Chapter 2: Winter Town

Tallow candles flickered in the Maester's chambers; Maester Luwin shook his head and sighed after hearing Eddard's plan.

"My lord, the wish is a fine one, but Winter Town can never develop into a city like White Harbor. White Harbor guards the mouth of the White Knife, which reaches deep into the heart of the North. Every day, ships bring furs, timber from the Wolfswood, and all kinds of food from upriver for White Harbor, while ships from the south bring grain and honey from Highgarden, gold from the Westerlands, and fruits from The Vale. Ships from across the Narrow Sea bring spices and gemstones from exotic lands."

"White Harbor is the mouth of the North. When winter comes, the residents of Winter Town shiver by their hearths, yet White Harbor can continue to operate thanks to its ice-free port. White Harbor became the youngest city in the Seven Kingdoms because of its geography, as well as the wealth and nearly a thousand years of painstaking management by the Manderly family. These are things Winter Town does not possess."

Eddard looked at the map of the North on the table, his gaze lingering on Winter Town.

"I know that cultivating a small town into a city is a long process, but one must take the first step. Once Winter Town can attract enough residents to move in, I will lead my people in a great construction effort."

Maester Luwin touched his Chain and smiled bitterly: "My lord, I fear your first step will bankrupt the plan. Summer has now entered its sixth year, and the North has enjoyed multiple harvests; a harvest was just completed this very month. They have more than enough food—what reason do they have to leave their homes and come to Winter Town?"

"Winter is Coming is the only reason they come to Winter Town; it has been so for the past thousand years, and it will be so in the future."

At dinner that evening, Arya and Sansa sat on either side of Eddard, while Theon, Robb, Bran, and Jon sat opposite; Eddard told the children about his plan.

Sansa was filled with excitement, "Father, once Winter Town becomes lively, will singers come?" Sansa had always loved songs and singers best.

Arya curled her lip, "I don't care for singers. Father, will there be circus performances?"

Eddard smiled, "Believe me, there will be."

Robb made a face, "Father, once there are more people in Winter Town, we should form a City Watch, just like the Gold Cloaks in King's Landing. By then, Jon, Theon, and I can lead the watch and maintain peace in the town."

Theon stuffed a piece of beef into his mouth, "Need a watch? These bumpkins can protect themselves. Besides, they are all dirt poor, and their daughters are mostly ugly hags—who would bother with them?"

Jon looked at Theon with disgust, "Winterfell ought to protect every subject of the North."

Eddard patted Jon on the head, "Once my invitations are sent out, I expect the houses in Winter Town will be full. Jon, rest assured, we will protect these subjects."

Maester Luwin dispatched ravens, and Eddard even sent out cavalry directly to nearby manors to invite the common folk from Cerwyn, the Tallhart lands of Torrhen's Square, Hornwood, and other places to settle in Winter Town.

On the first day, three families came, totaling 21 people; subsequently, the numbers grew smaller and smaller, and by the fourth day, not a single person arrived.

Walking through the empty streets of Winter Town, Eddard felt deeply frustrated.

"How could this be?"

Maester Luwin, standing to the side, said: "My lord, I told you long ago: unless Winter is Coming, those commoners would rather stay at home, guarding their granaries and basking in the sun. Perhaps, my lord could send someone to survey the commoners."

"No, I will go myself."

The next day, Eddard changed into a set of grimy leather armor, hid his face beneath a hood, disguised himself as a wandering warrior, and rode out of Winterfell.

Eddard arrived at a village; he vaguely remembered this being the territory of Lord Cerwyn. Eddard saw a middle-aged man tilling the land. The farmer had just finished the harvest and had already begun to plow.

Eddard dismounted, "Friend, I need to ask for directions—which way to Winter Town?"

The middle-aged man had a mop of messy brown hair and a stubbly beard; he sized Eddard up.

"Follow the Kingsroad straight north. What are you doing?"

"I'm a wandering warrior looking for work in Winter Town. I heard the Lord of Winterfell is inviting subjects to settle in Winter Town; maybe I can even spend some coin to buy a house to live in and a plot of land to farm."

The middle-aged man revealed a mouthful of rotten teeth and laughed: "Take my advice, don't go. Winter Town is only lively in winter; it's summer now. Lord Eddard inviting residents to settle in Winter Town is probably just wanting the common folk to work for him for free! These noble lords drive us to do hard labor just like they drive cattle. I'd rather stay home and farm."

Eddard frowned, "It is inevitable for a lord to conscript his subjects; isn't it the same if you stay here?"

The middle-aged man wiped the sweat from his forehead and leaned in toward Eddard.

"It's more comfortable at home. Our Lord Cerwyn here is a good man; if we secretly hunt a wild boar or a deer in the woods, Lord Cerwyn turns a blind eye. If you were in Winter Town, try poaching in the Wolfswood and see what happens! It's right next to Winterfell, and Winter Town has too many eyes and ears. If you get reported, you'll either lose a hand or be sent to The Wall to wear The Night's Watch black."

"I knew a guy from the next village over; last winter, he went hunting in the Wolfswood from Winter Town. Just because he poached a wild boar, he was caught by the soldiers of Winterfell. He begged and pleaded, but he was still sent to the Wall."

"Going to Winter Town is nothing more than farming, and I'm farming at home anyway, plus I can sneak a bit of game on the side. Here, I pay taxes to Lord Cerwyn; in Winter Town, I'd pay taxes to Lord Eddard—what's the difference? And there are too many strangers in Winter Town; I'm not going!"

Eddard sat in his study with Maester Luwin sitting opposite him.

"It seems I must offer a sincere policy to attract my subjects to settle in Winter Town. Very well, Maester Luwin, I want you to send word: for the cost of 100 Copper Pennies, one can purchase a house and an acre of land in Winter Town, and after five years of continuous cultivation, one will gain the rights to the cleared wasteland. Every harvest, Winterfell will open the Wolfswood for the residents of Winter Town to hunt for one month."

Recently, wild boars in the Wolfswood had become a plague; Eddard felt there was no loss in opening the woods for hunting during the harvest season.

Four-fifths of the houses in Winter Town were currently vacant, and the ownership of most of these houses belonged to Winterfell. In winter, many residents coming to Winter Town to wait out the cold would choose to rent these houses at one-tenth the price of a regular inn, only to leave once spring arrived.

The maintenance costs for these houses were staggering, and when the town was packed in winter, the rent collected was minimal. Eddard decided to sell them at a low price to attract residents to settle permanently.

Maester Luwin smiled: "With such a price and the right to hunt during the harvest season, I believe it will attract some people to settle."

Eddard stood up, "Maester Luwin, tell my subjects that once the houses are sold out, there will be no vacant houses in Winter Town for those who do not come."

"Tell them that once the houses are distributed, Winter Town will no longer accept new members, and when winter comes, they will have to find their own way to endure it."

(End of chapter)