Chapter 64: Act 2: Chapter 11

Eighteenth day, First Moon, 253 AC (+19 days)

As we had progressed further from Redbridge, and the Iowa area, the land became progressively rockier and hillier. We had passed by more villages than I thought we would, but for a few quick speeches, we quickly moved on. The villages we spoke at were tiny, consisting of only a few homes, and I gave brief speeches and introduced myself. Most of the time the people in the village were out farming or fishing, so I ended up only speaking to a few women and their children. It wasn't overly glamorous or exciting, and our party quickly moved on.

At the larger villages, we got to know the population and area a bit better, and other things like mining sites, the terrain, and the peoples' lives.

The amount of good farmland decreased drastically as we made our way across the area, with most of the remaining area good for little other than pasture. There were nice little valleys that had good soil and were, for the most part, already farmed, which was where we were today.

The little village we were in didn't have a name, and had about 90 people, and was one of the larger villages in the area. There was a hill that immediately overlooked the village and a small stream that ran through the valley. It was a quaint little area, though the roughness of the people and the buildings meant that it couldn't quite be called picturesque.

The village itself was about as big as it could be, at its current production. Since they were inland a little way from the ocean, they had, according to some of the elders, never been raided by the Ironborn. So, every square foot of land was valuable as people frequently moved in from the countryside when they could. There were a few scattered farmsteads surrounding the village in other tiny valleys – they were really just depressions in the earth that contained a bit more soil – and there were some trappers and fishermen nearby as well. It was a downright thriving community for the area.

The area was heavily wooded, like something you might picture from a national park somewhere like Oregon or maybe Northern Europe. It was a region that evoked a certain feeling in you, with towering trees, sunlight filtering down through the leaves, and throughout the landscape, there was the stark feeling of wilderness. Not like the forest that I had near my house back on Earth, where it was hemmed in on all sides by humans, but an actual wilderness. Where the wild ruled.

I had known, intellectually, that my plans for this region would be like working with a blank canvas. There was nothing here I had to plan around; no major settlements, no political groups or racial tensions – nothing. But seeing the land and its wildness was humbling. I was going to be imprinting my mark on the world - on this land – for the first time, and I hoped that it would be a good one.

The lack of people in this region had dampened my spirits, but I could see why so few people lived here. There was nothing overly worth doing here, that could not be done elsewhere. There were places to mine, sure and a few iron deposits that seemed promising. But it was nothing that couldn't be done better elsewhere. It also lacked navigable waterways and premium farmland.

What it did have was good locations for way stations for my Rangers to stay at during their patrols. The current 'road' was in rough shape and meandered wildly. I was already drawing up plans for an eventual highway of sorts. A widened, straighter road, a few good bridges, and we had the beginnings of a coastal highway. One day, a stone highway may even be possible. Maybe.

I heard footsteps approaching me from behind, and I turned to see Ryden making his way over to me. I smiled at him and watched as he made his way over. He was almost 13 years old, just another month to go, and was growing like a weed. His training with Donovar meant he was less gangly that boys his age might be otherwise, and he looked very similar to I did at his age, though his eyes were a dark blue, whereas mine were brown and his mothers were an ice blue. He was wearing a grey linen shirt, brown shorts, and his favorite hat – an Indiana Jones style hat done in white. He preferred that style of hat rather than my more traditional cattleman-style cowboy hat.

"Done with your lessons for today?" I asked when he neared.

He nodded seriously and replied, "Yes, Father. I had the time, so I came to see what you were doing."

I smiled in amusement at his words. "Why so formal, Eldest Son?"

He let out a small frown. "Master Donovar was unimpressed with one of the older boys, Rick. He said that the way a man speaks is how he presents himself to the world. Rick was rude to one of the village elders."

I let out a contemplative hum. "The way you speak is a way that someone presents themselves to the world. I can't deny that, but it isn't the only way. However, being overly formal isn't always the best way to present yourself. Moderation is a very important thing to keep in your life, Ryden. You aren't just my Eldest Son; you are my son, my child; you are Ryden."

Ryden looked contemplative. "So, just be formal sometimes?"

"When you think you should. With me? No. If you meet Lord Stark? Yes. It's also what you want. You technically do have the rank to tell every villager we meet to call you Master Ryden, but do you really want to?"

A sour look crossed his face. "No, that sounds… tiring. And weird."

I gave him a reassuring smile. "Yes, yes it does. That's why I don't normally make people do that. But it's important to know when to pull rank. You will learn as you grow and grow into your own man. You don't have to do as I do, and you don't have to do as Donovar does. You can be yourself, and you can even change if you want to."

"Thanks, Dad."

I put my arm around him and pulled him in for a hug. "It's what I'm here for."

We spent a few moments in silence as we watched the village in the distance.

Finally, Ryden broke the silence. "Why are you here, anyway?"

"Just taking a break from talking with the village elders. They're not opposed to me or anything, but they also don't see the need to change. I needed a break from trying to sweet-talk them."

"What didn't they like?"

"Oh, they found something to say on every issue. What they really took an issue to was my idea to create a winter training session for boys in the area. They don't like boys from other villages coming for the winter. 'Might stir up trouble,' they say."

"Oh. How many boys would come?"

"Well, I plan to have it be over the course of a winter, so maybe a one or two-year program, with a two week long break every six months. We would provide the food, so I expect many families would consider sending their boys. I estimate maybe 20 – 40 boys, depending on how their families react, and how many boys of the right age are actually in the area. I don't want to arrange for boys from very far away to come; maybe only under a day's travel? Perhaps two."

"Can't you just order them to come?"

I nodded. "I could. But people don't always like being ordered and can resist in many different ways. For something as important as this, I don't want any resistance. I want to work with them to make sure everything goes smoothly, even if it gives me a headache now."

"Is that why you aren't talking about alcohol? I noticed you haven't talked about it with any of the villages, I think."

I gave him a wink. "Sort of. It's a headache I don't want to deal with, but that's only a benefit. The main reason I'm not spreading around the knowledge of vodka and my other drinks is I want to have them as a monopoly, for a time at least."

"A monopoly? What's that?"

"A monopoly is when I am the only one making something. That means I can control the price, how much I make, and how much I sell."

"Ohh… so if everyone knew, then they could choose the price?"

"Not quite. The price would drop, until the point where both sellers and buyers agreed to exchange. Beer, for example, can be bought at different prices, both high and low, but there is no set price. But, if I am the only one who makes vodka, and I only sell it to merchants for at least one silver, then the lowest price anyone else can buy it for is one silver. So, in the end, there is a much more uniform price."

"Huh, but then why didn't you keep the sawmills and garum? I know you have been spreading that."

"Good catch. The sawmills are easy to copy and trying to keep it to myself would be pointless. They also help spur new growth in the settlements that have them. That new growth can mean new trade. And new trade means new coin. And new coin is more coin for us. Garum, on the other hand, is a product that can be made easily by widespread people and transports well. Fish, for use in garum, does not transport well. Which means what?"

Ryden smiled. "It means that having a monopoly in garum wouldn't work, because you can't get enough fish in one spot."

"Exactly! Good job!"

Ryden beamed with pride. We both lapsed back into silence as we continued to watch the village.

After a moment, Ryden spoke again, "Dad, why are you building these forts that won't hold any men-at-arms? In Donovar's lessons, he says that castles always have guards."

"Why do you think?" I asked.

Ryden frowned. "I don't know; maybe we don't have enough people? But then why bother with the forts?"

"Well, you are right, in that they won't have permanent guards because we don't have the people. But they have a large variety of purposes besides the obvious. The forts will be made out of wood and then whitewashed in order to be simple. The Rangers can use them as way stations while on patrol, and the villagers can fall back to them in the event of an attack-"

"About the Rangers," he interrupted. "I'm still confused. I think I've heard you talk about them in different ways before – it's confusing. What are they?"

"Ah, that's probably because I've had a tough time deciding what to do and how to move forward. Eventually, I want there to be three levels of armed men. The first will be the typical garrisoned men-at-arms. The second will be the Rangers. The third will be men dedicated to the army. Where it gets a bit complicated is between the second and third."

"Why?"

"Well, it goes back to that problem we were talking about earlier – the lack of people. At first, the Rangers will fill both roles. The second role is a primarily wandering patrol force that would deal with law enforcement and dealing with bandits. However, with the lack of people, the Rangers would be called to war if needed."

"Oh, and you don't want them to be called to war?"

I shook my head. How should I explain that the military shouldn't be in charge of criminal and civil procedures? Did it even matter?

I slowly replied while I organized my thoughts, "Well, when you have a person that is in charge of too many things, it can lead to bad things, like corruption. This is especially important with organizations, such as the Rangers, because they would be in charge of both defending and punishing the people." I paused for a moment to gather my thoughts again, as I wasn't quite explaining it. "Ideally, I want the Rangers to focus on the law and protection of the area in regard to the people that live here. That means things like solving things peaceably when possible. The army, on the other hand, is for defending the area from others, whether that be invading a threat or defense from an invasion. The violence and bloodshed from fighting like that, does not always translate well to a more civilian role – such as dealing with two people arguing, and the Ranger trying to de-escalate the situation."

I sighed. It wasn't exactly right, but I supposed it was as right as this world would allow. "Does that make any sense to you? Or am I speaking nonsense?" I asked.

Ryden stared off thoughtfully into the distance. "Sort of. Can I think on it longer?"

"Of course! Anyways, where was I before?"

"Oh! You were talking about what the forts meant."

"Ah! Right, so the forts can be used as way stations for the Rangers and fallback locations for the villagers. Eventually, they can also be expanded for garrison use and even secure food storage. They also send a message. They send a message that I care for the peoples' safety and that I am willing to defend them. In the beginning, it will be a fairly symbolic gesture, but one that I hope carries great meaning for the people here."

Ryden nodded along with my words. "I understand, Dad."

"Good! So, how went your lessons today?"

Ryden grimaced. "We were working with quarterstaffs again."

"Ah. Is Arthur still giving you trouble?"

Ryden frowned. "He's just so good! It's not fair – I'm the older brother."

"Ryden, don't let yourself get worked up over it. Everyone has their strengths, just as they have their weaknesses. Are you not better with your bow?" At his reluctant nod, I continued, "And at math?" He nodded again. "Arthur is good with a quarterstaff, just as he is with a sword. It is also what he is passionate about. Passion means a great deal when you set a goal for yourself, and Arthur is determined to be a warrior. You aren't, are you?"

"No, Dad."

"So, don't pit Arthur's passion and dedication to something you have no passion for. And when you find your passion, Arthur should not compare himself to it either. You don't have to compare yourself against his accomplishments."

"But I don't know what I want!"

I chuckled softly. "People rarely do, and that's okay. You will find your passion eventually – don't worry. It might be tomorrow, or next year, or even ten years from now. It will come, just be patient."

Ryden rolled his eyes. "Patience. It's always patience with you and mom."

"Patience is an important virtue in this world, and one often found lacking. Now, why don't you go find Arthur and spend some quality time with your brother?"

Ryden stood up and started to leave but stopped before he left. "Thanks, Dad."

"It's what I'm for," I replied. I nodded my head to the path he came from and said, "Go on, go have some fun."

After he left, I stayed where I sat upon the ground, staring into the distance. Dealing with a large family was a difficult thing for me, as I had been an only child – in both lives. Sibling jealousy was a new concept for me, but Nyra's approach seemed like a good one – as many of her ideas did.

I paused for a moment, trying to remember her schedule that she was keeping while here in this village. A nice dinner alone should be possible. It had been a while since they had spent any significant amount of time alone with each other.

Feeling reinvigorated, I made my back to the village whistling a tune as I went.

"Said oh girl, shock me like an electric feel."