章節 80: Home
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Home... the place that the young Lord missed even in his dreams, the feeling grew the closer they got to the outside walls of Neverwinter.
When they just saw the city from the distance with his close friends Matthos next to him, tears gathered in the corners of his eyes, he wasn't the only one though.
Most of Brendan's 1st Legion were the legacy of the Northmen who went on voluntary exile since generations long passed, and now... now they were finally home.
It doesn't mattered how strong they were, the dream of coming back lingered in each of their hearts in the past and presence, everyone grew up hearing tales about the North since they were old enough to hold a sword.
The stories of the winter winds, snow and hunting in the forests were their bed time entertainment since they remembered.
"Been a long time right?" Matthos looked at his close friend and liege Lord. He and his men joined them while guarding the southern part of Seaworth lands.
"Too long Matthos, really too long..." Brendan secretly glimpsed over his people, there were still muffled sobbing sounds reaching his ears from time to time.
Looking at the 30 meters high and 10 meters wide wall enclosing all around the city, towering over even Winterfell's one Brendan felt really optimistic if worst come to worst with the Others.
The towers and battlements separated by scrupulosity calculated intervals were able to cover each part of close positioned lands with rain of arrows or other projectiles if needed.
If Harrenhall was a monster out in the open, then this city and castle were the silent killer giving the illusion of normalcy under which death for the attackers was the only outcome.
Before even crossing the moat on the outside wall, he could already hear the cheers echoing from inside the city, slowly moving over the solid drawbridge as the one leading his party, he was the first to be welcomed by the crowd.
The increased cheers made him momentary deaf from the sheree number of throats chanting his name.
Smiling he waived his hand to the crowd, his majestic posture in his excellent armour made the girls in the crowd chant his name even louder.
"Welcome back young Lord!"
"We missed you Lord Dustin!"
Brendan looked at his people cheering enthusiastically and smiled.
Behind their Lord his personal guards were trotting just as much as him surprised at the welcoming, since it was Brienne's and Anguy's first time in Neverwinter everything to them was novel and new.
"Surprised?" Matthos asked after separating from Brendan giving him some space.
"Very Ser..."
"Matthos, and not Ser. At least not yet Brienne."
The blond woman looked around at the growing congregation of people, in her mind it was probably the first time she saw so many people in one place.
"Matthos... I don't mean to be rude but why are they here? It's no exaggeration to say that even King would not get such a welcoming..." She looked at the boy riding next to her. Anguy interested in the subject joined them as well.
"That's simple. He gave them new life, new North..." he pointed at the city. "Do you know how many people live in Neverwinter?" he asked with a smirk on his lips just to see his companions shaking their heads. "Last year when we did the census on our lands the Dustin lands had about 2.3 million people, and 1.4 in Neverwinter. You must know that since the last 10 years the population on some lands of the North almost tripled and that is why small folk love the Dustins." the boy smiled proudly for being able to serve such a house.
Matthos then started explaining the progress of the Northern lands to the two, the increased security and how they did not lack the food and warm houses, how before 7 out of ten children and mother's died during childbirth, how education, medical care and living conditions improved the growth of the population on the allied houses lands and with the aid from orphans from all around the kingdom.
Brienne listened and absorbed all the words almost like what she was hearing was a fairytale just like the next few weeks after their arrival.
The only thing that disturbed her the most was how her Lord disappeared with his pets after they arrived at the marvelous castle.
She could swear that she heard screams from the dungeons, but when she tried to check it Ser Arthur and Ser Bryce stopped her.
Yes, she already knew about the old King's guards and didn't care about it one little bit.
The Damme found out one day at the supper where her Lord went, not being able to tolerate the blood on his clothes and hands she asked with sincerity about the reason for it all.
Seeing the pain in Brendan's eyes, Brienne listened to the story about little Bri and how her assassin's were waiting for years in the dungeons awaiting their judgement in his hands.
Future Lord Dustin wasn't as free as he wished to be, he knew that he had to leave for Winterfell soon.
Brendan's days were filled with business meeting and decisions concerning his lands and next steps as his mother stepped back letting him take over the House and just supporting him from the back.
Loki, Laika and Red changed a lot, the first two being the size of a pony now to his surprise as he thought the blood of dire wolves did not flow in their veins.
Red, the little wolf he gave to Bri as a gift was not much smaller. He was aggressive and temperamental to everyone except for Lord Dustin, even Lady Barbrey couldn't do as she pleased around it.
Alienated by everyone else, not to the wolf dislike it spend everyday with his master no further then two meters away from him at all times.
Brendan didn't know the reason, but seeing Loki and Laika and additionally Red behaving like this he assumed they understood what happened to Bri and learned from mistakes almost like humans do.
The three predators watched everyone who approached the young Lord with their cold eyes ready to pounce on them with even a slightest sign of aggression, only the little Valyrian was different, with it's carefree and jester nature the lemur was the only thing that could do as it pleased to the three of them.
In the days after his arrival Brendan finally met Robert's bastards face to face. 9 years old Mya, 7 years old Bella, the child of Stony Sept whore that the Whisperers found and saved, Alec and Dorian the twins from Lannisport now 6 years old and finally Gendry a 5 name days child.
He befriended them all and treated as family, by extension becoming somewhat of a big brother figure to all of them. From them all, only Bella chose the business route and the rest trained under Ser Hadrian and his guards.
Bella with Missandei were working with Lady Barbrey and learning everything they should know about the Dustin businesses management to help Lady Barbrey supervise it all.
The girls didn't mind as Bella's mother Amy and Alec's and Dorian's mother Jess served directly under Lady of the house as handmaids with some other trusted maids.
Brendan was now in the training yard, his men fought each other in pairs all around him, he was swinging and stabbing his two training swords against Set Arthur unfortunately still getting mercilessly hit by the man, for the pain to remind him about his shortcomings.
Loki, Laika and Red growled at Arthur everytime he hit the boy while laying close to them, making the man involuntarily flinch each time and subconsciously hold back a bit on the force.
Next to them, Qyburn stood looking through some papers.
"Uncle Qyburn it has to be done, the more people we have, the more we can't handle them," Brendan blocked and parried the swings trying to find the right moment to counter, but against Arthur it was easier said then done. The man was THE bloody best swordsman in the Seven kingdoms. "soon our law enforcements won't be able to keep peace and all hell will brake lose AH!" he finally got hit in his hand and punched in the face.
"Enough my Lord?" Arthur asked with a cheeky smirk.
Brendan wanted to sick his wolves at him, but hearing Bryce laugh close by he changed his mind. "Give me a brake Arthur. Bryce! Your turn!" he said and threw the training sword to the laughing man, looking as the color drained from Bryce's face he felt a bit better.
"I don't want to my Lord!" Bryce wanted to retreat so he started to run back to the castle when a low whistle came from his back and three growling jaws full of canines blocked his path.
"Get your arse back here!"
"I don't want to!" Bryce was looking for a way out.
"You've been disappearing Gods know where the last few days since we're back, training will do you some good, Brienne!" Brendan wasn't done.
"My Lord?" the sweaty girl stopped mid swing and walked up to them.
"Be a darling please and help Arthur get this here, Ser Bryce back in shape. He should be my guard but his belly is starting to tick out like a lass with a child." the evil smile wasn't even hidden.
"My Lo..!" Bryce wanted to protest when his full attention was grabbed by Set Arthur who would sooner die then to let a justified and consequences free beating of Ser Bryce to pass.
"Good!" Brendan looked for a moment and joined Qyburn soon after.
Brienne made a tremendous progress in her fighting style with the help of her companions and if she now was sparring against Aria like in the series, the little self righteous cunt would be down in three swings.
"As I said uncle, we have to do something. We won't be able to even find new spies if they come."
"So what do you suggest my Lord? The Lands of Ryswell's have enough people, Seaworths, Umbers, Mormonts, Forresters, Glovers, Glenmores, Karstarks, Hornwoods can't take more as well without breaking the thin balance of food and productivity. If like you said you don't want to give them to the Bolton's or other lord's we need to figure something out." Qyburn looked at the child, he was wondering how he will surprise him this time.
"That's easy uncle Qyburn, make a recruitment notice for 15 new legions and show the Legionnaires benefits, navy needs more men as well, uncle Davos was following mother about this for the last few moons. We will send them on a training to Slavers Bay, they need men now and we will rotate some of our legions that are already there. 2000 men from the 1st should arrive shortly with the rest of the fleet. We needed more men since we confirmed the fake Aegon existence and even if everything goes well as we planned we will need a lot more men than we have." Brendan was unfazed by the look he got enjoying Bryce's painfully shouts. "We have lands in Essos, Dorne, Riverlands, let's use them well. I have to go uncle, my friend will be here soon!" he took off with his pets.
After taking a shower and changing his clothes Brendan waited at the castle gates for his childhood friends to arrive.
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