Chapter 16 3 страница

He could only thank the gods for the help he'd received throughout the day in the forms of Jon and Brynden Tully. Jon had stayed with his siblings, comforting them as best he could. While the Blackfish had all but taken over command of the guards in conjunction with Jory to round up every perpetrator in the attack. A task which had proved to be a far greater than he'd originally anticipated. Not only because of the Houses seemingly involved in the attack, but because the attack hadn't been limited to just the main keep of Winterfell. No. The attack had occurred across Winterfell. Even Winter Town had not been spared from the bloodshed. A bloodshed that could've been far worse than it had been had Nox not insisted on the new training regimen for the Winterfell men-at-arms. Even though most had been inebriated or lax due to the festivities, they were still able to mount a quick and successful defense of Winterfell and Winter Town shortly after the attack begun. And if not for the skilled hands of Maester Luwin and Lady Talisa, not to mention the few students of Winterfell's college, then the aftermath of the battle would've seen a far high death toll than it had.

'Bolton. Dustin. Ryswell. Whitehill. Why launch an attack now? And how did you convince House Corbray to throw their lot in with you? ' Those two questions had been plaguing his mind for nearly the entire day. The five houses, two of whom had little to no connection with the others, had panned out this attack meticulously. Prisoners from the Vale on the way to the Wall, only to be set loose so that they could cause as much havoc as possible. Poisoned wine to incapacitate the Nox. Men at arms carefully stationed around Winterfell to inflict maximum damage. Sellswords and assassins masquerading as merchants and bards. The plot must've taken years to plan and set up. But again, why? Why do this? Power? Fear? Envy? Greed? Revenge? No matter how hard he thought on it, he was unable to come up with a solid reasoning for the attack.

Hearing a low whine from next to him, Ned let his hand wander over blindly to the top of Winter's head. " I know girl, " he said, scratching the giant direwolf behind her ears. He knew exactly what she was feeling, though how and why he didn't know. " We both failed our pups today. But never again. "

He could feel a surge of acknowledgment coming from Winter as the mother direwolf turned and left the room before him. Grabbing the handle, he slowly closed the door to the room, taking care not to make any noise so that his children and their pups might find some rest. Securing the latch, he took a moment to meet the eye of the two Stark guards that'd been selected to stand outside his children's room. " No one. Save for myself, Lord Nox or the Blackfish are to come anywhere near this room. Am I understood? "

" Aye, Lord Stark. " Both men agreed immediately.

Turning his back on the guards, he made his way towards his own room with Winter close at his side. As he walked, he couldn't help but notice the tell-tale marks of battle that still marred the halls of his home. Bloodstains on the floor. Broken doors and furniture in the halls. And the unmistakable smell of death that still hung in the air. 'What have we Starks done to anger the gods so to suffer such tragedy twice in my lifetime? ' He pondered as he made his way into his room. Once a haven of warmth and love. Now only a cold reminder of what had once been. And what it would never be again without Cat there beside him.

'Thought it isn't just House Stark that suffered this time. ' He thought with a heavy heart as he sat down in a chair before his hearth. A low fire burning providing the slightest bit of warmth as Winter laid down between him and fire. Resting his elbows on his knees and burying his head in his hands, his mind wandered towards the toll the attempted coup - for it could be described as nothing else - had taken on Winterfell, the North and her people.

His friend, Alim Nox, had been poisoned. Badly. Maester Luwin had been able to identify at least two of the poison's that'd been put into his wine as being the Tears of Lys and the Strangler. Both of which had been present in a large enough quantity to kill an elephant. The fact that Nox was able to survive, let alone overcome the poisoning was a miracle. One of the few of the night. But the gods only knew when he would be back to full strength. And Lady Nox, gods, just thinking about her made his heart ache for his friend. Mercifully, whatever Sansa had done to the new Lady of House Nox had saved her life. Unfortunately, because of the trauma she'd endured the child ended up coming early and was a stillbirth. He'd experienced many horrific sights in his life. More than anyone one man ever should in his opinion. But seeing Nox hold his wife while Lady Nox wailed as the two held onto their lifeless child… Many had likened Nox to be the aspect of the Stranger incarnate. And in that moment, Ned truly believed that his friend was indeed the aspect of death.

Lady Nox's near death and their child's death was just the beginning. His steward, Vayon Poole had been found dead in the hall just outside the great hall. The man split nearly in two from naval to collarbone. Rickard Karstark had also been killed during the attack. The Lord of Karhold and one of House Starks closest allies had been one of the first to fall after the attempt on Lord and Lady Nox. He'd taken a bolt to the back along with two daggers. And while his eldest son Harrion Karstark was old enough to take up the mantle of Karhold, the same could not necessarily be said of Castle Cerwyn. The current Lord – now previous - Lord Medger Cerwyn had been another casualty of the attack within the great hall. Which meant that his ten name-day son Clay would have to take up the responsibilities of Lord. Mercifully, Castle Cerwyn was but a day's ride from Winterfell so he would be able to aid the young boy as best he could. But that could hardly be considered a good thing.

The Northern Houses were not the only ones to suffer during the attack. Yohn Royce and his three sons; Andor, Robar and Waymar had all been at the feast as well when the attack broke out. The Bronce Knight had only sustained minor injuries at best, but his sons were not as fortunate. Both Robar and Waymar had sustained significant injuries that would lay them up for at least a moon. And he'd been informed not an hour earlier that Yohn's oldest son Andor had succumb to the wounds he'd received during the attack.

If those had been the extent of the casualties Ned would've considered themselves fortunate. But that was not to be the case. For it wasn't just the nobles nor those in the great hall that had suffered. Or perhaps it was more correct to say that those in the great hall had suffered the least. The damage done across Winterfell and Winter Town had been far more extensive than he could've ever imagined. A hundred strong of the small folks were dead with twice as many now injured. Some so severely that it was doubtful that they would recover. Dozens of men-at-arms belonging to all houses were dead or dying. And at least a dozen women, both young and old, had been found brutalized and raped. Including Septa Mordane. Her corpse had been found in the still smoldering remains of what had once been the small Sept that he'd had built for his wife. It was difficult to tell just what exactly had happened, but it was obvious that the woman had not died easily nor quickly. And while he might've had his own problems with the woman, it was a fate that no one deserved.

While the toll of the attack was indeed high, Ned was not foolish enough to believe it was as worse as it could've been. He'd been through two wars and had seen the immediate aftermath of the Sacking of Kings Landing. If not for the quick, yet inebriated actions, of those that were loyal to House Stark and if not for Nox's quick recovery, then Ned was positive that the death toll would've been far greater. While many had risen to House Stark's defense there were two, outside of Nox, that could truly be credited with bringing an end to the attack within the great hall before rushing out to defend Winterfell. Greatjon Umber and Maege Mormont. Though neither managed to escape from the attempt unharmed. The Greatjon had taken several crossbow bolts and daggers to both his front and back. The fact that the man was even still amongst the living was a testament to Lady Talisa's skill as a healer. But as good as she was, she was no miracle worker. And while the Greatjon would live his left arm was now next to useless and he would be cursed with a limp for the rest of his life. And Maege Mormont had received a dagger across the face, leaving a scar from temple to jaw that cross her left eye and destroying said eye in the process. Yet despite their state and injuries, the two fought through most of the night in order to bring an end to the attack.

On the floor, Winter's head rose up off the floor and turned towards the door. " Come in Blackfish, " he called out before the man could even raise a fist to knock on his closed door.

Staying in his seat, Ned watched the flames dance across the wood in his hearth as a clearly tired Blackfish made his way into the room before shutting the door behind him. " I don't suppose that I need to ask how you knew I was out there without even seeing or hearing me? "

" No, " Ned answered simply, less in a mood for small talk than he usually was, " have you and Jory finished rounding up the last of the conspirators? "

" Aye, " the Blackfish nodded, moving to stand beside Ned, " all of the bards save for the one who actually managed to kill a few of his fellow bards and knocked Ludd Whitehill out have been rounded up. Same with everyone associated with the rebel houses. The Lords, Ladies, heirs and their surviving men-at-arms have all been secured in the dungeon. The younger children have been placed into a secured section of the main keep with a constant rotating guard. Based on what we know, there might be a few stragglers that managed to get away during the commotion, but they're cowardly sellswords at best who ran at the first sign of trouble. I dispatched those Rangers of yours to hunt them all down and bring them back to Winterfell dead or alive. I've also placed a lockdown order on both Winter Town and Winterfell. No one enters or leaves until you say so Ned. "

'Thank the gods for the Blackfish, ' Ned thought, nodding along as Ser Brynden spoke on what had been done since he'd handed off the reigns to the man. " You have my thanks Ser Brynden, and the thanks of Hou-"

" There's no need for that formal shit Ned, " the Blackfish cut him off, " she…she was my niece as well as your wife. Hells, she was practically my daughter. And Rickon, he was my great-nephew as well. My only regret is that I didn't have the chance to kill more of those bastards before your sorcerer brought an end to the fighting. Gods I've heard the stories of what that man can do…but to actually see it in person is something else entirely. "

" Aye, that he is, " Ned agreed with Brynden's assessment. The Blackfish wasn't exaggerating matters. The fighting in the great hall, while bloody and brutal, had been very short lived. The moment after Nox had seemingly recovered his powers by turning those two men into little more than husks and then turning a third man into little more than ash with his lightning, almost all fight had left the assassins in the great hall. A few, mostly the Lords who'd had a hand in the attack, pressed on until they were forced to submit. But the sellswords and assassins masquerading as men-at-arms and bards had quickly thrown down their weapons and surrender after seeing what fate was awaiting them. And it was fortunate that they had. The moment the fighting was done Nox had all but collapsed and had to be half-led half-carried to where his Lady wife was hold up.

" I hesitate to ask but…how are the children? "

The pain that'd just started to dull returned with a vengeance as his thoughts turned to his children once more. Each of his children had reacted in their own way to the news. Robb and Jon, who'd born witness to Cat's death, obviously both blamed themselves for not being fast enough to save her and Rickon. And as much as he'd wanted to be the one to end the assassins that killed his wife and son, he was not about to begrudge Robb his actions in beating the assassin to death. Nor would he begrudge Jon his inaction in not stopping Robb. He'd been in a similar state the day he'd learned of the death of his own father and brother. And had the Mad King been within his reach, he was sure that he would've beaten the decrepit old fool to death with his bare hands as well. Bran had broken down in tears and refused had clung to Ned until he'd cried himself to sleep.

Arya's reaction had worried him the most. She hadn't cried, she merely went mute and just stood there while staring off into the distance at nothing. At first, he'd thought that it was simply that she was too young to understand just what was going on. But after seeing Nox's reaction, he knew better. She was reacting to the news of her mother and brother's death in the same manner that Nox had reacted to the news of his own son's death: a quiet rage. One that had him more than slightly worried about what she would do next. She'd already killed one man, something that filled him with no small amount of anguish as no child her age should ever have blood on their hands. But he knew full well that while the first kill was the hardest, it got progressively easier which each additional kill. And given what she was capable of…he would have to keep a close eye on both her and the prisoners until the trials and executions were over and done with.

Sansa's reaction had been what he'd expected and more. She'd broken down completely. Crumbling into a heap and wailing uncontrollably. She'd been the closest of his children to Cat, and he knew that her death would affect her deeply. But it wasn't just Cat's death that had obviously brought his daughter to such a state. He'd always been afraid of the day when his daughter would discover the truth of the world. That it wasn't picture-perfect like in the stories she loved to hear from her mother and Septa Mordane. He'd just hoped that when that day came that it wouldn't be too hard of a blow. But that request had been denied. Sansa's view of what she thought of the world and of the nobility and knights had not been broken. It'd been shattered. And then stomped upon by a team of horses.

" They've lost their mother and brother, " Ned responded curtly. " Robb and Jon are…they're doing their best to give what comfort they can when I am not with them. But it is a pain that will not fade anytime soon. "

Brynden seemed to accept that as the older man nodded his head. " I just wish that I knew why this happened. I'd heard of the supposed animosity between House Stark and House Bolton since I was but a boy. But it wasn't like the feud between House Bracken and Blackwood. At least it hadn't been for centuries. But still, to think that they would try this now…and to cajole Lyn Crobray into their scheme as well…"

That question, the why, had been plaguing Ned since the moment fighting stopped. He knew that he'd won no favors from House Dustin after getting William Dustin killed at the Tower of Joy. And the fact that Roose Bolton had a familial connection to the Ryswell and the by extension House Dustin through Barbrey explained their participation…but still. Why now of all times? Had he not brought vengeance to the dragons for what they'd done to the North when they executed the Warden of the North and his heir? Had he not fought tooth and nail to make the Ironborn pay for raiding their shores? Had he not taken in the children of the Ironborn and tried to show them a better path so that they might be free of raiding in the future? Had he not worked tirelessly for years to bring advancement and commerce through the North? Or…perhaps he was just overthinking it. The reason, if one chooses the simplest explanation as Nox had often encouraged him to do, was often the correct. Power. They wanted power. Vengeance could've played a role as well, but it was power that they were after.

Getting up from his seat, he stepped over Winter and made his way towards the large set of glass windows that'd recently been installed in his and Cat's room. Gazing out over the darkened North, Ned tried desperately to put the pieces together. 'Father always told us to never turn our backs to the former Red Kings unless you had someone you trusted behind them with a dagger poised at their back. I'd forgotten that lesson. Roose had proven himself a capable commander during the Rebellion and a seemingly capable Lord after the fighting was done. Perhaps his years of loyalty was all just a mummer's farce. Perhaps he had been planning this for years, waiting for a moment when I would let my guard slip. But even if that were the case, Roose was a prudent man. A very prudent man. He would not act in this manner unless he was all but guaranteed success. But then the question becomes, how did he become so sure of this plan? And how did he manage to convince a notable house of the Vale to take part as well? And it wasn't just the Vale. The sellswords were not of the North…some didn't even seem to be of Westeros. So how did Roose acquire their services? And how did he get them into the North without alerting Lord Manderly in White Harbor? He couldn't have done this alone. Not even as a group would the houses be able to do this. They had help. But from whom? '

" Sellswords from across Westeros and perhaps even Essos, " Ned said aloud, " several houses spread across the North aligned together. Along with a House from the Vale as well. This plot…it must've taken years to properly plan and organize. And while I do not doubt the resourcefulness of Roose Bolton, this plot was beyond him. "

Brynden caught on quickly. " You believe someone else was pulling their strings? Made the plan, provided the coin and swords and then disappeared in order to not get their hands dirty. "

" Aye. "

Scratching at his beard, the Blackfish looked more than slightly uncomfortable with the prospect. " If - and I stress if - that is the case…then there are only a few who have the coin and the influence to make such a move. And they will be in positions of power and influence. And they will more than likely have powerful friends to back them once they're involvement is revealed. "

" I know, " Ned acknowledge. But Ned had powerful friends as well. Mainly in Robert and Jon Arryn. And while he despised the game that southern nobles loved to play, if it meant protecting his family then he would play their stupid game and destroy them all. " And once they've learned that their plot failed, they will work to cover their tracks and erase any connection between themselves and those who held the knives. "

" Give me a few days with those traitorous bastards and a few of your best not-so-squeamish men. I'll find out who backing this farce. "

Torture. Just the mere thought set Ned's stomach on edge. But he knew that he would have to set aside his personal feelings on the matter when dealing with the traitorous. Northern law was very clear on what was to happen to nobility that betrayed the North. His vassals would be expecting it. And he would be lying if he denied that there was a not-so-small part of him was looking forward to what was to come. " I appreciate your willingness to help Blackfish, " Ned said, rising from his seat and turning towards Cat's uncle. " But what you suggest will take time. Time that we do not necessarily have. We need to find out who was aiding the traitorous fast before word of their failure goes beyond the North. And there is only one that can get us that information in a such a limited time. "

Walking out of his solar with the Blackfish right behind him, Nox made his way through his home and towards the guest quarters of Winterfell. He knew that he was drawing closer to his goal as he suddenly felt a heavy weight pressing on his shoulders, a weight which the Blackfish felt as well as the man's steps fumbled, and he began muttering under his breath. The only reason why Ned wasn't similarly affected was that he'd experienced this type of phenomenon several times over the past few years. But it'd never been like this. He could almost taste the fear and anger in the very air. To say it was unnerving would be understating matters greatly, and it was no wonder why this section of the guest quarters, which had until just yesterday been completely full, was now all but deserted.

" What in the Seven hells is this? " The elder Tully muttered as he visibly shivered beside Ned.

" A glimpse of what is to come, " Ned muttered as the two stopped outside a seemingly random door which opened on its own as the two approached. " It'd be best if you stay out here for the time being. "

It wasn't that Ned thought the Blackfish to be a craven, far from it. The man had fought in more wars than Ned and had never once shied away from his duty. But considering all that had happened over the past day Ned wasn't completely sure of his friend's state of mind. And until he was, it would be best to not impose too heavily on Nox's voluntary seclusion. The Blackfish didn't need much convincing as the man quickly gave his consent and took up a spot down the hall to ensure that the two would not be disturbed. Not that Ned thought anyone would dare venture anywhere close, but the action was appreciated.

Steeling himself, Ned pushed open the door and walked inside the open room. The room looked like it'd been ransacked. Every piece of furniture within the room hadn't just been upended or torn apart. No. It'd all been obliterated with the only evidence of their previous existence being the shards and splinters of wood scattered throughout the room. And in the center of the destruction, floating in a sitting position at nearly head height, was Nox. The moment Ned stepped fully into the room, the door shut on its own behind him and Nox silently flipped backwards and landed on his feet without making a sound.

" Life in the Sith Empire was never an easy one, no matter the position you held. " His friend began without preamble, remaining in the center of the room with his back turned towards Ned. " Those beneath you would be constantly seeking ways to take your place while those above you would do all they could to make sure that you wouldn't take theirs. And those who just happened to be on the same level with you would gladly stab you in the back the moment it was advantageous for them to do so. You had to maintain a constant watch on your vassals, your 'allies' and your rulers. For one such as I, a slave who managed to fight and claw my way to the top, I could almost set my day by the attempts on my life. But since I came to this land, I have forgotten what I learned in the Empire. I grew soft. Overconfident. I was so sure of my position here in the North that I let my defenses falter. And now, the price of my laxity has been paid in blood. The blood of my son. The blood of my wife. And the blood of countless others. "

" No one could've foreseen this coming Nox. " Ned said, trying to convince both himself and his friend with his words.

Shaking his head, Nox scoffed and began pacing back and forth. " I should have. Ever since I ended the threat in Valyria I've been sensing disturbances from the Force. But they were muddled. Distant. Uncertain. I let my guard down and put the disturbances to the back of my mind, thinking they were but an omen of what was to come in the far future. But I was wrong. In more ways than one. Our enemy is far cleverer than I gave them credit for. I couldn't figure just what was happening until today. And now that I have…it is a wonder why I hadn't figured it out before. "

" Our enemy? The White Walkers? " Ned asked, dreading the thought of the ancient enemy of man doing something that had put even the famed Northern Sorcerer on such an edge. " What have they done? "

" One of the greatest weapons a Force sensitive has is the ability of precognition, or foresight if you will. " Nox explained after a moment of silence. " It allows one to sense danger before it happens as well as peer into possibilities of the future during meditation. And once you know what you're doing you can even use it to find certain individuals across great distances. However, if something were to be done to alter the Force ever so slightly in order to disrupt the careful balance it has between the light and the dark then it would be possible to disrupt certain Force abilities. And these White Walkers…they have altered the way Force itself flows through this land. Which in turn creates slight disruptions in the Force that are almost unnoticeable but can prove to be extremely dangerous. I can name several ways in which this could've been done, each of which takes considerable time and effort in order to accomplish. But that is not what is important. What is important is the effect their tampering has had on the way the Force flows through the land. They've altered the balance of the Force and made precognition almost impossible and created a Force Cloud around themselves to hide their movements. "

He did not like the sound of that. The thought of the White Walkers and their army of the dead from legends was worrying enough. Add that they could not only utilize the same magic as Nox and his children but also apparently had the ability to fundamentally change it. It made him wonder just how truly powerful these creatures were. " So, what you're saying is they've done something to prevent your ability to see the future? "

" Aye. Though this wasn't done specifically to target my own ability of foresight or other abilities, " Nox countered, " this land was rife with Force users long before I ever came here. The North itself was known for those with greensight and those with ability to skinchange. The White Walkers more than likely put the foundations in place centuries ago. And now that they are ready to move, they've activated their clouding and muddled others ability to see the future. And I fucking missed it! "

Ned nearly jumped as Nox spun in place the threw his hand out in a slashing motion. What was left of a desk, at least he believed it had once been a desk, slammed against the far wall, shattering into even more splinters and leaving nothing more than dust. " And my son…my son paid for my negligence. And Nyra…had it not been for Sansa healing her…I would've lost her as well. "

Fighting to slow his racing heart, Ned kept his voice level. " Is there a way to undo what they've done? "

" Yes, " Nox nodded, though he didn't seem pleased. " The quickest way would be to kill the one who is maintaining the disturbance. But now that they're safely concealed in a Force Cloud, I could stand right next to them and not even realize they are the one responsible. The slower method would require counteracting whatever they've done in the Force. But without knowing what exactly they've done to throw off the balance of the Force, I could spend decades in a meditative trance day and night without rest and not even begin to start counteracting their disruption. The only other option would be to travel as far away as possible and see if I can leave their sphere of influence on the Force. But given how much time they've had to create this plan; it is quite likely that the flow of Force throughout this entire world has been corrupted to suit their needs. "

" So, what do we do? "

" We adjust as best we can, " Nox responded. " This is a setback, but they've also revealed what they are capable of. And now that we know what they can do, we can adjust and plan accordingly. But you haven't come and disturbed my meditation just for a lesson on the Force, have you? "

" No, " Ned answered, shaking his head.

His friends hand tightened into a fist as small wisp of what looked like smoke began wafting from his very body. 'He seems like he is in control. But that control is balancing on a knifes edge with a strong wind constantly blowing it back and forth. And I suspect the only reason he is even in the remotest of control right now is because of the state of this room. ' " You've realized it as well, haven't you? " Nox said, making Ned start slightly. " Bolton. Dustin. Ryswell. Whitehill. Corbray. They might be clever, but their resources are not infinite. Contracting sellswords and assassins from across Westeros and even parts of Essos all the while keeping their actions hidden from view…they do not have the resources nor ability to do such a thing. Not alone anyway. They are but the knives that were used to remove yourself and I. And the one who would wield them is still out there. "

" Aye, that is my thought as well. " Ned nodded, before taking a breath and mentally preparing himself for what he was about to ask of his friend. " You lost your son…I lost my wife and son. Dozens, no, a hundred or more are dead or dying. I won't let this go. I – I need your help. Just as it was during the Greyjoy Rebellion…I need Darth Nox once more. "

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