Chapter 11: Town Expansion Plan

Eddard greatly admired the heir to the Dreadfort, Domeric Bolton; the boy was excellent at swordsmanship and horsemanship, well-versed in history and music, and possessed the full potential to become an outstanding warrior or even a commander.

Taking Domeric as a ward could also be considered a form of discipline for Lady Barbrey. At Rickon's birthday banquet, in front of so many Northern lords, she had treated Eddard and Catelyn with such cold indifference; if she were not disciplined, other vassals might perceive their liege lord as weak and follow suit.

A liege lord must be able to keep the lords beneath him in check, otherwise, chaos will ensue.

Domeric was the grandson of the Lord of the Rills, Luce Ryswell, the son of the Lord of Dreadfort, Roose Bolton, and the nephew of Lady Barbrey of Barrowton. Domeric was the key figure in maintaining the alliance between these three houses.

Each of these three noble families had a distinguished lineage. The Ryswell family of the Rills was a vital force in defending against the ironborn and was also a major producer of warhorses in the North; Barrowton was located on the great plains of the North and served as the first line of defense north of Moat Cailin.

The Bolton House was the most powerful noble family on the east coast of the North. Years ago, to ensure the loyalty of the Dreadfort, Winterfell had specifically dispatched Karlon Stark to build a fortress, which was the current Karhold held by the Karstark family. Karhold was located northeast of the Dreadfort, perfectly sandwiching the Dreadfort between it and Winterfell.

Intermarriage and alliances between vassals were all too common; in times of peace, this might be insignificant, but once war broke out, when Winterfell summoned its vassals to provide troops and funds, who could guarantee that the allied nobles would not pay lip service to Winterfell's commands while acting otherwise, or perhaps collude with hostile forces outside the North?

By keeping Domeric at Winterfell as a ward, Eddard could consolidate his relationship with the Dreadfort, the Rills, and Barrowton, while also gaining an extra hostage for when it might be necessary.

Lady Barbrey had originally been immersed in the joy of Domeric's victory in the lists, never expecting the sweetness of that triumph to turn to ash in an instant.

"Lord Eddard, Domeric is my squire, and my halls are lonely; you cannot keep him at Winterfell!"

Eddard said, "Lady Barbrey, I fully understand your loneliness; Winterfell welcomes you to settle here, and you may stay as long as you wish."

Lady Barbrey said helplessly, "But I still have lands to manage; I cannot stay at Winterfell."

Eddard said patiently, "Domeric has always wanted siblings, and I have plenty of children. Letting Domeric grow up in the halls of Winterfell with Robb, Bran, Sansa, Arya, Jon, and Theon can foster their friendship."

"Domeric spent three years as a squire in the distant Vale; what is there to worry about by keeping him at Winterfell? He will come to love this place; the Library Tower has more books than he could ever read, and there are many peers here. He can help me expand the Winter Town in the future, and I promise you, I will take good care of Domeric."

Lord Ryswell comforted Barbrey, "Daughter, it is our honor that Lord Eddard is taking Domeric as a ward. It is a good thing for him to grow up with the heir to the North and the Stark children, and to become close friends."

Domeric held Barbrey's hand, "Aunt, if I stay here, I will write to you often, and I will return to Barrowton to visit you frequently."

Lady Barbrey stroked Domeric's head, gave him a few words of instruction, and turned to leave.

The children of Winterfell were excited about Domeric's arrival; Robb, Theon, and Jon were plotting to defeat Domeric in the lists, Bran wanted to learn horsemanship from Domeric, Arya clamored to learn swordsmanship from him, and Sansa hoped to hear Domeric's songs every day.

The next day, the lords from all over the North bid farewell to Eddard one after another and left Winterfell to return to their respective lands. Once they returned to their domains, the construction of arrow towers, Saltpans, and Beehive in the coastal regions of the North would begin. It was said that Roose Bolton had quarreled with Lady Barbrey before leaving.

Winterfell guard Tomard, leading 100 men recruited from the Winter Town, set off with Benjen Stark and the Old Bear, Mormont. They would reclaim the abandoned Queenscrown in the New Gift, establish manors, set up military colonies, and help the Night's Watch resist the Wildlings.

This birthday banquet had cost some money, but the tributes brought by the nobles from various places—grain, corn, melons and fruits, warhorses, and cattle and sheep—had provided Winterfell with some replenishment.

The people of the Winter Town transported timber from the Wolfswood, and some houses began construction. A simple dwelling like a wooden cabin could be completed in a few days, but in Eddard's plan, there were even larger projects.

In the study, Eddard called for Maester Luwin to look at the planning map he had drawn by hand on the floor.

In Eddard's plan, the future barracks would stand to the south of Winterfell, the stables to the north, the forge and the grand market to the east, and a series of warehouses and workshops to the west.

Maester Luwin frowned and said, "My lord, these buildings are all major projects. Do we really need so many structures? If they are all built of stone, the cost will be too high."

Eddard said, "Initial investment is necessary. Once winter arrives, even if you have the money, you won't be able to expand the town."

Maester Luwin pondered for a long time, "Even if you disregard the cost, we cannot find that many stonemasons and carpenters. If it were just building wooden cabins, the people in the Winter Town would suffice, but these projects combined amount to the workload of several castles. Where are we to find so many stonemasons and carpenters?"

Eddard said, "At the lord's meeting, I already told my vassals to go back and help me scour for craftsmen to send to the Winter Town, but I worry it still won't be enough. I need you to send a letter to King's Landing immediately—one to King Robert and one to the Hand of the King, Jon Arryn—requesting them to help us gather craftsmen."

"Whether they are blacksmiths, carpenters, stonemasons, or leatherworkers, I want them all."

Jon Arryn was the Warden of the East and the Lord of the Eyrie; his domain was not lacking in stone. Eddard had been a ward in the Eyrie when he was young. The Eyrie stood atop a sheer cliff like a lance piercing the blue sky; when Eddard stood in the Eyrie, he felt the shock of being in the clouds.

The Vale of Arryn possessed abundant stone, which was one of the Vale's important industries, selling well throughout the Seven Kingdoms and the Free Cities. The stonemasons of the Vale were also extremely formidable; it was the stonemasons who had built the Eyrie.

Given Eddard's relationship with Robert and Jon Arryn, it would not be difficult to find some craftsmen.

Eddard said, "In the future, the forge will need a large number of blacksmiths. As the largest city in Westeros, King's Landing gathers all sorts of artisans. The Iron Street there is crowded with blacksmiths from all over, and the armor and weapons produced there are of superior quality. Let King Robert and Jon Arryn help me find some."

Luwin nodded, "My lord, if we are looking for blacksmiths, we could also consider King's Port in the Iron Islands. Theon often boasts that the iron-smelting technology of the Iron Islands is the best in the world. The iron-smelting techniques of the ironborn do indeed have their merits, though the quality varies between the different islands."

"The best blacksmiths among the ironborn are gathered in King's Port. It would be better to have Theon write to his father, Balon, to find some ironborn blacksmiths."

When Balon Greyjoy rebelled years ago, Eddard had personally experienced the sharpness of the ironborn weapons. Their shields, armor, and weapons were simple and unadorned, yet their durability was better than that of the royal army.

Relying on the barren Iron Islands, the ironborn once conquered the Riverlands and stirred up trouble many times; even the Royal Fleet found it difficult to compete with them. Aside from their navigation skills and fleet, their sharp axes, longswords, sturdy plate armor, and chainmail were also the ironborn's reliance.

Many Northern lords despised the ironborn and might easily dismiss the idea of recruiting ironborn blacksmiths, but Eddard would not be so narrow-minded.

"Very well, let Theon write to Balon to recruit ironborn blacksmiths. Oh, and by the way, find a few ironborn shipwrights as well."

(End of chapter)