9 The Bloody Wolf

Sunset Sea

The breeze from the sea ruffled his hairs. A week had passed since they began their voyage. The winds have been favourable and they sailed at a fast pace. Benjen Stark sent the Stark fleet towards the North under the command of Robett Glover while he accompanied Aryan in the Manderly fleet towards the Blacktyde Islands. The Manderly fleet of almost hundred ships were divided into three groups to prevent any surprise attacks but just within reach of each other if need arises. They had not encountered any ironborn ships yet. On the suggestion of Roose Bolton most of the men were kept below deck all times. Currently Aryan was breaking his fast at the deck with Benjen, Roose, Wyllis and Smalljon who was supposed to be his personal guard. Aryan had already instructed the captains to capture as many ships without damaging or sinking them if possible.

Wyllis said, "Due to people coming from South the size of White Harbour had to be increased my lord. Our population has now more than doubled. Once White Harbour was the smallest city. Now we are larger than Sunspear. Wintertown is almost as large as Lannisport. But it is the settlement at the Moat which is growing the fastest. Also due to the canal the ship traffic has increased. Father seems to highly respect you my lord. When he heard about you appointing a Mayor to manage Wintertown he has now appointed me as the Mayor of White Harbour."

"Really. I didn't know that. Between managing the affairs of the North I found it difficult to manage Wintertown. That is why I appointed Loren as the Mayor. Now that you are here who is in charge of your duties." Aryan asked him.

"It is my younger brother Wendel my lord. Father said it would be a good opportunity for him to learn about administration." Wyllis replied.

Aryan nodded and then turned to Roose Bolton, "What about you my lord? What is the situation in Dreadfort?"

Roose in very quiet voice said, "Everything is good my lord. We focused on leather and meat production my lord. While we produce food grains and vegetables to feed ourselves it is the export of meat and leather that generates income. As per your suggestion I have established three fishing villages and they also procure enough fish."

Aryan interrupted him, "I think it would be a good idea to make a boat system in the Weeping River like we had done in the White Knife. It would help you in faster transport of goods."

"It would be my lord but currently Dreadfort does not have that much money to invest." Roose told quitely.

Aryan thought over what Bolton said and found it to be true. While Winterfell had the diamond, steel and vodka production the other houses were not quite that lucky. The Manderlys had their silver mines. While most of the Houses were becoming self sufficient in growing their own food, and saved enough money they were still not as rich as many other southern lords. He needed to accelerate his other plans faster.

"How are Lady Bethany and Domeric. He is just two years younger than me isn't he?" Aryan asked Roose.

"Domeric is fine my lord. But my wife is mostly ill. It seems childbirth had weakened her." Roose replied.

"I am sorry to hear that." Aryan told totally insincerely. ' Death would be a mercy compared to living with a cold man like Roose Bolton.'

Then he turned to Benjen, "Uncle how is the port coming along?"

"I have name the port Wolfbay. Now that we have finished the canal more workers are available. I think Wolfbay would be finished in a year. Already our merchant are sailing to Asshai and Yi-Ti. I sometimes sell the food brought from Riverlands to them. We are making a lot of money by trading with them." Benjen told him.

Now that got Aryan's attention so he asked, "Asshai. Truly Uncle?"

Benjen smiled, "Yes nephew. Due to the canal we don't have to sail the whole world to reach there. Our ships can reach Asshai in two moons and Yi-Ti in five moons through the Sunset Sea. As no plants grow in Asshai I am making lots of profit by selling the extra food we have to them."

'This is useful' Aryan thought. Further thoughts were interrupted by shouts coming from the captain of the ship. When they went near him they saw it. The ironborn had arrived.

There were almost fifty longships. The captain gave signal to the other two parts of Manderly fleet which were at a distance. They wore their armour. Soon the ironborns came near them and the fight started. As the deck of the Marauder was quite high for the ironborn, they were finding it difficult to board the ship. The northern soldiers were raining death from above. The scorpions were firing at the ironborn longships. As the northmen wore heavy armour compared to the leather armour of the ironborn, the krakens were facing heavy casualties. But after some time the ironborn overcame the defence and they started to board the Marauder. Aryan unsheathed his two katanas and joined the battle. Due to his enhanced body he was easily able to weave through their attacks and kill them. Cutting and slashing through them the world seemed to be in slow motion. He could see his uncle Benjen at the bow engaged in his own battles. Suddenly he heard a man roaring and turned. The man had a beard and long hair with Kraken sigil on his chest and better armour compared to the other soldiers. He easily killed few northemen as he came. Then he turned his attention to Aryan and started to come near him grinning like a maniac.

"So you are the pup I am hearing about these days. Why is a greenboy like you here instead of sucking milk from your mother's tits? O Wait, she is dead isn't she," he told. By then they had begun to circle each other.

Aryan asked, "Who the fuck are you?"

The man grinned and replied in a mocking voice," I am Rodrick Greyjoy the heir to Iron Islands. I may not have much success in attacking the North, but by the Drowned Gods blessings it will begin with killing you."

At that suddenly Aryan started to laugh loudly and Rodrick's smile faltered. Aryan said to him, "I was just thinking on how to catch you but Old gods are with me. They brought you here. You know, you can't just go to other's houses uninvited and touch their valuable things without permission and then escape without any consequences. Especially when they belong to my family."

Rodrick smiled, "Yes, the attack at Moat. A small mistake from one of my men. I had killed him. That red-head would make an excellent salt wife for me."

With narrowed eyes Aryan said, "We would see about that. Now are you going to talk me to death or going to attack."

On hearing that Rodrick lunged at him with his longsword. Aryan easily dodged him, spun around and slashed Rodrick's back. As Rodrick wore leather armour the katanas easily tore through them into his flesh. Rodrick gasped in pain. Everything happened too quicky that he could not comprehend anything. Gritting his teeth in pain he turned around and then started to swing his sword wildly all of which were easily parried or countered by Aryan who had a smirk on his face. Rodrick was getting tired due to the blood loss suddenly lost his balance and fell down. He raised himself and looked up only to get a punch in his face and a kick in his stomach. When he clutched his stomach in pain Aryan slammed the pummel of his sword to Rodrick's head and he fell unconscious. When Aryan looked around he saw that all the ironmen on the deck of the Marauder were dead. The full Manderly fleet had surrounded the ironborn ships. Aryan called for Smalljon and instructed him to take Rodrick's unconscious form to the cells as well as to treat his wounds.

Aryan then called to the other Northmen, "Show no mercy. Send all of them to their Drowned god."

They cheered and with renewed vigour they butchered the ironmen. Aryan sighed in relief. 'My first battle and I have won.'

The next day when Aryan woke up in his bed, he immediately felt a change in him. After doing his morning rituals he was standing naked ready to get dressed, when he suddenly looked down and grinned at what he saw. 'Finally little Aryan has woken up' he thought happily. Puberty has arrived and now he could soon indulge in carnal pleasures. He had missed his favourite activity for so long.

Dressing up he went above the deck in a happy mood. The others were already assembled and they started to eat their food. Benjen started to tell the reports, "We have lost five ships as well as about a hundred men with another hundred injured. We were able to kill a thousand squids. Overall it was a great victory nephew. Your plan worked flawlessly."

Aryan nodded. He did not felt much grief over the death of his men. After all this is war. People die. He had long accepted that in his previous world. He asked, "How many ships did we capture?"

Wyllis replied, "Forty ships my lord, the remaining ten ships drowned during the attack."

"Good work, send twenty of those ships to Wolfbay along with the injured soldiers. We keep the rest for our next attack. How long till we reach Blacktyde Island." Aryan asked.

Wyllis told him, "Within a week my lord."

Aryan nodded at that then finishing his food got up. Followed by Smalljon he went into the cells. The guards opened the door. One of them handed him a mace. Rodrick Greyjoy lay unconscious and chained. Aryan kicked him on his stomach and he suddenly woke up gasping. When he looked up and saw Aryan he started to curse.

Aryan smiled at him, "We didn't finish our talk yesterday. About your punishment you know. You made three mistakes. Do you know what are they?"

Rodrick just glared at him.

Aryan smirked down at him and started explaining, "One, you were born. Two, you attacked the North. And three, you attacked my family. Do you know what punishment I am going to give you?"

The Greyjoy heir in an arrogant voice said, "We do not sow. We reap."

"Too bad you didn't sow. So now you will weep." as he said that Aryan's face changed and immediately Rodrick lost the arrogance and his face showed fear.

The guards and Smalljon held him down as he started to struggle. Aryan lifted the mace and brought it down four times and broke Rodrick's both legs and both arms. The man screamed in pain and started to beg for death.

With a remorseless face Aryan told him, "You will die Greyjoy. But not today. Till that day you will suffer here, regretting the day you were ever born."

He started to go out, then after thinking for a moment he ordered the guards to hold and spread Rodrick's legs. Then in one quick move slammed the mace into his crotch. The Greyjoy heir squealed. "And that was for trying to kidnap Lady Catelyn." Aryan said with a smile.

They then came out of the cell and guards locked it again. Aryan told the guards, "Make sure that he remains alive till we reach Pyke." They nodded.

Aryan returned to the deck and went near the bow to feel the sea breeze. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw Roose Bolton looking at him in a strange way, perhaps evaluating him. Aryan mentally laughed at that. Roose's life was hanging by a bare thread. The moment Roose Bolton decides to betray him the next moment he will meet death.

~

Blacktyde, The Iron Islands

Night had fallen and the moon was yet to rise. A few guards were patrolling the shores of the Blacktyde Islands. A few longships were standing at the docks with one of them which was a warship. It was Nightflyer, the flagship of Lord Blacktyde. A few guards were on the ships, mostly drunk. So it was not a surprise that nobody noticed movements in the water and soon black figures came out of the sea. While a few of them went towards the patrolling guards, the others walked towards the ships silently. All the guards were quickly killed and soon the shore was secure. Blocking the view from the castle they gave the signal and after sometime more boats started to come in the cover of darkness. Some of them then quickly doned the dress of the slain guards and then entered the castle. With swift precision they started to kill the the Blacktyde men in the castle. It was a bloody business and within a few hours the banner of a Wolf running across a snowy field unfurled above the castle.

Aryan was sitting in the gloomy solar of the Blacktyde castle in a happy mood. In the cover of the night they have captured the castle using stealth. As most of the Blacktyde men were with Victarion they easily won with no casualties from their side. On his orders Roose Bolton had killed all the men on the island only sparing the women, children and thrall. They also killed the Lord Blacktyde but his sons were at the Pike. Blacktyde was only island which worshipped the Seven but that didn't stop him from killing the two septons on the island who he found themselves had a few saltwives.

There was a knock on the door and his uncle Benjen came in. The man looked tired but anybody could see he was in a jovial mood, no doubt due to their successful campaign till now.

"Nephew," he began "your plan worked. We have killed all the squids here except the women, the children and the thralls. We also found the Lord Dunstan Drumm among the dead. And look at what we found?"

He placed a sheathed sword on the table in between them.

"Red Rain," Aryan said as he unsheathed the sword. The smoky steel weapon had a red colour to it. He had known about this as he had already gathered information about all the valyrian steel weapons in Westeros. He sheathed it again and gave it back to his uncle sayins, "Take it uncle. This belongs to you now and through you to House Stark."

Benjen smiled in gratitude and asked him what was the next plan. Aryan told him, "Now that we have established a base here, you take forty ships and go to Lannisport to bring the other troops. I think there would be a few remaining Lannister ships also. Also take the thralls to Lannisport. From here I will now proceed to Orkmont and capture it and from there to Harlaw. The King would most likely be directly attacking Pyke and by that time I would join you at Pyke."

Benjen nodded and went out to begin his journey. Aryan started walking around the castle. It was cold and damp. He found Roose Bolton at the stairs who took him to the treasury.

"Lord Stark," he said "Here is the treasury. I have counted and it has almost eighty thousand Dragons as well as jewelry and precious stones."

Aryan told Roose, "You can take it all for yourself Lord Bolton. Consider this to be a reward for your good work. I think you can now start the river boat system with it.

Roose nodded and thanked him. Aryan told him, "Let the men rest for two days. Then we proceed to Orkmont."

They then parted their ways.