Chapter 13: Skilled Craftsmen

Maester Luwin sent a letter to King's Landing in Eddard's name, and both Hand of the King Jon Arryn and King Robert Baratheon replied.

Upon receiving Robert's reply, Eddard had originally assumed it would be ghostwritten by Grand Maester Pycelle, but to his surprise, it was written in Robert's own hand; in the letter, Robert praised Eddard's plan to expand the Winter Town, hoping the new town would be "as majestic as Storm's End and as noble as the Eyrie," as it seemed Robert had completely failed to grasp that Eddard was building a town, not a castle.

However, Robert generously promised to recruit one hundred Smiths or apprentices for Eddard from the Stormlands, the Crownlands, and King's Landing. Once the "prosperous new town" was completed, Robert would bring the royal party to the North for their first royal progress.

Jon Arryn promised to recruit three hundred experienced stonemasons for Eddard in the Vale to be sent to Winterfell; furthermore, Jon Arryn recommended an architect named Downs, who was lingering at Robert's court, to Eddard.

Jon Arryn mentioned in the letter that this Downs had once designed luxurious mansions for the Archon of Tyrosh. After arriving in King's Landing, he had been petitioning Robert, hoping to build some "great works" to match King Robert's "great reign."

According to Downs's plan, Robert should build a new city 100 li south of King's Landing to disperse the crowds of King's Landing, restore the Dragonpit, rebuild Summerhall, and widen the Kingsroad by one-third.

The luxury-loving Robert actually took a fancy to these impractical plans, and Jon Arryn, worried that Downs's stay at court would further worsen the deficit in the royal treasury, simply recommended Downs to Winterfell to serve Duke Eddard.

Following Maester Luwin's suggestion, Eddard had Theon write to the ruler of the Iron Islands, Balon Greyjoy, hoping to recruit some Ironborn Smiths and ship designers, but Balon had been slow to reply.

By now, some arrow towers had already been erected along the West Coast of the North at Sea Dragon Point, the Stony Shore, Bear Island, Salt Spear, Flint's Finger, and the Bay of Ice; the garrison at the salt pans was guarding the coast while refining sea salt, and Eddard believed the number of pirate raids on the West Coast would decrease significantly.

In the Great Hall of Winterfell, Eddard called out to Theon.

"What exactly is going on with your father? He hasn't replied to any letters."

Theon said helplessly, "I suspect my father heard about the North setting up salt pans by the sea to fend off pirates and might not be too happy about it? He might take it as a provocation."

Eddard laughed, "I am building salt pans on the lands of the North to fend off pirates; what kind of provocation is that?"

Theon said, "We Ironborn often say, 'Whatever land can smell the scent of the sea or hear the sound of the waves is my territory.' We yearn for the Old Way, and when the Ironborn see arrow towers by the sea but dare not charge, they naturally feel a sense of loss. My father might not be able to accept reality."

"Lord Eddard, I am very sad. Although you treat me like your own child, my father refuses to respond to Winterfell's requests; does he really not care whether I live or die? I am his only living son!"

Eddard tapped Theon's hand, signaling him to be at ease, "I could not possibly take my anger out on you because of Smiths or shipbuilders; don't let your imagination run wild."

That Balon Greyjoy refused to send Smiths and shipbuilders did not surprise Eddard; after all, too many Northmen hated the Ironborn, and the Ironborn would not forget that the warriors of the North had helped King Robert suppress the rebellion. Eddard's only worry was whether the matter of the salt pans would provoke Balon.

Although Balon, after kneeling and submitting, swore to Robert that he would restrain his Ironborn and end the Old Way, and that Ironborn who wished to raid would go to the Stepstones or the distant seas across the Narrow Sea—Balon even publicly declared that any Ironborn who raided anywhere within the Seven Kingdoms would face only one fate upon returning to the Iron Islands: drowning.

Yet Ironborn Pirates remained like poachers and smugglers, impossible to ban entirely, appearing all over the Seven Kingdoms, even if only in small-scale raids. Rumors among the common folk held that Balon shared in the wealth brought back by the bandits and condoned the raiding of the Ironborn.

Eddard did not wait for the Smiths and shipbuilders from the Iron Islands, but fortunately, the Vassals of the North did not let Eddard down; Deepwood Motte sent twenty carpenters, and the Dreadfort sent thirty stonemasons from the Lonely Mountain.

Ever since the Heir of the Dreadfort, Domeric Bolton, had remained at Winterfell as a ward, Roose Bolton had been noticeably more enthusiastic about instructions from Winterfell; in a letter to Winterfell, Roose Bolton indicated that the first batch of arrow towers and salt pans in the Dreadfort's fiefdom had already begun construction.

The Ryswell family of the Rills sent three experienced veterinarians; the Rills had always been an important production base for warhorses in the North, and there were not only cavalrymen skilled in horsemanship but also many people who understood how to judge and raise horses. These three veterinarians were very adept at treating horses. Eddard had them serve under Hullen, the Master of Horse at Winterfell. There was no shortage of stable boys in the Winterfell stables, but there were too few veterinarians.

Greatjon Umber sent a fat man named Givon; Givon had raised pigs at the Umber estate for twenty years and knew how to breed pigs, treat illnesses, deliver piglets, and provide postpartum care for sows. Eddard put Givon in charge of the Winterfell pigsties.

Lady Barbrey sent thirty bricklayers, and Eddard arranged for them to work with the bricklayers recruited by Winterfell to build a brick factory south of Winterfell, preparing to produce bricks.

Herman Tallhart of Torrhen's Square transferred fifty cavalrymen to help the Winter Town maintain order, Count Cerwyn sent sixty laborers to help the Winter Town build houses, and Count Hornwood sent a batch of tailors.

Many residents of the Winter Town could not buy needles and thread, so Eddard handed these tailors over to Septa Mordane, letting them stay in Winterfell to help the commoners mend their clothes and earn some Copper Coins.

Among the people sent by Count Wyman were Smiths, craftsmen, and carpenters; Count Wyman had the grain transport team departing from White Harbor send a letter to Duke Eddard, stating that he had already selected the location for the shipyard in White Harbor, and the shipbuilders invited from Braavos had also arrived in White Harbor; once the shipwrights were in place, they could officially begin building ships.

Eddard walked to the forge of Winterfell, where Mikken was smithing. Mikken was tall, with silver hair and a sturdy build, but he was clearly a size smaller in front of Hodor, who was a big man nearly 2.1 meters tall.

Hodor was a stable boy, but in his spare time, he often came to the forge to help. Moving iron blocks was a laborious task, but it was not difficult for Hodor because he was extremely sturdy, and the iron blocks were like straw in his hands.

Mikken saw Eddard, "Lord Eddard, people often say that smithing is a job for brutes that requires no brains, but just look at Hodor and you will know that this saying is dead wrong. Hodor's build is best suited for smithing, it's just a pity his brain isn't up to the task; otherwise, after he's been helping me for so many years, even the dullest apprentice would have finished his training."

Eddard laughed, "Hodor is a simple man."

Mikken put down his hammer, "Lord Eddard, I heard you recruited many Smiths; am I going to be out of a job? I have my heart set on serving in Winterfell until the day I can no longer work."

Eddard said, "You are my best Smith. I recruited those Smiths to prepare for the forge in the Winter Town. When the time comes, we will forge weapons and Plate Armor on a large scale, and those Smiths will all be your subordinates, because I will hand the forge over to you to manage."

Mikken laughed, "That sounds great, but are we really going to war?"

"Winter is Coming, prepare early."

When the lords of the Seven Kingdoms went on campaign, the soldiers they conscripted were often makeshift teams of fishermen, farmers, and herdsmen; these people brought their own equipment, and some even used sickles and hammers as weapons. For ordinary soldiers, leather armor was a luxury, let alone Chainmail and Plate Armor.

Armor and swords were expensive to produce, but Winterfell had to store more of them to have an advantage when mobilizing for war.

Mikken stroked his hammer, "I feel like there won't be any more wars; Robert sits firmly on the Iron Throne, and now it is a time of peace."

Maester Luwin ran over in a hurry, holding a letter in his hand.

"Lord Eddard, our salt pans by the sea have been attacked, more than twenty people died, and the arrow tower was destroyed."

Eddard was shocked, "What? Could the Ironborn of the West Coast be so rampant? Those damned Ironborn."

Maester Luwin was panting.

"Lord Eddard, it is not the West Coast, it is the Seal Bay on the East Coast, in the Umber lands. The enemy is not Ironborn either; they are savages from Skagos, Rockborn!"

(End of Chapter)