After they reached the ship, they left the Vale. Eddard returned to Winterfell, while Aermir flew back to the Mountain People's army. Jon's lieutenant had already arrived in Vale of Arryn, but they hadn't encountered a single Mountain People on the way. As soon as Aermir and Eddard left, Jon began gathering men in Snakewood, Newkeep, and Heart's Home.
Normally, the Vale could easily muster 55,000 soldiers, but the battle with the Druid greatly weakened them, and they lost thousands more when facing this new mountain army.
They now have an army of 10,000 in the Vale of Arryn, and another army of 15,000 in three locations: Snakewood, Newkeep, and Heart's Home.
The advisor glanced at the final supply figures and said, "Right now, if we're going to wage a short campaign, we can muster another 13,000 men, but if it goes on for more than two months, we'll run out of food. We need to buy more, but the Reach have doubled their prices, and because we're also at war with a North lord, I don't think the North will sell their surplus supplies."
Jon was surprised that the North had a surplus to sell. He had read many news reports about how Aermir had brought new agricultural methods, but they were all fragmented; the spies in the North were nearly starving.
How did they manage to harvest enough food in such a cold and harsh climate?
"No, sir. Lord Drasil has cultivated a new crop called potatoes. This crop can be harvested even in the harshest weather conditions. We heard about it from the merchants of Essos, who sold them their surplus grain."
The advisor gestured to the maid, who placed a roasted potato in front of Jon. Aermir's influence had brought about more than just political changes; it had also transformed the culinary landscape of the North. Jon looked at the steaming potato before him.
Is this pebble plant poisonous?
"It looks like it, but it isn't, adults. The pebble plant is a vibrant green, but as you can see, it's a yellowish-brown. We've tasted it before; it's not poisonous."
The earthy flavor combined with the slightly sweet base taste, giving his taste buds a completely new sensation. Jon's eyes widened in surprise and delight. "It's just salt, but it tastes good. I like it," the advisor said.
"I think Lord Drasil more supplies than us; we can't win a war of attrition."
Jon thought for a moment and then said.
"Buy it... Buy all the grain we need in the Riverlands until the next harvest."
This war will devastate the Vale, but with their honor as a kingdom hanging in the balance, he cannot only think of money.
For the past six months, Rickon had to go to the Wall because all the beings with Magic Heart in Moat Cailin had to go and help Aermir, but Aermir didn't want Rickon to stop training, so he had to make arrangements. Of his family members, six already possessed Magic Heart, but all but one were in the Vale.
The remaining one is Skadi, the snow owl, who is responsible for scouting for the Others beyond the Wall. Therefore, she couldn't possibly travel all the way to Moat Cailin, which is why Rickon had to stay at the Wall until Aermir returned. This way, he could observe Skadi, trying to learn how to create Magic Heart and manipulate magic, while she could continue her mission.
His excuse for going there was to visit his brother Jon, but he spent most of his time with his Shaggydog and his two other domestic animals: Stoneclaw (his brown bear) and Silverwing (his eagle).
Over the past year, his Transformation abilities have improved by leaps and bounds. He is determined to become Druid like Aermir, and every night he dreams of transforming into an eagle, soaring through the sky, or unleashing flames upon those who try to harm his family.
On the Wall, he was welcomed by the Stark; Commander Mormont was a staunch follower of the Stark, which did him no harm. Rickon stepped out of the room and looked around Castle Black. The once quiet and secluded Citadel was now overcrowded.
The number of new recruits has peaked in the last three months. When he first arrived, there were about a thousand men, but the number has increased by three thousand due to Aermir's policy of sending every male from the Three Sisters to the Wall.
At first, the Three Sisters people were arrogant and disobedient. Commander Mormont had to execute some of them to quell the unrest, but this only added fuel to the fire. Last month, Robb had to bring five thousand soldiers here to show off his strength and reinforce the sacred status of the Night's Watch's Watch oath in the North.
Robb and the commander executed one hundred of them for treason. After that, the former lords chose to live as soldiers rather than die as nobles, and things began to return to normal.
After Rickon left the room, he was followed by four people, two men and two women: Dacey Mormont, Ariana Umber, Gric of Riddle, and Adru of Greywater. All four of them Skinchanger, considered priests of the Old Gods, but Aermir had assigned them to guard the area.
Rickon was his last hope for cultivating Magic Heart for others, so he didn't want anything to happen to him. Irina, like all Umber, was a big guy; she was 1.9 meters tall, broad-shouldered, and had dirty blonde hair; her father and Greatjon were cousins.
As Skinchanger, she can transform into a bear. Gric and Adru were commoners before being accepted by the temple. They had not yet obtained noble status, but they were not considered commoners either. They were respected because of their religious status.
Gric can transform into a wolf, Adru transform into Shadowcat. They cannot fully transform into animals yet, but their partial Transformation are more useful because they can still use weapons and armor while gaining more strength and speed.
Adru, in particular, can move silently like a real Shadowcat, while Dacey is incredibly strong and enjoys arm wrestling with two people at the same time to show off her power.
The weather here is much harsher than in Winterfell, but Rickon can sense the magic of this land by the weirwood, so he sits under the weirwood every day, watching Skadi cast spells. She can create ice shards and hurl them at her target. These shards are small, only as thick as a finger, but they are sharp and razor-sharp. Being hit by them is like being struck by multiple arrows.