2-New life

289 AC

Horn Hill, The Reach

Randyll Tarly, the Lord of Horn Hill, crouched in the underbrush, his eyes fixed on the majestic stag that had led his son on a merry chase through the dense forest. The morning sun filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the forest floor. His fingers expertly grasped the finely crafted arrow, knuckles white as he notched it to his longbow.

"For some, hunting is a mere hobby, pursued for fun, but for House Tarly, a proud and ancient house with a long tradition of skilled hunters, it's more. We are renowned throughout The Reach for our prowess with the bow and the ability to track even the wiliest of game. These skills have been honed for generations, passed down from father to son, just as I pass them to my own," he reflected as he watched his son release the arrow, followed by the animal's cry.

On their way back, they were greeted by the imposing sight of Horn Hill, visible from afar. "It's been six years since I was reborn in this world, yet I am still impressed every time I see it. You can't imagine how shocked I was to find myself born into House Tarly. In this life, my name is Edward Tarly, a twin brother to Samwell Tarly. I just turned six fifteen days ago. I've spent most of those days learning to ride a horse and three days in the forest hunting, thanks to Wolverine's skills of course. I could have hunted any animal and be done with it, but I wanted to maintain the image I've created for myself as a prodigy and the son my father always wanted."

"You did well for your first time," his father complimented, though Edward could see his true thoughts – he was impressed, proud, and happy.

"I'd be shocked if I didn't, after all the training I've been through," Edward replied casually.

"How is your brother with his horse riding lessons?" his father asked.

"He will manage; everyone does with time," Edward replied.

"Time waits for no one. If he dedicated as much time to training as he does to reading, he'd be out here with us, not with the ladies in the castle," his father grumbled, his eyes revealing his frustration.

"Enough, Father," Edward thought. "I need to distract him." Aloud, he asked, "How are the shops doing? Have we gained any profit?"

His father's eyes lit up as he smiled, "They've already started to pay for themselves. We'll be adding wealth to our coffers soon."

"Of course they have," Edward replied, "I strained my mind to ensure we bought and sold what people needed, and that the people you hired are as loyal as they claim. If only you weren't so stubborn and listened to your instincts, we would have started two years ago," he thought silently.

"I haven't forgotten my promise. So, tell me, Edward, what is it that you want?" his father asked.

"I still don't know, Father, but I am sure I will figure it out by night," Edward replied, knowing exactly what he wanted but waiting for the idea to take root in his father's mind.

"I will be in my workplace. Talk to me when you make your choice."

As they arrived in front of the castle doors, servants lined up to welcome their lord and heir. In the middle stood a beautiful brunette woman between Edward's brothers, wearing a brown dress that matched her hair. Despite her noble demeanor, Edward knew the turmoil within her. His mother Lady Melessa Tarly  had been kind, loving, and doted on her children, not caring about their talents or bravery – she loved them because they were her children.

As he greeted her, she embraced him, tears in her eyes, and checked him for injuries. "EDWARD! my boy, Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?"

"No, Mother, I am not hurt in any way," Edward replied with a smile.

"Enough, he's a man. It's expected for him to bear scars like any soldier. You've already made one soft and weak; I won't stand by as you ruin the other," his father interjected.

Silence hung in the air as they awkwardly stared at each other until Desmond, his two-year-old brother, provided a welcome distraction.

"Big brother, horse!" Desmond exclaimed, trying to reach out to Edward.

"You want to ride a horse, Desmond? Come here," Edward said, "Be glad that I was the one to name you little one, you don't even know what I saved you from" Edward thought picking him up.

After a few minutes, his mother took Desmond and went inside with his father, while Edward went for a walk with Sam.

"I saw the stag on the back of the horse. How was it?" Sam asked.

"If we didn't have to sleep out in the open, I would say it was a good experience. But if I had a choice, I'd stay here and train," Edward replied.

"Did... did Father say anything about me while you were with him?" Sam asked hesitantly.

"Listen, Sam, you don't have to worry about Father that much. I know you want to become a maester, and I promise you, I'll try to convince him to send you to the Citadel," Edward assured him.

"You would? And how did you know?" Sam asked.

"Of course, I would. I won't let any brother of mine waste his talents. As for how I knew, well, you are my twin brother, Sam. If I didn't know that much, I'd be pretty disappointed in myself," Edward replied, hugging his brother, who kept thanking him.

"Finally, some time alone," Edward thought as he lay on his bed and closed his eyes, enjoying the silence for about ten minutes.

"Well, time for work." He activated his mind-reading powers, observing the thoughts of everyone, from servants to lords in the lands beyond.

"The spies are already reporting everything that happened today to their lords. I can't do anything about them just yet, so let them think they are safe for now."

"Speaking of my powers, I didn't have them from the start, as I thought. They came to me when I turned four years old. The worst and best day of this life. In the middle of the night, my body began to change. It felt as if I was being stabbed from the inside. Then, I started to hear screams, different thoughts and feelings bombarding my brain, which felt like it was about to explode. I still think that if it wasn't for my regeneration, my mind would have been fried by now."

After a while, he picked up his pen and started writing a list of items to sell based on the intel he had gathered. He sent it to their store managers.

"It's time to speak to Father," Edward thought as he headed to his father's home office and knocked on the door.

"Come in," he heard as he entered.

"Sit," his father said, immersed in his work.

After a while, he stopped, looked at Edward, and said, "I take it you've decided what you want from me."

"Yes, Father," Edward replied, looking him in the eyes. "I want to be a squire to Ser Rodrik Cassel."

His father studied him for a moment and then asked, "May I know why you've chosen Ser Rodrik of all people?"

"To be honest, it's not Ser Rodrik that i chose, it's the North," Edward replied calmly, maintaining eye contact.

"Go on," his father urged.

"Northerners are honorable and strong people, much like us. I've heard from the maester that the Warden of the North, Ned Stark, has children around my age. By going there, I'll be killing two birds with one stone. Not only will I be trained, but I'll also be forging connections between our house and one of the future wardens. Let's not forget that Ned Stark is the king's best friend." Edward explained, seeing a spark in his father's eyes.

"Clever!" his father thought.

After a while, he said, "I will write to Ser Rodrik. Let's hope he accepts."

"I have a way that will guarantee he accepts me as a squire," Edward replied, smiling mischievously.

His father looked at him, perplexed. "Explain."

"For my plan to succeed you will need to write a letter to Ned stark stating that we will no longer charge them double price for our food, and unlike other houses who did so to profit from the North's misery of lack of food, we did it because it was our only way of income, and don't worry father our coffers won't take any hits, because we will be selling them double the quantity that we used to sell. Earlier, when I was walking with Sam, I heard a commotion at the gate. The guards told me a farmer wanted to speak to you. Driven by curiosity, I decided to talk to the man, and I'm glad I did. He told me he had discovered a new farming method that could double our earnings or more," Edward answered.

"And you believed him?" his father asked, scrutinizing me.

"I told him we would visit him tomorrow. If it turns out to be a lie, you can punish him and make some changes in the plan. But if what he said is true, I ask you, Father, to reward him and protect him and his methods. If other lords get wind of it, they'll do anything to get their hands on it." " I believe him, it was my idea and method in the first place," Edward thought while replying confidently.

His father nodded in agreement.

"But how is that related to Ser Rodrik?" his father asked.

"We'll be sending a letter to him when I turn ten years old, asking him to take me as a squire. At that time, he'll be in Winterfell to train the young Starks. He'll consult Lord of Winterfell on what decision to make. Ned stark being the honorable man he is, well you can guess the rest." Edward replied moving one of the pieces on the board with a wicked smile on his face.