The King of Winters

Chapter-116

Argella

On the morning that she reached the Barrowlands, Argella saw snow for the first time as the late summer snows drifted down so beautifully. She had hardly seen a more beautiful sight, even the storms of Storm's End could not triumph the winter wonderlands around her. As they moved further north the snowfall occurred more frequently. At Castle Cerwyn she had to wear a cloak made of fine fox fur, the colour of gold, to keep her warm.

It snowed the morning they left as well, giving her farewells to Lady Cerwyn and her brood of children. The Eastern sky was fully dark and the snow was falling heavily. The world was still and dark and grey. And cold. Cold, but not dangerously cold. Not yet. So Argella went with her leathers, black with the golden features.

"It will be warmer when the sun comes up, your grace," the northerners who'd joined her escort said.

And they were true. By the time the Castle Cerwyn had dwindled in the distance, the eastern sky had gone from grey to blue and the sun was lifting the fog off the world. 

The snow had stopped falling, but the wind was rising, filling the air with crystal. The soft flakes kissed her on both cheeks before melting away with the sweetest warmth. That was enough to take her mind off the long, tiring journey. She had left Riverrun with a high brisk pace. But ever since the neck the ride had slowed down considerably much to Argella's annoyance. It almost took her twice the time she needed to get from Riverrun to Moat Cailin to get to Castle Cerwyn from Moat Cailin despite holding the same pace.

The lands of the North were vast and cold and harsh. Often days they did not come upon people even when the sun was the brightest during day. The Northmen in her party said that most of the men had gone south with Andrew and the women and children might have gone to the nearest castle or holdfast or would have found themselves gathered in some settlement where they would be safer together.

From what Argella wanted to ask but kept her mouth shut. The war might not have touched the North yet, but it might. Rhaegar had done it once and no one could say that he wouldn't do so for the second time.

She had hoped to meet some of the people and let herself be known. Argella would have liked that in fact. She is the Queen of the North now and the Queen should know her people. She has heard of the respect Andrew's lords had for his mother. It was said among the northerners that Queen Ashara Dayne burned brighter than any other star in the North. Argella knew what they meant by that.

She had met people in the castles on the way though. Argella stayed for two days in the holdfast of Ser Kyle Condon and another three days at Castle Cerwyn, entertained by the ladies of the keep and the people who ran the castle with their lords off fighting in the war. From there she had charmed the people there enough to find more people to swell up her band. Half joined her out of their own will, decreed to see her safe in Winterfell while the others were lended by Lady Cerwyn and Kennett Condon themselves. Thus she led her husband's northmen for the first time and they joined her with great enthusiasm.

They were a host of rugged, dark-haired northmen flying the banner of the direwolf escorting her along the snow-covered, hilly road. Some of the men carried torches to light the way in the night and others always looked out at the wilderness with swords, bows, or axes at the ready.

There were about thirty of them that joined her together on her way to Winterfell. A small party travels more swiftly than a large one, and Argella already had a sizeable one. With the northerners her company only grew. She would have preferred a smaller one to travel quick but a Queen does not travel alone. And she was in the north and it's only fitting that she had northern guards around her. From Moat Cailin came most of her new sworn shields, mountain clansmen, soldiers sworn to a dozen other lords, younger sons of lords and common guardsmen alike. Lady Cerwyn had provided her with four of her husband's soldiers, left by him in the garrison of the castle. Apart from them she had her own retainers and the knights who were with her since Riverrun, commanded by Ser Trent.