Great strength

Gary had not had a good night's sleep in days. He followed Snow into the room and collapsed onto another, new bed before he even had time to admire Snow's room.

"Mmm, this is so comfortable."

It was the first time he had slept in such a soft bed since coming to this world. There was also a thick blanket on it, wonderfully warm.

Gary took off his shoes and socks and burrowed under the covers before he even had time to remove his outer clothes.

Another small bed stood on the other side of the room. That was Snow's bed.

"Luke, it's still early. Tell me about Beyond the Wall... uh."

Snow had not expected Gary to fall fast asleep in the time it took him to turn his head.

"Sleep, then. You must be pretty tired, too."

At noon the next day.

"Luke, get up and eat!"

Gary, who was lingering in bed, was woken by his "roommate," Snow. "Lunchtime was over ages ago, but that's all right. I brought some food back for you."

Gary sat up groggily and looked at the chattering little kid before him. Ah, it's Jon Snow. Oh, right, I've already arrived at Winterfell.

He looked at the table nearby, where a large bowl of potato soup sat alongside several pieces of brown bread fragrant with wheat.

"Thanks..."

Gary thanked him and reluctantly rubbed the soft blanket. He was about to get out of bed when he noticed two very familiar items beside it.

They were his money pouch and his sword wrapped in animal hide. But hadn't Benjen been holding on to them? Why were they here?

Snow noticed where Gary was looking and explained, "Uncle Benjen left those here. He said they were yours."

Gary got out of bed, hung the pouch from his belt, then picked up the hide-wrapped sword to examine it. Hmm, the hide hasn't been disturbed. Benjen really is a gentleman.

"Where's Ser Benjen?"

"Oh. Uncle Benjen left Winterfell after coming to see you this morning. He's probably on his way back to Castle Black by now."

Gary felt a little forlorn. "He's gone?"

Benjen had escorted him all the way to Winterfell, and he had not even managed to thank him.

Snow sat beside the little wooden table and beckoned Gary over. "Come and eat. Food tastes best while it's hot."

"Yeah, coming."

Gary came over to the table and looked curiously at the large pieces of brown bread. He wondered how they would taste. This was his first time eating bread in this world.

Full of anticipation, he took a bite. A crisp sweetness instantly filled his mouth. Mmm, I haven't had bread in years. Delicious.

Seeing Gary enjoy the food made Snow happy, too. "The soup's really good as well. Try it."

Gary picked up the spoon and took a sip, then nodded in satisfaction. "Mmm! It really is good. Thank you, Snow. When I get the chance, I'll treat you to a big cake!"

"Cake?" Snow had heard of it. It was an exquisitely made and very expensive sweet. He waved his hands. "We'd better not. Cake seems pretty expensive."

Gary patted his money pouch with a proud expression. "I've got money!"

Snow's eyes widened. "That's full of coins? Luke, you're rich."

"Don't you get any pocket money?" Gary was a little surprised.

Although Snow did not understand what "pocket money" meant, he still answered, "I don't have any money, and I don't need to spend any to live in Winterfell."

True, Snow was still young and had never even left Winterfell. Where would he spend it? Money would be useless to him.

Gary patted Snow on the shoulder and said solemnly, "I owe you a favor. Sooner or later, I'll treat you to a meal in return."

"It's all right. Don't worry about it." Snow blushed in embarrassment. He was full of curiosity about Gary. "Luke, didn't you live Beyond the Wall before? How do you know about cake?"

Gary paused in the middle of eating his bread and gave a dry laugh. "I've never seen cake, either. I only heard about it from my mother."

Snow was a motherless child. He looked at Gary enviously and said, "Then your mother must have been a noblewoman, from a great house."

Otherwise, how could she have known about such fine food as "cake"?

Gary put down his bread and said softly, "No, they were all ordinary people. Just common folk."

They?

Snow scratched his head helplessly, assuming Gary had misspoken.

Gary could not help looking out of the window, his expression gradually turning sorrowful.

It had been twelve years. Were his parents back on Earth still in good health? Had his disappearance left them so grief-stricken that they had worn themselves down and ruined their health?

At the thought, his eyes reddened.

Gary rose and went to the window, where he knelt and bowed his head to the heavens.

Your son is powerless. I'm afraid I won't be able to return in this lifetime. I only pray that you both stay healthy, live to a hundred, and soon forget this unfilial son.

I can only repay you for raising me in my next life.

He wanted to go home, too. But how could an ordinary mortal like him accomplish something even the Other God could not do?

Traveling back was destined to remain a daydream.

"Luke, what's wrong?"

Snow cautiously approached Gary, not understanding what he was doing.

"Nothing. I'm just homesick."

Gary wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, returned to the table, and polished off the remaining food.

Snow followed him over and comforted him. "This is your home, too. We're all your family."

He had heard from Robb that Gary seemed to be their cousin and a member of House Stark, too. But like him, Gary was a bastard and therefore had no right to use "Stark" as his surname.

Although Gary looked like a child just as Snow did, his mental age was already thirty. The concern from seven-year-old Snow filled him with warmth.

"Thank you, Snow. You're so cute." He stroked Snow's head, a trace of indulgent affection in his voice.

Rather embarrassed, Snow ducked away from Gary's hand. "Don't pat my head like I'm a puppy... oh, right, Robb and the others are in the training yard. Let's go over, too."

"All right."

Gary had nothing to do anyway, so this was a good chance to look around.

Before that, though, they needed to visit the kitchen.

As bastards, neither of them had to worry about food or clothing, but they did not have servants waiting on them as Robb did. They therefore had to return the dishes Gary had just used to the kitchen themselves.

So they first went downstairs to return the dishes to the kitchen, then headed to the training yard to join Robb.

The training yard beside the main keep.

Two children were sparring with wooden swords and shields. The slightly taller child had the advantage in both height and build and clearly held the upper hand.

The younger child refused to be outdone, trading blows with him through his practiced swordsmanship.

Clack! Bang!

The wooden swords in their hands struck together repeatedly. They fought for more than ten minutes before the bout finally ended in the taller boy's victory.

"Once I'm a few years older, I'll definitely beat you," Robb said resentfully as he lay on the ground.

Theon bent down to help Robb up and grinned. "My swordsmanship is improving, too. You won't stand a chance."

Just then, Gary and Snow arrived at the training yard.

Theon called loudly, "Snow, were you sleeping in today, too? Why are you so late?"

Was that a jab at me?

Gary replied just as loudly, "Have you ever been to the Wall? Do you know how harsh it is there? Have you ever spent fourteen days on horseback, traveling all that way? You haven't! You pampered little flower. If you don't know anything, keep your mouth shut, okay?"

Theon's expression changed. He strode up to Gary and smiled nastily. "Then let's see which of us is the pampered little flower!"

He shoved his wooden sword and shield into Gary's arms, then turned and grabbed another set for himself.

Bang! Bang!

Theon banged his wooden sword against his shield. "Come on, you coward. Let's see if you're just a useless wretch who's all talk."

Snow fretted beside him and whispered, "Don't fight him. He's a whole five years older than us. Robb and I have never beaten him."

Holding the shield in his left hand, Gary hefted the thick wooden sword in his right and said helplessly, "Too light. What a shame."

"Luke, are you even listening to me?" Snow tugged at the hem of Gary's clothes, nearly beside himself with worry.

"Snow, I'm twelve, too. He's the same age as me. Besides, I may not be tall, but I'm very strong!" With that, Gary slowly walked to the center of the training yard and faced Theon.

Robb was very interested in this match. He had learned quite a few interesting things from his mother yesterday. "Theon, you'd better be careful. Luke killed someone at the Wall."

Theon's smile stiffened, and some of the contempt faded from his eyes.

Gary was not good with a sword to begin with. He tossed the wooden sword aside and held the shield in both hands. "I only know one move. You should be able to take it, right?"

Theon's face flushed red. He felt deeply humiliated. Gary's stance made it clear he meant to ram him with the shield, a move with no skill whatsoever, relying entirely on strength.

That way of holding a shield was no different from a fresh recruit's.

How could anyone throw away his weapon and use only a shield in a duel? Wasn't that suicide?

"I'd like to see how you beat me with a shield!"

Humiliated and furious, Theon swung his wooden sword and attacked first.

Gary calmly braced the shield in front of him, set his stance, and drove his right leg against the ground with a sudden burst of strength!

Bam!

Like a raging bull, he charged forward, sending Theon flying several meters before he could react.

"Ah! My arm!"

Theon hit the ground hard and wailed in pain.

The wooden shield in Gary's hands had been unable to withstand the force and had split into several planks. He tossed the broken shield aside and taunted him. "You lost, Lord Theon."

"Enough!"

A plump, white-haired man walked into the training yard. Even his roomy leather armor could not conceal his bulging figure. As for distinguishing features, he had a comical beard.

Unlike an ordinary person's beard, his was quite distinctive. The hair around his mouth had been shaved clean, leaving only two strips along his cheeks.

He had grown them long and worked them into braids, making them look very "special."

The white-haired man walked up to Theon and examined his injury. "Your arm is broken. Go to Maester Luwin. He'll set it for you."

Cradling his immobile right arm in his left hand, Theon climbed off the ground with tears and snot streaming down his face. He glared viciously at Gary, then fled the training yard in tears.

The white-haired man approached Gary and asked with a stern expression, "So, you're Luke Snow."