(Lord Tywin Lannister, Lord Paramount of the Westerlands, Lord of Casterly Rock, Warden of the West POV)
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It was frustrating, he hadn't anticipated that the young Stark boy would be so far from Winterfell. He'd hoped to be able to make the first offer for a private commission if the boy proved capable of Smithing a blade similar to Valyrian Steel.
But the young heir was touring the North and Riverlands and was expected to link up with the Royal Family. Disappointing, but not without its uses. It gave him the opportunity to inspect the boy's previous work, which was impressive to be sure, certainly better than what he had seen anywhere else up until that point.
But the question of whether or not it'd be on par with Valyrian Steel was the biggest question. From what he'd learned through his spies, the boy claimed he could make a sword better than Valyrian Steel with the right materials and funding. Now that could be a childs boastings.
But what if it wasn't?
The boy had a gift, he'd found ore deposits in the Rills and Barrowlands and was apparently on Bear Island doing the same. If he could make a sword better than Valyrian Steel then it was vital to improve relations with the North.
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(POV Shift: Lord Rodrik Ryswell, Lord of the Rills)
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Rodrik watched the miners work from atop his beloved Stallion. His sons were on either side of him. Lord Osric called the ore Doonium. Claiming that it was incredibly heavy and dense once refined and smelted. Barbrey said that the Barrowlands had something called Cortosis in them. Both ores were being sent to Winterfell to be used by the Blacksmith Wolf. Honestly Lord Stark better be right that this could lead to the north's future prosperity, he was sick and tired of southerners looking down on Northerners whenever they ventured south for a tourney or war.
Puffed up like peacocks, and not any less self-important or pompous. Lord Osric promised immense profits in a few short years. Time would tell if his words were winds, or truth. But Starks usually made poor liars, so he was more optimistic than Barbrey was, she was transporting her ore at a snail's pace. He didn't begrudge his daughter her anger, but there would come a point when Lord Eddard would no longer be Lord of Winterfell, and Lord Osric might not be as understanding or willing to forgive Barbrey as his father. It was just a question of time and profitability.
If the ore once smelted and refined was incredibly heavy, then it was unreasonable to expect any house except House Umber to be able to lift a blade forged from it. But there was whispers growing that Lord Osric had discovered new minerals on Bear Island that would change the game.
How true this was remained to be seen, but House Ryswell would be watching with keen interest...
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(POV Shift: Lord Osric Stark, Heir to Winterfell)
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Osric stood at the front of the ship just feeling the Sea wind. The feeling and smell of sea spray was one he held dear to his heart. Before rebirth he had been a fifth generation mariner and a fourth generation bushman. The smell wasn't as prominent going from Sea Dragon Point to Bear Island, but that winter's chill as they entered the Bay of Ice was refreshing.
Part of the plan was to go through the Northern Mountains and skirt the Territory of House Wull into the New Gift before heading down the Kingsroad, following the Last River and arriving at the Last Hearth. With luck they'd be able to avoid the hospitality of House Wull, if only because he doubted that he had the time to enjoy it.
He had made a point of pairing Dacey and Waymar together during the voyage. He'd done it subtly, with the two always accompanying him. Waymar as always to his left, with Dacey to his right. He wanted to solidify the North to hos friends or hos younger siblings.
Sansa would be rescued even if he had to personally cut a bloody path through all of King's Landing to get to Sansa. She would then marry Waymar's Brother Andar, and Aunt Lysa would be dealt with, putting Harrold Hardyng on one of the Weirwood Thrones and Ysilla Royce on the other one.
Osric did see the benefits of marrying Sansa to Hardyng. But that would have required him to shift gears. When Viserys Targaryen died, he would be in a position to leverage Rob for Arianne promising Vengeance against the Mountain and Lorch, and justice against House Lannister. Robb would be Arianne's Prince-Consort. That in turn allowed him to marry Margaery Tyrell, bringing Dorne, the North, the Riverlands, the Vale, and the the Reach to bear against his enemies.
He expected to not be at King's Landing and he roughly knew what to look out for when it was time for his father to die. Luckily, Waymar had found who was looking for and an exchange was made.
For services rendered, certain parts of his inventory would be made available.
Now it was just a matter of letting things play out. Ordinarily he wouldn't stoop to kinslaying. But his batshit crazy aunt and baseborn cousin posing as a truebborn Lord-Presumptive of the Eyrie needed to be dealt with. He gave instructions for how to dissappear his cousin and Aunt. Sweetsleep.
It was the cleanest method, giving enough for a permanent sleep.
But for now the shoreline of the Bay of Ice was quickly approaching and it was time to enter the Northern Mountains. Again, with any luck they'd be able to avoid the hospitality of House Wull, by the God's grace.
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(Author's Note:)
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Have my word there'll be dialogue next chapter. Also the mstches for Robb and Sansa were decided by poll. I'd say where, but since I crosspost on Archive of Our Own I actually can't.
Let's just say they are very unreasonable. Anyways, next chapter we'll have Barbrey Dustin's POV and we'll also close out the next chapter with the Greatjon if I've anything to say about it.
Surprisingly I got this done the very next day after completing Chapter 4. Here's hoping three for three? Also in case it wasn't obvious, I am releasing the stories next publicly available chapter whenever I complete a chapter for this fic.
Anyways see you guys next chapter.
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Thanks to Mitchell Howard, David Martinez, ROGUE505 Saver, Mathew T Linderman, Luck George, Kyle Diano, Julien, Morgan Sinn, Tom A, Nicholas Berenguer, Arimar26, Robin Kristiansen, Dragon emperor87, Vlone_Icy, Daniel Setchell, James Fleming, Zero 12995, Spencer Davidson, Rowdy_Rich, James Lloyd, reikon aijin, Beastmode2003, Birhaledin, Blood For The Blood God, Dymarkus Tillman, and Lorra Thorsdottir for their support on P-atreon.
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