Chapter 138: Maritime Defense

Usually, Winterfell dealt with many disputes between lords concerning territories, rivers, property, and the like; now, taking the opportunity of Lady Barbrey's grand wedding, the lords met Duke Eddard, and there were many accusations and petitions.

Subsequently, at the lords' meeting, Eddard handled the territorial dispute between the Umber family and Karhold, the sheep dispute between the mountain clans of the Norrey clan and the Liddle clan, and so on.

There was also plenty of good news. Lady Maege Mormont of Bear Island was a resolute woman; she was lean and tough, with gray hair, wearing leather armor, and she said, "Lord Eddard, with the funding from Winterfell, the number of fishing boats on Bear Island is increasing. We can catch many cod, sturgeon, rays, large shrimp, and more in the Bay of Ice. Among them, the fat sturgeon near the mouth of the Milkwater are delicious, and the caviar extracted after slaughtering them is very tasty."

"Much of the seafood is sent directly to the icehouse at Westbridge. Lord Eddard, your food storage plan for the Wall has solved the problem of food preservation in the North. Actually, we should have thought of it long ago; the North is cold, and the Wall might be the largest ice-covered structure in the world. Freezing has always been a good method for food preservation; we actually wasted such a good icehouse."

Greatjon Umber chimed in, "It's not just the Bay of Ice; our Umber family can also catch quite a lot of fish in the Seal Bay area every day. Of course, the number of fishing boats the Umber family has is still very small; it cannot compare to the fishing boats Winterfell has at Eastwatch."

"Big Barrel" Wull said, "The fishermen of the mountain clans have also started to go out to sea to fish; anyway, if we can't finish eating it, we can send it directly to Westbridge to be stored."

Lord Wyman patted his walrus-like belly, "Our fishing boats from White Harbor also bring back quite a lot of fish and shrimp from the Bite. Lord Eddard, our fishermen all say that since the pirate problem on the east coast was solved, their harvest has been increasing."

Eddard smiled, "The North possesses a long coastline, but it is a pity that because the North itself does not engage in navigation, coupled with the problem of the Ironborn Pirates, we have actually wasted such an important granary of the ocean. The Bay of Ice, Seal Bay, and the Bite will provide us with a steady stream of seafood; when winter comes, these will all be food!"

Lady Maege Mormont said coldly, "Lord Eddard, it is just a pity that the Ironborn Pirates still appear in the waters near Bear Island, and our fishing boats are still attacked from time to time. These damned Ironborn Pirates travel thousands of miles across the sea to Bear Island just for a few animal furs."

This remark was heard by the Iron Bitch Helene Pyke. At the Northern lords' meeting, Helene Pyke had no seat; she stood by Eddard's side along with the guards Dawson, Syrio Forel, and Fellan.

Helene Pyke said, "Lady Maege, bear fur does not seem to be worth much on Bear Island, but after the Ironborn Pirates snatch it and sell it to Lannisport, Oldtown, and King's Landing, it becomes valuable."

The people of Bear Island had only bone-deep hatred for the Ironborn; Lady Maege glared at the Iron Bitch, "Damned Ironborn, why don't you go directly to raid Oldtown and Lannisport? You only know how to bully Bear Island."

Helene Pyke made a face, "Lady Maege, in fact, historically, the Ironborn have often raided Lannisport and Oldtown; these cities have been burned by the Ironborn many times! However! In the last few hundred years, the Reach has the Redwyne House of the Arbor guarding the coastline, the Reach has the Shield Islands protecting the mouth of the Mander River, at the mouth of the Honeywine, Oldtown has the City Watch, and the Redwyne House of the Arbor has the Arbor Fleet. As for the Riverlands, the Mallister family of Eagle's Point is no pushover either; Seagard is always fighting to defend against the Ironborn Pirates."

"Anyone can see that the Riverlands, the Reach, and the Westerlands are all wealthier than the North. The Ironborn Pirates can plunder more salt wives, bondmen, and wealth by raiding these regions. However, the Reach has the Shield Islands, the Arbor Fleet, and the Oldtown City Watch; the Riverlands have Seagard; and the Westerlands have the Farman family of Fair Isle, and Lannisport also has a garrison."

"By comparison, the North has no decent maritime power. Lord Eddard is vigorously developing the fleet, and there are shipyards at White Harbor and on the upper reaches of the White Knife, but these ships are either defending White Harbor and the mouth of the White Knife, or they will be sent to Eastwatch; the shipyard on the west coast has only just been established."

Robett Glover of Deepwood Motte frowned, "There is a shipyard on the west coast of the North? How come I didn't know?"

Eddard explained, "This shipyard is headed by Helene's Ironborn shipwright Raphael, located on the upper reaches of the Stony River on the Stony Shore. Raphael has three hundred shipwrights under him, and the longships they build will be used directly to garrison the west coast."

The Stony Shore was historically the territory of the Fisher family; this branch of the Fisher family was a cadet branch of the Fisher family that once ruled the Riverlands and claimed the title of King in the Riverlands.

The Fisher family owned a castle on the Stony Shore and was a sturdy shield guarding the Stony Shore. However, thousands of years ago, the Ironborn Pirates captured the castle, slaughtered all the males of the Fisher family, and all the females were abducted to become salt wives; the Fisher family thus died out.

Since then, House Stark had never enfeoffed any nobles on the Stony Shore; nominally, it became a direct territory of House Stark of Winterfell, but in reality, because Winterfell was too far from the Stony Shore and beyond reach, the defense and taxation here were more often the responsibility of the Tallhart family of Torrhen's Square.

Galbart and Robett of Deepwood Motte, Lady Maege Mormont of Bear Island, and Barack Flint of Flint's Finger all revealed smiles; these families were all nobles of the west coast, and the strengthening of the naval power on the west coast of the North would undoubtedly benefit these families.

Both the Rills and Barrowton had rivers flowing into the Salt Spear; the Salt Spear was an inland sea of the North, connecting to Blazewater Bay. The Ironborn Pirates often sailed up the Salt Spear to raid, and this could even threaten Moat Cailin, the throat of the North.

Once the west coast fleet of the North was formed, the security problem of the Salt Spear would be solved.

Eddard's gaze rested on Lord Roderick Ryswell and Lady Barbrey.

"The First Men River of the Rills and the Barrow River of the Barrowlands both flow into the Salt Spear, which is often raided by the Ironborn Pirates. I hope that the Rills and Barrowton can provide funds to build fortresses at the river mouths to enhance defensive capabilities."

Lord Roderick Ryswell hurriedly refused, "Lord Eddard, there are Saltpans of Winterfell at the river mouth; I think that is enough. Why should we pay to build fortresses?"

Eddard smiled, "West of the First Men River is the territory of the Rills; if you don't pay, who will?"

Roderick Ryswell said, "Near the river mouth, there are only a few fishing villages; how could the tax revenue be enough to build a fortress? Lord Eddard, Winterfell can invest money to build the fortress; at most, we will cooperate."

Eddard spread his hands, pretending to be very troubled, "It is truly too difficult to get you to pay. Winterfell will pay to build the fortress at the river mouth."

In this way, the tax revenue and control of the mouth of the Salt Spear all fell into the hands of Winterfell.

(End of chapter)