Chapter 8: Don't Panic Ch8: Just Passing Through
Chapter Synopsis: Our Trio encounters their first proper settlement south of the wall. Too bad it's a Bolton village. Don't be surprised if Lord Bolton ends up worse off as our party passes through. The next town looks much more promising, and offers the trio a chance to try their hand at playing the wandering merchant.
____________________________________
Last Time: ... Climbing the creaky, wooden stairs, they found themselves on top of what seemed to be the tallest tower in the castle. Though it was dwarfed by the monolithic wall of ice behind them. A panoramic view of the surrounding landscape unfolded below, lit by the brightly glowing moon. The distant trees to the South were nothing more than silhouettes against the night sky.
Harry pulled his Firebolt from his pack, and the three of them squeezed onto the broom, each re-casting warming spells with extra strength to deal with the inevitable frigid air of broom flight this far North.
"I'm not sure I'd call it a daring escape" Harry said to the others after some distance was covered. "But it was a nice bit of fun regardless." Harry paused, "It's got nothing on stealing from Gringotts though" he finished. Sirius resolved to ask about this apparent Gringotts episode at some point.
____________________________________
Chapter 8: Just Passing Through
The lands had been mostly un-populated along their route so-far, with only the occasional small gathering of huts, in the distance. None of those tiny hamlets could hold more than a single family, and every single one of them appeared deserted. Harry suspected the distributed populace probably gathered together in villages during the winter, since the land would definitely not sustain crops through the bitter cold.
After several days wandering in a not-altogether straight line, Harry was relieved to finally spot a largish settlement. Or at least more established, with village walls and clear signs of habitation. Though the town itself wasn't altogether inviting. Looking drab and worn down.
The buildings were old and weathered, and the people they encountered seemed wary and unfriendly. The two guards by the gate looked somewhat surprised as they approached, though even in their surprise, Harry noted that they had a rough and hardened look about them. They definitely didn't give off a welcoming vibe. Their eyes narrowed with suspicion as they scrutinized the trio of newcomers.
To Harry's surprise, despite the suspicious looks, no attempt was made to stop them entering. He was honestly a bit disappointed at that, having wanted to try the Star Wars style compulsion wave he'd once seen on TV, but it was unneeded. The guards simply grunted and waved them through.
"We should be cautious," Sirius whispered to Harry and Dobby as they made their way through the narrow streets. "This town doesn't seem to be the friendliest place for strangers."
Sirius nodded in agreement, his eyes scanning the faces of a few townspeople going about their days, some giving them curious glances and scarpering off to who knows where. "Let's gather what information we can and leave as soon as possible. We don't want to cause any trouble in the first village we enter." He added, conveniently ignoring all the trouble he and Marge had caused the Thenn, and their recent escapade with the Night's Watch.
With that, the trio split up, each venturing into different parts of the town to gather information. The atmosphere was tense, and Harry was all-for Sirius's suggestion that they not stay for long. There would likely be far more interesting towns and cities further south.
Coming back together after a short exploration of the town, it was clear none of them were particularly impressed.
"This is not what I was hoping we'd find," Harry began with a frown "the townsfolk don't seem very happy here. No-one wanted to talk with me about the town, so I resorted to brushing their minds with Legillimency to gather surface thoughts, and things are not good. Apparently the local Lord, some Bolton fellow, has been keeping himself and his corrupt guards fed through winter with the food the townsfolk stored. Anyone not in his inner circle has been rationed hard over latter part of the winter."
"Somehow I'm not surprised," Sirius replied with a grimace, "it has all the hallmarks of a corrupt society like we had in the wizarding world. The strong rule, and take what they want. The rest do what they're told."
"I don't like it," Harry agreed readily, "The people here have it tough enough with the long winters. They shouldn't have to suffer because of a corrupt local lord as well. But there's not much we can do about it right now. Let's just move on before we gain the attention of anyone better off avoided."
It just didn't seem like a worthwhile place to spend their time, and Harry honestly had the rather unsettling feeling they were being watched.
"I overheard one of the guards speaking about a more prosperous town farther down the trail" Sirius offered, "It definitely sounds like a better place to find answers and allies."
Harry and Sirius exchanged a glance, and after barely a moment's consideration, they agreed. "Let's get a move on then, the sooner we leave this town behind the better" Harry said. "Tonight we'll camp well outside the town in the shelter of the forest, and continue our journey tomorrow."
As the sun dipped below the horizon, they set up camp in a secluded spot hidden amongst the trees. The trio kept a watchful eye on their surroundings, their wards ensuring the campsite would remain undetected by any patrolling guards.
Preparing dinner, Harry and Sirius reflected on the disappointing, but very much expected corruption of the feudal lord in charge of the first town they'd encountered down here. They were sure they'd find those who cared for their people, but it seemed more and more likely that the average man would be living a hard life of poverty and subsistence even south of the wall.
Harry honestly wasn't sure how they thought themselves so much better than the Thenn down here. At least with the Thenns, those who weren't fit to rule never made it onto the Elder council.
Harry had to resist the pull of his Saving People Thing, and reminded himself that he's on holiday, and it's not always up to him to right wrongs. Nonetheless, he'll be keeping an eye out for ways to help people.
Sadly the approach of this Bolton Lord and his guards might not even be considered corruption, but just the accepted attitude of the nobles that left their smallfolk in dire straits. Harry sighed, a matter for another day, he'd try to enjoy the adventure for now.
____________________________________
As Harry had insisted on preparing dinner, it gave Dobby some free time to explore the castle standing over the town. If what they'd heard in the town was correct, the imposing structure was apparently called 'the dread fort' or something like that. Dobby had to agree it fit the name. The building was draughty, and the stone was so dark it would barely show up any dirt. Certainly a dreadful place to live in Dobby's opinion.
On the plus side, Dobby was sure he could find some small pieces of work to do in such a large building. Dobby had already decided he didn't much like the dark and damp castle after the first few rooms he had visited, and subtly cleaned.
Dobby was just about to pop back to the campsite when he overheard a conversation between what must have been Lord Bolton and an older man in a grey outfit wearing a chain of metal around his neck.
"There is no food to spare for the town" the Lord almost growled in a menacing whisper, causing the older man to step back slightly. "My larders are almost entirely bare as it is, and I'll not starve myself for the smallfolk. They should be thankful to have a roof over their heads and that is enough."
Dobby's heart went out to the people in the town, who were clearly struggling to make ends meet, and he decided this was a much better use of his free time.
With a determined look in his eyes, Dobby set out to help. He knew that their food trunk was full of supplies, and they could certainly spare some for the hungry people of this town. Silently and discreetly, Dobby reached out with his magic to locate the lord's larder and grain stores. He easily popped to the location he sensed, ready to fill it to the brim with some of their spare food, so the Lord would have enough to share.
To his surprise, he found the stores already practically filled with carefully stored foodstuffs.
Dobby blinked in confusion, his brow furrowing as he tried to make sense of the situation. Had Lord Bolton simply misplaced or forgotten about this vast castle larder? It seemed like such an odd oversight for a man in his position.
Nonetheless, Dobby resolved to help the clearly dotty but well-meaning Lord by relocating the food to the larder he had spotted in the centre of the town earlier today, where it could more easily be re-discovered, and distributed among the smallfolk. The lord would surely be happy that someone stumbled upon this clearly forgotten extra food and saved him the effort of transporting it into town.
Using his magic, Dobby discreetly transported the food with several directed clicks of his fingers. Moving such a large volume by himself was a tad tiring, but he was quite happy to have found such a good use for his time. By the end of the afternoon, Dobby was filled with joy at a successful job done, and happy to return to the campsite for his own dinner with Sirius and Harry.
As they moved back through the town towards the western road in the morning, Harry and Sirius observed the mood seemed to have turned up since the day before. They heard enough to know the smallfolk were apparently overjoyed at their lord sharing enough food to last them through to the first harvest.
They could see Lord Bolton standing on a platform to the side of the town square, with a look that seemed to flit oddly between surprise and rage. In the distance, they managed to catch a few snippets of his speech "… supplied by my own benevolence of course" they heard Lord Bolton say. Perhaps this Lord wasn't as bad as they had initially thought. Still, they didn't want to dally in the town when they already had their next destination.
____________________________________
The morning sun rose, casting a warm golden light over the campsite as the Trio prepared to set off on the next leg of their journey. As they packed up their belongings and doused the remnants of their campfire, Harry and Sirius found themselves deep in conversation. After their somewhat lacklustre first foray into civilisation south of the wall, Harry had started to really consider the need for a sense of purpose to guide their wanderings.
"I know we're supposed to be on vacation Sirius, but we need a goal, some sort of reason to our exploration," Harry mused, his brow furrowed in thought "otherwise, we'll just be wandering aimlessly and getting lost. Or we'll end up bogged down in towns like this one and never get anywhere at all."
Sirius nodded, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Nothing wrong with getting a bit lost of course, but you're right. We need something to keep us focused and give us direction. What if we treat this journey as a traditional coming-of-age world tour, like the ones wizards of old used to embark on?"
Harry's eyes widened with interest. "That actually sounds like a great idea. We could visit all the major cities, learn from different cultures, and experience everything this world has to offer."
A mischievous grin spread across Sirius's face. "And have a bit of fun while we're at it. I'm sure there'll be a few feudal lords who need to be put in their place if they're anything like the Black Lords of old."
Harry laughed, the idea appealing to him. "That sounds like a plan. We'll explore, learn, and keep an eye out for a place to settle later on, like we promised the Thenns. But most importantly, let's enjoy ourselves and leave our old responsibilities behind for a while."
Dobby, who had been listening to their conversation, gave them a long look, then continued packing. He was pretty sure that's exactly what they'd already planned to do. He guessed Harry just needed to put it in words to release some of the tension from seeing the rough living of smallfolk, as they seemed to be called.
To keep the mood high Dobby added "Dobby thinks this is a wonderful plan. It will be a grand adventure!" people always seemed to brighten when he added a little excitement to the conversation. He had been having a good time of it so far. After all, he'd managed to find at least some work to do at all of their stops.
____________________________________
Resuming their journey, the trio trod the somewhat dilapidated dirt road towards the next town. Once they were far enough away from prying eyes, they mounted the Firebolt and took to the skies, enjoying the faster travel and the lesser wind chill as they headed vaguely south west.
The increased speed felt freeing, despite the fact they would never be able to push the broom to its limit with three people onboard. With the wind whipping through his hair, Harry felt some of the disappointment from their venture into Bolton lands melt away.
Below them, the landscape changed gradually from rocky and unwelcoming to more lush and inviting. The dirt track roads stretched out before them very occasionally branching off to small settlements of huts or to a safe river crossing.
The track kept tracing onwards, meandering on its haphazard route between the hills and forests, connecting the scattered peoples of the barely populated countryside. Small farms and cottages occasionally dotted the landscape, but the distance between notable towns was truly astonishing. Harry marvelled at the vast size of the continent largely unmarred by civilisation.
The sun was just reaching its midday peak in the sky as when the Trio finally reached the outskirts of their destination.
Excited to hopefully find a friendlier sign of civilisation, Harry quickly guided the broom to a secluded spot a short walk from the town, and came in to land.
"Finally, I thought we'd be flying all day at this rate." Sirius groaned as he shook his legs, getting feeling back into them. "Let's head on in and look around, shall we? I have the sudden urge to stretch my legs"
"Hold on a minute, Sirius. We need a plan first. I couldn't shake the feeling of being watched the entire time we were wandering around the Bolton town, Let's at least put some effort into not standing out so much this time around."
Seeing no-one was going to object, Harry put forward the bare bones of a plan he concocted during the flight.
"it's unlikely we'll be able to pass as locals until we get a much better grasp of the culture around here. So we should play it up, continue the act of being foreign merchants that we tried at Castle Black. Though this time maybe with some merchandise to go along with it."
"Well I'm game," Sirius shrugged "hopefully we won't be thrown into a cell this time, but it's as good an idea as any. We'll need to pull out some merchandise to trade if we want to make a show of it. But that shouldn't be an issue with all the excess we brought in our trunks."
With a wave of his wand, Sirius transfigured some fallen logs into a rudimentary cart, while Harry fetched some cloth to cover the top.
An excited Dobby scurried about, pulling fresh food and steel tools from the trunks to serve as their trade goods, as they seemed to be in short supply in this area.
Stepping back to take in the slightly wonky and dilapidated looking wagon stacked high with merchandise, Dobby couldn't help but voice a concern. "Master Harry, sir, what about the horse"
This brought Harry and Sirius to a stop as they looked at each other with nonplussed faces, both having missed this point.
"Ah," Harry demurred, "I could transfigure a horse out of a stone or something else lying around here, but since it's a lot more complex than a wagon, it would only be temporary. I'm still not confident with the effect the wilder nature of magic in this world might have on a transfiguration like that. We wouldn't want to take the risk that it transforms back into a rock in front of some poor unsuspecting stable hand."
It was something he would test eventually, but for now they would have to make do. It wouldn't do to give away the secret of their magic so early. Harry was already quite chuffed with himself for managing to keep their magic entirely under the radar until now.
Sirius shrugged "We can just push the wagon in and say our horses were stolen by bandits."
Deciding that was as good an excuse as any, the trio pushed their wagon onto the dirt path and started making their way towards the town. A small featherweight charm from Harry made it easy work despite the roots and stones encroaching on the uneven track.
As they approached the wooden palisade gate, a soldier gave them a once-over before nodding them through and signalling to a nearby lad who ran off, presumably carrying a message to the town leader.
This was a good sign, it seemed they'd get a far friendlier greeting here, and Harry wondered how much of that came down to the openness of those in charge, or was it simply luck of the guard roster?
The trio entered the town, pushing their cart amidst the curious gazes of the townspeople. Judging by their gazes, Harry got the impression that merchants might be a rare sight in these parts, at least in winter. A few children started to follow them with the usual sense of innocent curiosity, some pretending to help push the wagon, as a bit of a game. Harry threw the children a few freshly ripened apples, which were quickly snatched out of the air and immediately eaten.
As Harry pushed the cart through the town, he took in the various sights around him. The town was constructed primarily of wood, giving it a somewhat haphazard and worn appearance, but there was a sturdiness to the buildings that spoke of careful craftsmanship. It was clear that the town had weathered many long winters and had been forced to make do with the limited resources at hand. The structures were not run-down, but maintained in a rather haphazard way, a testament to the resilience and ingenuity of the inhabitants in the face of a harsh land.
The townspeople going about their daily tasks, had faces etched with lines of hardship and a quiet determination. Even then, they were gracing the trio with friendly and slightly inquisitive looks. Harry spotted a blacksmith's forge off the main road, the clang of hammer on metal ringing through the air, while smoke billowed from the chimney. Nearby stood a stable, the faint sounds of horses snorting and shuffling reaching his ears.
Further on, Harry noticed a pottery workshop, the potter's wheel spinning smoothly as the artisan shaped a lump of clay into a sturdy looking pot. A small, welcoming inn or tavern of some-sort beckoned to travellers, with the sound of laughter, and the light from a flickering hearth fire visible through the door, promising a warm respite from the chilly air.
Spotting no sign of a dedicated market, Harry pointed Sirius and Dobby towards what appeared to be the town square. Here Harry began setting up a small stall displaying their goods. While, Sirius and Dobby ventured off in search of lodgings they could use in their stay.
The town square bustled with activity as people washed clothes in a water trough to the side, gathered jars of water from the central fountain, watered their horses, and exchanged news with neighbours.
Children dashed about, their laughter a bright contrast to the austere surroundings. Despite what appeared to be a scarcity of resources and wealth, there was definitely a sense of community which was nice to see. A clear contrast to the more downtrodden people they had encountered back in the Boldon town. It was a promising sign.
As Harry arranged some of the items on his makeshift stall, he noticed the sound of hooves approaching. Looking up, he saw a small group of soldiers accompanying an elderly man, whom Harry assumed to be the town leader, or perhaps even a minor lord. His understanding of early medieval feudal systems led him to believe that this man held some degree of authority in the area. It was a relatively small town though, so maybe a landed knight or similar retainer. To Harry's relief, the elderly man appeared jovial and interested in his merchant cart, rather than hostile.
Harry still subscribed to Mood's 'constant vigilance' mantra, so he wasn't averse to making use of legilimency when encountering unknown people. Harry suspected this skill would be invaluable in his first meeting with a member of this world's ruling class. While he couldn't dive deep without a lot more effort, Harry had no difficulty reading the surface thoughts of the approaching group and was happy that they seemed eager to greet him.
As the lord approached, he called out a cheerful greeting. "Ho there! Be welcome! You're the first merchant since winter began, and many moons earlier than we thought to see any arrive. I am Lord Corman, pray tell me your name and what brought you to our neck of the woods."
"My Lord, thank you for the greeting." Harry addressed the newcomer cordially. Deciding to dive deep into his merchant persona, hoping it helped them blend in, he continued "I am Hadrian Peverell, a humble merchant as you have deduced. My companions and I are just passing through on our way towards Winterfell, hoping to set up some new trade routes. I hope I've not overstepped any boundaries by setting up my stall in your town square."
The elderly lord smiled warmly. "Not at all, my young friend. The people will be most pleased with your arrival. I, too, am interested in what you have to offer. Most importantly, we are in need of any food you might have to trade. The winter has been harsh, and our larders are barely holding on. Even as the season comes to an end, we face difficult times before the first harvest."
Harry sensed an opportunity to gather information, acquire samples of the local currency, and perhaps even make some friends and allies in for the first time south of the wall. This encounter seemed far more promising than the previous town they had visited.
He gestured toward the various foods on display, noting that they had brought a selection of preserved meats, fresh fruits, and vegetables, as well as a surprisingly large pile of sacks containing various crucial grains. All the food was either fresh or of the highest quality, his elves prided themselves on producing only the best food after all. "My lord, we have a modest selection of foodstuffs that might help sustain your people until the harvest. We would be more than happy to trade with you and your townsfolk."
Lord Corman's eyebrow raised at the ludicrous humility in that statement, given he'd rarely seen a merchant with so much grain, let alone fresh goods in winter. Nonetheless, his eyes twinkled with gratitude and interest as he perused the goods on offer.
As they began to haggle over prices for the foods Harry was more than willing to be generous and cut his prices deeper than the lord expected. He could tell from a quick scan of surface thoughts, that Lord Corman was relieved at Harry's generosity and that he was digging into the last of his own coffers just to purchase this much for his people.
It was good to know that Harry had more preserved food stored away in his trunks, not enough to gift it freely everywhere he travelled, but enough to be generous where the needs of the people called for it.
Lord Corman was astonished at the freshness of the foods, and had his men immediately pack it away to store in the larders, in the hope they could stretch it for a few moons or more. Harry surreptitiously cast long lasting preservation charms on the meats and vegetables to give them a bit more of a boost, hoping it would be enough.
____________________________________
Sensing Lord Corman's elation through passive legilimency, Harry decided to capitalize on their friendly rapport, inquiring about the possibility of viewing any more detailed maps the Lord might have. Using the excuse that as a trader, he sought better routes to Winterfell and surrounding towns to improve the efficiency of his journeys.
For most men this would be fruitless, as they'd have to memorise the map, knowing that such documents were rare and far too valuable to trade. Harry, however had the gift of magic, and a simple duplication charm would allow him to leave with map in hand.
Harry would also look to quietly copy any books he could find, knowing that such things were rare, even amongst nobles in the middle ages. Something he would do at every opportunity, with the hope that his collection of local tomes would eventually be large enough to start making more knowledge available to the masses. Or at-least that's what he told himself. He quietly acknowledged to himself, in the privacy of his own mind, that he might have a bit of a hoarding problem when it comes to books, but that wouldn't stop him.
Harry was equally interested in any accounts of tax revenue and every-day journals covering the production and imports of this Lord's lands, purely for the purpose of learning how a minor lord of this so called 'Northern Kingdom' runs their lands. He wouldn't ask for the information of course, but he'd take the opportunity if it arose. This might later allow Harry to introduce better practices, he won't know what modern knowledge might be useful until he understands what normal looks like today.
Lord Corman, pleased by Harry's generosity, and thinking that Harry must have cleared out his full stock of fresh foods just for his own town, was more than happy to invite Harry to join him in the castle keep. The Lord explained to Harry that his keep had a resident scholar, apparently called 'Maester' Elwin. Lord Corman would instruct the Maester to show Harry their collection of maps in the records room. Corman also mentioned that he had messages for Lord Stark of Winterfell, offering to pay Harry to deliver them since his travels were taking him in that direction.
Grateful for the opportunity to learn more about this world and its people, Harry accepted the offer. Leaving the cart and stall to Sirius who had wandered back by then, and reluctantly accepting a spare horse from the Lord. Not that Harry had an issue riding, he had leaned on the back of Hippogriphs and Thestrals after all, he just found the lack of wings a bit disconcerting.
Looking at the group around him, Harry observed the soldiers had rather haphazard uniforms and armour. They appeared to lack access to quality castle-forged steel, but their thick boiled leathers and layers of furs seemed more than adequate for withstanding the harsh winter conditions. Yet more evidence that this town might be less prosperous than he'd expect of this era. Likely thanks to the deep winters.
As Harry rode alongside Lord Corman passing back through the palisade gates toward the castle a little further along and atop a small hill, he couldn't help but marvel at the immersive medieval experience he found himself in. It was as if he had stepped into one of those fake medieval larping fairs he read about back in his old muggle world.
A world of lords and peasants – or 'smallfolk', as they were apparently known around here – complete with mounted knights and archers guarding the gates. Now that he had encountered friendlier people, Harry found the whole adventure to be rather enjoyable.
Also reflecting on their decision to pose as traveling merchants, Harry realised that although it might not afford them the same esteem as nobles, it seemed to open doors nonetheless. As evidenced by his current escort to the Lord's Keep. The Trio's chosen identities appeared to be well-suited to their needs and would likely serve them well in the future. Though Harry was contemplating claiming their Wizarding lordships over the Houses of Black and Peverell, and introducing themselves as foreign nobles travelling the world as merchants. It might open slightly more doors that way. Something to contemplate.
Upon their arrival at the keep, which featured a moat, a tall wooden wall, and a stone keep in the centre, Lord Corman led Harry through the somewhat humble structure. It gave the sense of practicality over frivolity, with some faded banners adorning the wall with heraldic crests emblazoned over them, but a primary focus on firewood and other necessary goods stored around the edges of the courtyard.
Handing the reigns to a stable boy harry followed Lord Corman inside. They made their way to a chamber in the main keep, the only stone structure here, where the elderly looking maester awaited them. He was clad in grey robes and wore a chain of multiple metals, looped together around his neck and clearly denoting something, likely his education and status.
The Maester greeted Harry warmly, introducing himself as Maester Elwin, and at the instruction from Lord Corman, he proceeded to unfurl several maps and scrolls, detailing the geography and population centres of the region. Harry politely reviewed the maps, pointing out a few possible improvements to his route, and waiting for them to get bored of watching him study.
Not long after Harry was left to continue his study of the map and, while the Maester was running some errand, Harry got to his task of copying the small library and records; pleased with how easy this was. All was stored in an expanded pouch he carried, to be later transferred to a new section of his tent library.
____________________________________
Chapter 9 Teaser:
... Town Healer Alyn was having the strangest day. She was a simple woman, happy in her small part of the world, and strange things rarely happened to her, so this made for quite the change.
It started well with those merchants bringing some desperately needed fresh food to the square, much to the surprise of her fellow townsfolk.
... Alyn brushed quickly over her rounds, noting that Dancy seemed to be doing much better today, only to do a double take. Alyn was quite sure Dancy only had one leg yesterday. She was too wary to ask, as it might look a bit strange to mistake the volume of appendages on a patient, and maybe it was someone else who'd been missing their leg.
... The evening continued to grow stranger for Alyn as she retraced her steps along the surprisingly neat road to the healing house. It seemed as though every time she turned around, something had been repaired, cleaned, or improved in some way. She was starting to feel as though she was losing her grip on reality.
... She also wondered if maybe all her fellow townsfolk were just too dumb to notice. Seriously, how did Eggon not notice his cat seemed to have regrown its tail? To be fair, when she told him that cat tails didn't just grow back, he did point out he had reasonable evidence to the contrary.
____________________________________
Note: Chapter 15 is now up for free members on patré ón / PanGalacticBard. If you would like to make comments or suggestions on the next draft chapter before it's published, you can head over there and have a look. If you would like to read even further ahead, or simply appreciate the story, I would welcome your donations.