Black Wolf
patreon
ADS 25
🕑 Added 2025-01-08 19:18:10 +0000 UTCDisclaimer: This is a story based on ASOIAF Universe and all recognizable characters, plots belong to GRRM. I have no ownership to it.
Chapter 25: War of the Wolves
90 AC
Bear Island
Daemon Snow.
I looked at the bustling small town near Bear Keep as I arrived at Bear Island. The port had developed once again, attracting people from the North seeking greater opportunities. The Mormonts were already known for selling their whale products along the entire west coast, except for Dorne. These products were in high demand in both the Reach and the Westerlands, where the wealthy paid exorbitant prices for them. Even the quarrelsome mountain clans near the shores of the Bay of Ice had begun trading with the Mormonts. Their offerings included fish, grains, and even fierce mounts.
I had to personally handle negotiations, as the mountain clans only respected a Stark—or someone with Stark blood. Finding a few wargs to scout for ships and avoid Ironborn ambushes had been an unexpected blessing.
As I entered the keep silently, I noticed new defenses made from reinforced metal. Fenrir, who had stayed behind to watch over the only acknowledged child of mine—and because having a warhorse-sized direwolf would draw too much attention—had already sensed my arrival. Joy radiated through our bond. My initial plan was to sneak into Lyra’s room unnoticed, but it was thwarted by my own daughter.
"Stop right there, thief! You’ve been caught by the mighty she-bear of Bear Island!" A cute voice rang out from behind, accompanied by a light poke at my back.
I turned slowly, only to find my almost six-year-old daughter standing there. The bear cub she used to play with had grown to the size of a small man. I could sense the warg bond between them; the bear's heightened senses had sniffed me out. Looking at my daughter, I was utterly floored by her sheer cuteness. Thankfully, she resembled her mother more, but traces of my inhuman beauty were budding within her. Her silky hair, flawless skin, and the way she stood with a sword in hand spoke volumes. No child, not even with training, should have such a poised stance. Clearly, my children had inherited my accelerated learning abilities.
I wondered how much more extraordinary the children I had fathered over the past two years would become. I had left money for their upbringing and paired each with an animal to watch over them. Breaking ordinary animals to serve such purposes had been straightforward, and I checked on them every few weeks using my greenseeing abilities. My own bloodline resonated strongly when seeking power through the weirwoods, making it easy to monitor them all.
It was cruel, I admitted, to repeat what my own father had done to me. But the situation demanded planting the seeds now. The wights, after all, had been amassing an army for eight millennia, along with having more powers. Raising the collective strength of humanity in Westeros was the only way to eliminate the Others.
Lyanna stood before me, holding a large knife that served as a short sword in her small hands. Despite her wariness, the bear beside her—aware of the true predator here—was visibly hesitant to attack. Scenarios flashed through my mind as I considered how to handle this. She was only six, and though I could see a rudimentary stance in her posture, challenging a grown man was foolish. Likely, she felt confident because the bear was with her. Still, she needed to understand that far greater threats existed in the world.
Before I could teach her a small lesson in caution, she frowned and attempted to stab my thigh. Her strength wasn’t enough to pierce my durability, and the sheer surprise on her face made me laugh.
"So, you’re the defender of this castle, little lady?" I asked with amusement. Lyanna, still trying to stab me, huffed in frustration.
"This is not possible!" she exclaimed, her face scrunching up in thought before a mischievous smirk appeared. "Thief, surrender now, or my teddy will kill you and eat you!"
I was impressed that she hadn’t taken her eyes off me despite her bold claim. "Oh? Is that so, little lady? But look at her—she’s afraid of me and isn’t attacking," I said, pointing at the bear while projecting a calming presence toward it.
Lyanna looked confused and glanced at her bonded bear. That was my opening.
Within seconds, I disarmed her, sending the sword clattering to the ground, and scooped her up into my arms. "Don’t you remember me, Lyanna? It’s only been two years," I said, holding her tightly.
The girl protested, punching me with surprising strength—more than any child her age should have. Fenrir appeared from behind me, drawing Lyanna’s attention. She stopped struggling and grinned.
"You’re defeated, thief! Now is the time to run! My bear may be lazy, but my direwolf will defeat you and eat you!" she declared confidently.
I raised an eyebrow, realizing she was referring to Fenrir. Her lack of fear in my arms surprised me. Perhaps she instinctively recognized I meant her no harm, or maybe she sensed the calming aura I had directed toward the bear.
Feigning betrayal, I turned to Fenrir. "Traitor! When did you abandon me to join this little lady?"
Lyanna’s smirk faltered, replaced by apprehension. "What? Your wolf? You’re Daemon Snow—the Stark everyone talks about? Are you my father? I overheard people whispering, but my mother wouldn’t tell me anything except that my father was a bear in the woods."
Her innocent, pleading expression broke my resolve to remain distant. With a defeated sigh, I nodded.
A squeal of happiness erupted from the little girl as she hugged me tightly. Smiling peacefully, I carried her toward Lyra’s room.
===================
I lay in a cuddle after two rounds of coupling with Lyra. Sex had almost become a chore for me, but having it with someone you genuinely like was an entirely different experience. It was surprisingly more satisfying than anything I'd felt in a long time. Lyra was asleep beside me, but my mind was restless, lost in thought.
I had lost almost a year dealing with the Skagosi rebellion and their development, but it had been necessary. With the advantage of my prior experience developing Bear Island, and thanks to having enough money and manpower, the initial stages of Skagos’s development had taken only six months. The three lords of Skagos respected and feared me, though it was clear they didn’t appreciate my overall authority. They tolerated it only because I had decreed that I would remain in control until I deemed the development self-sustainable.
After those six months, I had grown weary of the task and decided to gamble. If the lords followed my orders and methods, the island would thrive. If not—well, that would become Cregan’s headache, not mine.
My thoughts were interrupted by hurried knocking on the door. I sighed, reluctantly getting up.
Pulling on a pair of pants and a shirt, I opened the door to find Lady Dacey Mormont herself standing there.
Before I could ask a question, she whispered urgently, “Come with me.”
I shrugged, following her without further inquiry.
She led me to her solar. As I stepped inside, I was surprised to see my cousin Cregan there, along with Winter. No one else was present.
I hadn’t contacted him in weeks, but I couldn’t imagine why he would be here unless the foolishness of canon Bennard had repeated itself in this world.
Cregan stood as soon as he saw me and closed the distance to embrace me tightly.
I was stunned for a moment before awkwardly patting his back.
When he released me, I observed him carefully. He looked weary, as if he had endured a harsh journey to get here. Though still a head shorter than me, he carried himself like a seasoned warrior. I knew his physical prowess was exceptional, heightened by the abilities I had shared with him.
“I’m glad to find you here, Daemon,” Cregan said, his voice tight with suppressed anger. “My uncle has lost his wits. He planned to assassinate me to hold onto his authority. The same hypocrite who warned me about you is now betraying me.”
His cold fury was palpable. The ancestral greatsword Ice leaned against the wall of the solar, emanating an almost tangible chill that seemed to mirror Cregan’s temper.
“I see,” I said calmly. “What happened, and how did you discover this?”
“I have the same control over Winterfell that our grandfather had. Nothing happens there without my knowledge,” Cregan replied pointedly. I understood that he had learned this through the cats and rats that roamed the castle. “I fled in the night after sending my mother, my sister Sara Snow, and Brandon to the Glovers, accompanied by trusted guards.”
“Well then,” I said, leaning back slightly, “what do you plan to do, Cregan? This is your moment to decide how you will rule the North. You have three choices, and I’ve taught you enough to know them without my guidance.”
Cregan looked thoughtful before he spoke. “I will not use subterfuge, nor will I rely on you to kill my uncle. You’ve proven yourself as a battle commander twice now—it’s my time to take up that mantle.”
Turning toward Lady Dacey, he continued, “My lady, I need your raven and your raven master. I am going to call the banners and summon them to Winterfell. I’ll ask for your forces, Lord Glover’s, and the mountain clans to muster with me. Let the other lords decide for themselves where their loyalties lie.”
Lady Dacey looked as though she wanted to protest, but before she could speak, I interjected.
“A bold move, brother. You’ll have my support, and I’m certain the majority of the lords will stand with you. You’ve already impressed them during the campaign against the Skagosi.”
Cregan looked momentarily relieved before nodding in thanks.
=====================
Winterfell
Bennard Stark
He looked at the letter delivered by raven from Bear Island.
To the North,
It is with regret that I must inform you that my uncle Bennard has lost his wits and decided to usurp my rightful position as Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North. I was forced to leave Winterfell before I found myself compelled to strike down my own men should they act against me. As such, I call my banners to Winterfell. Every lord is commanded to attend with their army in four months and pledge fealty to me. Let the North itself bear witness and put an end to my uncle's madness.
Lord Cregan Stark
Bennard Stark's hands trembled as he read the letter. His blasted nephew, who had slipped away from Winterfell just after his sixteenth name day, had now reappeared on Bear Island.
“Of course, it’s there,” Bennard muttered under his breath. “Cregan ran like a masterless dog to that bastard.”
He hadn’t wanted this. Never in his life had Bennard imagined himself trying to usurp the rightful Lord of Winterfell. But the events of the Skagosi rebellion had changed everything. They had proven, to his mind, that Cregan would always remain a puppet to the bastard dragon on Bear Island.
Bennard had even offered his apologies at the tombs of his father and brother for what he now intended to do. The plan had been simple—take Cregan on a hunt, make him swear before the gods that he would take the black upon their return, and thus ensure the stability of House Stark and the North.
It wasn’t ambition that drove Bennard but necessity. He told himself it was for the future of the North and House Stark.
Now, just as Cregan had done, Bennard prepared to call his banners. He was confident that the powerful lords, like the Boltons and Karstarks, would support him. They had been the most vocal in their anger toward the bastard dragon, who had somehow ignored their lands entirely in his travels and assistance.
Bennard knew he had other advantages as well. The men-at-arms of Winterfell had not abandoned their posts and still followed his commands, just as they did for years now. He decided to spread word that Cregan had promised to take the black before the gods. Now, Cregan’s flight from Winterfell would be seen as breaking that sacred vow.
Every move Bennard made was calculated to secure his claim. After all he needed a legitimate reason to be recognized as the rightful Lord of Winterfell.
==============
4 moons later.
Outskirts of Winterfell
Daemon Snow
I looked at the assembled armies and already knew that, except for the Karstarks and Boltons, everyone intended to bend the knee to Cregan. There were murmurs about my influence over the Lord of Winterfell, but loyalty to the true line of succession from my grandfather was deeply ingrained in the northern lords. Cregan would have to fail spectacularly to lose that loyalty, and he had done nothing of the sort.
Nearly half the lords, those who could think for themselves, recognized the wisdom of granting me Ice and command during the Skagosi rebellion. It wasn’t due to my influence or my bloodthirsty nature as rumours whispered about me. It was a matter of practicality: using the best resource for the task—nothing more, nothing less.
I shook my head as I entered the command tent late. The lords were grumbling among themselves, and Lord Bolton regarded me warily. Even I was surprised that Bolton decided to follow Cregan. Before arriving at Winterfell, he had planned to side with Bennard, but the overwhelming support of the other lords—along with my presence—likely stayed his hand. Cregan had already warned everyone to be wary of the Boltons, informing them that Bolton had pledged his allegiance to Bennard until his arrival at Winterfell. I had laughed hard when intelligent lords like Manderly and Dustin realized Cregan had anticipated their every move.
I shook my head as I entered the command tent late. I walked as the lords grumble among themselves while Lord Bolton looked wary of me. it was a surprise even for me how lord bolton decided to folloe cregan as I saw he was planning to side with bennard before arriving at winterfell. maybe the overwhelming support of lords except for the karstarks and my own presence stayed his hand. Cregan has already contacted everyone else and warned to be wary of boltons informing them that bolton said that he will bend the knee to bennard till he arribed in winterfelll. I had laughed hard as the intelligent ones like lord Manderly, dustin realised that the lord of winterfell knew their moves even before them.
Cregan stood at the center of the table, with my dear friend Aethan Reed to his left. I took the place on his right. My reunion with Aethan was bittersweet and we had reminisced our various adventures. Though we were still thick as thieves, I couldn’t ignore that he looked like he was in his early twenties now. The lack of my blood had evidently returned his aging to resume.
"Lord Stark, when are we storming Winterfell and dragging the traitor out?" Roderick Dustin asked with a mad grin. Though he looked to be in his thirties, the man’s love of fighting and bloodshed was as strong as ever—something I had witnessed firsthand during the Skagosi rebellion.
The others began voicing their opinions until Cregan raised his hand to silence them.
"Enough. There will be no storming of Winterfell or unnecessary fighting. Have you all forgotten? This is my home and my men. I will call my treasonous uncle for a parley. I intend to resolve this with as little bloodshed as possible."
Though many looked disappointed at the lack of promised bloodshed, they all nodded in agreement as no one wanted to stay in the tent for extra time as both Fenrir and Winter looked feral while they observed every single lord.
==============
The parley spot was chosen just outside the arrow range of Winterfell. Cregan was accompanied by the lords, myself, and his direwolf. Bennard arrived with Lord Karstark, the captain of Winterfell’s men-at-arms, and a few other senior men at arms of Winterfell. All men who personally know me and half of them was with me in war against the wildlings. They all looked at me in reverence and I could feel no fear from them.
Before I could needle my uncle, he snapped at Cregan, completely ignoring me and refusing to even look in my direction.
‘At least he knows his weaknesses.’ I thought as I saw Lord Karstark glaring at me and Cregan.
"Nephew, surrender now and take the black as you should. I do not wish to spill the blood of those trying to take Winterfell—my people."
Cregan scoffed, his voice dripping with disdain. "Is that the excuse you've concocted to usurp me? Pitiful, uncle. Aside from your traitorous allies, no other lords support your claim. It’s a testament to the folly of this endeavor. The men who initially pledged themselves to your cause saw sense before the battle even began and joined my side. Yet here you are, hiding behind the walls of my home."
He straightened, his voice hard and commanding. "Surrender now, and I will show mercy. You and Lord Karstark will take the black. My cousin will remain my heir until I have a child of my own, and Lord Karstark’s line will retain their lands under a loyal branch. No further bloodshed is needed."
Cregan's sharp gaze flicked to Karstark. "This is your chance as well, my lord."
Bennard merely shook his head in silent disappointment, while Karstark snarled, defiance etched into his features.
"Nephew," Bennard began, his tone patronizing, "it seems you’ve failed to grasp reality. One man on the walls of Winterfell is worth ten on open ground. This castle is impregnable. You do not have the numbers to breach it. That the men who know us both follow me only proves why I should be Lord of Winterfell."
Cregan smirked, a cold, confident expression. He turned to the captain standing by his side.
"Captain Arthos, have you followed my orders?"
Without hesitation, Arthos knelt, followed by the Winterfell guards, their collective submission leaving Bennard and Karstark visibly stunned.
"Yes, my lord," Arthos confirmed. "I personally spoke to every soldier and gave them a choice—between you and Lord Bennard. The majority didn’t hesitate to choose you, and the rest followed once they heard that Daemon Snow is marching with you. No man who accompanied him beyond the Wall would dare stand against him."
Bennard looked like he was about to die of a heart attack. His teeth grinding was so intense that I could hear the sound even above the winds.
"Well, well, dear uncle, it seems you are not just a fool but a blind fool living in an imaginary world," I said to needle him.
Bennard snarled as he finally looked at me. His hand rested on the sword hilt, but he wasn’t far gone enough to break a parley. Too bad, I whispered.
"Uncle, it seems there shall be no need for needless bloodshed. I can see that you genuinely believe I am not worthy of these lands. You are surprised beyond reason by the men-at-arms of Winterfell honoring their vows to me as they should. I don’t want to spill a single drop of good northern blood by storming the castle or when my men inside turn against the Karstarks. Let us end this like the First Men, in the old ways. A one-on-one duel against me. If I lose, you can be Lord of Winterfell."
Bennard’s face lit up with the hope he needed, and he agreed. The other lords protested, but a growl from Winter stopped them in their tracks.
Vows were exchanged, and I felt proud that Cregan had cleverly avoided saying what he would do when he won.
I had tried to dissuade Cregan from this, but he was adamant. I had sparred with him for the last four months, and I had to admit that unless Bennard had suddenly become Ser Arthur reborn, Cregan would win—especially since he had bonded with Ice.
==================
We entered Winterfell as the Karstark men were disarmed. The training yard of Winterfell was cleared for the fight, and the surroundings were full of viewers.
The fight started, and I immediately realized one thing: Bennard had become weaker due to age and lack of practice, while Cregan was in the prime of his life and enhanced by my own blood from the time he was in the womb. The only people who could be more powerful would be my own children and maybe Lyra, due to consuming more than just my blood for years now, I thought with a grin.
I felt a harsh poke to my ribs from an elbow on my side, where Aethan was standing.
"Do you really want to increase the rumors of your bloodthirst by grinning like a loon while your cousin and uncle fight for their lives and the fate of the North? Get out of your head and enjoy the fight as Cregan wins."
I grimaced as I felt eyes on me and quickly cleared my grin to make a serious face. I saw both Starks panting from the exertion at the furious pace of slashing, parrying, and dodging.
I observed the viewers, and many lords and men, except for Mormonts, Umber, and Karstark, were whispering in wonder at the speed of the fight. They were gaping at the almost inhuman speed of Cregan and the skill, along with the speed of Bennard, as they fought against each other.
"This is spectacular. I want to cross swords with Lord Cregan after this," Dustin murmured with a grin of pure wonder.
I could see many warriors, who knew fighting like the back of their hand, looking at me and the fight in awe. They all had heard of the Red Death. They could see that the people who knew me personally were not surprised by the speed of the fight between Cregan and Bennard. And they only had one logical conclusion to reach.
I was just more...
I grimaced at all the wonder, awe, and even fear they aimed at me and Cregan. Maybe I should have played the entire Skaggosi rebellion differently. It still amazes me that the foolish skagosi lords, after the first one, claimed their rival was just incompetent in executing the Old God’s order and followed the dream from the Old Gods of where and how to attack in open ambush instead of focusing on their strengths. The fools who would have hidden in their mountain caves were eager to follow the way to win shown by the Old Gods. And thus, the men of the North hadn't seen me unleashed during that rebellion because it was the arrows and ambushes that won the rebellion for us.
No wonder there as I know otherwise the idiots should have followed my advice in the first place and implement my plans to develop the islands by building ships for whaling and even trade, just like I did for Bear Island. Instead, the arrogant fools spat on my help and tried to kill me. It was just luck for me that a trade ship under the Karstark banner, going to Eastwatch, almost crashed into Skagos. It took me only ten minutes to kill everyone on that ship and later start a rumor that the Skagosi had killed a northern ship in rebellion against House Stark.
Envoys were sent and killed by wild unicorns, but that was enough for the North to bay for blood. Old hatreds on both sides don’t die so easily. At least I made Cregan pay double for whatever the men would have earned in their lifetime after the rebellion, for their valuable service to the North. The fact that they were killed by me was irrelevant.
The yelling of the men broke my thoughts as I registered the fact that Cregan had his sword at the neck of Uncle Bennard. I wondered what he would do in this world.
"Uncle, you have been defeated," Cregan kicked the sword away from Bennard. "Surrender now, so the North can see you admit defeat." Cregan yelled above the cries of the crowd baying for blood.
I looked at my uncle and felt only pity. The man could have been lord of a keep, as my plans for the North restarted under Cregan, but hatred can lead even the loyal and mighty to fall. For some reason, I felt I had to really take this lesson to heart myself.
"I surrender, and I will take the Black!" Bennard yelled as he fell to the ground in defeat, exhausted from blood loss from various cuts.
"You and my cousins are sentenced to the Wall for betrayal." Cregan snapped and withdraw Ice from the neck of Bennard
"No!" Bennard yelled in despair and continued murmuring something about his sons.
"Daemon shall be my heir until I have a child of my own," Cregan continued, louder than before. "Lord Karstark and his two sons shall take the Black, and Alys Karstark will be my ward. She will marry a loyal lord who shall take the name Karstark."
The Karstarks looked enraged, but they knew they were defeated and must pay the price of betrayal. Cregan finished and turned to walk back to us
It happened in seconds as the defeated Bennard jumped to his feet, kicking the air and leaping toward Cregan's back with a knife. I felt anger envelop me even before my own feelings reached me and realized that Fenrir's emotions were overwhelming me, making me look through my bond with him.
The direwolf had been lounging near the Mormonts on the side and would have seen Bennard preparing for the attack. The moment I connected, I saw myself biting Bennard’s hand holding the knife. Bennard was still mid-air in his jump. The armor on the hand crumbled under my teeth, and the iron taste of blood hit my tongue. My sharp hearing caught the sound of his legs breaking as his brother had already bitten his legs. The two opposite forces had broken the man in half, making his legs scream in agony. I immediately shook myself free from the bond and saw Fenrir spit the arm to the ground while a leg landed on the ground from Winter's mouth. Even before anyone could do anything, Fenrir’s teeth sank into Bennard's neck, ending his misery.
Even Cregan looked nauseous at the end of our uncle as the blood splashed on him.
Everyone was stunned into silence until I broke it shortly with a loud laugh. Everyone looked stunned at me and I shrugged,
"Well, my sorry excuse of an uncle has just proven all the shit he was peddling about the strength of the North, weak Cregan, and other things was just that—absolute shit and excuses for hiding his power-hungry nature. I am actually glad my grandfather is not here to see this failure of a son. Let this be a lesson to all traitors: betrayal shall be punished most harshly, and we have a strong Lord Stark in my dear brother Cregan here," my voice echoed around Winterfell in the silence.
Applause erupted along with the shouting:
"Cregan! Cregan! Stark! The Red Death! The Red Death! Winterfell!"
==============================
Authors note: I had spend much time thinking should I kill bennard or just make him take the wall and live…. But this came to me as I was writing and I felt it was good and appropriate.
Also if anyone think this is being speed run, the thing is I never planned to writing this period and every normal war like this is almost boring because of daemon’s presence. Thus two battles like skagossi rebellion and war of the wolves is over in two chapters.
Comments
the batman
thank you !!!
khalid musadak
Great chapter !!
