A Shadow and a Wolf

Jon VIII

"I didn't bring my men here to see the North invaded by wildlings."

"They didn't invade. They were settled in the Gift as part of a deal with the Night's Watch," Jon explained to the lord.

"They are not in the Gift right now. They are camping right outside of Winterfell and they wander in the castle daily and freely."

"They helped to free this castle and the North. The same cannot be said about you, Lord Arryn."

Harrold Arryn, new Lord Protector of the Vale, turned red. "I brought my men here, ten thousand men, to help to free the North."

"We appreciate your assistance, but we appreciate the assistance of the Free Folk too. They lost hundreds in the battle. How many men have you lost?" The lord had no answer. "When you have lost as many men as they have, we'll talk again about sending them away. The Free Folk will be allowed to remain stationed at Winterfell until all the lords of the North arrive, then everyone will go his way."

"As you wish, Jon Snow. But I warn you, I won't let these savages plunder the North, and don't expect me and my men to become friends with them."

"I'm not asking you to be their friends. Just keep your men in line and I'll make sure they keep theirs quiet. I don't want any other fight between them."

"Very well."

The Lord of the Eyrie turned away to go back to his men. The Knights of the Vale had arrived two weeks after the battle. They had been quite disappointed to discover they had missed the fight, and their lord more than everyone else. Jon didn't understand at first why the men of the Vale had come in the North. Ser Brynden Tully and Tyrion Lannister didn't know either why they had come, though since then Jon's friend told him about the machinations of Lord Petyr Baelish. He suspected this could be linked with that. They had received a raven from Sansa from White Harbor, announcing she was coming to Winterfell, but also saying that the brothelkeeper wouldn't last long. Jon was suspicious towards the Vale men since then, much more suspicious than towards the men of the Westerlands. He hadn't appreciated that they didn't come to their help before late in the battle, but the Blackfish had done the same. Taking a step back, Jon understood why they waited for the Bolton infantry to be engaged to send their cavalry. Furthermore, Lord Tyrion was a friend and a member of his family now that he was married to Sansa.

Tents were everywhere around Winterfell. The standards of House Arryn, House Lannister, House Tully and House Hightower flew everywhere, with the standards of their bannermen spread all around. There were the tents of the Free Folk too, easy to distinguish with their skins, and by the absence of banners. The castle was packed full, and so was the Winter Town, at the exception of rooms they left empty for the northern lords who hadn't arrived yet. Lady Eddara Tallhart of Torrhen's Square had come a few days ago, and Robett Glover of Deepwood Motte had arrived yesterday. His behavior had changed a lot since he refused to help Jon to take back Winterfell. Many more were still to come. Jon supposed Sansa would only arrive when almost all the northern lords would already be there. That is, all the lords who answered the call. They didn't receive answers from some families. Without surprise, the Dreadfort, Karhold and the Last Hearth were silent. They dispatched battalions to these three places to force them to surrender. These detachments were mostly composed of forces from the Westerlands and the Riverlands, the ones who suffered the fewer losses during the battle. There was also the Hightower army that marched with the Forrester forces on Ironrath. Mira and Talia Forrester were the ones to stay behind to represent their families at Winterfell in the meantime.

Jon looked at his home. Over it, only the Stark banner flew. Tyrion didn't want to upset the northern lords by hanging a golden lion on a crimson field next to the direwolf, but to not spite his own bannermen, they also decided no other banner than the Stark direwolf was to be seen anywhere inside Winterfell or on its walls. No falcon, no trout, no single or twin towers were to be seen over the castle. That was the best compromise they could come with. Despite his friendship with his sister's husband, he wasn't eager to see a red banner hanging on the battlements of his family's home.