Chapter 3 Heading to Winterfell

"Why are you going to Winterfell?" Lord Wyman scratched his chin covered with gray beard and asked his granddaughter doubtfully.

Clay saw the stunned expression on Wilfield's face and knew that Vera hadn't told anyone before.

"Isn't Clay going to see Lord Eddard? Maybe he can make friends with Lord Eddard's sons. I'll just go and make friends with Miss Sansa." Willa said plausibly.

In fact, she was right. Her sister, Wilfield, was taken to Winterfell several times by Count Wyman in the past few years. She heard from her sister that she and Sansa Stark, the eldest daughter of the Stark family, We became good friends and even did embroidery together.

The speaker has no intention, but the listener has the intention. It is estimated that this idea started brewing from the moment he heard Clay's return.

"Just cause chaos, just be patient!" Willis, Vera's father, blew his beard and scolded his daughter. This big bear-like man seemed to have no idea how to communicate with his daughter.

Clay felt funny when he saw Vera holding her hair and holding her mouth. He was about to say a few words to support Vera, but when his eyes fell on the old man's thoughtful face, he suppressed his words. In the mouth.

Seeing that the master of the house was silent, everyone stopped eating and drinking, and the huge Mermaid Palace was silent.

To everyone's surprise, Earl Wyman, who had always been opposed to the girl running around on her own, agreed after thinking for a moment.

"Okay, Clay, you take her and keep an eye on her."

Clay was stunned for a moment. Although he was surprised, he nodded quickly in order to avoid another disaster on his feet.

He was not sure what Earl Wyman meant. In such a large aristocratic family, it was very particular about which family the heirs, especially women, appeared in, because this often meant the intention of marriage between the large nobles.

Earl Wyman has been in charge of the family for decades, and no one can tell his thoughts, but one thing is clear to everyone. The Wilfield sisters, who have already had their menarche, will never marry into a family with a lower status than the Mandalay family.

Is the old man planning to let Vera hang out in front of Robert?

If you put it this way, you probably had the same intention when you took Wilfield to Winterfell. Was this because you didn't want to give up?

Clay wasn't sure, but it wasn't something he could worry about right now.

…

two days later

By the Bairen River

"Take this wine and bring it to Sir Rodrik, the head coach of Winterfell, so that I can repay his gambling debt."

Wendell Manderly waved his big hand and slapped his son on the back, telling his son about the people he knew in Winterfell.

Clay took Vera and ten brightly armored guards north along the White Blade River.

If the journey goes well, they will reach Severn City in half a month, then set foot on the King's Road, and reach Winterfell in half a day.

The gurgling river looks like a silver belt under the rising sun. Decorated by the vast green plains, the northern border in midsummer is still worth visiting.

Behind Clay, on a snow-white horse, Vera left the castle, shouting and yelling, not at all as dignified as her sister Wilfield.

"Sit tight and don't fall off the horse," Clay reminded.

"Oops, I got it, Clay, don't be nagging like grandma." Vera didn't care, and her silver bell-like laughter echoed along the empty riverside.

Clay smiled and simply ignored her.

His eyes were on the family guards protecting them in the center. These family guards with the mermaid crest painted on their shields were the plate armored cavalry of the Mandalay family.

Although most soldiers in the northern border are basically equipped with mail armor, in most cases this is because the northern border has poor economic capabilities and cannot be armed with expensive full-body plate armor.

But the Mandalay family, which owns the fifth largest city in Westeros, has no such concerns. As far as Clay knows, the family's arsenal can arm more than 1,500 fully armored cavalry in an instant.

When he learned the news, Clay didn't quite understand why such a huge force became invisible in the subsequent Battle of the Five Kings.

Lord Wyman would rather have one of his two sons imprisoned as a prisoner, and the other die with Robb Stark at the Red Wedding. Even Jon Snow did not touch this branch when he counterattacked Winterfell. Power, what is he planning?

You must know that if this force joins the battlefield, when Tywin Lannister is dragged by Robb and unable to move in the riverlands, the 1,500 Northerners' cavalry can move south quickly enough and penetrate King's Landing. Maybe the war will be over. , where did a lot of things behind come from?

Clay realized that including his own family, these great nobles who had inherited the Westeros continent for hundreds of thousands of years might have hidden things underwater much deeper than he imagined, and he could never tell based on his own impressions. Make decisions arbitrarily.

Vera was right about one thing at the dinner. Clay really wanted to meet Eddard Stark and his family during this trip to Winterfell.

Since he was the third generation heir of the Mandalay family, it was inevitable for him to board the chariot in the north.

The bitter cold in the north and the belief in the old gods gave the Stark family a persevering character, but it was obvious that they seemed to lack sufficient political vigilance.

Looking at the subsequent series of mind-numbing operations by Ed and Robert and his son, the good situation in the North was ruined, and they have an unshirkable responsibility.

But then again, although this family is politically poor, they are still qualified to be the boss. At least Clay doesn't want those perverts from the Dreadfort who like to skin people to be the guardians of the north.

It was not something that was urgent in itself, and with Vera wandering around, the original fifteen-day trip took a full twenty days.

When the sun set on the twentieth day, they finally saw the gray-black castle standing on the horizon in the golden sunset.

Far away, a melodious horn sound came.

Accompanied by the sound of rolling hooves, three war horses carrying a knight in full mail, led by a direwolf flag fluttering in the wind, came in front of everyone.

Of course the leading knight recognized the Mandalay family's mermaid flag, and without any warning, asked loudly:

"Friends of White Harbor, welcome to Winterfell."

This is actually asking Clay and his team what they are going to do. This is the responsibility of these Stark family rangers.

This person was also a good judge of people. He could spot Clay and Vera who were guarded in the center and dressed in luxurious clothes at a glance. He said what he said just now while looking at them.

Clay knew it was time to speak for himself, so he turned his horse and stepped forward, and the guards consciously made way for him.

"I am Clay Manderly, and I want to meet Lord Stark, Warden of the North."

Although I don't remember such a young man in the Mandalay family, no one in the north dares to use the Mandalay family's flag indiscriminately.

The knight nodded, clamped his horse's belly and said:

"My lord is in the city. I will take you there. Follow me."

Following the direwolf banner, Winterfell gradually approached them. Before the last ray of sunset disappeared, Clay and his party passed the gate of Winterfell.