Symeon reached Moat Cailin or whatever was left of it as most of it was stripped other than its foundation because it will be rebuilt using new stone and concrete. The stone from stripping down its towers will be used to build the bridge on the canal. There is already a small town, which will become a city in future, forming near it but I have made sure that the people coming to North from King's Landing and south in general know that they have to commit ten years of service, convert to Old Gods and keep a clear record, meaning no crimes in the North if they want to stay here otherwise they will be sent south with only the clothes on their body.
Seeing the people working hard to make his idea of a canal a reality filled him with confidence. It only served to remind him of how much he needs the North to grow in power and self-dependence. House Stark had ruled the North since men first started to come together in greater numbers, since they started to move away from the rule of clans and first started forming Kingdoms. His ancestors had built something truly extraordinary, conquered and kept the largest kingdom in Westeros. Fought off all outside invasions, put down all internal rebellions. They had forged a dynasty that was possibly the oldest in the world. A dynasty that was older and greater than any dynasty that existed in his old life. House Starks name had become synonymous with the North.
They had ruled for so long, kept the peace for so long that most Northerners couldn't even imagine being ruled by someone else. Sure, there were still disagreements with bannermen. There were still rebellions to put down every few centuries. But compared to the southern kingdoms the North was united. The only major problems they had with bannermen were from the Boltons after the Skagos was finally conquered, started being ruled by branch houses and all its cannibal tribes wiped.
He also needs to improve their naval power. Their administration needs a lot of thought though. It would be something important for future generations. He can't change it carelessly. He has to carefully think through how he builds it. There's also only so much he can change as it is. He lacks the power to truly change any laws. That power lies with the King, sure he can administer his lands but changing the law, he can't. So, for now Symeon has no choice but to forget about any large changes and the ones he does make has to be done with a certain amount of subtlety.
The military power is the most difficult, however. The best thing would be to train an army from the ground up and have only one army for the entire North. An army that only answers to House Stark, even if House Stark has two elite forces, well trained City Guard to draw from and their own men, a centralized army is always good. The problem is his bannermen. He has a feeling some might have a problem with this. He has no doubt he could convince many of them. Many of them have kept faith with House Stark since they swore fealty to them. If he words it in the right way and gives a just cause for changing the military, many of them would probably grumble but would accept his decision. The problem lies with the Houses who would use it as an opportunity to either cause chaos or to sow discord among his bannermen and his house. The biggest problem lies, once again, with House Bolton.
House Bolton have led almost all the rebellions there have been against his house in the history of the North. And Symeon knows from canon that they would probably be the leaders of rebellions again. Why his ancestors never seemed to end their threat and were content to have one of their more powerful Lords constantly ready to betray them, he will never understand.
Sam still remembers the look in Lord Boltons eyes from when he met him for the Harvest Feast in Winterfell. Looking into his eyes told him all he needed to know about the man. There was not a shred of warmth to be found there. They were as cold as the most frigid winters. Even when he looked at his son, who is thankfully not his cousin as Bethany was married to William Dustin, there was not a spark of emotion. Symeon knows those eyes, they are the eyes of a psychopath.
Unfortunately dealing with house Bolton isn't so simple. Harry would like nothing more than to get rid of Roose Bolton. The problem is Domeric, he has already been sent to Vale to foster under House Redfort and dealing with him there is a problem. Some may think that Domeric is a good, why kill him but that is not certain. The only base for that is he has more emotion than his father, he wanted to have a brother. And even if not him, then his future descendants will be a problem for mine. I am not going to take that risk.
Before he can delve into thoughts about how to deal with the problems in North, he is spoken to by Ser Rodrick, who is leading the two hundred guard escort he has taken with him on his journey. "My Lord, where would you like to stay while we are here?"
Casting a glance around what he can see of the fortress Sam finds it isn't a difficult question to answer. "We will stay in the inn of the town while we are here." Ser Rodrik immediately sent some men to book the rooms and lodgings. "Keep two guards posted near the door."
Looking to the knight to make sure he understands, Sam only continued speaking once he received a firm nod. "Excellent. I am going to retire for the night Ser. Please have my supper brought to my room."
Ser Rodrick gave his assent. "Aye my Lord. When will Lord Reed be arriving?"
He climbed off of his horse and removed his riding gloves while answering. "He said he would arrive within a few days of us. Not sure exactly when. Hopefully we won't have to wait too long for him. Send some men to keep watch on the southern end of the fortress to keep watch for him."
Sir Rodrick just grunted. "Aye."
After that Symeon started walking into the inn followed by three guards that Ser Rodrick assigned to him for the moment. While the knight started barking orders to the rest of the men.
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Howland Reed arrived the next day. According to the guards he seemed to have just appeared in front of the Southern end of the fortress as if he was a ghost.
Sam isn't sure whether Howland is just that naturally sneaky, the guards weren't as aware of their surroundings as he hoped they would be or if Howland Reed used magic of some form to cover his approach. As far as he is concerned any of the three could be a possibility. Crannogmen are naturally sneaky due to traversing the marshes and swamps where they live while staying hidden to hunt or avoid predators. His guards aren't at the level of competence Sam would like yet, while they are all individually skilled, many of them lack discipline that Sam would expect from professional soldiers. As far as magic goes, Harry knows very little of what it can accomplish beyond warging and some old legends that may or may not be real examples of magic.
Upon meeting the lord, Sam still can't find an answer. Howland Reed is a small man, so small some might mistake the lord as a child upon first glance. He only stands a bit over a head taller than Sam himself. Were it just that then he wouldn't feel there was anything special about the man but his height. But the first time he came face to face with the Crannogmen he knew he didn't waste his time on this journey. Sam could see the subtle aura of magic around the man through his mage sight.
It was weak. Incredibly so. However, he is the only person Sam has met who he can say without a doubt has magic and practices it. While his power in magic is much less than his uncles or even his young cousins, it is much more refined. While his uncles have stronger magic than the Crannoglord, probably due to their bloodline, it means little as they have received no instruction.
Symeon was just happy that he didn't waste his time coming down to the Neck. He was so happy in fact that he accepted Lord Reeds offer of leaving for Greywater Watch immediately.
Now during his third day of traversing through the neck Sam can't help but think he may have miscalculated. He was only able to bring Ser Rodrick with him and had to leave the rest of the guards at Moat Cailin due to the fact that The Neck is dangerous to traverse, and Lord Reed isn't able to watch more than a few people at a time. They had to leave their horses behind and were forced to walk on foot with only the supplies they could carry on them. The march through the neck was slow so far, with them taking winding trails that twisted and turned in all directions while fighting off mosquitos and other insects the whole time. They were forced to sleep in trees a few times to avoid the lizard lions and on top of that it rained the day before. It can be safe to say that he was having a miserable time.
Sam pushed through though. If he can learn even a little bit about how magic works, then the journey would have been well worth it.
Sam stepped over a small puddle in the middle of the path while grumbling under his breath. He doesn't think he was being quiet enough however, based on how Lord Reed looked at him with a frankly infuriating smirk on his face. "The worst part of the journey is over my lord."
Before he could question what the Crannogman meant, Lord Reed pulled on a rope that was tied to a tree next to one of the many rivers he had seen. Harry could see the rope pull taught before he noticed a small wooden boat making its way slowly towards them.
Next to him Ser Rodrick released a small breath and a muttered. " Thank the Old Gods." Sam couldn't help but agree.
With a deft movement of his hand Lord Reed untied the rope from the tree and gestured for them to get on. Sam wasted no time in hopping onto the back of the boat and sitting down with a tired groan. The boat wobbled slightly when Ser Rodrick stepped onto it, but otherwise it remained remarkably stable for what he would expect of a boat this size.
Lord Reed hopped onto the boat with a single agile step that didn't seem to disturb the balance of the boat at all before speaking to them. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to keep your hands inside the boat, unless you want a lizard lion to take it. "
Sam was happy to comply. At this stage he was just happy to be off of his feet. Three days of trekking through the marsh would probably tire most adults, for his childish body it was almost torturous. He took the opportunity to close his eyes and get some rest. He found himself drifting off almost immediately.
"-Stark. Lord Stark." He was woken by Ser Rodrick shaking his shoulder while calling for him.
"Mmph." Was his articulate reply while he sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He then stretched his hands above his head while releasing a small groan at how stiff his back was. Sleeping curled up on his pack on a small boat was the definition of uncomfortable.
After he was good and awake he spoke again. "What is it Ser?"
Ser Rodrick answered in a voice filled with amusement. "Lord Reed says we are nearing Greywater Watch my Lord."
Lord Reed didn't look back from the front of the boat where he was paddling with a small oar. "You should be able to see it from just around this bend my lord."
Now wide awake because they are finally reaching their destination Sam looked at the bend that Lord Reed had described eagerly. He needn't have reacted so quickly as while the bend wasn't very large in itself, the boat was moving at a slow pace, and he had to wait for a minute or two looking at the greenery around him.
After they had taken the bend however, he couldn't help but release a small gasp at the sight in front of him. There was a small lake, surrounded by trees on every side with flowers of every colour blooming on them rising high up into the air. The water was tranquil, the only thing disturbing it was their boat and the boats of a few other Crannogmen who were paddling towards the centre of the lake, from various other streams and rivers on all sides. In the centre of the water rested giant structure that Greywater Watch was found. Just like the legends and myths said, the castle rested on the water held into its position by some means that he wasn't able to glean.
The castle wasn't the largest he had ever seen. In fact, compared to Winterfell it was small. The castle only took up a portion of the floating structure, however. Surrounding the large wooden keep in the middle were hundreds of smaller homes that he could see people entering and exiting. Now that he got a chance to have a closer look, he could see there were even more ramshackle homes all around the lake, that looked like they were designed to be able to be taken down and moved in a moment's notice while simultaneously blending into the trees surrounding them. All in all, it was a very impressive picture. Sam was sure that some magic had to be involved in keeping the structure floating, he doesn't think wood would be enough to keep a structure that large above the water and even if it were, it would require the wood to constantly be replaced due to rot. As they got closer, he looked out for any signs of rot on any of the wood. He just got more excited when he couldn't find any. As Sam stepped off of the boat onto the small dock next to the wooden keep of Greywater Watch the sun began to set. In front of his eyes, thousands of lightning bugs began to appear, it was still too light out to appreciate the sight in all its majesty, so he promised himself he would return later to watch them.
Lord Reeds amused voice knocked him out of his wide-eyed wonder. "Not what someone thinks of when they picture a floating castle in the middle of a marsh is it?"
Sam looked back at the lord with a smile. " No, it most certainly is not."
After a few moments Lord Reed gestured for us to follow his lead up to the gates of the of the keep itself. "Come, I'm sure you are hungry after the journey. "
Feeling his stomach growl Sam rushed to follow with Ser Rodrick on his heels.
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Sam was sitting in the main hall of Greywater Watch with Lord Reed, his wife Jyana and her infant baby Jojen as well as his young daughter Meera. He had ordered Ser Rodrick to rest for the evening, trusting in Lord Reed's guards. The knight was taking his dinner in his room and was getting some well-deserved rest after our journey. The hall wasn't very big. It was probably a similar size to his chambers at Winterfell. It was nice though, it had a much warmer and more informal feel to the dinner than eating in the Great Hall at Winterfell. Even the food was good, a smoked trout that was caught earlier that day and was therefore incredibly fresh.
Even the company was pleasant. He had to admit to himself that he liked the Reeds. Howland was a typically quiet man, he seemed perfectly content to sit in silence just watching the world around him, but when he spoke, he demanded Harrys full attention. Generally, because he had something important to say. He reminded Harry of his uncle Ned. He can see why Ned refers to Howland as a friend. Jyana was a warm woman. That's the best way Sam could describe her. She seemed to always have a true smile on her face, and she practically radiated kindness. She seemed to live for her children, her eyes held this spark every time she looked at one of them.
Meera was also a delight. The young girl was a very curious child, unafraid to ask questions. "What is Winterfell like? Father says its ten times the size of Greywater Watch but that can't be right. No castle can be that big. Ooh, or is it true that the Starks ride Direwolves? Shelley, the old lady who runs the fishery says they are bigger than horses and that the Starks have whole packs of them. Ooh or is it true that-"
"Meera."Her mother chastised. " Why don't you give lord Stark time to answer your questions?"
Sam couldn't help but laugh. "It's all right my lady. I think it's cute. To answer your questions Meera, Winterfell is indeed a massive castle. I don't know how much larger it is than Greywater Watch but ten times seems like a good number. Unfortunately, we don't have Direwolves but maybe we will have them one day…"He trailed off wistfully. Yes, he definitely has to make a plan to get Direwolves. He knows he will most likely get them in future, but he wants them now.
"How are you liking Greywater Watch my lord?" Jyanna brought me out of my musings with a soft smile.
Symeon couldn't help but smile back at the woman. "It is a lovely castle my lady. Unlike anything I have seen before."
She laughed softly. "I'm glad you like it my lord. I'm happy our home impresses you so."
He laughed. "That it does. I will admit I was expecting it to look more run down and aged like Moat Cailin. I will admit this is a pleasant surprise. It has a feel to it, like it's almost magical."
She smiled slyly. "There are many secrets hidden in the swamps of the neck. Greywater Watch is just one of them. Isn't that right Howland?"
The man looked up from his food long enough to give an answer. "Aye, my people have lived here for thousands of years and the swamps are still teaching us lessons. I have no doubt my children will learn lessons from it that I myself am unable to teach."
He could feel his curiosity rise at their implications but decided it to let it rest for now and continued to enjoy his meal. After the meal was finished Lady Reed ushered the children to bed and left me alone to speak with Lord Reed.
The man stared at the flames on the lantern in the middle of the table for a few moments in silence before speaking. "You know I think this is the first time a Stark has been to Greywater Watch in thousands of years. It might be the first time since House Reed first swore fealty to the Starks. Why did you decide to come my lord?"
Sam answered smoothly. "A great failure on their part, my lord. How can I ever hope to rule a people that I know nothing about?"
He looked up from the lantern into Sam's eyes. "A good answer, aye. But a half-truth nonetheless."
Sam stared at the man impassively while inwardly he was impressed. It seems he underestimated Howland Reed. He was hoping to stumble upon magic while he was here and then asking for lessons afterwards. It seemed he now had little choice but to confess to his reasons beforehand. "To learn magic."
He sat back. "Before I can give you an answer to the question of magic, I have one of my own. What is your ambition my lord. What is it you fight for?"
I thought of the question. It was a surprisingly difficult one; I wanted to think my answer through. I found the answer came more easily than I expected it to. "For my family and for my heritage."
He scrunched up his eyebrows. "Your heritage."
Sam shrugged his shoulders and emphasised. "OUR heritage. Weirwood trees are becoming more and more rare as the centuries pass by. The North gets less and less powerful. Magic becomes weaker and weaker. I seek to protect what is left. To fight for it. It is our birth right. The Old Gods are the gods of our ancestors. I am the Stark of Winterfell. The North has long been the home of the Old Gods. I MUST fight for them! For what is left of our culture before we are stamped out!"
Lord Reed had an approving glint in his eyes. "Magic has long been weak in the world. Much and more of it has been lost." He straightened up. "We still have a few tricks, however. In the morning, I will teach you what I can."
Sam felt a smile come onto his face. "Thank you, Lord Reed."
He bowed his head. "It is an honour my lord. Now if you do not mind I would like to get some rest for tomorrow."
Waving him away with a nod he stood to head to his chambers.
Sam paused in his steps to ask about something that was bugging him. "You didn't seem shocked when I stated my intentions to learn magic, why is that my lord?"
He just smiled. "I might not be the most powerful when it comes to magic, but I can sense it just fine. All Starks are powerful my lord. But you? You blaze like a hundred Weirwoods and I could see the subtle signs of the rituals on you."
Before Sam could ask him to clarify what he meant, he was already marching out the room.