Chapter 80: To the Wall Garrison

Eddard quickly recruited six hundred soldiers willing to serve at the Wall, and Eddard selected two hundred men familiar with the water, placing them under the charge of the Winterfell household guard Haihua.

Haihua grew up on the White Knife, and his family had been fishermen for generations. Eddard ordered Haihua to take these two hundred men to the fishing village on the east coast of the Umber lands. Docked there were the thirty Ironborn Longships that Eddard had seized on Skagos.

"Haihua, take the thirty longships to Eastwatch. The Old Bear has already agreed to open Eastwatch for Winterfell's use. You will hand these ships over to the Eastwatch Commander, Cotter Pyke; the Night's Watch can use them alongside our men. Once you arrive at Eastwatch and get our soldiers settled, take your men to repair Green Guard to the west of Eastwatch."

Haihua stroked his messy brown hair and smiled, "Lord Eddard, I'm not skilled at building castles."

"The Night's Watch will send some craftsmen to help, and there is stone everywhere in the Gift. Do a good job, and in the future, you will be the Captain of Green Guard. The seafood caught from the Shivering Sea and Seal Bay will all be stored in the ice cellars of Green Guard; you'll have a good life."

Upon hearing that he could become a Captain, Haihua was immediately motivated, and he set off with his two hundred men.

Eddard selected the 200 men for the Nightfort and placed them under the charge of the Winterfell household guard Harwin. Harwin was the son of Hullen, the Master of Horse at Winterfell, and had grown up in Winterfell since he was a child.

"Harwin, the Nightfort is the largest castle on the Wall. Take your two hundred men to the Nightfort to repair the castle; in the future, its ice cellars will store meat and grain. Craftsmen from Castle Black will come to the Nightfort to help."

Harwin was somewhat nervous, "Lord Eddard, I've heard the Nightfort is haunted. The ghosts of the Rat Cook, the Seventy-Nine Sentinels, Mad Axe, and the Night King have all lived there; I dare not go."

Eddard raised an eyebrow, "Your father Hullen has always hoped you would take over his position in the stables. If you don't want to go, you won't have any chance to fight in the future either; go to the stables and raise horses with your father! Go to the Nightfort and you are a Captain; return to Winterfell and you are a stable boy. Choose for yourself!"

Harwin apologized with a smile, "Lord Eddard, I would rather have the Nightfort than the stables."

Next, Eddard selected the Winterfell household guard Alyn to be the Commander of Westbridge. Westbridge was the westernmost castle on the Wall, with the Shadow Tower to its east and Skull Bridge guarding it to the west.

"Alyn, take these two hundred men to Westbridge to rebuild the castle. The Lord Commander, Jeor Mormont, has already written to the Shadow Tower, asking the Shadow Tower Commander, Ser Denys Mallister, to send craftsmen to assist you in rebuilding Westbridge. Once Westbridge is built, you and the Night's Watch will set up a fortress on Skull Bridge to prevent the Wildlings from crossing the Gorge."

"Once Westbridge has an ice cellar, fishermen from Bear Island, Deepwood Motte, and the mountain clans will send the seafood and fish caught in the Bay of Ice to Westbridge for storage."

Alyn looked troubled, "Lord Eddard, Skull Bridge guards the mouth of the Milkwater; won't the Wildlings come to raid often?"

Eddard reassured him, "In fact, the Wildlings will deliberately avoid Skull Bridge. There are usually brothers of the Night's Watch from the Shadow Tower guarding it, and 'Halfhand' Qhorin and Ser Denys Mallister of the Shadow Tower are both very experienced; they will help you and the Winterfell soldiers adapt to the environment of Westbridge and Skull Bridge."

Having arranged the Commanders and soldiers for Green Guard, Castle Black, and Westbridge, Eddard's winter food storage plan had taken a solid first step.

Once the castles were repaired, the North's fishing boats could continuously send seafood from the Shivering Sea, Seal Bay, and the Bay of Ice, as well as game from the Wolfswood, corn, oats, and blueberries from the mountains, to be stored in the castles of the Wall. Eddard had obtained several "refrigerators," and the problem of food storage would be easily solved.

At the same time, Winterfell strengthened its control over the Wall.

The next day, facing the morning light, Eddard left Queenscrown with his attendants and headed toward Winterfell along the Kingsroad. Half a month later, they arrived at Long Lake, which was also one of the sources of the White Knife; they had entered the territory of House Stark. Along the way, Eddard had been observing the hills and mountains.

Eddard took his attendants and children, turned east from the Kingsroad here, and entered the mountainous area, where House Stark's iron mines were located.

Many people think the North is barren; the North is poor, but the black soil is fertile, and there are many minerals in the mountains, it is just that much of the virgin land has not been cultivated. There are many silver mines in the Manderly territory, and White Harbor's silver processing occupies an important position in the Seven Kingdoms. Iron ore can be unearthed in many places in the North, and the same is true in the Stark territory.

Many workers were loading iron onto wagons under the command of the Winterfell household guard Jacks. As soon as he saw Eddard arrive, Jacks hurriedly said, "Lord Eddard, you've finally returned. The Winterfell soldiers had already returned to Winterfell half a month ago."

"How is the expansion of Crown Town coming along?" Eddard asked.

"The forge, barracks, and stables have all been put into use, only some buildings are still under construction," Jacks replied. "The Unicorns brought back by the Winterfell soldiers have become the sacred beasts of Crown Town. Many residents go to the paddock to watch, and the financial advisor Klar charges every spectator one copper coin; the Unicorns have earned a lot."

The Unicorn cubs were a gift given to Eddard by the Rockborn on Skagos. Unicorns had never appeared in the Seven Kingdoms, and even the Citadel lacked records of such animals. The Maesters were all very curious about the Unicorns, and they were naturally full of attraction to ordinary people. Klar could always find ways to make money, but it was a pity that relying on the Unicorns alone was far from enough.

Eddard took a tour of the iron mine and discovered that there was quartz in the crushed stones dug out from the iron mine. The miners would dig out the iron ore and throw the quartz aside as trash.

Few people in the Seven Kingdoms realized the value of quartz sand, but Eddard, who had transmigrated, knew it clearly; quartz was very valuable. This was not only a high-quality building stone but also an essential material for making glass.

Eddard had already sent a letter to the financial advisor Klar in Winterfell, asking him to help find some glassmakers from Myr to serve in Winterfell. Myr's glass craftsmanship was peerless; Myrish lenses, Myrish glass, and Myrish lace were equally famous. The telescopes used by pirates and the telescopes used by Maesters to observe the stars were all inseparable from Myrish lenses.

Winterfell was also a beneficiary of Myrish glass. Winterfell had a vast glass garden, and by relying on the glass garden combined with the heat preservation of the hot springs, Winterfell could grow vegetables all year round. In the cold winter, the glass garden was the vegetable basket for Winterfell and even Crown Town, helping the people of the North and the members of House Stark survive one long winter after another.

Eddard did not know if Klar had found any glassmakers, but once glassmakers were hired, Eddard would need quartz.

Quartz sand could be found by rivers, lakes, and the sea, but Eddard felt that the quartz in the mountains was of better quality.

"Collect these white stones and pile them together," Eddard ordered.

Jacks frowned, "Lord Eddard, what use are these white stones? They are all waste material!"

"I have my own use for them."

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(End of chapter)