He had stumbled across this method on television as a child. Curious, he had even tried it himself, so he remembered it fairly clearly.
Besides, given their limited resources, it was the only method Viserys could think of that did not require a dragon. He knew nothing about the other possibilities.
After hearing Viserys's suggestion, Robb immediately sent men to buy several large barrels of black vinegar from the market outside, then had a fire built to heat it.
The soldiers took turns pouring vinegar and hammering away with chisels, and their progress was indeed much faster than before. However, when the hot vinegar seeped into the cracks, it sent up clouds of pungent white fumes that spread through the enclosed Crypt and made everyone cough.
Because of the smell, Viserys rarely visited the Crypt over the next few days. He was not worried that the fumes might be harmful; they simply smelled awful, and Rhaenys and the other women disliked them.
Rhaenys had accompanied Viserys down a few times before to look at House Stark's unusual underground Crypt, but she had little else to say about it. She only thought it was even colder inside than outside, and afterward stopped coming.
During the day, Ygritte would come looking for him.
She still had trouble adjusting to life in a southern castle and could never sit still, so she would drag Viserys out to Winterfell's Training Yard.
When the Winterfell soldiers in the Training Yard first saw Ygritte's clothing, they mistook her for a new arrival from the Night's Watch. Only when they came closer and realized she was a woman did they begin casting curious looks her way.
Ygritte paid them no mind. She picked up a wooden practice sword, then lightly patted Viserys on the shoulder. "Your Grace,