Third Person's POV
Ulfric was in his office writing letters to Maege Mormont of Bear Island. Seeking to betroth his eldest son to Jorelle Mormont.
The She-Bears of Bear Island are just as tough and just as loyal to the Starks as his family is.
The Mormonts are an old house with a proud and honorable reputation. According to northern histories, Rodrik Stark, a King in the North, gave Bear Island to the Mormonts after winning the isle in a wrestling match from a driftwood king of the ironborn. Skeptical scholars think it more likely the rival kings wrestled "with words".
'(Scoff) what do they know?' Ulfric finds it a amusing the scholars think they know more then the people who have recorded their own history. If anyone knew The Northerners well, is that if talks fail, wrestling or fighting is the next option.
Behind him is the sword that rests on the wall. Blizzard.
Valyrian steel slices through protections like so much cloth. As advanced as iron is from bronze, so is Valyrian steel from ordinary steel.
Lighter yet stronger, and nothing holds an edge like it. If one takes a whetstone to a Valyrian blade, he/she will need another whetstone. And maybe another hand to hold it.
Nobody knows how the Valyrians forged their steel. Less than a handful of smiths can now even reshape it. The process, like so much of their civilization, was lost in the Doom. Many claim they wove magic spells into the molten metal and blasted it with dragonfire.
When one sees a Valyrian blade, smokey and dark as if drinking in the sun and rippling with a thousand folds, one must not scoff so loudly.
The Valyrian steel that exists now is all there will ever be. Some survives in the Citadel with the maesters' chains, where a link of Valyrian steel signifies study of the higher mysteries, whatever those are.
But much more of Valyrian steel lives on in the Great Houses of Westeros, as their most treasured possession. A sword passed down from father to son for generations.
Ice of House Stark. Heartsbane of House Tarly. Lady Forlorn of House Corbray. House Kenmar's Blizzard and Frostbane.
But even precious treasures can be lost. Aegon Targaryen's Blackfyre and Visenya's Dark Sister disappeared in Daemon Blackfyre's rebellion.
A foolish King of the Rock took House Lannister's Brightroar to Valyria, and neither blade nor man was seen again.
And then there are the swords that are not lost, but lose their owners.
For five centuries, Longclaw was the pride of House Mormont. Even penniless and in great debt, Jorah chose to sell men rather than the sword.
And when his shame became known, and he fled Bear Island for the east, he left it behind for his father, Jeor to hold it for a worthier heir.
The Mormonts' lands are cold and poor. Like the other women of Bear Island, the women of House Mormont learned how to defend themselves from Ironborn and wildlings.
Ulfric figures a marriage alliance between the Mormonts, Starks and Kenmars will be beneficial to The North. For The Northern Dales have the best resources and they can survive all winter.
He can't help but wonder about what he said to Ned Stark. He won't lie. He feels that a war is coming. But wether he'll be alive long enough to witness it, or survive it is another tale entirely.
But he also wants to secure his family a future.
After he was done writing, his wife and daughter came in. He looks up and smiles at them. "My lovely wife. And my sweet daughter."
"I'm only sweet when I need to be, father." Hariasa smirkingly replied.
"And I'm only lovely when I have to be, husband." Astrid replied in the same tone. "I believe we're to discuss something else.
"Of course. Have a seat." Ulfric gestured and the two ladies sat down. "Now Hariasa, we're well aware of the fondness of Robb Stark. But I need to know a few things: while you were sending messages to The Young Wolf, as well as visiting him in the wolfswood and he visiting you in The Pines. Did any of you lost your innocents?" Ulfric asked sternly because while he understands his children tend to be independent at times, he needs to know that they won't do anything to dishonor their house. And he can always tell if his daughter is lying.
"No, father. We may have kissed and maybe made out, but that was it. We didn't fuck or anything." Hariasa replied truthfully. She's a smart girl and she knows how to control her implosive. And her desires. No matter how tempting they are.
Ulfric and Astrid nod in approval before the latter asked. "And do you love him?"
Hariasa took a deep breathe. She won't lie. At first it was a couple of flirts here and there. Talking about their days and what not. And they started to see each other.
❄️Flashback❄️
❄️Six months ago❄️
Robb Stark (16) Hariasa Kenmar (16) were watching a herd of mammoths walk by. Robb has never seen one before and he admits, they're amazing.
"By the gods. They're just like stories portray them." Robb said.
One of them approaches them. Hariasa assured Robb that there's nothing to worry about. "Now this one. Is the same one I rescued from poachers."
Robb looked at her in shock. "There are people that hunt them?" She nods.
"The thing about mammoths is that they're smart, they don't forget a thing. And Manfred saw more then he cared to." She gets up and greets the big animals and strokes his trunk. He uses said trunk to sniff out Robb and understands that he's a friend to Hariasa and thus trusts him. "He was just a calf when poachers murder his mother. In front of him."
Robb felt sad for the big creature and asked. "How do you know that?"
Hariasa replied. "He showed me. Where his mother died. And even after I hunted down the fools and killed them, Manfred was still a calf and not used to being alone. He followed me. But I knew I couldn't let him stay. So as he followed me, I searched for a herd that will take him in. And found them. And I half expected them to not accept him, but... surpassingly, I think one of the mammoths is one of his relatives and realized what had happened." She looked up at the creature before her. The grown up mammoth. "Although Manfred didn't want me to leave so I promised him that I would visit him every year."
Robb felt sorrow for the big fella. He can't imagine what it must be like to lose a mother that early. "Is he happy though? With the herd?"
"He is." Hariasa replied. "In fact, he's the leader of the herd." She looks up at him. "And look at you. You've grown to be a fine Mammoth, Manny." The Mammoth touched all over her face with his trunk. "You see, Robb, Manny, and the rest of his kind, aren't that different from us. They grieve for their loved ones just like us. They feel as we do. And they never forget."
"I see. There is so much we can learn from them I bet." Robb noted.
"There is. Like a direwolf pack, herds like mammoths stand together, because they're stronger together." Hariasa explained. "What was it that you Starks always say?"
Robb thinks back and remembers. It's what his father told him. "He said "Let me tell you something about wolves, child. When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives,""
"That's right. Mammoths have their herd, Direwolves and Sabertooth Tigers travel in packs. Not just to hunt down bigger prey, but they know that they're stronger together then they are apart." Hariasa said to him.
"It feels like you're the one that's teaching me." Robb snickered.
"Oh there are few things that you should learn about me, Robb Stark."
"What might that be, Hariasa Kenmar?"
She looked at the young wolf for a moment before she started to kiss him. And he kissed back. Those two really have feelings for one another.
But a few seconds later, Manny decided that he's seen enough. "I think he's jealous." Robb speculated.
"Just be glad he likes you enough that he'll push you around with his trunk." She cheekily replied. "And you just learned that...I love you."
"I kinda figured that from the kiss." Robb replied. "But I love you too."
❄️Flashback Ends❄️
"Yes. I do."
Ulfric nods slightly before saying. "Then will you agree? To marry him?"
The Young Tigress has thought about it for awhile now. For sometime she didn't think she'd fall in love with anyone. But she did. And it is a boy of House Stark.
"I agree to, father. If Robb will have it."
"Well I'd imagine he'll feel the same as his father is talking to him about it." Ulfric replied. "Besides, I think it's time for The Direwolf and The Black Bear and The Sabertooth Tiger to join as one."