Chapter 93: The Curved Plow and the Dragon Bone

Luwin looked at the blueprints for the curved plow, feeling somewhat bewildered.

"Lord Eddard, can this slender curved plow really plow the land in the North as effectively as a heavy plow?"

Eddard replied confidently: "Rest assured, just design it according to my blueprints. Once the curved plow is manufactured, it will certainly be more useful than the heavy plow."

Maester Luwin had studied for many years at the Oldtown Citadel and was learned and talented, but he had no understanding of the curved plow, because the curved plow came from the world Eddard had traveled from before, a world where the ancient and proud China relied on the curved plow to feed the largest population of the agricultural civilization era.

The curved plow only required one or two plow horses or oxen to plow the land, whereas the heavy plow required four to eight horses. Once Eddard manufactured the curved plow, he could promote this technology to every manor in the Winter Town and gradually promote it to the North; by then, the agricultural productivity of the North would be greatly improved.

Eddard was incomparably confident about the curved plow, but Maester Luwin was somewhat doubtful. He said: "Lord Eddard, I spent several days making that filter you asked me to make before. You told me at the time that the filter could refine coarse salt into fine salt, but I haven't seen you use it."

"The filter will come in handy soon." Eddard assured Maester Luwin, "Just follow my blueprints and make the curved plow with peace of mind, Maester Luwin. Rest assured, I certainly won't let you work in vain. You have participated in these inventions, and perhaps you can follow me and go down in history!"

"That would be nice!" Maester Luwin said this, but his tone was dismissive.

Eddard and Maester Luwin returned to Winterfell. In the Great Hall, Domeric Bolton was holding a harp, playing a ballad titled "Conquering the Rockborn." This was a song Domeric had composed on the road from Skagos back to Winterfell, describing the North's war of conquest against Skagos.

The sweet ballad echoed in the Great Hall. Sansa and her companions surrounded Domeric; among them were Jeyne Poole, the daughter of the steward Vayon Poole, Beth Cassel, the daughter of the Winterfell master-at-arms Rodrik Cassel, and Pala, the daughter of the Master of Kennels Farlan.

Sansa saw Eddard and hurriedly stood up and walked to him. "Father, Arya and I went to play in the Crypts of Winterfell today. That giant dragon skeleton in the crypt scared us to death."

"It was Sansa who was scared; I wasn't afraid. It's just a pile of bones." Arya ran over, holding a wooden sword in her hand. Recently, Arya had begun practicing swordsmanship in the yard with the Water Dancer Syrio Forel.

The dragon skeleton was brought back by Eddard from Skagos. The dragon skeleton was originally located in the valley of the Rockborn Ice Dragon Clan. During the war, Eddard loaded the dragon skeleton onto the supply train and transported it back to Winterfell.

Sansa complained, "Father, that dragon skeleton is too scary. Why put it in the Crypts of Winterfell? It would be much better to put it in the courtyard."

Eddard smiled, "Sansa, do you know how much a dragonbone dagger and a Dragonbone Bow are worth? If I put it in the courtyard, there's no guarantee that some guests or servants won't steal the Dragon Bone."

Sansa was somewhat surprised, "Are bones very valuable?"

"Bones aren't valuable, but Dragon Bone is."

Eddard took Jon Snow, Helen Pyke, and the Rockborn foster son Baolaisen Stane to the Crypts of Winterfell, the final resting place of the past Kings of Winter, Kings in the North, and Lords of Winterfell.

Baolaisen Stane was the son of the Rockborn leader Billy of Driftwood Hall and the Heir to Driftwood Hall. He was only fourteen, but he was thick-set and wore a bear-skin coat that gave off a pungent, gamey smell.

After Baolaisen was captured by Jon Snow on the battlefield and came to Winterfell as a foster son, he became Jon's best friend, and the two lived in adjacent rooms.

Helen Pyke wore a sea-green velvet coat and a fox-fur cloak, with a longsword and dagger at her waist. In the short time Helen Pyke had been at Winterfell, she had already hit it off with the soldiers, grooms, kitchen boys, and maids here; even Hodor was happy to chat with Helen Pyke, although he couldn't say anything other than "Hodor."

"It's really cold here!" Helen Pyke shivered, "As expected of the crypts of the Kings of Winter."

The dragon skull stared at Eddard, Helen Pyke, Jon Snow, and Baolaisen with its hollow eye sockets. Eddard waved his hand, "Jon, Baolaisen, you two collect the scattered Dragon Bone on the ground, put them in boxes, and send them to the smithy."

Jon and Baolaisen filled a box with Dragon Bone and carried it up the stairs, with Helen Pyke and Eddard following behind.

"Lord Eddard, what are you going to do with these Dragon Bone?"

"These scattered bones cannot be wasted." Eddard told Helen Pyke, "I plan to make some dragonbone daggers and Dragonbone Bows."

"To give to your family?" Helen Pyke was somewhat envious, "Sigh! When I was on Skagos, I should have sold the Dragon Bone to Braavos and earned a large amount of Gold Dragon. Now it's all for nothing for Lord Eddard."

Eddard smiled, "Helen, you have a share of the dragonbone daggers too. I will have Mikken forge a dragonbone dagger for you, with the hilt cast in silver and Bittersteel, and the grip made in the shape of a wanton woman; that is what suits you, Iron Bitch."

Helen Pyke smiled wickedly, "A dragonbone dagger for the Iron Bitch? I like this weapon. But won't Catelyn Stark be jealous? Every time Catelyn Stark meets me, that look in her eyes is as if I slept with you. I did try to seduce Lord Eddard, but I failed."

In the Winterfell smithy, Mikken stroked the Dragon Bone.

"I've been smithing my whole life, but this is the first time I've forged a dragonbone weapon."

Now there was a forge in the Winter Town outside Winterfell, but the smithy inside Winterfell had not stopped.

As soon as the Ironborn smith Wote saw Helen Pyke, he immediately gave Helen Pyke a bear hug, and Helen Pyke let out a girlish giggle. Wote took the Dragon Bone and tapped it on the anvil, "I once had the honor of making a dragonbone dagger in Lannisport; the iron content of Dragon Bone is very high, and the range of a Dragonbone Bow is the best."

Wote had a bull-like neck and thick arms, and a black, bushy beard. He followed Helen Pyke and surrendered to Winterfell. Now, Wote had become the deputy to the forge master Mikken, and the two were responsible for directing the smiths under them to forge weapons and armor.

"How is the progress on the weapons and armor in the forge?" Eddard asked.

Mikken looked proud, "The armory has added three hundred sets of chainmail, over a hundred sets of plate armor, and a small amount of ring armor and scale armor. There are numerous longswords, lance heads, horseshoes, and saddles, enough for Lord Eddard to arm a cavalry."

"Lord Eddard, I think we should forge more plate armor." Wote suggested, "We Ironborn prefer plate armor. Although plate armor is more expensive than chainmail, it has higher defense. Back when I was in Lannisport and The Reach, the plate armor I forged was intricately crafted and deeply loved by those knights."

Eddard smiled, "I know those southern knights love to put some flashy family crests and the like on their plate armor and helmets, but we Northerners don't need these things. Wote, you can forge more plate armor, but don't include those fancy decorations. Practicality comes first."

Wote nodded solemnly, "The Ironborn don't like flashy things either. It seems the Ironborn and the Northern wolf pups are very similar in this regard!"

The steward Vayon Poole walked over, "Lord Eddard, Lady Barbrey Dustin of Barrowton has arrived at Winterfell and requests an audience with you."

The Salt Ban. Eddard thought to himself, it was bound to come.

(End of chapter)