Chapter 8: Ice

Coming up to his lord father's solar, Jon met Robb halfway there and they both nodded their heads to each other as they entered the room.

The Great Lord was sitting in his large fur covered chair as he was looking over parchments. Glancing up at them as they entered for a single moment as he went back to his work, he only uttered, "You are here, good."

"Father," Robb said as he cleared his throat, "you called and we are here."

"Yes, I want you to look over these parchments," he said not giving them a moment of his time.

Doing as told since they really did not have anything better to do, the two of them took some of the stacked goatskin sheets.

Taking a seat in one of the chairs right across their father, the two of them got to work. Soon Jon saw that it was all about grains, sheep, lumber, ores, and other stuff that fell under the oversight of a lord.

"Is is a lord's duty," Jon pointed out.

"I know," their lord father said without looking up at them.

"Are you sure we are suppose to looking over these?" Robb picked up on.

Finally giving them his full attention, he answered, "I deemed it so, thus you may read it and point out anything you wish. It is time that the two of you start learning about these stuff.

Pumping his fist, Robb looked excited at the prospect of fianlly not being delegated to minimal tasks and giving a much more responsible role. Of course he would be, however JOn had to ask, "Why me? I won't be inheriting any caslte or keep, so this stuff is not useful to me."

"You would never know, now would you?" his Lord father answered, "it is better to be prepared than not to be. Now, read!"

Doing as told, Jon looked over the parchments, just from the numbers he could tell how poor the North was. He did not know the exact population of this land, but from the general number he could figure out he knew this would barely feed everyone during winter.

And that wasn't because of no effort on our part, most crops did not grew well in the North thanks to how cold it was.

There was a long time until then, but still it would be hard to make it through.

Then there was the natural resources gathered which was barely adequate since none of the industries were fully utilized with the insufficient population and other reasons. Such as fishing which was made diffucalt thanks to the Ironborn raiders from the west.

From there the problem seem to be an unending vicious cycle gripping the North by the balls.

Jon knew the past Stark lords of the North weren't idiots, they al must have wanted to try something to lift up their kingdom however thanks to barely getting by all you could do was nothing.

"Lord Father," Jon spoke up trying to ease him into his idea he wanted to bring up. "What's with these numbers."

"Yeah, I might not be like Jon here who is always with a book in his nose, but been I can tell this doesn't look good."

"Don't worry about that, just continue."

"But..." Robb tried to say, however Stark lord smacked his hand down.

"You think I do not know that! It has always been a struggle for us to survive. All we can do is try our best to see our people through this coming winter, and leave the rest for the other generation to come.

Jon knew that wasn't an answer, but what can the man say. "But what if we try something else?" Jon asked as he cut through the silence.

"What would you have us do?" his father asked in resignation as even he knew his answer was a disappointment. "We can not take away gold dragons from other places that need it."

"It really won't cost us that much except for the manpower and the shipping," Jon said as he leaned forward in his seat as he could see he had his lord father's attention.

"What it is?" the lord paramount asked with narrowed eyes.

"Ice," Jon answered.

"Ice," Robb repeated.

"Yeah, you have been to the south father- to be fostered in the Eyrie and went to war there so you know how hot it is right?"

"Yes," he said with a nod as he sat back in his chair.

"So why don't we start selling ice to them and not just them but Essos to. I have read much about it, and it can hot as Dorne there. We will be making gold hand over fist before we know it. No kingdom here or in Essos is as cold as here so you can only find ice here, thus we can price it how much we want."

"Mmm," the lord of the North said.

"What do you say father?" Jon asked in a hope full tone.

"That sounds like a pretty good idea," Robb added.

Finally, he said, "it just might work. I will have Vayon Poole send some men out and I will send a raven to Lord Wyman Manderly so that he can make room in his ships."

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It was a few days before they got a reply back from Lord Manderly, and by then the ice were ready and put out in a shed so as not to melt. His lord father and him must have come to an agreement as he sent some Cogs down the White Knife filled with the ice prepared.

After that all Jon could do was anxiously wait for news to come back if his plan had succeed, to distract his mind he busied himself with planning out other ideas he had.

It was only after a moon turn that a rider with two bedraggled horses in tow came riding into the courtyard of Winterfell. Getting off his already near dead horse, he removed his helmet and showed a bald head with a large walrus mustache.

"Ser Wendel Manderly," his lord father annouced as he stood on the walls of the castle.

"My lord," the stout knight bowed, "I come with news from my father."

"Come to my solar," he said while he indicated with his head for him and Robb to follow.

Taking his seat once they entered the room, "So?"

"I come with glad tidings my lord," he said as eh couldn't hold back his grin, "at the first port we arrived at the ice was sold like lemons cakes. Merchants and even lords alike were asking for more, they were willing to pay anything for it."

"That good, what did you want?" Robb asked.

"I am ashamed to say, my young lord, but I left my men behind so they will arrive in a few days with the gold. My Lord Father made it clear for me to come as quickly as I can."

"That is no problem," his father said, "now as promised a quarter share will go to your house and for every shipment so after ward."

"My lord father refused, he would only dare to accept a tenth of the gold made."

Jon could see their little ploy, with his house having even more of the lion share they would be incentivized to protect their profits even more. Plus house Manderly knew who they owed this great favour to so it was a way for them to make some returns. Also they couldn't have much more weath then their peers or they might bring down their jeolusy upon them.

"Father," Jon said as he stepped in, "why don't you bring in some of your lords into the fold. Once they find out how we are making lots of gold they can easy duplicate it and won't own us any favours."

"That is very well thought out," the knight said as a shrewed look passed over his face.

Looking hesitant, Jon knew that his father's honor was getting the way, he he worded his words wrong. The man would never do something underhanded like sligly manipulate his lords that pledged oaths to him.

Trying to word it differently he said, "these houses would need the gold and we will need them for the manpower if we want to take full advantage of this rare opportunity."

"I agree my lord father," Robb spoke up which surprised Jon, "you should only give this to the most loyal houses and most steadfast supporters of our house!"

"Yes, Lord father, I already planned out for this and came up with five, or better yet, six-ish different types of ice we can sell."

"Tell me," his lord father said.

"Before anything else I would like House Manderly to give their most solemn oath that they will deal with only our house in this matter."

Jon did that for one reason and one reason only, it was only the Manderlys that had a fleet of sorts of cogs, carracks, and galleys. The other houses only had a few cogs(fishing or trade), maybe a carracks(merchant ship), longships that they might have seized from Ironborns and for the very rare like his house one or two galleys(war ships).

Even if they can replicate his idea they would be limited with how much they can ship to the other kingdoms and Essos. Bassically, his family would have a tight hold on this new booming industry.

"On my Lord father behalf I can promise you that, my lords, he gave me full preministion to act on his behalf," Ser Wendel uttered.

"Excellent," Jon said, "Now he said as he brought out his plans, "The first is of course Ice Cubes which will sold exclusivly by our house. We will stamp our mark on the crates as we ship out so everyone can know House Strak made these!" This was the most perfect cubes and crystal clear and only his house deserved the best.

"Then there is Gourmet Ice which should be sold by the Mormont of Bear Island, they have been the most staunch supporters of ours and amoung everyone else they need the gold the most."

Since the dawn of his house, House Mormont has been their greatest and most loyal vassal. And to make it worse they were the poorest of the Great Houses of the North, their island did not have that much resources and they were contously raided by the Ironborn.

"I agree," his lord father said with a nod, "I can only count one bad apple from amoung them."

"Next, I have here Crescent Ice which go to House Karstark, a cadet of our very own house." Jon did this because lately the Karstarks have been drifted away from his house, so this was to remind them who they owned loyalty to and this was a incentive of sorts.

"Then I have here Nugget Ice, I would have given it to House Reed of Greywater Watch however as you know they live in a swamp so....."

"Its alright," his lord father said, "Howland would understand."

"Don't worry, father, I am sure we can come up with something to raise House Reed, I promise!"

Nodding his head, Jon continued, "since the Reeds are a no go, then its the Umbers of Last Hearth. They have firmly guared our borders to the wall for generations. So I think no one else deserves this then them."

"Yes, they will need the gold to better arm themselves to keep the Wildlings back," Robb stated in agreement, but they did not know Jon had ulterior motives. The Umbers were a very martial house with the toughest army is the North thanks to facing bands of raiding Wildlings plus with the rumor of them having giant's blood in their veins.

This would harden their loyalty to his house and strengthen them up, if ever the time came for war.

"Then there is Flake Ice which should go to House Flint of Widow's Watch," this was hitting three birds with one rock as there were three branches of the Flints spread out through the North. With the Flint of Widow's Watch being the most senior house and most powerful the other two would follow them in turn, netting us three house in one.

"What was this six-ish one," Robb asked.

"Half-Cubes," Jon answered and it should go to our closest neighbor and one of our most loyal direct bannermen, House Cerwyn!"

[A/N: I know its confusing but think of House Stark as the CEO of the North, direct bannermen are the employees that work in the safe office under them. Regular Bannermen are mangers from other offices who have their own employees. Hopefully that helps]

Nodding his head, his lord father spoke up, "I will right to these lords and come to an arrangement with them. Ser Wendel come lets have maester luwin write up a written agreement between us."

"Of course, my lord," the stout knight said as he got up from his chair.

"Jon," his lord father said before he walked out of the room, "make sure you take out 5% when the gold comes."

"Father," he exclaimed in suprsise, "I... I can't do that."

"Yes you can this was your idea and you deserve a proper reward. Now be off the both of you, I have bunnis to take care of."

Standing stock still in shock, Robb patted him on the back, "You deserve it brother, you have brought gold flowing into the North. I dare say they might make a song for you."

"Yeah, I guess you are right," Jon said with a nod. He didn't want to sound to pompous but getting a song written about him would be wonderful, he would go down throughout history and be remembered for his deeds by nobles and common men alike.

Him a bastard!

"Now what do you say we get drinks to celebrate in Winter Town, huh? Maybe even visit the whore house?"

"Sure, this time I will be paying, alright."

"Sounds good to me, oh great Ice bringer," the older boy joked.

"Now that sounds the beginning of a song to me. Jon Snow (Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh)!"

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In the far reaches of a place called the land of always winter inside of a caslte made of ice and snow laid there on top of a jagged montain of glacier.

Deep with in the fortress laid a creature with a crown made of dark ice on a throne of frigidity coldness. All around it were more similar creatures made of pale blue ice and frost.

Suddenly as if waking up from a long deep slumber, it eyes snapped open. At its waking the very casle shook and the trembers could be felt throughout the land nearby.

Sitting there in its throne of ice, its eyes of glowing blue took in everything. Then staring down at its soldiers, frosty lights almost like flames gathereed in its arms then it tossed it at them.

As if that was the trick, those creatures started to stirr awake as ice flacked off and snow drifted down. Soon the chamber was filled with icy nighmarish creatures that stood at attention.

All the kingly one did was point beyond and the soldiers started shuffling out into the land of pure snow and ice with deep blushis spears made of ice in hand.

Their orders were clear, prepare for the Long Night!

Now they needed to raise their army.

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Taking deep breaths to calm her beating heart, a child of the forest got up from her kneeling position she fell into. Running up to a massive tree that would take nearly a hundred men to cut down with red leaves and a face in the middle, the elfish women entered underneath the roots.

Inside the tree was a old man nearly fused with the Weirwood.

"BloodRaven," the child of the forest called out.

"Yesssss, Leaf, what..... is it?" the ancient fossil spoke up in a voice that sounded parched like it had no water for ages.

"He had awaken!" the green skin woman simply said which got gasps from the other child of the forest around.

"I knew.... thisss d-day would... come. We must.... began then."