WILOW-Ch.337: Moat Cailin
Moat Cailin, The Neck
POV of Domeric Bolton
The next day.
"Lord Bolton. You're here." Lord Howland Reed said as he welcomed Domeric and his men to Moat Cailin after their 25 kilometers of travel.
The once-dilapidated fortress had regained some of its glory in the past year since Lord Stark gave the order to rebuild it.
It was still a far cry from its original condition when all of its 14 towers were functional, its walls were in top condition, and its barracks were filled with men. But it was getting there.
"I am Lord Reed." He said, "You've done a fantastic job of restoring the castle."
"It's still a work in progress." Lord Howland said as he led him to the main keep while the men of house Reed showed the accommodations to his own men, "And none of it would be possible without your resources."
He nodded and didn't say anything.
"If you're here… then does that mean that you succeeded in your expedition?" Lord Howland asked, and he nodded.
"I did." He replied, "We even captured a White Walker along with the wights."
"You did?" Lord Howland blinked in surprise, his jaw dropping a little from the news.
"Yes." He replied, "I've put it in a deep underground prison. It won't see the light of day until I come back."
Lord Howland remained silent for a long moment and then nodded.
"I suppose after seeing the pack of direwolves, the group of giants, and the wyverns, I shouldn't really be surprised that you've accomplished such a thing."
He did not reply as Lord Howland led him inside a newly rebuilt tower and up the stairs into an office.
Ygritte entered with him while Varko and Raksa remained outside.
"You must want to know about the Northern host?" Lord Howland asked.
He didn't need that.
He already knew everything there was to know about it, but there was no point in revealing that to Lord Howland.
"Some information on the situation would be appreciated."
"Well…" Lord Howland spoke, "The Northern host passed by Moat Cailin a week ago. If you leave right now, then you should be able to catch up to them by the end of the week."
After that, Lord Howland began giving him an overview of the war. But his knowledge was clearly outdated.
For instance, Lord Howland still thought that Vale was neutral in the war when Lady Lysa Arryn called for the banners 3 days ago.
He also had no information on the Iron Islands or about the whereabouts of King Stannis, who has put Storms End under siege for some time now.
All in all, he knew far more about the general situation of the war than Lord Howland did.
"I'm surprised Lord Stark didn't take you with him." He said, "You're the only one who survived the journey to the Tower of Joy with him."
Lord Howland smiled in return, "I did want to join the campaign, but we men of the Neck have never been particularly impressive in an open battlefield. So, Lord Stark tasked us with protecting the Neck and defending Moat Cailin."
He nodded. "How many men do you have here in Moat Cailin?"
"300 men," Lord Howland replied, "And 300 more outside, waiting to ambush any fool who tries to cross the Neck."
He nodded.
"I suppose that is more than enough men to guard against any small army trying to cross the Neck." He said and got up from his chair, "My men and I would spend the night in the castle. I hope that won't be a problem."
"After all the food and supplies you've donated to this campaign, I doubt anyone in the North would decline to give you hospitality. Moat Cailin welcomes you, Lord Bolton." Lord Howland smiled.
"Thank you, Lord Reed." He said.
"Lord Bolton..." Lord Howland seemed to want to say something, but hesitated.
"Yes, Lord Reed," Domeric said, prompting him to continue.
"How is Meera? I know she left Dreadfort about two weeks ago to go beyond the Wall to reach you. The owl from Dreadfort informed me of this, but I have no information about what happened afterward." Lord Howland said.
So, the topic was Meera, but Domeric couldn't understand why Lord Howland was hesitant to ask for information about his daughter.
But Lord Howland's words that followed enabled Domeric to understand why he was hesitant.
"I'm sorry I couldn't send Jojen with your envoy who came to invite him. But... but the last time Jojen went beyond the Wall, I almost lost him. I... I don't want to take that risk again. I want to have at least one child alive to inherit my legacy after I die." Lord Howland said.
So, Lord Howland thought that Domeric might be resentful because he hadn't sent Jojen beyond the Wall, and that's why he hesitated to bring up Meera.
Because if he mentioned Meera, Jojen would certainly be remembered along with her.
But frankly, Domeric didn't care whether Jojen went beyond the Wall. After all, it was Bloodraven who needed him, not Domeric.
Domeric was just a middleman. And he had no intention of kidnapping anyone for Bloodraven.
"There's no reason for you to be upset, Lord Reed. I was merely relaying Greenseer Bloodraven's request. Whether you accepted the invitation or not was up to you, and whatever decision you made, it wouldn't have posed a problem for me." He said.
"Thank you for your understanding, Lord Bolton," said Lord Howland, visibly relieved.
"As for Meera, after she reached beyond the Wall, I personally escorted her and Brandon Stark to Bloodraven. Frankly, I don't know what Bloodraven wants with them, but he's probably training them. Don't worry, I'll bring them back safely once he's finished with them." He said.
"Then I thank you in advance, Lord Bolton," said Lord Howland, clearly pleased with the news.
Afterwards, Domeric and Lord Howland talked for some time about the course of the war and plans, then they shook hands before leaving the study, and Lord Howland showed him and his companions to their rooms.
The rooms here were not as luxurious as the rooms in Dreadfort, but they'd make do with what they had.
And Domeric knew that wherever he went, it would be impossible to find rooms as luxurious and comfortable as those in Dreadfort.
Until Domeric himself made something better, Dreadfort was the best, and he needed to get used to it.
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Next Chapters' Name:
Ch.338: News from Astapor
Ch.339: Side Business
Ch.340: Will This Be Enough?