(Third-person perspective)
After leaving the terrified Catelyn in the room, Aermir returned to Lord Stark's sunroom, where the atmosphere was extremely tense. The room was decorated with the North symbols and ancestral weapons, which seemed to be converging on them as they faced the complex situation before them.
It was clear that Eddard was deeply uneasy; Aermir could see the turmoil in Lord Stark's eyes. The crackling fire in the fireplace cast flickering shadows in the room, reflecting Eddard's inner turmoil.
"We had a heart-to-heart talk with Lady Stark," Aermir began, his voice firm.
"I believe I have fully explained how important my family members are to me." He leaned forward slightly, his sharp eyes fixed on Eddard. "I want to be frank with you—sir. If she were to lay a hand on me again, no matter how insignificant it may seem, she would have no chance."
Eddard sat behind his enormous wooden table, his furrowed brow betraying his inner turmoil. As Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North, he had faced countless challenges, but this one was unique and personal. His duties as a husband clashed with his duties as lord, and he could not ignore the growing gap between the two.
Aermir's words seemed to echo on the walls of the room. It was an extremely challenging predicament; Eddard found himself in uncharted territory. He was the supreme ruler of the North, a descendant of the king, yet he found himself yielding to someone who had risen to power through magic.
He wasn't entirely sure if Aermir still considered himself one of his men. Eddard might have been arrogant when he announced his readiness to fight, but that was before he'd witnessed Aermir's full strength. Aermir wasn't invincible, but he was virtually unbeatable. Even if they could overwhelm him, he could escape and attack another day. Eddard's options seemed limited.
Aermir was as perceptive as ever; he could sense Eddard's inner struggle. He carefully chose his words, his tone sincere yet measured.
"I may not always accept every order you give, but I want you to understand that as long as I breathe my last, the highest ruler of the North will forever bear the Stark name. I am a man who believes in reciprocity, for better or for worse. Good deeds earn my goodwill, and evil deeds earn my contempt. Although I have no affection for Catelyn and do not respect her, I respect you. Yes, sometimes I feel your naiveté stems from your obsession with honor, which troubles you as the most important character, but I still hold you in high regard."
Aermir's words hung in the air, leaving Eddard both relieved and confused. Had he just received an insult or a compliment? The line was blurred, and Eddard struggled to decipher the true intention behind Aermir's words.
Sensing Eddard's uncertainty, Aermir continued, "If my words still seem questionable, I swear Unbreakable Vow. I have no interest in your family's position. What I've seen is beyond your comprehension."
Although Eddard couldn't fully grasp Aermir's deeper meaning, he firmly believed in the sincerity behind those words. "There's no need for that," Eddard replied, his voice filled with trust. "I believe in your honesty."
And so, Aermir shifted the conversation to more pressing matters. "Now, let's discuss something more important."
Eddard asked, "For example?"
Aermir's gaze was resolute as he spoke of his plans, "To take over Moat Cailin and establish an information network in the North."
Eddard was intrigued and leaned closer. "You'll have to wait two years until you turn eighteen to take over. Until then, you must earn more reputation in the North."
Aermir nodded in agreement. "That's my plan."
Eddard was still curious about the proposed information network and asked, "But what do you mean by information network? Didn't you mention using your familiars to obtain information?"
"Yes, I can," Aermir replied, "But they are not enough to cover the entire North. Furthermore, I foresee that in the future we will need a much wider network, similar to the Whispering Masters. My lord, knowledge is power. Although we appear to be a unified kingdom, we are not. Other regions may become our adversaries."
Eddard pondered Aermir's ambitious plans, recognizing their potential but also their challenges. "Isn't this too ambitious for a nobleman who has just acquired his title? Didn't you refuse the land to avoid angering the other lords?"
Aermir explained, "Indeed, it's quite ambitious for a new nobleman. However, I won't lead this network; I need it for other purposes."
Having understood Aermir's point of view, Eddard poured himself a drink with him, sighed, and Aermir began to explain the complexities and opportunities of the future.
Eddard frowned, puzzled by Aermir's cryptic statement. He asked, "You're going to use your Druid identity? What do you mean? Why would you use it for something else?"
"In the North," Aermir began to explain, "There may be some people with latent magical talent, but they may not be aware of their potential or know how to use it."
Eddard shook his head, skeptical of Aermir's claim. "That's absurd. If we had anyone with magical abilities, we would have heard about it long ago."
Aermir retorted, "No, you wouldn't hear. If they were war gods, their abilities would manifest as exceptional hunting or animal taming skills. You see, Lord Stark, you don't even know what's happening in your own home."
Eddard was even more confused. He asked, "What do you mean by that?"
Aermir leaned closer, her gaze unwavering. "All your children are Warg, and you know nothing of it."
Eddard's incredulous reaction immediately startled him, causing him to spit out a mouthful of wine. Aermir swiftly raised his hand, manipulating the wine in the air to form a pale red miniature sphere a few inches in size. He skillfully controlled it, releasing a spell that caused the wine to gently fall to the ground.
Ned could hardly believe his ears. "You mean, our Direwolf aren't just domesticated animals?"
Aermir's answer was clear, "Indeed. Do you really think you've tamed five Direwolf by keeping them as pets? These seemingly wild creatures behave like loyal dogs; haven't you ever found that strange?"
Eddard was startled, recalling Arya and Bran's stories of dreaming about running through fields disguised as wolves. " Arya and Bran did mention such dreams, but I took them as fantasy."
Aermir clarified. "That's not fantasy. While they were asleep, your two children were most likely with their respective Direwolf, developing a deep bond with them."
As it turned out, this was a turbulent day for Lord Stark, all thanks to Aermir. One shocking piece of news after another arrived, leaving him overwhelmed and dizzy with the sheer volume of information to process. However, amidst all this, Aermir had yet to reveal the most crucial piece of information: the existence of the Night's King.
Aermir had carefully considered whether it was wise to reveal the Night's King's existence to Lord Stark. He deeply suspected that exposing the existence of this terrible enemy would only cause panic, and in fact, Lord Stark was powerless against such an evil force. Fighting a necromancer was tantamount to suicide; they could not possibly defeat his army.
Aermir's calculations and estimates were brutal. If his predictions were correct, the Night's King's undead army numbered between 150,000 and 200,000. To achieve victory with such overwhelming superiority, they would need at least 600,000 or more troops to secure victory, or at least maintain a semblance of balance. Even so, the war would be an arduous and protracted struggle. The Night's King possessed the ability to continuously resurrect fallen soldiers, while their side would suffer irreparable losses.
Clearly, now is not the time to expose the brutal reality of the Night's King and his undead army. Doing so could have disastrous consequences. They need to develop a more comprehensive strategy before discussing this terrible topic with others. Aermir's control over the lords is still insufficient.
If his hunch is correct, as long as the Wall stands, the Night's King and his powerful army will be effectively imprisoned on the other side. However, the real problem lies with the Wildlings. As long as Wildlings remain on the other side of the Wall, they could potentially be permanently recruited as soldiers into the Night's King's army. Aermir needs to devise a plan to bring them to his side.
His to-do list was growing every minute. Building a reliable force and an effective network was crucial. Aermir also realized he needed to master the Smith to craft magical items. After some persuasion, Tobho Mott agreed to teach him the Smith during their month-long journey to their current location. Reforging Valyrian steel sword was a specialty of the Qohor the Smith, and Aermir was eager to master the skill.