year for the campaign against Myr.
The truth was Alaric had questions. Questions that Ayreon might not have the answers for, but he would need the information... but also he was interested. An alliance of city states was dangerous, the trio coming together might or might not have anything to do with the Blackfyres but Alaric did consider that something to watch for. "I will need to know more about the situation with Lys, and to speak with the second sons about their attack against Myr." Alaric had initially been opposed to doing any more than contributing the siege engines themselves... but Ayreon here was tempting. Ideas swirled in his head, the sorts of things that would do him no favors where it came to the untoward and untrue rumors regarding his seafaring. Sending his ships to support the second sons wasn't outlandish... it provided a claim on booty that might really justify the whole expense.
A truly audacious inclination sparked... that of writing to the lord of the iron born, and seeing if Lord Greyjoy might contribute to whole venture... but that really would have enmeshed him in the enterprise far far more than Alaric Bolton desired. The potential rewards, and the favor of the eldest daughter of Old Valyria were potentially lucrative but there would implications to his reputation for doing so... and truth be told as fierce as captain at sea of men Dagmer was, and surely of use, Alaric did not care for closer associations with the western sea... especially when he already had such a trouble with being called reaver without proof.
"That is a look you have my friend."
"In truth I would more details of this business you bring me." He replied, smoothing his features, "You tell me to expect Braavos to be neutral in all of this, but also that Lorathi sell sails serve perhaps lys perhaps Myr but still enough to make a nuisance of themselves to my own ships and to sail flagrantly besides."
Ayreon nodded, silver white hair glinting shining in the northern's sun light through the glass, "Can we count on your support?"
"For the siege engines? Of course, if what you are here for then I will require more than just gossip," Words were wind.
The volantene old blood nodded and sat up from his somewhat slouch and reached for his leather travelling pouch, "I cannot tell you what I do not know, and the triarchy is loathe to appear to instigating the conflict... we require aid. And aid that will not give the Tigers the chance to build support, but equally we cannot place ourselves in a vulnerable position."
Alaric spread the scrolls for which he had been gifted. "That's High Valyrian." Roose observed as he and the surgeon Arasmes looked on. "What is it?" He asked as his older brother grimaced.
"It is a recording of history, of a king in the North. A thousand year old king, a fight among kinsmen among us northern barbarians."
Roose raised an eyebrow. Alaric shrugged, "The King of the Long Night was a Stark," Which was not news by any stretch. House Stark might not have advertised it. "Or of Stark blood I suppose, the Valyrians, the Long Night had passed, and he took a woman of snow and ice to wife, and retreated beyond the wall Bran the builder erected."
"Do you believe it?"
He did, including that the King had sealed his heart away in case of primeval frost. Was that ancient stark still alive? Some ancient lich? That would be a nightmare. His hand shook at the prospect. He didn't have the resources to fight such.. and what of the white walkers. He had considered that this world with its strange seasons was the product of rampant fluctuations from gates to distant elemental planes. "That Night's king departed for his wife's lands, and was not slain? Yes. I believe it possible," He was unsure what Volantene scholar had suggested they furnish him with this. It was of old Valyria of a time before the empire, and tale likely carried by dragon back and word of mouth for generations before it had been put to paper. The valyrians did have a tradition of poetry... much as he had been irritated, perhaps even irrationally so, by Rhaegar's foppishness. "I believe this is an attempt of accurate recording of history long ago... of Brandon Stark's reign. 13 bloody years of civil war against a different Brandon Stark."
House Stark had named many of their sons Brandon after all... and after all both Brandons were descandents of the man who had built the wall and raised Winterfell.
He wrapped up the gift, and then glancing to his brother shuffled the gilted scrolls and artistry to him. "Is the portent of grave things? A warning? OR some valyrian thing I do not understand then brother?"
"If it is the latter, Roose than I fail to grasp their message as well... but most likely it is because the old bloods have heard stories. It is a princely gift though, and I appreciate it." Roose's talent with languages was impressive, but he would need time to read the High Valyrian in detail, and might need to consult other material to discern and decipher various things. "I am quite curious how much the dragon riders wrote of winter's kings." It was a very expensive gift as all remains of the empire that had been were. "For more practical things, I should expect the old bloods hope to sway ships," Ships that could ignore the seasons if they chose, Eagle, Raptor, and Harrier could adjust the trim and sail against the wind at speed... their sails catching the wind and clipping it. "I may see if I cannot prepare Sea Wolf for sail."
Roose looked at him, "You cannot go to sea."
"For this, no I cannot." He agreed, "I will give Braxton command of the barque." He paused, "That is if I can put her to sea." Which not a sure thing, given the distractions of late, and the delays of failures, or lack of oversight on his part. "I will need a body of other volunteers, what Ayreon wants for the Second Sons is more engines than imagine than they have men to carry by themselves." They didn't have a deal yet... nothing beyond the initial order of engines which wouldn't be a problem to fulfill, "This will be a busy moon's turn, I think. I should thank you though Roose,"
His brother glanced to the side, "I am castellan of the dreadfort don't thank me for doing my job." He replied, "I'm no fool that whatever you mean to do will win the domain fame, and riches... I know what Inner Sea trade means to you, and what the coins it fills our purse allow."
Just this morning he'd been... and now he'd been talked into this... he'd resolved himself to seizing such opportunity when it presented... and truthfully Ayreon probably knew that. He had likely crossed from Braavos knowing more about the Lorathi than he had said, but also that Alaric had and was always looking for opportunity across the sea. For which Volantis was prepared to consider given their own situation.
They were using each other, but Alaric could live with that.
- Scene Break -
A few day later he looked out over the sea for all the comfort he felt within the ancestral fortress of House Bolton he had a natural calling for here. The wind was mild. He stood there soaking up the warm sunlight under a white gray sky as the birds called. Alaric looked over the docks and yards that had grown from dingy fishing wharfs to what they were now since he had truly come into the coronet. The Dreadfort had no real dock space to call upon for when he'd come into this world, and he had thought to sail many more times for Essos before he would be lord of the Dread. Even so, a litany of ships with three or more masts regularly sailed from Overton over the year carrying the lumber trade to Braavos bringing coin in.
There was nothing complex about those trade ships, they were built for the variable winds of his coast line, and for the crossing of the sea and that sail plan simple and rugged as it was across a routine course didn't require the crew size of Harrier, never mind Raptor or Eagle. In the distance dark smoke sat on the horizon as the foundry worked...
Inside that smoke choked building was a great cauldron where pig iron was poured in with glass and sand and other other mixes... and it was from this which had in part delayed Sea Wolf. Sea Wolf would launch with a steel clad bottom and iron frame. Not only was she larger than Raptor and Eagle she would if the balance was right her sail plan would allow her to be faster as she caught more wind even sailing against the prevailing catch. She'd out pace any of the ships that left for braavos on the seasonal timber trade.
Sea wolf sat at dock where she'd been for much of the past year. It was ... probably for the best he hadn't had the ship ready. Sea Wolf even compared to Raptor and Eagle was a sleek line of dark on the dock. There was no mistaking Harrier's profile five and a half times her length to width long protruding stem and those lines held for Raptor and Eagle and Sea Wolf but the latter with its size could only ever be construed to those men who loved the soil under their feet as a dire and direct challenge from the sea.
Idly Alaric touched the silver holy symbol against his chest. Sea Wolf would be beautiful, and with a full complement and even with siege weapons in place of mage fire cannons she would be deadly as all cruising ships on open waters should be. For nearer waters and in order to make sure there were not more embarrassing flounderings there were a few two masted square sailed brigs. Brigs were the large ships common to the north, you saw them more commonly at white harbor even though white harbor was spacious enough that the Brig's maneuverability was an extravagance but a with those two square sails a Brig could do the job of tugs for recovering and maneuvering stricken vessels who had come to some misfortune. That had been what had happened, what had needed to happen the first time they had been the Sea Wolf in the water.
Overton was a growing sight, and while there were changes to the Dreadfort's administration and to the cut of its castle's figure and its shape looking out, Overton had begun to sprawl along the cost line these past several years. It was a reminder that he had held the coronet for more than five years now.
"I thought I would find you here my lord."
Alaric turned and regarded the captain, he was one of Braxton's cousin. "News?" he questioned
"Purple sails, Sire." Ships from Braavos, "the chatter from the arsenal is that they want more timber." Alaric nodded for him to continue, "A lot of ships."
"I will write to Karstak," He replied, this would be good for both domains... and while the North's eastern shore in particular had always sold to Braavosi shipwrights they were even Donnel had sold timber to purple sailed galleys... but like most Lords of the First Men whatever agreements that there were with Braavos most simply were too insular to care for sea going trade. It was true of Donnel Bolton, it was true of the Karstark lands, and the umbers still further. "Is there any other news Joran? Pirates, Pentos,"
"Aye both my lord. I think Braavos expects to have to put some steel to some uppity sea dog," the captain replied, "And the current Sea Lord wants to bolster the fleet." If ideology could justify all relations between men then Alaric would have preferred Braavos. He had not needed to spend some of his youth fostered in Winterfell his father had like all 'right thinking first men' abhorred slavery and the practices common in Essos. Even Braavos though had to accept trade with slave holding city states, and Alaric did the same.
He was willing to trade with the narrow sea states but only because it was the sort of thing he was required to do. More stubborn folk would have just forsaken seaborne trade all together. Alaric personally could not go that far. He could refuse to have dealings with Ghis, or tolerate slaving ships but he had no illusions that Volantene was unlikely to abolish slavery. Nor would Lys, or Myr and Pentos such that he understood it was likely to reinstitute the practice if Braavos's hold ever wavered... as it was Pentos was circumventing the ban imposed by Braavosi arms with their 'bonded servants'. "There is a fight coming between Volantis, and Myr and Lys." He had Joran's attention. "I mean to sell the Volantenes siege weapons, or to their mercenaries. The Pentoshi fly Lysene, and Myrish banners to avoid Braavosi ships. When hostilities begin, you are to take any such colors at face value. Hang their captains and officers, and free any slaves aboard."
"Yes my lord." Joran paused, and then paused, "Pentos has few men at arms my lord, and fewer warships to speak of, but if we go freeing slaves-"
"You will attack ships flagged as such. They will either run their own colors or be treated as ships of the enemies of our effective cobelligerents," Alaric stated his voice like brittle glass, but the truth was both men understood the orders as effectively given Pentos choice to the outcome. "I am more than happy to sell timber for the Sea Lord's fleet, and any freemen you make on the sea can be brought here." Joran nodded, though of course he had already likely assumed such were to be done. The lord of the dreadfort nodded. "Good, is there anything else?" He waved aside the remarks, true as they were that this was going to raise up those reaver accusations. He didn't care. Making free men of slaves and bringing them here would benefit him... and truthfully Pentos was too easy of a target not to make an example of. Pentoshi ships flying myrish or lysene colors were too easy, far easier than searching out Lorathi sell sails. "As for those," The Lorathi, "If they've been hired by Lys, or Myr then we will have trouble with them, but regardless of their employer I have lord Manderly to have his captains keep an eye out for them," And truth be told he expected the merman's court to look at a fight across the narrow sea as an invitation to join the fray themselves against piracy and to attack Lorathi sell sails regardless of their employers now that the warning had been given.
The conversation died as Alaric signaled that he was done here, and departed his vantage point overlooking the harbor. He had come down the weeping to the town, and he was likely to spend the remainder of the month here in residence, which was close enough that men would come here to his temporary court than go to Roose as his castellan.
His temporary court would given Lord Overton time to grumble about all the work. Braxton's older brother was heavy set man now entering his late forties, but truthfully when Donnel Bolton had been alive and Alaric had been not yet old enough to shave he'd been plump. Not for lack of manly activity both of the Overton brothers hunted, and Lord Overton was a fine hawker who enjoyed a clutch of skilled birds.
"I plan to write Rickard Karstark, so we may expect him to join us here." Lord Overton nodded, as he acknowledged he questioned if this was about the Braavos business. "We can expect that," He replied there were no issues that Joran had told his cousin about it. "I hope to get Sea Wolf into the water before the end of the year." Lord Overton even though the statement had not been intended a warning or threat, made apologies for the delay, and Alaric waved them away. "The frame will support weight for the deck,"
Lord Overton continued to make apologies.
"Your workmen were conservative, they mistrusted the iron, and got the weight wrong." He replied for which the ship had floundered in shallow water and then even though, "Luck had it those brigs were available and could pull her up... and if it is all the same to you Lord Overton, I should like to put it away. Sea Wolf will be completed, and I will make sure she is built right." That any mistakes were his own, and that was part of the reason he had told Rickard on the journey to Harrenhall that had pushed the launch further from when they had originally expected. It was a delay that infuriated him... and he could not vent to his closest friends adequately. Double and triple checking work added time, and of course the plan was this time to see if they could flood the dock and if she would stay afloat or not.
If she wouldn't ... if they couldn't figure out why then all of that work would have been a waste. He dreaded the prospect, truly he did... but he had walked the ship and checked it over, and after the recovery it hadn't' seemed that bad. Loath as he was to admit, just to himself since he could hardly admit it to his close retainers, it was possible they had moved too fast making this step. Raptor had had a failure in the iron where some of the fixtures had been too brittle but those had been relatively minor and relatively easily fixed once it had been known.
He wasn't sure where the failure with Sea Wolf had been, but the turh was there had been too many other demands upon his time. Braxton spared him a look, "Karstark?"
"If the Braavosi fleet means to expand, I'd welcome that. They've sailors aplenty and pressuring the northern sea of pirates, and reducing the Lorathi to a manageable number would be good for all of us." If they could leverage Lord Manderly as well, "Perhaps I'll write to White Harbor as well,"
"It might well serve to speak with Lord Arryn so that he might participate in this endeavor." Lord Overton remarked.
Alaric glanced to his right at the Lord, and then nodded, "After I've spoken with Karstark, and written Manderly... but yes that is sound counsel and I will heed it." He stated. While acknowledging every sound piece of advice a vassal gave was not a good habit, it didn't benefit a ruler to be thought of as habitually ignoring good advice just because it came from one's vassals... a ruler had to be open to advise but still able to make his own choices. It had been a lesson put into such terms ... well first in another world, but in this one at Winterfell when he'd been a boy.. and thinking back to Harrenhall it was the sort of advice that the Targaryen monarch and his heir should have been heeded. It was not a good sign that people joked about coin flips and worse still that Aerys the second was so erratic that they called him the mad king even if they did not say so to his face. "I will need you t assemble my captains," ... but what the aristocracy, what men of means said behind closed doors was important. Lord Stark had questioned of what he made of Rhaegar's choice to name Lyanna his tournament queen, especially with the prince's highborn wife so close at hand. He imagined that most of the northern lords had been asked what to make of it, certainly all the ones who had gone south to partake in the tourney... and Roose was right to remind him of the wedding. That was yet another reason why in the coming year he could not sail for Essos for trade, and fame, and gold to enrich the domain. "Those of the foot guard as well."
The Andals had introduced the stirrup and heavy lance as means for war to Westeros, brought with them their strange religion as well as iron weapons aplenty. The north had abundant sources of tin, and copper which had been used for countless centuries to make the bronze weapons of that distant era. Castle steel made excellent swords, far better than village blacksmith largely used to making axe heads, and horseshoes could wrought, but bronze fine things for ships, and for the tools to make ships.
Ships trading on the high seas brought him the money to pay men so he did not have to do as his father had, of calling on different vassals to yield up to him the troops to fight bandits in the woods... the fights which had cost Donnel Bolton his life, and propelled him into the coronet before he had been ready