The Winter kingdom

Version 2.0

Time passed, and with each passing week, the North seemed to unravel a little more. The fear crept into every home seeping into protective blankets and cozy beds. Tensions rose like a flood spilling over into daily life. Brandon bore the brunt of it, his days filled with a steady stream of complaints and pleas.

The people had begun to barricade themselves behind hastily built palisades, fortifying their villages as best they could. Every village, from the smallest hamlet to the largest villages, seemed to be raising wooden walls and lookout towers as if mere logs and sharpened stakes could keep the horrors at bay. Other villagers from the surrounding lands crowded into Brandon's courtyard daily, bringing their grievances to Him. They begged for more soldiers, more patrols, anything to protect them from the growing threats, the raiders, the Celtics, and the dangerous monsters lurking about.

Brandon did what he could, working tirelessly to meet their needs. He sent men to reinforce those most vulnerable, offering supplies, advice, and sometimes his presence to ease their fears. When time allowed, he moved out with his bannermen, tracking down bandits and Celtics who preyed on farmsteads, or hunting creatures that had hunted from human settlements. He helped resettle those whose homes had been destroyed whilst always tracing the winter resistance crops still hopeful of them and their full potential.

But as the dangers became worse and he could no longer protect everywhere at once he instead relocated families from smaller, isolated settlements to larger, fortified villages where they could be better defended. Some of these moved to Winterfell or some of the larger villages around Winterfell that had benefited from the large trade that Winterfell provided. Along many of the paths that these traders had travelled the once-small villages expanded providing inns and markets for merchants and farmers. With trade came people and now these people wanted protection and so palisades were built.

The North was vast, and the threats were many, but his people still remembered his leadership through the Long Night. That memory, more than anything, kept their trust in him strong.

But beyond Winterfell, the cracks were widening. Brandon heard of villages in the Slate King's lands rising against their lord, their faith in him shattered by his failure to protect them from Celtic raiders. The Slate King had withdrawn to his stronghold, abandoning the outlying villages to fend for themselves. To the south, the Tower King's grip faltered, his once-loyal subjects now turning on him as bandits ravaging his lands became too many after losing too many men in a battle against the Locke King. The Barrow King faced open rebellion, his people accusing him of abandoning them in their hour of need against the Ironborn. Even the Greenwood King, known for keeping order, saw dissent brewing as monsters and stalked into his borders.

/

News reached Brandon in the late hours of a cold evening, as Halvar brought a raven. Brandon was in his solar, 'resting' his eyes when he came in, rousing him from his moment of rest.

"My King, I have gotten a message from the Slate King. It's about Connell."

Brandon cricked his neck. "Connell? He is still around. What of him?"

"He has made quite a name for himself. The Slate King's men have been tracking him since he left their lands after he created some incidents in his lands. They followed him south, into the Locke King's territory, and then further still, into the Tower King's lands."

Brandon's brow furrowed. "Cedric's lands? What is he doing there?"

Halvar's expression darkened. "Rebelling! He's been stirring up unrest in the villages, after some large bands of bandits raised many villages, Connell saved them and is now aiding the people in their defiance against Cedric. The Slate King's spies watched as Connell started to gain influence among them, helping them organize their resistance."

Brandon leaned back in his chair, before signing deeply. The Tower King had already been struggling to maintain control over his lands after his weakening by Gareth.

"Why is the Slate King sending me this news?" Brandon said. "I can't do much and I don't have the time to be dealing with something like this."

Halvar hesitated. "Edwyn sees this as a growing issue. He fears that Connell's influence could spread beyond the Tower King's lands. Others might gain the same idea and unite into a big group. If he continues to stir unrest it could spread to Locke's lands, then Slate's own if left unchecked. If enough people join, then the entire region could rebel rather than a few dissatisfied villagers."

Brandon's thoughts churned. Brandon thought back to Connell and his first speech that he saw, the feeling the man gave him at that moment. Before his thoughts fell to the moments after, his running away and the falling apart of his party.

"When did they last see him?" Brandon asked as he started to rest his eyes again.

"A few days ago, in a village near the Broken Branch, I saw gathering people before moving further into Tower Lands. The Slate King's men have not approached him directly, but they've kept watch, waiting for further orders."

Brandon shook his head.

"We don't have the time or the ability to deal with this," Brandon said finally, opening his eyes again. "Send word to Edwyn to keep an eye on it but that we don't have the ability to deal with this, especially in someone else's lands. He can pass on word to both Gareth and Cedric but other than that, leave it."

Halvar frowned. "I'll inform the Slate King immediately. But for the record, I don't think this is smart, my gut is telling me that there is something wrong with him."

Bradon sighed. "Well, just like Aloe I would love to deal with them, but I can't reach them. We can only hope they sort themselves out."