45 Winterfell

(POV Benjen Stark)

The fortress grew larger as we advanced, the two huge walls surrounding the fortress were already visible, and hidden behind it was also the First Keep.

(I'm back home.)

Benjen pulled up his scarf to cover his face from the cold breeze, urging his horse to go a little faster.

The Kingsroad led from the wall to the east gate of Winterfell, but they didn't want to go through Winter town, so they turned off the Kingsroad and walked to the north gate of the keep.

There was no need to blow a horn or wait for a guard to search them, when the guards saw the black robes and knew they were members of the Night's Watch, they opened the north gate letting them in.

"How does it feel to be back home, friend."

Mance Rayder rode beside him, speaking with a smile.

"This is no longer my home, but it is where I grew up and it is always reassuring to return."

Mance nodded at Benjen's words.

They passed the walls, the greenhouse, and the armory until they reached the great patio, being able to leave the horses and wagons full of goods near the stables.

"Cough, cough cough!"

An old black brother got off his mare, coughing uncontrollably for a few seconds.

"Lord Commander, are you all right?"

Benjen approached the old man, asking.

"As well as I can be in this cold, when I can warm myself at a campfire I'll be as good as new."

The man stilled his cough, rejoining with a few words.

Benjen knew at once that he was just making a cover to look tough to his men.

Lord Qorgyle had completely snow-white hair, and no beard, his originally brown skin had paled greatly, showing a somewhat sickly face in recent years.

Lord Qorgyle was not as old as he looked he was younger than Lord Mormont. The problem was that Lord Qorgyle was originally from Dorne, a place with an extremely warm climate, and the cold of the wall had gotten into his bones after so many years serving in the Night's Watch.

"Lord Commander Qorgyle, welcome to Winterfell!"

Benjen watched his brother Eddard walk along with his wife and two sons, to welcome them into the courtyard with a smile.

"Lord Eddard, Lady Catelyn, it is always a pleasure to visit you, congratulations on the birth of your daughter."

"Thank you, we have received the raven announcing your visit, so we prepared rooms with hot water, later we will have a great dinner in the main hall, you can stay in the guest house."

Lord Qorgyle nodded, ordering his men to unload the goods from the wagons.

Benjen stepped forward after that, receiving his brother in an embrace, and turned his gaze to Catelyn.

"Brother, sister-in-law, congratulations on the birth of your daughter, I hear she's a beautiful girl much like you."

"You don't seem to be affected by the wall at all, you're the same as ever, Ben."

Catelyn nodded with a smile.

"The gods have blessed us with a daughter, she's sleeping right now, but I'll bring her to the banquet so you can see her later."

Benjen nodded to him with a smile, his brother's wife was a truly beautiful woman, the most beautiful among all the women Benjen had ever seen, with fair skin, clear blue eyes, high cheekbones, and auburn hair, if his niece was anything like her then she would grow up to be just as strong, kind and generous a woman.

"Uncle Benjen!"

"Uncle!"

Benjen reached down to take his nephew Robb in his arms, placing his remaining hand on Jon's head, tousling his hair.

"Did you bring what you promised us?!"

"Yes, you said you would get us one!"

The children began to shout excitedly at the first opportunity.

"Kids, you haven't seen your uncle in a long time, tell me why the first thing you do is demand presents from him!"

Benjen watched as his brother Ned scowled, ready to reprimand the children, so he quickly pulled Robb down from his arms and began rummaging through a backpack over his shoulder.

"WOOOAAAAA!"

"Uncle Benjen, this is what giants look like, how cool!"

Benjen pulled two miniature sculptures out of his bag, one of a Night's Watch, holding his sword while making a battle cry, and the other of a giant with a huge wooden mallet.

"These two cost me quite a bit, so try not to break them, they're getting harder and harder to come by."

Most of these carvings were sold at a good price, either north or south or across the sea, so to get them he had to order them directly from Blake, who sold them to him much more cheaply.

"Thank your uncle for the gift, and come back for dinner!"

The children started to scurry away to play with the sculptures but turned to thank Benjen for the gift and nod to their father.

Benjen watched his nephews run off with a smile, while his brother Ned shook his head wearily.

"Tell me, what did they bring this time from the wall? Business with those savages is still going smoothly?"

Bejen walked with his brother and Catelyn, into the great hall, unlike the other Night's Watch who stayed in the guesthouse, Benjen still had a private room in the great hall.

"We brought robes, fine wooden utensils, red honey, maple syrup, some ornamented weapons, and carvings. And yes, the savages continue to provide us with goods constantly."

"Who knew that, on the other side of the wall, a city made up of savages could do all these things."

Benjen agreed with his brother.

"If you saw how fast they are growing, you would say more than that, every time I go to that place it looks different."

Benjen then explained what happened on his last visit, when Oswin brought over 2000 men to his tribe after going to war with the Men of the Frozen Shore.

"Isn't it dangerous? There are more and more savages in that tribe, if they decide to scale the wall they could cause a lot of trouble in the towns and villages."

Catelyn looked at Benjen with a worried look.

"That's the best part, sister-in-law, the wildlings north of the wall follow the old ways as much or more than we do, to them their word is as important as their life, and the black axe tribe has promised to be friends with the Night's Watch."

Eddard listened to his brother gravely, but Catelyn's words were also true.

"Still you must not forget that they are wildlings, Ben, we cannot trust them, if 4000 wildlings are staying near the wall, it is not good news for the north."

Benjen shook his head.

"I understand your concerns brother, but you don't know them as well as I do, it's not just their words that I believe they won't cross the wall to loot, it's that they simply don't need to. They have hundreds of Aurochs, sheep, goats, chickens, rabbits, boars, their farmland is as good or better than ours, and their city has cemented wood and stone buildings, with a solid structure that won't fall with any storm."

Catelyn parted from the pair of brothers, to tend to her newborn daughter, while Benjen and Eddard walked to the study to continue their conversation.

"Tell me, for what reason does the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch visit me in the dead of winter, more so when he does not seem to enjoy good health."

Benjen looked at his brother sitting across the desk as he asked the question.

(You look like a lord already, it was a good idea to leave Winterfell...)

His brother Eddard had gone to Eyrie as a ward when he was very young, so he was a stranger to the North for a long time.

When the mad king burned his father alive and killed his brother in an even more horrible way, it was Benjen who took over control of the northern lands in his older brother's absence.

And he continued to do so even during the war, being the Stark in Winterfell.

When his brother arrived back in Winterfell, full of glory, with a wife and with two children, Benjen knew it was best to leave his home so that his brother could rule in peace, there was no place for him there anymore.

"The Lord Commander's concerns are possibly the same as yours."

Eddard frowned listening to his brother.

"He will ask for my help in dealing with the wildlings?"

Benjen nodded.

"When I told you that the speed of growth of the black axe tribe was frightening, I was not speaking rhetorically, if we continue the same, we will be no match for them in a few years."

Benjen had seen the warriors of the black axe tribe with his own eyes, all being battle-hardened, well-equipped, and trained warriors. If the entirety of the Night's Watch were to attack the black axe tribe at this time, there was no certainty of being able to defeat them.

"And you're sure they won't attack us?"

Benjen hesitated a bit but finally gave a brief nod.

"I don't think they want to attack us, I've known the Magnar and his son for a couple of years, the son... He's a strange kid, I don't know how to explain it, but he's told me they don't want to start a conflict with the Night's Watch or the North."

"You're putting the safety of the north at risk on a hunch alone?"

Eddard looked seriously at his brother, for the safety of the north was his job, and he could not believe that he would risk the welfare of his people, being a Night's Watch, in such a way.

Benjen continued speaking.

"You know what the Magnar's son offered me the last time I visited them?"

Eddard gave him a curious look.

"He offered me a new trade, where they would deliver mortar to repair the Night's Watch castles in exchange for cattle, seeds, and wine."

Eddard raised an eyebrow.

"Mortar?"

Benjen nodded with a laugh.

"Yes, Ser Denys Mallister did several tests on the mortar we were offered, it was of very good quality, if we use it, in addition to all the money we make from trade, we will be able to repopulate several of the abandoned castles. Do you understand now why I believe they are no threat to us?"

Eddard could do no more than shake his head and sigh.

"Of course I understand, they give money to the night's watch, they keep the wildlings in their territory away from the wall, and they offer mortar to repair the castles... What more can I say."

Benjen nodded.

"They are not a backward people, they have writing, infrastructure, farming, and ranching. Honestly, I think if we convince them to come north and become vassals, they will be powerful allies. You know as well as I do when winter comes, no promise of land can convince farmers to work in the north, but for them, it is the opposite, the climate where they live is much more brutal than here, it would be like festivities."

Eddard heard for the first time something that interested him.

"That's something that has worried me since I've been Lord of Winterfell... Do you think they can farm these lands and not leave in the winter?"

Benjen nodded.

"I brought some of the vegetables from their last crop, they are very good at working difficult land, so it is possible. The problem would be how to convince them to come here, work and even pay taxes to us when they have their city where they are not accountable to anyone... Besides, they are not lacking in many necessities, even on the other side of the great wall."

The main problem in the north, and the cause of their scarce food, is the highly barren lands an extremely cold climate.

No matter who you are, everyone flees, leaving the land abandoned after a harsh winter. The only ones able to subsist are the ancient ancestral homes that are hundreds of years old in the north.

"Tok, tok tok."

Both brothers turned their heads to the door listening to the knocking.

"Lord Eddard, Lord Commander Qorgyle wants to see you before dinner, he says he has some things to discuss with the warden of the north."

Both brothers looked at each other for a few seconds, until Eddard lost the fight, speaking.

"Tell him to come in."

***************

mmmm, I feel like I left the chapter in the middle, but when I realized it was already after 12:00 am, so I cut it in this part, no way hahaha