Wylis wrapped his arms as well, hugging his father back. "Aye, much has come to pass. Forgive me, I should have come sooner. Your hands aren't for stable work now. You're Wylis Kaiser's father, and your worth weighs in gold."
"Bah! Gold, is it? Me? Haven't lost the bloody humor, I see."
Wylis stepped back from the embrace and gestured to Mangus. "This is your grandson, Magnus Kaiser. You've likely heard the whispers. There are others as well, and a granddaughter. A sweet child, that one."
"Aye, I heard them rumors," his father said and knelt, pulling Mangus closer and holding his hands. "I'm Garteh, lad. Your grandpa."
"I'm Magnus, your grandson," Magnus chirped proudly.
"Hah! Aye, that you are. Get over here, I'll take you to your great-grandpa and the old nan. Oldest one rotting in this whole castle. Looks half-dead, but don't trust it… She's still sharp, mean as ever…"
Wylis watched as his father lifted Magnus in his arms and started walking away, completely ignoring him. He waited for them to notice, but that didn't happen. His father completely walked out of the stable, leaving him.
"Wylis!"
Wylis perked up, seeing his father lean back in the stable from the door.
"Feed them horses, will you? They're hungry as pigs, and I must take this one to Old Nan."
"..."
Without even waiting for his reply, his father vanished through the door.
Left alone, he looked at the horses. Similarly, all of the horses looked back. Each one of them.
"Home sweet home, I suppose."
"Neighehehe!"
"Ehe!"
"Hrrrrf!"
The horses replied. Or laughed. Wylis couldn't tell. They weren't Caliburn.
####
A few hours passed, and Wylis arrived at the Great Hall. He had met his family, but not all of them. His granduncles had gone out to hunt, and they usually stayed out for days during those hunts. At the castle, only his father, mother, grandfather, Old Nan, and grandaunts were present.
They were surprisingly not angry at him, or even annoyed. They embraced him like he was still a child and asked about his well-being. And the well-being of his fief. Old Nan did pull his ear, though. She used to do that a lot back in the day, whenever he used to get caught stealing from the kitchens.
He arrived at the Great Hall with only Magnus, however. His family had refused his invitation. He could tell why. Their inferiority complex was a product of generations, and they felt it was wrong to sit with Lord Stark at the table.
"Lord Kaiser, it's an honor to meet you again."
There were two new faces at the table. Dressed in heavy furs and leather armor, they seemed as if ready for a battle at any time. He recognised the man easily enough; they had seen each other a few times during the rebellion. Especially at the Trident.
"Ah, Lord Mormont." Wylis clasped hands with the man in his thirties. He silently kept wondering how he was going to win over Lynesse Hightower, who was barely eighteen.
Finally, Wylis' eyes moved to the woman. She was a sight to behold, dressed like a shieldmaiden, her face pale, eyes dark, and raven hair tied in a single braid behind her head. She was gorgeous in his eyes; all women who knew how to strike a sword were.
"This is my cousin-sister, Dacey Mormont." Jorah gestured, "Don't mind her ways. She was raised to be a bear."
Wylis nodded, eyeing the woman, six feet tall, he estimated. She was lanky, slender all over, with long limbs; it was impossible to tell the shape of her hips in that heavy coat she was wearing. But her eyes were fierce as he realised she was checking him out all the same.
"I have heard much of you, my lord." Dacey gave a slight bow of the head. "I understand now why you are called the northern giant. I've never beheld a man so large."
Wylis gave a low chuckle, tapping her sidearm. "And I've not seen a woman of your height carry steel at her hip. Tell me, do you wield it well?"
"I can fend against my brother here," she pointed at Jorah.
Wylis glanced at the man. He'd seen how Jorah fights during the rebellion, and if she was that good, then she was truly one-of-a-kind. "She can?"
Jorah smiled wryly. "I would not boast, my lord, but I never tried to defeat her with all I had."
"You!" Dacey frowned. "Lord Kaiser, might we share a friendly bout after supper? I would have you judge my skill."
Wylis sighed. He could understand why Dacey just said that. As a woman, it wasn't common to wield a sword outside Bear Island, even harder to prove oneself. He reckoned she held that feeling in her heart, wanting to prove herself to whoever she could. Lyanna was just like that back in the day.
Before saying anything, he looked at Eddard already in his center seat at the table. "Do you mind, Lord Stark?"
"If such is Lady Dacey's wish, I have no reason against it," Eddard replied.
"Very well, then. I shall test your skills after supper. Do try to impress me," Wylis said and finally took a seat beside his son.
Benjen sat on his other side, as if silently declaring with whom he lived now.
The supper was uneventful. He didn't ask Benjen about Lady Lyarra's decision. He talked about Bear Island with Jorah, asking about the timber they sell, one of their major exports. And in doing so, he learned about the reason behind their visit to Winterfell.
"The wildlings have grown bolder with their raids," Jorah said. "We fight and turn back those we can, but some slip through to the mainland. We're hoping for support."
What's with her?
He tried to ignore, but it was hard not to feel Dacey's piercing gaze on him the entire supper. It was as if she were trying to read his mind with some magic.
"My duty is to ready the North for winter, so I've little to give. That is the purpose of summer here. Still, I'll spare you some men, if it serves," Eddard Stark offered.
Were wildling raids a common thing?
Wylis wondered if this had anything to do with the Others. It was still too early, after all. Still, he wanted to maintain good relations with the northern houses. Once he'd have his resource map, it would come in handy.
"I've no men to spare, but I can give coin to better arm you. It is the least I can do as one of the North," Wylis offered.
Jorah revealed a bigger smile when the coin was mentioned. That made him wonder if the bastard's heart was already dark before meeting Lynesse. After all, instead of choosing a woman more suitable for childbirth, he picked a thin, pretty one.
"That will greatly help, my lords." Jorah bowed his head.
After that, the supper went on. Wylis made sure Magnus ate all his vegetables and protein. He was strict when it came to diet, as that was what made a true warrior. He grew past seven feet due to the same reason.
Tap!
Finally, he finished his meal and put the cup of water down. He looked at Dacey and gave a nod, getting up without saying a word. Everyone had finished eating by then.
"Come with me," Benjen said, leading on. "The yard's wide enough, and there are torches to give us light."
Wylis followed behind. As he walked, his father also appeared and grabbed Magnus in his arms. By the time they arrived at the outside yard, the whole Stark family, most of his family, and a few guards had gathered.
"Training swords?" Wylis asked her. "I'd have you strike true. If you're worried you might spill my guts, you won't."
Dacey just nodded and took the training, blunt swords Benjen offered them. He personally didn't like them since none of them fit his size. The main sword on his back was as tall as Dacey herself.
He stepped into the middle of the muddy yard and faced the woman. He didn't bother removing his cloak, but Dacey had. She had removed her cloak and also the armor so she could be as light as possible.
Before long, they began circling each other. He waited since he had nothing to prove. He waited for her to strike first.
"Haaaa!" Dacey leapt forward with a quick downward strike.
Woosh!
Wylis didn't block, just sidestepped and avoided the strike itself. He let her realise that just because he was big didn't mean he was slow. If anything, he was faster.
Pa!
He smacked the flat side of his sword on her thigh. "You'd have lost that leg if this were a true battle."
"Hah!" Dacey swung sideways.
Clank!
Wylis swatted the incoming strike with his own blade. The clash was loud, and he smashed her sword away so hard that her arm got thrown wide by the momentum.
"Quick feet and clever turns won't save you from a stronger foe," he said, noting the restless twitch in her hands. "You fight as a man does. There is no fault in that. But the Gods shaped men and women differently. Meet a man in brute force, and you grant him the edge."
Dacey gritted her teeth and lunged at him, striking a faint, and sidestepped just in time to swing at his right knee.
Clank!
Wylis slammed his blade into the ground and stopped her swing. He countered at the same time and kicked her chest, throwing her backwards into the mud. He was barely giving his half at that point.
But he wanted to teach her something. He rushed forward, feet so fast that he saw confusion in Dacey's eyes. He kept swinging his sword like a trickster, never holding it in one place. There was nothing she could read to block or counter, even as she jumped to her feet.
"True battles are unpredictable, my lady," Wylis muttered and stabbed straight at her face. She ducked quickly, but his foot was waiting there. He didn't hit hard, just tapped her chin so she knew what could have been.
Dacey again fell backwards. That was the effect of being hit on the chin. It disoriented most people. He didn't jump on her and gave her time.
"Lord Mormont, will you join us? Dacey ought to learn how we fare in honest battles."
______________________
Advance chapters on [PATREON] are in long-form format. I have 12 long chapters of this story on P@treon. That's equal to 45-50 Webnovel chapters.
Check out Solo Dacey Mormont & Wylis X Elia NSFW art, and advance chapters at [email protected]/MrPlotThickens Or Subscribestar.adult/mrplotthickens
Old Free Art on Discord: https://discord.gg/W5FdB6WXaP