Request for Reinforcements

Burp!

After swallowing the last piece of cheese on his plate, Robb couldn't help letting out a satisfying belch.

Fortunately, only he and the maid standing beside him were left at the table. Otherwise, Catelyn would have scolded him again.

The second dinner he'd just forced down hadn't earned Robb any Blood Contract Points.

That put an end to his idea of farming points by stuffing himself.

Good!

If he really tried to farm points that way, Robb would end up fatter than King Robert Baratheon.

After dinner, Robb was supposed to have his usual sword practice, but today he went straight back to his room.

Partly because his father, Eddard, had told him to rest for two days, and partly because he wanted to take it easy himself.

As soon as he returned to his room, Robb looked at Blood Wind, who was sleeping soundly.

Red letters appeared at his thoughts' command.

Perhaps because he'd earned Blood Contract Points at dinner, a plus sign had appeared beside each of Blood Wind's three stats.

Robb lowered his head and pondered for a moment. With a thought, the Blood Contract Points vanished from his sight.

A red mist as thick as a chopstick rose from his body, then poured into the sleeping Blood Wind. Blood Wind's Constitution stat rose to 2.

So that red mist was Blood Contract Points?

Robb stroked the stubble on his chin, forming a few guesses.

If he earned one Blood Contract Point a day, then at this rate, Blood Wind's three stats would be several times those of his siblings in less than a month.

As for why he'd boosted Constitution first, he'd given that a lot of thought.

This world was real to him now. It wasn't as simple as watching a show with an all-knowing perspective.

There was no one in Winterfell who knew how to raise Direwolves. If Blood Wind, still a pup, died for any reason, it would be the most devastating loss for Robb.

Boosting his Constitution as much as possible early on would give Blood Wind the best chance of surviving to adulthood.

He could raise his Agility and Strength later.

After increasing Blood Wind's stats, Robb suddenly felt exhausted all over.

He found two thick garments in the wardrobe and spread them on the floor, then gently picked up Blood Wind and settled him on top.

He didn't let Blood Wind sleep in his bed because back on Blue Star, Robb had been a restless sleeper.

Now he had to rule out every possibility of accidentally harming Blood Wind.

Ah! So comfortable!

The thick furs covering the solid wooden bed were wonderfully soft. As soon as Robb lay down, he felt as if he'd sunk into a pile of cotton and couldn't help groaning.

My advantages!

First, I know the general direction of the future and some of the important players.

Second, Blood Wind, my Cheat.

Third, I'm the eldest son of a noble family in the North.

But can I really handle the cunning Tywin Lannister and Daenerys Targaryen, with her three dragons?

Right, there are also the Wildlings beyond the Wall...

And finally, the White Walkers...

Lying in bed, Robb thought about his advantages and the enemies he would face in the future.

Perhaps because he was so exhausted, he fell into a deep sleep within minutes.

Early the next morning, Robb woke to his body's internal clock.

He had only just gotten dressed and climbed out of bed when Blood Wind bit his trouser leg, making it clear he was hungry.

All right! This little guy was nothing but an emotionless eating machine.

Robb bent down and stroked Blood Wind's furry head, then went out to get him breakfast.

After a busy spell tending to Lord Blood Wind, Robb finally went to the washstand to freshen up.

He plunged his head into the basin of water a servant had prepared, shook it from side to side, then abruptly lifted it.

In the mirror on the washstand, a broad-shouldered young man with blue eyes and reddish-brown hair stared back at him.

Although Robb looked rather mature, he was handsome and gallant, with a distinctive air of his own.

I am Robb Stark!

After staring for several minutes at the unfamiliar yet familiar face in the mirror, he silently repeated those words to himself. Then he dried his face with a towel, turned, and put on his noble's everyday clothes.

House Stark's breakfast was still as plentiful as ever. Robb, feeling hollow inside, dug in without a care for appearances.

"Robb, you had two dinners last night. Why are you still so hungry this morning?"

Eddard tossed a grape into his mouth and asked Robb with a puzzled look.

"I don't know. Maybe I'm still growing, Father."

Hearing his father's question, Robb quickly swallowed his food before answering.

"Father, maybe he's got a whole nest of fat pigs in his belly that do nothing but shit."

Remembering what Robb had said the previous night, Arya couldn't resist teasing him back.

"Arya, watch your tongue. You've finished eating, so go find Sister Mordane and learn today's lessons. Sansa, go with your sister."

Catelyn frowned at Arya's words and spoke up.

"Yes, Mother!"

Sansa and Arya answered together.

Sansa, caught in the crossfire, shot Arya an annoyed look, gave her parents a curtsey, and left first.

Arya stuck out her tongue at Robb and made a face before running off.

"Robb, if you feel unwell at all, be sure to tell Maester Luwin."

Catelyn was still worried about Robb's health.

"Yes, Mother."

After breakfast, Robb didn't earn any Blood Contract Points. He wasn't worried, since there was still dinner.

Besides, he suspected Blood Contract Points weren't earned just by eating.

The sudden exhaustion he'd felt after raising Blood Wind's stats yesterday had been a little strange.

The next thing on Robb's schedule should have been his usual archery practice. But, just like his sword practice, it had been canceled by his father, Eddard, so he went straight back to his room to bond with Blood Wind.

About an hour later, a servant told Robb it was time to head to the Great Hall.

As Winterfell's legitimate eldest son and heir, it was his duty to accompany Eddard each day as he handled the routine affairs of his lands.

Of course, all decisions were Eddard's to make. Most of the time, Robb simply watched and learned.

When Robb arrived at the Great Hall, his father, Eddard, and Maester Luwin were seated on the dais.

Captain of the Guards Jory stood by the hall's entrance with two fully armed soldiers, while the smallfolk queued up behind them.

Once Robb had taken his seat to Eddard's left, the day's hearing on the affairs of the lands began.

In these peaceful times, most matters were petty disputes. Someone might ask the lord for help because their old house was collapsing, or complain that a neighbor's sheep had crossed the boundary and eaten their grass.

Listening to these cases made Robb's head throb and his eyelids droop.

After all, the laws of Westeros were harsh. Even theft was a serious crime.

In some places, the punishment was having a hand or foot chopped off; in others, it was hanging or being sent to the Night's Watch.

Winterfell's smallfolk were a simple lot, unlike the people of King's Landing. So crimes were rare.

"Let me in! I have urgent business with the lord!"

A shout from outside the Great Hall jolted Robb awake.

Eddard gave Jory a look, and he turned to go outside. A young man in shabby clothes, with bloodstains on him, followed him in.

"My lord, I'm—"

"Call him Lord Eddard!"

The young man, about Robb's age, had barely begun speaking when Jory interrupted to correct him.

"My lord, I'm from Eastwatch Village. Last night, around dinnertime, a group of soldiers stormed our village and began looting and killing. Village Chief Wood ordered me to slip away and seek help."

"About how many of them were there? What weapons did they carry? Were they wearing armor? Did you get a good look at any crests or marks on them?"

Eddard frowned and questioned him.

The questions caught the young man off guard. He thought back, then said hesitantly, "About fourteen or fifteen. Most of them wore leather armor. Most had swords and shields, and two or three had bows.

"As for a crest... Oh, right! One man had a shield with a mark shaped like this."

As he spoke, the young man used both hands to trace an 'X'.

"I'm afraid he means the Flayed Man sigil of House Bolton, Lord Eddard."

Hearing this, Maester Luwin turned to Eddard.

"House Bolton?"

"Maester Luwin, send a raven to ask House Bolton what this is about."

"Yes. I'll go to the rookery at once."

Eddard lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then immediately gave Maester Luwin the order.

Then he turned to Robb and asked, "Robb, how are you feeling today?"

"I'm perfectly fine, Father."

"Good. Go get ready, then head to Eastwatch Village. I'll have Jory take twenty men and meet you at the East Gate."

"Yes!"

Robb nodded and immediately got up to return to the Main Keep.

Eddard watched his eldest son leave, gave Jory a few instructions, then continued handling the other matters.

With the situation urgent, Robb hurried back to his room, called in a servant, and explained how to feed Blood Wind.

Then he changed out of the noble clothes he'd worn to the hearing and put on leather armor beneath his clothes. As he was changing, Jon and Theon arrived together, apparently having heard the news, and said they wanted to come along.

Jon was a skilled swordsman, and Theon was an excellent archer. It would be safer with both of them.

Robb turned the idea over in his mind, then agreed at once.

He was sure his father, Eddard, would approve of adding two more people. If not, they could always replace two soldiers from Jory's group.

The three of them crossed the bridge on the north side of the Main Keep and went straight to the armory.

Standard Chainmail, finely made longswords, longbows, short swords, and daggers—everything was available.

The three helped each other put on the standard Chainmail commonly worn in the North, collected their weapons, then mounted the Winterfell warhorses the servants had led out from the stables. They rode toward the East Gate with an imposing air.

Well, the first three chapters, nearly ten thousand words, have finished laying the groundwork and establishing the setting. Since the story uses the Young Wolf Lord as its entry point, some plot points from the original series are unavoidable, but I'll do my best to add original content and make the story feel fresh.

I hope you'll keep following the story every day. It's very important. Thank you!