The following day, Vayon had already informed the soldiers, and they were waiting with their horses prepared.
Harry, of course, intended to bring Jon along. The boy wore his sword and a set of leather armor.
Theon, meanwhile, carried his bow. He seemed to have decided to specialize in archery, spending most of his training time with it.
As though beating Jon at archery could somehow make up for all his defeats with a sword.
A longbow and a quiver were strapped to his back. He wore a proud expression, and every now and then his hand would drift toward the tip of the bow protruding above his shoulder, as if checking that it was still there.
Ignoring him, Harry turned toward his own horse.
Patting its neck, he stroked it gently before looking at his mother, who was embracing Arya tightly with her eyes closed.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
Walking over to another horse, he checked the bags secured to its sides.
Inside were the potions, carefully packed.
Harry had wrapped them in several blankets and used a bit of magic to make sure none would break during the journey.
Satisfied that everything was in order, he returned to his family.
After saying his farewells, Harry lifted Arya onto the horse before placing a foot in the stirrup and climbing up behind her.
His arms passed beneath hers as he took hold of the reins.
"See you later," Harry said with a smile as he looked at his family before urging the horse forward.
Sansa and Bran waved goodbye.
Unlike Arya, Sansa had no desire whatsoever to go.
She had heard Harry's stories about traveling on horseback and sleeping outdoors, and she wanted nothing to do with any of it.
Only Catelyn continued watching with concern until the very end, while Ned stood beside her, offering quiet comfort.
The group of thirty-three riders moved quickly, avoiding the Kingsroad and taking a shortcut across the grasslands.
Harry hoped they would reach their first stop before nightfall.
Several hours later, the sun was beginning to sink toward the horizon when Harry finally spotted the freshly plowed fields.
It looked as though the land had only recently been sown.
"Are we almost there?" Arya asked while leaning against Harry's chest with a pout.
Her backside hurt, and she was hungry.
But Harry had already told her she could not eat while riding unless she wanted to bite off her tongue.
"That's right. All these fields have already been planted. In about five months, the crops will be taller than you and ready to harvest," Harry said with a smile, trying to distract her.
Arya looked toward the fields, noticing that the soil was indeed a different color.
Her young mind struggled to understand how something they would eventually eat could grow from that earth.
As they continued forward, houses under construction could be seen at regular intervals.
These belonged to the farmers who had been granted land.
Since the scale of the farmlands had expanded so dramatically, many of them were only now building their homes.
A few more minutes of riding finally brought the river into view.
Beside it stood a large longhall, where the administrator responsible for all these lands lived.
Unlike a lord, however, he held no authority to rule the region.
He was, first and foremost, an employee.
Their arrival naturally drew attention.
A somewhat elderly man quickly emerged from the hall and bowed deeply before Harry.
"You're Carl, correct? Vayon told me about you. He said you're very good at this job," Harry said, smiling at him kindly as he dismounted.
"That's right, my lord. I'm Carl, though I don't deserve such praise. The credit belongs entirely to you. Your wisdom amazes me. The seeds you granted us are the finest I've seen in my entire life," the man replied excitedly.
Harry merely smiled and shook his head.
That Vayon really was a blabbermouth.
His eyes flashed subtly as their gazes met.
Carl appeared to be a genuinely sincere and loyal man.
Vayon had chosen well.
"I only came because I was curious to see the place for myself. It's beautiful, and everything seems very well cared for," Harry said, looking around.
The dark plowed fields stretched almost to the horizon, while the sound of the river flowing over the stones created a remarkably peaceful atmosphere.
"Steward Vayon informed me of your arrival. Please, the feast is nearly ready," Carl said humbly, inviting them inside.
Harry nodded before lifting Arya down from the horse.
"Brother, can we go see the river?" Arya asked.
"Of course," Harry replied, placing a hand atop her head.
"Make sure the horses are rested and given food and water," Harry said, glancing at Jon and the guards.
"I'll return later for the feast. In the meantime, please help my men with the horses," he added before taking Arya's hand and heading toward the river.
The little girl constantly pointed at things and asked questions about everything she saw.
When they reached the river, Arya immediately plunged her hands into the water out of curiosity before yanking them back.
"It's so cold!" she said in surprise.
"It is. Are you sure you don't want to take a bath?" Harry asked with a smile as he crouched beside her.
"Never!" Arya declared, wrapping her arms around Harry's neck as though she feared he might throw her in.
"Well, I'm sorry to tell you that you'll have to take a bath at our next stop. I don't want to sleep beside a smelly little girl," Harry said with a chuckle.
Arya looked at him pitifully, clearly trying to change his mind.
"Don't worry. I'll have to bathe too. We'll play in the river for a while," Harry said, gently patting her head.
Looking upstream, he spotted a large wooden bridge spanning the river.
It was wide enough for at least two wagons to cross side by side.
As far as he knew, it was one of only three bridges connecting the North, sparing travelers from making a detour of hundreds of kilometers to the north.
He also noticed several windmills a short distance from the longhall.
Their cloth sails turned lazily in the wind, powering the grinding mechanisms within.
Curious, Harry took Arya over to them.
The two stepped inside and observed the entire process.
After making sure everything was working properly, Harry continued showing Arya the surrounding area.
Once they had spent some time exploring, Harry returned to the feast.
Theon livened the atmosphere considerably alongside the soldiers, and everyone ate until they were full before turning in early.
The following morning, they departed at first light.
The road ahead was much longer, and it was certain they would have to sleep under the open sky that night.
Three days later, they finally reached the crossroads.
Leaving the Kingsroad behind, they turned toward Long Lake.
That final stretch took another half day, bringing them to their destination shortly before sunset.
A vast enclosure spread across the area.
At first glance, Harry could already see large groups of aurochs and sheep feeding in orderly rows.
There seemed to be no hostility between them.
Perhaps it was the difference in size, or perhaps sheep were simply too docile to cause trouble.
Harry could not tell exactly how many animals there were, but he easily counted several hundred spread across multiple fenced sections, with feeding troughs placed along either side.
Even so, Vayon had told him there were fewer than a thousand head of livestock.
When Harry first heard that number, he had been genuinely surprised.
Not because it was a lot.
Because it was so little.
Considering the immense size of the North, he had expected several thousand animals at the very least.
In his previous life, he had heard of enormous ranches that kept more than ten thousand head of cattle.
The reason quickly became obvious.
Harry knew that with grain being so scarce, it was difficult for the population to grow significantly.
Not to mention that many animals were slaughtered before winter and preserved as dried meat.
Not only to create food reserves, but also to reduce the number of mouths that needed feeding.
The main hall of the breeding farm looked quite impressive. Built from stone and timber, everything appeared well maintained.
The sound of their approaching horses immediately attracted attention.
People emerged from their homes and workshops, staring curiously at the arriving riders.
Among them was an elderly man who hurried from the longhall as quickly as his cane would allow.
The moment he saw Harry, he attempted to bow as deeply as possible, his arm trembling against the cane.
"There's no need to bow," Harry called out from horseback.
He could clearly see the man's legs shaking.
The elderly fellow had even slapped away the hand of a younger man who had tried to help him.
Clearly, he was a stubborn old man.
The younger man immediately stopped him after hearing Harry speak.
Harry dismounted, followed closely by Jon and Theon.
Arya remained atop her horse, curiously observing the people.
"You're Phil, aren't you?" Harry asked kindly.
"That's right, my Young Lord. I was quite surprised when I received word that you would be visiting," the old man replied with a cheerful smile.
"Yes, I'd like to discuss a matter concerning the livestock with you," Harry said.
"Of course. Even at my age, I'm always eager to learn. We've heard plenty about your wisdom, even out here," Phil replied enthusiastically.
The new grain had greatly improved the animals' diet.
The livestock looked healthy and well fed, and even births had become more common.
With full stomachs, the animals seemed far more willing to breed.
Phil quickly ushered everyone inside and invited Harry to sit in the seat of honor, with Arya seated beside him.
Harry spent some time discussing breeding techniques with the old man.
To be honest, he felt slightly helpless.
Every now and then, Phil looked toward him as though seeking approval for what he was saying.
In reality, when it came to caring for livestock, the old man was unquestionably more knowledgeable than Harry.
He was genuinely impressed.
Apparently, Phil's family had managed Stark livestock for several generations.
Though Harry had never met him personally before, he was almost certainly the man responsible for the herds around Winterfell.
Being sent here to establish a farm was, in a sense, a promotion.
And a reward for years of loyal service.
Unless something serious happened, his family would inherit both the responsibility and the knowledge needed to run the operation.
"This is my eldest son, Albert, and this is my youngest, Jan," Phil said with a smile as he introduced them.
Harry smiled and shook Albert's hand, immediately recognizing him as the man who had stopped Phil from kneeling.
Then he turned toward Jan and offered his hand as well.
For a brief moment, however, his smile froze.
He quickly concealed it and carried on as though nothing had happened, enjoying the feast while continuing his conversation with Phil.
That night, after bathing and helping Arya wash up as well, Harry lay in bed staring at the ceiling.
Arya slept beside him, exhausted from the journey and delighted to have a proper bed again.
He had seen the surface thoughts of Phil, Albert, and Jan.
The first two posed no problem.
Both were deeply loyal to House Stark after generations of service.
Jan, however, was another matter entirely.
A problem connected to some House on the other side of the river.
There were no names in his thoughts, but if Harry had to make a guess, he would suspect House Bolton.
Partly because of proximity.
Partly because of motive.
Even so, he knew that was merely prejudice on his part.
He refused to accuse House Bolton without proof.
There were dozens of lesser Houses that could have been responsible as well.
The moment Harry had greeted the old man's youngest son, Jan had panicked.
That panic had brought every guilty memory rushing to the surface.
On several occasions, he had made it appear as though the aurochs had broken through the fences and escaped.
In reality, he had secretly sold the animals to a group of men.
The worst part was that several of them had been pregnant and close to calving.
No one had ever searched for a culprit.
Aurochs were enormous animals.
If they truly wanted to, they could break through a fence and escape.
People simply went looking for them.
When they failed to find any trace, they assumed the animals had drowned in the river or fallen prey to wild beasts.
Harry could not help shaking his head.
How had no one considered the possibility of theft?
His thoughts quickly turned toward a solution.
He needed Jan to confess in front of the others. Otherwise, Phil might come to resent him for the way his son was treated.
Finding someone else to oversee the livestock would be troublesome.
Not only would that person need to be trustworthy, but they would also need years of experience handling the animals.
Sending Jan to the Wall seemed the simplest solution.
Closing his eyes, Harry eventually drifted off to sleep, unaware that his very presence had robbed Jan of any chance of rest.
The following morning, Harry left Arya sleeping.
Not before instructing Jon to remain behind and keep an eye on her.
Making his way to the longhall's study, he settled into a chair and began reviewing the records Phil provided.
The documents detailed grain deliveries, births, livestock slaughtered for meat, and incidents that had occurred on the farm, including missing animals.
The operation had only been established a year ago, so there was only a year's worth of records available.
Even so, the disappearances were peculiar.
And Jan's name appeared in every single report.
He had always been the one responsible for inspecting the damaged fences and tracking the escaped animals.
If Vayon had reviewed these records personally, he likely would have discovered the problem as well.
Though perhaps he would not have resolved it as peacefully as Harry intended to.
"Elder Phil, please call your two sons," Harry said with a smile.
Looking confused, the old man quickly obeyed.
Even so, a growing sense of dread had already begun forming in his chest.
Harry clearly noticed Jan tense up when he saw the records in his hands. His fingers couldn't keep still, unconsciously fidgeting with his clothes.
"Good morning. There's a small matter I'd like to discuss with the three of you," Harry said, making no mention of Jan's nervousness.
"The farm has only been operating for a year, yet there have been numerous incidents. Five pregnant aurochs have gone missing in that time alone."
"My lord, those incidents are not unusual. Back when we grazed the herds near Winterfell, animals occasionally escaped as well. It's just that they rarely got very far, and we usually managed to recover them. Though not always. There were times they ran into the Wolfswood and were eaten," Phil explained quickly when Harry paused.
Harry nearly rolled his eyes as he watched Jan visibly relax.
Could he be any more obvious?
It was precisely this lack of emotional control that caused so many nobles to look down on commoners.
Their thoughts were written plainly across their faces.
"But it's curious that every missing animal was pregnant and close to calving. In that condition, it's difficult to believe they wandered very far. In none of the incidents was the animal recovered. Neither the animal, nor the body, nor any trace of it. Five times is far too many to be a coincidence, wouldn't you agree?" Harry asked, looking directly at Jan.
The atmosphere immediately grew tense.
After all, this could cost them their positions as caretakers of the farm.
A respectable occupation that allowed the family to live comfortably.
Jan looked into Harry's bright green eyes for a moment before finding himself unable to bear it any longer and lowering his gaze. Somehow, he knew he had been discovered.
Thinking his head would soon be removed from his shoulders, he could not stop himself from trembling.
Harry looked away from Jan and turned toward Phil.
The old man's face cycled through a storm of emotions as he stared at his son.
Phil was wise.
But he was also painfully honest.
The possibility that one of his own sons had stolen from House Stark had never crossed his mind.
Seeing Jan's behavior now, he could only lower his head in sorrow.
"If one of you is responsible and admits his guilt, I will show mercy when passing judgment," Harry said calmly.
Phil opened his mouth as though he wanted to speak before closing it again.
Yet he knew it was pointless.
Everything they possessed belonged to House Stark.
There was no way they could repay the loss of five aurochs.
Especially considering that several of them had been close to giving birth.
The true loss was likely even greater.
Execution seemed the most probable outcome.
The silence inside the room became suffocating.
The hearts of all three men pounded in their chests.
They knew that whatever Harry said next would determine their future.
Seeing Jan on the verge of breaking down, Harry casually cast a Compulsion.
Watching him tremble, teeth clenched as though trying to resist it.
Jan dropped to his knees with a heavy thud, his words spilling out uncontrollably.
"My lord, I was the one responsible. They paid me a great deal of money to hand over aurochs to men who came from the other side of the river," Jan confessed through sobs, unable to bear the pressure any longer.
"I wanted to run away, but greed blinded me. I wanted more money before leaving. Please forgive me. I'll return every coin," he pleaded.
Harry remained silent, showing no surprise.
Albert, on the other hand, stared at his brother in shock and fury.
This did not concern Jan alone.
The entire family could suffer because of his actions.
Thinking of his own children, Albert nearly wanted to beat his brother senseless.
Phil lowered his head in shame.
His slightly hunched back seemed to sag even further, as though he could no longer stand upright beneath the weight of failing to raise his son properly.
The guilt and shame he felt toward House Stark overwhelmed him.
"I see," Harry said softly, suppressing a sigh as he looked at Phil and Albert.
"You stole from the House that fed you. By law, I should execute you."
All three men visibly trembled.
"But the Wall always needs men. As punishment, you will take the black. You have two days to leave. If I do not receive word of your arrival, I will send men to hunt you down, and you will be executed."
Harry paused briefly before delivering the sentence.
He genuinely liked the Wall as a form of punishment.
It was similar to a prison.
Except that instead of wasting away in a cell, a man was forced to work protecting the land he had betrayed.
And if he chose to flee?
That only meant he felt no remorse whatsoever.
In that case, what could be done with someone who harmed others without regret?
Execution.
"Your family may continue managing the breeding operation. Though if they wish to leave, I won't object," Harry added, looking at old Phil.
Phil looked up at Harry, his eyes turning red.
Letting his cane fall to the floor, he dropped to his knees and thanked him repeatedly.
Albert quickly knelt beside his father, grateful that they would not be forced to abandon their livelihood.
"That's enough. Stand up. I believe in both of your loyalty to House Stark. Just continue doing your work well," Harry said as he rose to his feet.
Their gratitude was genuine.
His mercy had only strengthened their loyalty, which came as a relief.
"I'll speak with you again later. For now, make the necessary arrangements," Harry said, dismissing them.
Heading off to find his sister, Harry discovered that Arya had already woken up and was enthusiastically eating breakfast beside Jon.
He simply smiled and teased her for sleeping so late.
With some free time on his hands, Harry took Arya, Jon, and Theon to see the animals.
The sheep looked very similar to those he remembered from his previous life.
The aurochs, however, were different.
They were enormous cattle standing over two meters tall, with massive horns extending from either side of their heads.
Fortunately, after thousands of years of domestication, they were no longer nearly as wild or aggressive as they once had been.
With their size, controlling them if they were still that wild would require many more people.
Harry had to admit they looked magnificent while grazing.
Muscles shifted beneath their hides with every step.
Occasionally they lifted their heads to survey their surroundings.
Their deep bellows echoed across the grasslands.
"Wow! They're huge!" Arya exclaimed in amazement as she stared at the animals.
They were much larger and heavier than horses.
For a moment, she wondered what it would be like to ride one.
"The little ones are adorable," Arya said with a giggle as she watched the calves running about on unsteady legs.
"That's where your favorite meat comes from," Jon replied with a laugh, teasing her.
"Don't say that!" Arya snapped, glaring at him.
Harry chuckled softly as he watched Arya chase after Jon with an indignant expression on her face.
----
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