The Silent Wolf

Chapter 8

The world was vast and full of beautiful mysteries, yet nothing felt as wonderful as your own home.

With my work in Essos done and the package collected successfully, I journeyed back to Westeros. Before I left, I gave Illyrio something that when he shows to the people at White Harbour, they would escort him and his wife to Winterfell personally. Of course, I left White Harbour with explicit instructions to Lord Wyman about what he could expect in a few months. I may not be the Warden of the North, but the Manderlys respected the Starks deeply. Lord Wyman had no problems with following my request.

Lord Wyman Manderly hosted a feast in my honour, a small one but one that I enjoyed greatly. I was the centre of attention, of course, being kept company by the two sons of the Lord of White Harbour. But I was not the only one. Both men tried their hands at wooing Merida, who was uncomfortable the whole time there.

Lord Wyman told me about everything happening in the North, the things I'd missed while I was away at the Eyrie and then at Pentos.

House Manderly had been ordered by Father to construct ships for battle and build the North's power at sea. It was clear that Lord Wyman was thrilled with the idea. White Harbour had always been the North's primary trading port, but the man believed there was more that his lands could offer. I was happy to know that Father had listened to what I suggested.

I was also informed about another venture Father had been involved in the North.

The Stoney Shore was once ruled by House Fisher, who had gone extinct a long time ago. The lands had been a small fishing village since, the castles in ruins and the people living normal lives outside the rule of any particular lord of the North.

But with Father deciding to build a Port there, he felt that it was a good opportunity to restore the castle and name a new Lord of the Stoney Shore. House Manderly had been told to send ships to guard the construction from sea while House Ryswell was told to guard them by land. The Ironborn reavers liked to pass by the shores and loot the village there. Lord Wyman did not tell me whether a Lord of the Stoney Shore had been picked or not, but he did insinuate that Father might assign the lands to me.

The final bit of good news that I received before my departure from White Harbour was about Moat Cailin.

Moat Cailin was once a great stronghold, with twenty towers, a wooden keep, and a great basalt curtain wall as high as that of Winterfell's. But today only scattered black basalt blocks lay scattered, half sunken in the ground where the wall once stood, and the keep rotted away.

The wall had been the first to have been restored, Basalt being brought in from Dragonstone, where the stone was found in abundance. The three towers that remained had been the next to restore, with the Wooden Keep being restored after that. The rest of the stronghold that had collapsed was being reconstructed still.

It had been years since I had written to Father about these things, and to know that he listened, was a different kind of feeling. Pride was what I felt when I was leaving White Harbour, and relief was what Merida felt now that she was away from the Manderly brothers.

----

The sky was lightening up when the walls of Winterfell were visible to us through the morning mist. Merida stared at them in awe, while I smiled at the sight. I was finally home.

By the time we arrived, the sun had risen fully and the Castle was in an uproar, people moving about doing their work. Merida and I entered through the South Gate on horseback, the gates being opened for us by the guards that had spotted us. Our arrival was announced and not long after I had gotten off my horse, I was being tackled to the ground by a grey blur.