Chapter 16
Outskirts of Winterfell, Last Moon of 281 A.C., Thirty days later…
We marched out of Castle Cerwyn mid-morning for the final leg of our journey to Winterfell. The Northern host had dwindled somewhat as houses Reed, Dustin, Wells, Flints of Flint's Finger, Ryswells and Manderlys broke off early to head back to their holdfasts south of Winterfell. It was only a half days march from the seat of House Cerwyn before we started to see the great gray spires of Winterfell in the distance in the late afternoon sun.
Wyman and I were in a great mood when we woke up this morning and why wouldn't we? We had the honor of riding with Lord Stark today and it was when we arrived in Winterfell no less! Lord Stark had been riding with two houses every day for the march. We rode with him and Lord Dustin back when we marched to Castle Darry and House Seastark was overdue for a second ride with the Warden of the North. As for who we were riding with…
"Finally! Winterfell is in sight! We would have been here at least a day earlier if it wasn't for that pack of vagrants you dragged with us, Lord Seastark!" Lord Richard Karstark complains as he rode with his cousin Arthor Karstark, who voices his agreement. Arthor's older brother, Cregan Karstark wasn't with us because he was in King's Landing with his new position in the Goldcloaks. Just my luck that Lord Stark had us ride with the Karstarks, whose lord wasted no time in being a pain in my ass.
"That's a load of bollocks and you know it, Lord Karstark! The smallfolk that travelled with me have kept pace with the Northern host the entire march!" I counter, annoyance lacing my tone. The band of smallfolk migrants from King's Landing certainly raised eyebrows amongst the Northerners. When they heard they were headed for Wolfsport, they thought it strange, but shrugged and continued marching. Except for the Karstarks, Umbers, and Boltons, who made comments calling them vagrants and beggars and insisting this was proof that I was more Southroner than Northerner. Thankfully, most Northern lords didn't listen to their malarky because they simply didn't care about my little caravan of skilled artisans and their families, they just wanted to go home.
"Why did you even bother bringing Southroners here anyway? Is it to make Wolfsport more like Lannisport?" Lord Karstark sneered as Wyman and Arthor stared daggers at one another.
"I need skilled artisans for a growing city. Not that you would know anything about that. Karhold and the tiny hamlet next to it have what, five hundred people?" I scoff.
Lord Karstark glares at me. "Karhold and Kar Village have over thrice that number and I see you're just as arrogant as your father!"
"Arrogant! My father was good man and a better man than you'll ever be!" I snarl angrily.
"Aye, he was an arrogant enough to think you were good enough to wed a Stark! I remember how confident he was, that Lady Lyanna would be betrothed to you." Lord Karstark said before his mouth curled up in a mocking smile as Lord Stark's eyes widened. "He was quite furious when she was promised to the Baratheons. You should have seen his face when stormed out of Winterfell's great hall, red as a redbird!" He said with a mocking laugh, mentioning the Westerosi name for a cardinal. Arthor snickered while Wyman bristled with indignation.
I suppress a grimace as memories of my father, Lord Torrhen Seastark returning to Castle Warg still in a foul mood and ranting that night at dinner about how the Starks were "Always overlooking us!" And how we were "Being passed over for Southroners!". The lack of marriages with House Stark has always been a point of resentment for House Seastark, especially seeing the Karstarks receive marriage after marriage in contrast. The only time we had a marriage with House Stark was when Lyarra Seastark wed King Artos Stark III, and a result of their union was King Torrhen Stark VI, better known as the King Who Knelt. This unfortunate distinction hurt House Seastark's reputation amongst the Northern Lords for a good century, who would mutter about weak Seastark ladies being bad marriage partners. This embarrassment and mockery forced House Seastark to invest in the education of their children, both sons and daughters, even more to not have another repeat of that marriage.
"What!? When was this!?" Lord Stark looked at me confused with a slightly alarmed tinge to his voice.
I shrugged. "Probably when you were in the Vale." I said simply with no resentment.
Well, I personally had no resentment since it happened before my merging with Hugo's soul, but the Hugo before I arrived felt some resentment at being passed over.
"Your father…" Lord Stark began with trepidation but I cut him off.
"With all due respect, Lord Stark. Yes, my father pushed for a betrothal between your sister and I, but your father decided to betroth her to the, at the time, heir to Storm's End. Was he unhappy with your father's decision? Absolutely. But when you called the banners, he still gathered our levies, marched south, and fought for you. He died for you and the North!" I say with a steely edge to my voice creeping in at the end as I stared at Lord Stark dead in the eyes.
"Not to mention his brother, my father, gave his life at the Tower of Joy to rescue your sister!" Wyman cuts in and Lord Stark grimaces.
"I was not insinuating anything about your father, Lord Seastark. I was just surprised since my sister never mentioned this!" He says in a calm tone and I nod my head.
"I understand Lord Stark. You were in the Vale at the time and I'm unsure if your sister even knew about it, but Lord Benjen knew so it wouldn't surprise me if she did. Besides, I found my own beautiful and intelligent, future Lady of Sea Dragon Point." I say with a small smile.
"Ha! You couldn't get a direwolf, so you settled for a lioness!" Lord Karstark sneers and I turn to glare at him.
"I didn't settle, Karstark!" I snarled, dropping the title and getting satisfaction in seeing the pompous blowhard bristle with indignation as I continued. "It's funny now that I think about it, the Lannisport Lannisters share a lot in common with House Seastark. Both loyal to their sworn lords while having to deal with fellow cadet branches that are loud and obnoxious…" I trail off as Lord Karstark's face contorts in anger.
"Enough. Both of you." The lord of Karhold was cut off from responding by Lord Stark's icy voice. He didn't yell, because he didn't need to.
As we rode closer to Winterfell, the two massive walls made of gray granite stones becoming visible along with Winter Town, the sprawling town next to the mighty castle.
"My lords, look ahead and tell me, what do you see?" Lord Stark's voice lost its icy edge and we looked at him in confusion. He simply gestured his head forward and we both turned to look at Winterfell.
"Uh…Winterfell?" I say slowly. "The seat of House Stark?" Lord Karstark ventures his own guess.
"Aye, Winterfell. The heart of the North and ancestral home of House Stark…" Lord Stark nods. "…And the ancestral home of all Starks." He says as he looks both of us, his gray eyes meeting our bluish-gray ones. "I wanted to ride with you both by my side as we enter the gates of Winterfell to remind you both we are kin, distant though it may be. Karstark, Seastark, it matters not. You may not be the Starks, but you're still Starks." He declares solemnly and both Seastark and Karstark alike are surprised by his words and quietly reflected on them.
"My father ignored both houses in pursuit of Southron bonds and alliances…" Lord Stark said again after a moment. "Something I will not repeat. It is why Lord Karstark's third son is fostering at Winterfell and one of my children will foster at Castle Warg." He says, glancing at Lord Karstark, then myself.
"You're fostering one of his sons!" "You're sending a Stark to Castle Warg!" Lord Karstark and I both exclaimed before turning to each other and narrowing our eyes. The Warden of the North gives a tired sigh at our reaction.
"Aye. To reforge ties between House Stark and its cadet branches and to bridge the divide between your houses." Lord Stark answered us and we took a moment to absorb his words. I couldn't say I was pleased with one of Karstark's sons fostering in Winterfell, but my own fostering of one of the Stark children made up for it. I could see Lord Karstark and his cousin mulling over Lord Stark's words, until Arthor's eyes widened before turning to whisper into the Lord of Karhold's ear. Lord Karstark's face shifted to alarmed at what his cousin was whispering as he looked between Lord Stark and I.
"Lord Stark, you said one of your children, not sons, correct? Surely you're not thinking of fostering a daughter there, are you!?" Lord Karstark said with wariness and I smirked as he picked up on Lord Stark's word choice.
"We will see. But yes, fostering a daughter in Castle Warg is on the table." Lord Stark answered and Lord Karstark glared at me, knowing full well the implications of fostering a daughter to another house.
"Lord Stark, if you're going to give a marriage to Seastark, then I humbly ask for a betrothal between our houses as well!" He turned to his liege and it was my turn to bristle with indignation.
"Oh, piss off Karstark, your family has had what? Eight, nine marriages with the Starks to our one? I think your house's fragile pride can handle going without a Stark marriage for a bit longer." I growl at Lord Karstark only for him to smirk.
"Ten marriages, actually." He smugly corrects me as I grit my teeth. "It's funny, the Greystarks rebelled because they didn't get a Stark marriage…" He trails off and the implication of his words make my blood boil.
"How dare you, you fucking whoreson…" I begin to say, rising my voice as he glares at my insult before Lord Stark intervenes again.
"I said enough!" His icy tone returning. "I will hear no more mention of the Greystarks, Lord Karstark." He says, decisively end our argument.
Lord Karstark and I briefly glare at each other before turning to Winterfell as we reached the outskirts of Winter Town. I looked at the impressive double walls, the first and shorter being eighty feet tall, while the second being a full twenty feet higher, then down to the main gates of the castle. Images flashed of the castle from both the show and how I imagined it in the books, but neither could ever match up to the real thing. The Red Keep was bigger and grander, certainly, but there was something about Winterfell that made it both awe-inspiring and Northern.
We trotted through the muddy streets, passing by houses both occupied and empty with the latter being noticeably more prevalent. This is because of a quirk of Northern settlements, they essentially have two populations, the summer and winter populations. Winter Town in spring, summer and most of autumn was around three thousand people but that number would increase fivefold when winter came. That's because many smallfolk would migrate to settlements during winter for better rates of survival. All Northern settlements experienced it to varying degrees. For instance, Wolfsport grows from thirty thousand to five-and-forty thousand, Barrowton grows from twenty thousand to forty thousand and White Harbor rises from sixty thousand to eighty thousand.
I saw smallfolk come out to greet us as we were passing an alehouse called the Smoking Log, they started to give cheers and well wishes to the Warden of the North.
"Hail the victorious Starks!" "Bless you, Lord Eddard Stark!" "Long may you reign!" The crowd gave their cheers and as armed riders moved up the sides to clear the way for us, it turned to be no need as the people got out of the way on their own.
"Lord Seastark." Lord Stark turns to me. "I don't care that you brought Southron smallfolk to the North, but they will not be staying in Winterfell." He says in a tone that brook no arguments, not that I was going to.
"Of course, Lord Stark. I've already informed them to find accommodations in Winter Town." I respond and Lord Stark nods.
We reach the market square and passed the wooden market stalls and the crowds comments started shifting towards who was riding with their liege lord.
"Who're they?" "That one's Lord Karstark, but I don't recognize the other!" "A black direwolf? House Seastark!?" "But he doesn't look like Lord Seastark?" "I heard he died at the Trident and that one's the new lord." I heard various smallfolk comment as we rode passed a well in the center of the market square.
As we reached the main gatehouse, flanked by two huge crenelated bulwarks, the drawbridge opens to let us in and we cross the moat that separates the two walls to enter the second gate. Once through into the castle proper we stopped and horses and dismounted as stable boys took away our horses as more lords arrived behind us. We were greeted by the sight of the acting Stark of Winterfell, Benjen Stark, the new castellan, Vayon Poole, and Maester Luwin stood to welcome us.
"Brother, welcome home! Winterfell is yours." Lord Benjen said to his brother as they hugged. "It gladdens me that you made it, and even more so that you rescued Lyanna!" The two brothers smiled at one another.
"Aye, brother. I'm glad we rescued her and avenged father and brother. Now, we'll talk later, but we must get the lords settled in." Lord Stark left his brother to talk with the Winterfell castellan and maester as Lord Benjen looked between us.
"Lord Karstark, Lord Hu-, I mean Lord Seastark. Welcome to Winterfell!" Lord Stark's younger brother greets us with an uneasy smile as he looks between us. Lord Karstark smirks, thinking Lord Benjen's slip-up with my name was some form of targeted slight against me, but I knew him well enough to know that wasn't the case.
Looking through Hugo's memories, out of all the Stark siblings, Hugo saw Brandon the most but got along with Benjen the most. The last time we spoke was at Harrenhall, only briefly, when I was simply Lord Hugo, not Lord Seastark. Both cadet branches returned his greeting as we waited for the other lords to come through the gates.
"I heard much has happened in the South." Benjen comments slowly and I let Lord Karstark summarize the events of Robert's Rebellion up to the Battle of the Trident as more lords trotted in on their horses and dismounted.
"Is it true about your inventions, Lord Seastark? That this wayfinder always points north?" Lord Benjen asks me and I simply smile. "See for yourself." I pull out my new personal wayfinder from a small bag tied to my belt, making a note to myself to get a tailor to invent pockets, and hand it over to him. He inspects the outside, the top painted in the colors and sigil of House Seastark, before flipping it open and looking at the needle. He turns around a bit to test it as his brother returns just as the lords finished arriving. Both Starks stand together as the eldest addresses the gathering.
"My lords, welcome to Winterfell! A feast is already being prepared thanks to my brother!" I and the other lords cheered at the thought of a good hearty meal after hours of riding. He then gestured to a group of some twenty servants.
"The servants will lead you to your accommodations in the guest house and we will have our feast in the great hall." Lord Stark informed as the servants approached the lords and began to lead them to their guest quarters. Our guide was a middle-aged brunette maid that asked us if we needed anything and I requested a bath be drawn, wanting to get myself clean both for basic hygiene and being sweaty from a half day's ride. We got to our guest quarters and the maid begins to draw me a bath as Wyman and I begin to unstrap our riding leathers. When the maid informs me that the bath is ready, I enter the room, finish stripping myself and sink into the warm water, letting my worries float away for a little while…
A few hours later…
I was in a black tunic sitting at one of the eight long tables in the Winterfell great hall sipping the local Winterfell brew of black beer. I could spy Wyman talking with his future goodfather and goodbrother as I put a forkful of roasted boar in my mouth and chewed. I sat across my namesake, Lord Hugo Big Bucket Wull with his second son and new heir, Mikken Wull. The topic of conversation was the Big Bucket's favorite: food.
"Eggs with seagrease is one of my favorite ways to break my fast when available." the Wull of Ice Harbor pats his large belly, then sipping from his tankard.
"Aye, on Bear Island, we use seagrease in bread puddings sometimes. At least, when we can find it on a beach." Lord Jorah Mormont replied to my namesake. I take another sip of black beer as I scrunch my face in confusion, searching through both Hugo and my Earth memories of anything that went by that name but drawing a blank.
"What's seagrease?" I ask after giving up.
"It's a solid, waxy substance found on the beaches or floating in the sea, tends to be dull gray but sometimes it's black. It has a sweet, earthy smell and we use it for cooking and burning like incense. Every once and awhile, when a leviathan beaches, we can find some in its intestines." Mikken Wull answers my question and I was lost until he mentioned the smell and that it came from the leviathans.
Westeros didn't have sperm whales like from Earth, instead they had leviathans. The closest Earth animal to a leviathan was the long extinct livyatan, which itself was a slightly bigger sperm whale with bigger teeth on both it's jaws instead of just the lower jaw. Got that? Good, now take that livyatan and make it the size of a blue whale, that's a leviathan. Since they take the place of sperm whales in this world, and there's only one substance I know that's waxy, smelly and comes from sperm whales…
"Ambergris?" I say disbelievingly. "Amber-what?" Mikken responds. "Er, gray amber?" I try again only to get confused looks from my conversation partners and sigh.
"I've never heard it called 'seagrease', but I've heard it called 'gray amber'." I say sipping my tankard.
"Gray amber?" The Wull of Ice Harbor repeats the name as if tasting it. "You make it sound valuable, is it like yellow or blue amber?"
"Despite the name it's not like the other ambers. Can't imagine using it as jewelry." I say and the table chuckles. "No, its value comes form being used to make perfumes."
"Perfumes?" Mikken Wull repeats, befuddled. "It's got a strong musk sure, but it doesn't strike me as a scent for perfumes."
"Ah, it's not for its scent, though it apparently adds a nice, earthy undertone to the fragrances, but that it makes perfumes last longer. Now I don't know about you, but I know nothing about making perfumes. It's fortunate that Wolfsport happens to have a perfumer…" I trail off before taking another bite of boar, glancing to see the Wull and Lord Mormont mulling over my words.
"We have five, mayhaps six pounds of the substance back home in Ice Harbor." The Big Bucket says with a smile "I will give you most of it as part of our wedding gift and sell our future harvests at fair price. On one condition…" He glances at his son for a moment. "Mikken, my new heir, is wedding Gilliane Norrey when we return, and I want their firstborn son and heir fostered in Castle Warg. I can already tell you've got some wild ideas planned, and I want the Wulls to benefit!" He said to mine and the table's surprise.
"Well, you have my thanks for the wedding gift, and I'd be honored to foster the future Wull of Ice Harbor! Though I sincerely hope he doesn't become the Wull too soon!" I quip and the Wulls chuckle. "What about you Lord Mormont?"
The Lord of Bear Island contemplates for a moment as he sips his black beer. "Bear Island has about two or three pounds of this gray amber and I can sell some of it, along with future harvests, for a fair price. When would you want it?" He finally answers.
I smile. "As soon as possible, I'd like to possible have some made by the time of my wedding so we can add it to the trade fleet, having more trade goods to sell is aways a good thing."
"Then consider it an early wedding gift!" The large, jolly Big Bucket cuts in and we both laugh
"Why would we need more trade goods? You said iron, copper, and tin will sell for lot down there!" Mikken Wull asked.
"Oh, it certainly will, more than in the Seven Kingdoms, but we won't be the only houses selling those metals to the Summer Islanders. The River and Westerlords will be selling them as well, undercutting the price of metals. Not to mention the Royal Trade Fleet will arrive moons after our trade fleet means the price of iron and other metals will lower sooner or later." I started to explain only for Lord Mormont to take over.
"Aye, and if you only depend on a single trade good, you're vulnerable if the price lowers for any number of reasons. It's why Bear Island tries not to depend on our bear pelts, we could always use another item for trade. I want to see if your perfume idea works out." I nod and eat a forkful of roasted vegetables before I begin discussing the price of the gray amber. We had just settled on a fair price where they'd get more than if they sold it as seagrease, but also that I was still getting it for fairly cheap. If I could make better perfumes with the gray amber, I could make a sizeable profit selling both overseas and to Westerosi ladies through the trade company. I'm brought out of my thoughts when Lord Stark calls for our attention.
"My Lords, I have two announcements for the North!" A silence fell upon the great hall as the lords and highborn focused all their attention on Lord Stark.
"The first, is that we have received a raven from Riverrun. My new wife, Caitlyn Stark, has given birth to a healthy boy, who we have already decided to name Robb Stark!" The great hall erupted into cheers and congratulations. I clapped along as I knew this was coming. "She will stay in Riverrun with my son for three moons before travelling North." The Warden of the North continued after the cheers died down.
"The second concerns House Stark and fosterings." He says and the lords look intrigued and I surmise he's announcing his fostering plans with Lord Karstark and I.
"House Stark will foster two of its children, one at Castle Warg and one at White Habor, as well as foster Lord Karstark's third son and Lord Dustin's firstborn son and heir in Winterfell." He announced to the shock of great hall, including my own. I search for Lord Karstark to see if he knew about this and when I saw him from across room, he was chugging his black beer before glaring at me as if I had something to do with it. The lords began discussing this new development in Northern politics as my cousin Wyman came to sit at our table.
"Lord Wull, Lord Mikken! Good to see you! Lord Mormont! I forgot to congratulate you on your cousin, Lady Dacey, being chosen as one of the Queen's ladies-in-waiting with Lady Berena Hornwood!" My cousin slurs slightly and takes a gulp of black beer.
"Thank you, Lord Wyman." Lord Mormont greets my drunken cousin with amusement. "I'm excited for your wedding with Lady Elsa Slate when we get to Castle Warg."
My cousin grins and says "Yeah, me too! Thanks for coming to the wedding, Lord Mormont! Lord Wull!"
"Oh, it's no problem, Lord Wyman! It makes sense to stop by in Sea Dragon Point for your wedding and then sail back to our homes." The Wull of Ice Harbor replies to my cousin, mentioning that his wedding was happening mere days after we returned and that the Mormonts, Wulls, Glovers and their bannermen except the Whitehills, Fishers and Slates were attending. Wyman was talking with the Slates earlier to arrange for Lady Elsa to arrive in Wolfsport by ship a few days before we arrived.
"I'm excited to see Wolfsport again! I'm even more excited to try the whores with you before we get married!" Mikken Wull quips to my cousin and they both laugh. I smile and shake my head before finishing my tankard…
Later…
I walk toward the privy after asking for directions from a servant, a slight sway to my steps after the good amount of black beer I drank. I spot a long figure leaving the privy and find that it's Lord Karstark, swaying heavily. I decide to ignore him, my full-to-bursting bladder taking priority over my beef with the loud-mouthed lord.
"I sees through you." Lord Karstark apparently decided that's not going to happen. "You mays have Lord Stark and alls of 'em fooled. But not me." I roll my eyes as I pass him, continuing to walk to privy ignoring the drunk buffoon, at least until I get to the privy door and he throws one final parting shot.
"But its nots just me, Seastark! The Queen sees you for the Greystark yous are!" The whoreson says, then drunkenly laughs as he walks away. I enter the privy with a heavy feeling in my gut as I wonder what bullshit Karstark was telling the queen.
The next morning…
We left Winterfell mid-morning. The western shore houses marching with us up the Wolfswood Trail, the closest thing the vast forest had to a road, though calling it a road would be extremely generous. It was basically a foot path, worn and beaten down for centuries if not millennia, barely wide enough to fit a horse cart in parts of the trail. I had already sent a raven to Castle Warg from the capital to my mother prepare for Wyman's wedding and I sent one this morning, informing her that we'll arrive in twenty days. I saw Wyman nursing a hangover and I looked back at Winterfell, admiring the impressive castle and heart of the North before turning my head forward and continuing the journey home.
A/N: Finally in the North after 18 chapters lol. We see more of the Karstark-Seastark rivalry and the introduction of ambergris/gray amber/seasgrease as a potential moneymaker for House Seastark. A bit of a shorter one cuz I've been busy with work. Enjoy