章 155: Departing for Skagos
The war was coming to an end.
At long last.
After four years of constant fighting ravaging Westeros's lands, the war was finally at its end.
Stannis and his men had bent the knee of King Robb and were beginning to tear down the Wall's defences. The armies brought North by King Robb were packing up their camps and preparing to return south to their homes. Everything had finally come to an end and at long last, peace would return to Westeros with Robb Stark as the new ruler.
A new dynasty was befalling Westeros.
A dynasty of Wolves.
Looking down from atop his horse, Robb gazed upon the vast army stretched out before his eyes before he turned to look upon the Wall. There was a fog rolling in down from the top of the Wall, slowly descending upon them all and within a few short hours it would be all but impossible to gaze upon this sight that was now in front of him.
Finally, he had achieved his goal.
Yet the taste upon his lips was not as sweet as he thought it would have been.
Nor did he feel a sense of accomplishment that brought a smile to his lips.
Though he had defeated his enemies and successfully brought Stannis over to his side as they prepared for the Others and the Long Night, Robb knew that things were far from over. The Long Night was a looming threat but not the only one and with the contents of the letter he had received, he knew it was only a matter of time before a new danger befell Westeros.
'But whether the letter can be believed is another thing.' Robb thought to himself with a frown, tugging at his reins and turning his horse to begin moving across the hilltops. Behind him, an entourage of young noblemen and heirs followed, descending the other side of the hill where a detachment of nearly five hundred cavalrymen awaited them. 'How did my father come by such information?'
If the information contained in the letter was true then the details of various immediate threats to his newly established reign could already potentially spell its undoing. There lay a tricky road ahead, one that would require much careful manoeuvring for him to be able to navigate a course to victory. Yet how his father knew what lay ahead and the dangers that lurked, Robb did not understand nor did his father explain which only made Robb wary.
However, that did not mean he would not trust it.
Certainly, he had been angry at his father for his absence during the war, but the control Baelish had held over the Vale was more than a good enough reason for it. The Vale Lords were heavily in debt, one made deeper by this war, for a rich man like Baelish to use that to gain their loyalty was a very easy task to accomplish. It was a miracle that some of the Vale Lords had been willing to work against Baelish despite this, which was perhaps the only reason Eddard had been able to survive long enough to come to his aid.
Ultimately, Robb despite his misgivings on that front, still trusted his father.
Not to mention he was also familiar with gaining information from the most unlikely of sources. 'Perhaps he too has been gifted with visions from the Old Gods.' Robb thought to himself though that too raised questions as to why they were so detailed, enough so that Eddard could explain them as he had. In his experience, the visions were vague and entirely up to interpretation which was precisely why Robb had made mistakes. They were a double-edged sword, highly useful but only if interpreted correctly.
Either way, Robb knew that at this moment in time, he would deal with the threats as they came.
"Robb." Jon called, coming up beside him. "Are you sure now is the time to be departing for Skagos?"
"They refused to answer my call-to-arms." Robb replied.
Jon nodded his head. "I know. But is it necessary for you to go personally?"
Here, Jon looked toward the Wall and getting his mean, Robb sighed. "Stannis has already bent the knee and I trust that he will keep to his word." Even if he didn't, Robb had already left Randyll Tarly, Jason Mallister and Brynden Blackfish behind to deal with him should he try anything. His army may be preparing to depart south, but they were also keeping on guard ready for any sign of deception or betrayal from Stannis. "Besides, those rebellious houses have already been dealt with, Skagos Island is the only place that remains."
"And how do you intend to deal with them?" Jon wondered, not pushing the previous matter any further.
"It depends."
"On?"
"On whether they have the answers I seek." Robb's answer was vague and Jon had no idea what it might be, but Robb was wary of revealing too much. Though he had revealed his abilities to the likes of Randyll Tarly and others, that had been so Robb could not only cement them on the same path of preparing for the Others as him but also keep them in line. They would be men who would hold considerable influence in the future politics of Westeros and he needed to highlight the difference between them.
Magic was one such means to do so.
It was a mysterious power.
One that many in Westeros believed to be a myth but those who believed knew to fear its power. They were rational men who did not believe in such things, but now that they had proof they would fear its power, his power.
However, there was one place rumoured to be rich in magic.
Skagos Island.
A place of cannibals and men who were more akin to savage beasts.
Robb knew little as to the extent of his abilities as a Warg and he wanted to understand them further. They would be of incredible use to him in the future and if the letter was true, then Skagos Island was filled with Wargs, many of whom could impart their knowledge to him. He needed to understand more about what he was capable of, the limits of his magic and how he could use it to his advantage. But Robb also needed to know what the dangers were, it was why he had avoided using it as much as possible during the war.
Especially when he had felt it harder to separate himself from the mind and instincts of Grey Wind.
As a Warg he had great powers, but it was also clear there were dangers.
He needed to understand it all fully before he would choose to use it for his own means and if his thoughts were true, then Jon himself may hold such power. Yet Robb did not wish to reveal such abilities until such a time he had answers to give for the questions that would come.
"What answers are you looking for?"
Robb paused for a moment, before turning to look at Jon. "On where Rickon is."
クリエイターの想い 
Carrots123
Carrots123 Hey guys, just want to mention that I made a mistake earlier on in the story in which Skagos came to the aid of the Starks. They did not and this is entirely due to my lack of knowledge about Skagos Island. While they technically are part of the North, they rebelled a hundred years before the start of the story and remained mostly independent never answering the Starks' call to arms in any conflict.
週次パワーステータス
-- 推薦
ランキング 
-- 推薦
チケット