The following morning, Harry rose at dawn, filled with curiosity about the island.
He hoped they would not leave immediately simply because they had failed to find Jorah.
Going to check on Jon and Theon, he found both of them still asleep.
They were probably exhausted from the journey.
Shrugging, he headed out on his own, greeting the occasional islander along the way.
Walking along the beach, he saw people unloading fish from their boats.
The nets strained and creaked beneath the weight as they were hauled ashore.
He paused for a few moments, watching with curiosity.
He had never gone fishing.
Perhaps it would not be so bad to try it someday.
Continuing onward, he eventually arrived at what he assumed was the training yard.
Several men and women were sparring fiercely.
The atmosphere was far livelier than it was in Winterfell.
As his eyes wandered across the various matches, he suddenly spotted Dacey and Alysane fighting one another.
They did not appear to be playing around.
Both carried real weapons.
Dacey was slightly taller and more agile, while Alysane looked considerably sturdier, much like their mother.
Perhaps it was simply a matter of age, but Dacey clearly had the upper hand.
A morningstar gripped in her hands, she struck at her sister with force, ducking and retreating to avoid Alysane's attacks before counterattacking mercilessly.
Alysane's sword was knocked aside, forcing her to stumble several steps backward.
Without wasting the opportunity, Dacey kicked her sister's leg out from under her, knocking her down before resting her morningstar against Alysane's chest.
A wild, arrogant smile spread across her face as she looked down at her.
Alysane, however, refused to back down and immediately began trying to shove the weapon aside.
Harry could not help pursing his lips. These girls sure played rough.
"Hey," Harry said from behind Dacey.
Hearing his voice, Dacey turned to look at him. A hint of surprise crossed her face before she gave him a smile.
"Oh, Harry," Dacey said.
Harry watched her, finding the sudden change in expression somewhat amusing.
Alysane took advantage of the distraction and quickly slipped free.
Getting to her feet and dusting herself off, she greeted Harry somewhat curtly.
"What brings you here?" Dacey asked.
"Train with me," Harry said with a smile, looking at her with interest.
"Eh... I don't think that's a good idea," Dacey replied hesitantly, glancing at the morningstar in her hands.
From what she had heard, Harry was only ten years old.
Though she would not have been surprised if someone told her he was thirteen.
"Are you afraid of losing?" Harry asked with a simple smile.
Dacey stared at him silently.
Normally, she would never fall for such childish provocation.
Yet the calm way he said it, as though it were an unquestionable fact, made it impossible for her to ignore.
"What weapon do you use?" Dacey asked immediately.
"I'll just borrow your sister's sword," Harry replied, extending a hand toward Alysane.
Almost on reflex, she handed over her greatsword before realizing what she had done.
Harry gave the weapon a few experimental swings, testing its balance, before nodding and looking back at Dacey.
Dacey gripped her morningstar with both hands while studying him carefully.
The calm expression on his face was beginning to irritate her.
"Be careful," Dacey warned one last time before stepping forward with a long stride.
Her morningstar shot toward his shoulder.
Even so, her eyes remained sharp, carefully watching Harry's movements.
Ready either to stop her strike if necessary or avoid any possible counterattack.
Harry watched the weapon approach before smoothly sidestepping.
At the same time, he swung his sword toward Dacey's waist.
The girl reacted immediately.
Perhaps because she was still holding back, she managed to plant her foot and abruptly redirect her attack.
Steel crashed against steel.
For a brief moment, both exchanged a look.
Dacey hopped backward.
She was beginning to take Harry far more seriously.
At the very least, she now intended to give him her full effort.
She knew he could defend himself.
Without either of them noticing, the sounds of training around them had gradually begun to fade as the adults turned their attention toward the duel between the two heirs.
Dacey broke the stalemate first.
Advancing once more, she swung her morningstar.
This time much faster.
Harry could no longer afford to remain so relaxed. His body moved with remarkable agility, ducking or stepping back before counterattacking.
The girl was undeniably strong.
Her arms remained steady with every clash.
Her powerful thighs generated explosive force that occasionally surprised him.
Looking at her, Harry's lips curved into a smile as they exchanged blow after blow, both searching for an opening.
They held back less and less as the pace of the duel continued to rise.
Their breathing was barely audible beneath the constant ringing of steel.
Harry's eyes sharpened as he saw Dacey's morningstar coming for his head.
Dropping low, he charged forward and slammed his shoulder into her chest.
To his surprise, he failed to knock her over.
She merely staggered several steps backward.
Even so, it was enough.
Following up immediately, Harry launched several attacks in succession.
With each exchange, Dacey lost more of her balance and more strength in her blocks.
Taking advantage of her vulnerability, Harry struck her weapon with all his strength.
The morningstar flew from her hands.
A moment later, she landed on her backside.
Pointing the greatsword toward her chest, Harry smiled while breathing heavily.
"I win," Harry declared before lowering the sword.
Dacey blinked, looking at the sword pointed at her chest before meeting Harry's gaze.
Around them, everyone stared in astonishment at the outcome.
No one had expected Harry to be the victor.
Dacey was not weak.
She had trained since childhood and worked incredibly hard.
Though she had never seen a battlefield, she was a highly capable duelist.
"How old did you say you were?" Dacey asked.
"Ten," Harry replied with a smile.
Dacey smiled bitterly.
It was difficult not to feel depressed after hearing that.
Looking at her bruised hands, she silently promised herself she would train harder.
"I enjoyed that. You're an excellent fighter. How about showing me around the island? I'm curious to see more of it," Harry said with a smile.
"Sure," Dacey replied distractedly.
Looking into his unusually vivid green eyes, she finally smiled and extended her hand toward him.
"I heard there are a lot of bears around here. How about showing me where they are?" Harry asked as he took her hand and helped her back to her feet.
"Bears? If you want to see bears, I have a better idea. Assuming they're still there..." Dacey muttered the last part to herself as she remembered something she had heard recently.
Without another word, she quickly grabbed Harry and ran off, leaving everyone in the training yard murmuring behind them.
Alysane looked at her sword lying abandoned on the ground with a deeply annoyed expression.
After some time, they arrived at what Harry assumed was a kennel.
Not only because of the smell, but also because of the occasional barking and whining that reminded him of the kennels at Winterfell.
Dogs were something every noble House seemed to keep.
They warned of intruders, assisted in hunts, guarded estates, accompanied heirs, and could even be used in war.
"Oh, Dacey, what do you need?" an old man asked as he emerged from one of the buildings, alerted by the barking dogs.
"Old man, what happened to those bear cubs? Don't tell me you've eaten them already," Dacey said as she greeted him.
"Not yet, but my mouth's already watering. They're delicious," the old man replied with a laugh, revealing several missing teeth.
"Maybe you won't get the chance. Bring them out so we can see them," Dacey said with a grin before quickly introducing Harry and explaining what she wanted.
Harry already understood what was happening without needing an explanation.
Before long, the old man returned carrying a small white bear cub by the scruff of its neck in each hand.
"They're pretty adorable," Harry said as he took one into his arms.
The cub immediately struggled and let out pitiful little noises.
"Is it common to capture bear cubs?" Harry asked as he looked at Dacey.
Judging by the old man's words, it did not seem unusual.
"More or less. Every now and then, hunters come across a mother bear with cubs," Dacey replied casually while holding the other cub by the scruff.
"Haven't you ever thought about taming them?" Harry asked curiously.
A force like that would be worth considering.
Just imagining a group of armored bears charging across a battlefield would be enough to make any army nervous.
"As if it were that easy. They say many members of House Mormont tried in the past. Most of them ended up getting eaten by the bears," Dacey replied with a shrug.
"I see... I suppose I could lend a hand," Harry said as he looked at the little cub scratching at him in an attempt to escape.
Dacey stared at him with a blank expression.
What exactly was he talking about?
"Come with me," Harry said with a smile as he grabbed her hand.
....
Harry leapt across rocks while running at full speed through the mountains.
A wide grin spread across his face as he felt the wind against his skin.
Dacey followed behind him with one of the cubs tucked beneath her arm.
"I think it's around here," Harry said as he stopped in a small clearing.
"Around here for what exactly?" Dacey asked suspiciously.
"Didn't I tell you I'd help you tame these little ones?" Harry replied while lifting the cub, which immediately let out an indignant squeal.
Looking at it, he smiled. His gaze dimmed slightly as he remembered his days learning blood magic.
The Potter and Black libraries had contained an enormous amount of information.
His mother had most likely learned that spell there.
"And how exactly are you planning to do that?" Dacey asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Are there rabbits around here? Or some animal about the same size as these two?" Harry asked without answering her question.
Dacey looked at him silently for several seconds.
"If I remember correctly, there's a rabbit warren a few hundred meters from here," she said with a frown.
"Bring me two large rabbits," Harry said as he reached out and took the bear cub from Dacey's hands.
"I was still waiting for them to grow bigger. No one else knows where that warren is," Dacey muttered reluctantly.
"Come on, trust me. It'll be worth it," Harry said with a smile.
Dacey stared back at him while pursing her lips.
After letting out a sigh, she went off to catch the rabbits.
They were already here anyway.
If Harry wasted her time, she would make him pay for it later.
Harry sat down on the ground while teasing the cubs as they desperately tried to escape from his grasp.
After a few minutes, he grew bored and simply cast a spell that put them to sleep.
Humming softly, he lay back and looked up at the sky while waiting for Dacey to return.
The magic on Bear Island was truly far more active.
Even so, he had yet to see a single weirwood.
He still had no explanation for it.
Dacey did not take long.
The sound of her footsteps alerted him to her return.
Looking over, he saw her carrying two remarkably fat rabbits.
"Can they really get any bigger than that?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.
He had never seen rabbits so large.
"Only a little," Dacey replied with a laugh while holding them tightly.
The strength of their kicks was no joke.
"Let's not waste time."
Harry extended a hand toward one of the rabbits.
After a moment of hesitation, Dacey handed it over.
Harry took the rabbit, his fingers gently touching its neck.
The rabbit shuddered before suddenly going still.
At the same time, a thick strand of blood began flowing out of its body.
The blood seemed to dance through the air while the rabbit visibly grew thinner.
Dacey watched in horror.
Without realizing it, she took a step backward.
Her eyes followed Harry's concentrated expression as his hands moved in ways she could not understand.
The blood flowed across the ground, forming layer upon layer of symbols and runes within several circles.
Even the rabbit in her hands seemed terrified by the sight, going completely still.
"Don't be afraid," Harry said softly.
Those words only sent another chill running down Dacey's spine.
Harry looked at the nearly completed blood ritual with satisfaction.
When he finally finished, he let out a long breath.
Arranging every rune correctly with a single attempt was genuinely exhausting.
Taking the bear cubs by the scruff, he placed them at the center of the ritual before tossing the drained rabbit onto the sacrificial section.
"Give me a drop of your blood," Harry said as he took the second rabbit from Dacey and placed it beside the first.
Not before putting it to sleep so it would not run away.
"Do I have to?" Dacey asked pitifully.
"If you want, we can stop here. But then they'll just be ordinary bears and eventually eat you once they're grown," Harry replied with a shrug.
"I'd eat them first," Dacey grumbled.
Biting her lip, she drew a dagger from the small of her back.
After staring at the blade for a moment, she clenched her teeth and made a shallow cut along her forearm.
Extending her arm, several drops of blood fell onto the ritual.
The circle immediately began to glow.
The sight took her completely by surprise.
The rabbits seemed to melt away in a horrifying fashion until nothing remained except scattered fur.
Taking another unconscious step backward, she watched as the circles briefly rotated before shrinking and flowing into the cubs.
Despite that, not a single drop of blood stained their white fur.
"Is it finished?" Dacey asked quietly as she stared at the cubs.
"Of course. The blood was just so they'd recognize you. Congratulations, they're twins," Harry replied with a chuckle as he picked up both cubs and handed them to her.
Dacey accepted them automatically, one in each arm, still wearing a stunned expression.
A soft whine pulled her from her thoughts as one of the cubs woke up.
The moment it saw her, it immediately whimpered and pressed itself against her while licking her face.
Soon its brother woke up and did exactly the same.
Harry simply watched as her stunned expression slowly transformed into a smile while she unsuccessfully tried to avoid the constant licking.
"So they won't eat me when they grow up?" Dacey asked as she looked toward Harry.
"Not only that. They'll understand your commands and obey you. The bond will also be inherited by both your descendants and theirs," Harry replied with a small nod.
Dacey looked down at the cubs.
She could genuinely feel the affection in their eyes.
It was still difficult to believe.
Yet she had no choice.
What she had witnessed was too overwhelming.
Several seconds passed before she finally lifted her gaze.
"Harry... thank you," Dacey said softly.
She wondered if Harry truly understood the magnitude of the gift he had given her.
For her and for House Mormont, this changed everything.
"I'd only ask that you keep the method a secret," Harry replied with a smile.
"Don't worry. I'll take it to my grave," Dacey said solemnly.
"You don't have to go that far," Harry replied with a laugh.
Dacey did not answer.
But the look she gave him seemed to say everything.
Harry merely smiled. The thought of one day seeing an army of bears marching alongside the armies of the North was strangely satisfying.
-----
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