The following day, Harry woke up stretching his body before sitting up in bed with a soft yawn.
Turning his head, he saw his owl sleeping in a ball by the window.
He still had not given her a name, even though Arya often snuck into his room to pet her while calling her White.
Somehow, whenever Harry looked at her, he always thought of Hedwig.
It was difficult not to.
They were very similar, aside from the slight difference in size.
Getting to his feet, he walked over to the window and gently stroked her soft feathers with a nostalgic look.
It was then that an idea flashed through his mind.
He had managed to create a spell capable of detecting different types of minerals.
Iron.
Copper.
Silver.
Gold.
But until now, he had assumed he would need to travel into the mountains himself to use it.
Now, however, a far more efficient method had occurred to him.
Searching through his room, he eventually found a silver necklace Arya had left behind.
He had planned to teach her a lesson by pretending ignorance when she failed to remember where she had left it.
But as it turned out, she never remembered at all, so it had simply remained in his room.
Enchanting the necklace with the detection spell so it would react to the presence of those minerals, Harry exhausted a considerable portion of his magical reserves before wrapping it around the owl's neck.
Still asleep, the owl did not even notice what he had done.
The only problem with the spell he had created was that the amount of mineral required to trigger a reaction had to be fairly substantial.
Otherwise, there would not be enough feedback for the spell to detect it.
Harry preferred it that way.
If it reacted to every buried arrowhead, it might not stop ringing from Winterfell all the way to the Neck.
Deciding that he would send her toward the northern mountains that night to search for metals, Harry went down to begin another day.
At breakfast, Harry looked at his younger brother, Rickon Stark. The boy was already six months old, and a curly head of red hair had begun to grow in.
Pinching his cheeks, Harry made him laugh adorably.
"Good morning," Harry said as he took his seat. Looking around, he seemed to be the last one to arrive.
"Harry, what are you going to do today?" Arya asked, looking at him with interest.
"I'm going for a ride with Ater, then I'll probably spend the rest of the day in the tower," Harry replied, the corners of his lips twitching slightly. The girl was already looking for an escape route.
"Oh, can I come with you?" Arya asked.
"No. You already ran off to play yesterday. Today you'll obediently attend your lessons with the septa," Catelyn said, looking at Arya seriously.
Arya pouted and looked at Harry, making him genuinely want to help her. However, they had escaped often enough over the past few days, and he did not want to anger his mother too much.
"Maybe next time," Harry said, smiling at her.
Arya made a face and chewed her food angrily.
After breakfast, Harry rose from the table.
Kissing his mother on the cheek, he headed for the stables. Ater was already waiting for him, standing proudly while striking his hooves against the ground.
Looking at the horse's imposing height, Harry smiled faintly.
Ater was already the largest horse he had ever seen, and he was only two years old.
Though Harry truly hoped he would not grow much more, or else Harry would look like a child riding a normal horse.
Ater stood nearly two meters tall at the withers alone, making him look like a genuine monster.
Harry hoped he had not overdone it.
Otherwise, his horse might grow so tall that he would have trouble striking enemies on the ground.
Perhaps I should learn to use a lance, Harry thought lazily as he saddled Ater.
"Alright, let's go for a ride," Harry said with a smile.
Placing both hands on Ater's back, he leapt up and landed smoothly in the saddle.
Harry's torso tilted backward for a moment as Ater shot forward, running like the wind toward the castle gate.
With some effort, Harry managed to recover and leaned slightly forward, a wide smile spreading across his face as he felt the cold northern wind crash against him.
The guards and servants could only stare in astonishment as Harry's enormous horse shot across the ground like a bolt of lightning.
Their second reaction was envy.
Every man wanted a good horse, and Ater looked like the king of horses.
Harry could feel Ater's powerful legs and steady breathing as they galloped at full speed for more than fifteen minutes, circling Winterfell several times before finally returning at Harry's command.
Dismounting outside the stables, Harry stroked Ater and realized he was not tired.
That pleased him greatly, since what he had wanted from the beginning was a horse capable of traveling long distances.
"Go play, but don't do anything reckless," Harry said as he removed the saddle and patted his body.
Ater neighed intelligently, as if telling him not to worry, before trotting cheerfully out of the castle.
Harry watched him go and said nothing.
Perhaps when Ater had been younger, that would have worried him.
But if the horse decided to run, Harry doubted anything could catch him.
After stopping by the maester's tower for his daily Valyrian lessons, Harry returned to his own tower.
Feeling somewhat restless with nothing to do, Harry looked at his owl sleeping by the window. Deciding it was better now than later, he walked over and began tickling the base of her beak until her reddish eyes slowly opened.
"Ouch," Harry said, quickly pulling his fingers back before letting out a small laugh.
"You woke me up last night too," Harry said, chuckling softly as he stroked her head.
"I need you to do something for me," Harry said as the owl gradually calmed down.
"To the south, fairly close by, there's a small mountain range. I need you to fly over it. After that, fly back and continue north. There's a vast stretch of mountains there. Be careful because there are hunters around, but a clever girl like you shouldn't have any trouble," Harry said as he scratched her head and looked into her large eyes with a faint smile.
"And don't lose this necklace, alright?" he added, pointing at the collar secured firmly around her neck.
The owl let out several chirps, indicating that she understood.
"I'll give you a potion to keep your energy up for the journey," Harry said, levitating a potion from a shelf into his hand before feeding it to her.
"Be careful," Harry said softly before watching her take off. She flew incredibly fast, and within seconds he had already lost sight of her.
Harry then sat by the window with a book written in Valyrian. He had read a little about Valyrian magic and realized that magic in this world was not particularly structured, seeming to remain in a rather primitive stage.
Its practitioners relied on sacrifice and instinct to wield it, though he supposed the scarcity of magic might have had something to do with that.
Still, he was not entirely sure, as accounts from the so-called Age of Heroes seemed to indicate that magic had once been quite active, with dragons and magical creatures existing in great numbers.
Barely half an hour later, Harry felt a faint tug through his bond with the owl.
Using his new ability, he quickly connected to her eyes.
A mountain range appeared before him, flanked by two rivers that formed a great V-shaped valley.
Without Harry needing to say anything, the owl folded her wings and descended.
Moments before reaching the ground, she spread them once more and began gliding above the mountains.
Harry waited calmly.
Then suddenly the necklace trembled.
Feeling the feedback from the enchantment, he immediately recognized it as a gold mine.
And a fairly large one.
Harry found himself momentarily speechless, as gold was actually the last thing he wanted to find.
He didn't have the time to mine it if he wanted to continue with his plans for a railway crossing the North.
Besides, even if he needed money, the extraction rate of a mine was never particularly high. When he thought about it carefully, it simply wasn't all that practical.
Besides, he had robbed a bank once before.
If he truly needed gold, perhaps he could simply travel to Essos and rob another one, Harry thought jokingly.
The necklace vibrated again.
This time it was copper.
Not a particularly large deposit.
Only slightly above the spell's detection threshold.
Marking the approximate locations of both mines on a map, Harry instructed the owl to continue north.
Breaking the connection, Harry rubbed his forehead.
Several times he had nearly called her Hedwig in his mind.
"So much time has passed. It's time to let it go," Harry murmured as he closed the book.
He would stop running from the feeling.
If he wanted to call her Hedwig, then from now on that would be her name.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
Leaving the book on the table, Harry headed downstairs.
He had arranged to meet Jon and Theon.
Under Rodrik's guidance, the three of them trained together before Harry pushed himself through a variety of physical exercises, most of them relying solely on his own body weight as he drove his body to its limits.
Jon and Theon had begun copying his training methods.
They were seeing results, though naturally they could not compare to someone who recovered rapidly through magic.
Harry had repeatedly warned them to get proper rest, but they were stubborn.
Sometimes he genuinely did not know what it would take to make them listen.
With his body exhausted, Harry made his way to the Godswood and sat beneath the weirwood with his back against the ancient trunk.
A faint smile appeared on his face as he felt magic flowing through his body, slowly repairing the tiny tears left behind by his training.
His meditation was interrupted by his bond with Hedwig, letting him know that she was already approaching the mountains.
Quickly rising to his feet, he hurried back to the tower, placing the map before him and connecting to Hedwig.
Almost immediately, he arrived at the mountainous region, and the necklace began vibrating intensely.
Harry's eyes widened in surprise as he detected an enormous iron deposit. Quickly marking it down, he realized it was an exceptionally good location, as there would be no need to dig deep into the mountain, making transportation much easier.
Moreover, it wasn't buried very deep, which was particularly convenient given the lack of mining technology.
Hedwig flew across the entire mountain range, the necklace vibrating more than ten times. With a broad smile, Harry marked down every mineral deposit. They would all prove useful in the future.
Once he instructed Hedwig to return, Harry immediately began considering his next move.
He remembered that many mountain clans lived throughout those peaks.
The problem was that he was not entirely sure what he could offer them in exchange for mining the iron on his behalf.
In the worst-case scenario, he could simply write to the northern lords and have them send workers north, eventually creating a mining town near the mountains.
With the pieces now in place, it was time to begin the game.
Heading downstairs, Harry made his way to his father's study.
Ned was reviewing several documents when Harry entered.
Upon hearing him, he looked up and offered a slight smile.
"Father, I have a new project that will require your help," Harry said with a grin as he took a seat.
"Let's hear it," Ned replied with interest.
Whenever his son set his mind to something, he always seemed to challenge Ned's understanding of the world.
"I discovered a large iron deposit in the mountains north of Winterfell. I'd like to explore the possibility of having the mountain clans extract the ore. I'm thinking of building a mining town," Harry said, pulling out a simple map and pointing to the location.
Ned studied it for a moment before nodding thoughtfully. He wasn't even sure whether he should ask how Harry had discovered an iron mine.
"But what do you need so much iron for?" he asked, somewhat confused.
"If I told you, you probably wouldn't believe me. Let's just say I plan to create a new way to travel much faster and transport large numbers of people and resources. For that, the road will need two long lines of iron," Harry replied, trying to explain the basic idea without mentioning the railway itself.
Ned looked puzzled. Truthfully, he did not understand the purpose at all, but Harry was the future Lord of the North.
Even if he refused to support the idea now, Harry would eventually be able to pursue it anyway, and more importantly, his son had never failed him before.
"I don't think the mountain clans will object if you pay them in grain," Ned said after a moment.
"Their people suffer greatly during winter. Many of their young spend the season here at Winterfell."
He paused briefly.
"Do you want me to speak with them?" Ned asked.
"It would be a good idea to gather the chiefs of every clan and negotiate with them together," Harry replied with a slight nod.
"Hm. That could take some time. Some of those clans live deep in the mountains," Ned said thoughtfully. Even so, he had little doubt that even the most remote clans would be interested.
They lived in the mountains because that was how they made their living. While some would undoubtedly have no desire to leave their homes, he was certain there were many who would not refuse the opportunity to venture out on their own.
"Let's hold the meeting here. There's a small plain before the mountains. We'll clear the area, build the necessary facilities, and begin mining," Harry said, pointing to a location near the deposit.
"We'll need to gather quite a few things," Harry said, thinking of all the tools they would need.
"That's right. For starters, the clans know little about mining. They can pick up a pickaxe and extract ore, but they don't know how to keep a mine stable as it grows deeper," Ned said, knowing a thing or two about the subject.
"If there's anyone who knows about mining, it's the Lannisters. But of course, I don't think they'll help us. I'll send a letter to Wyman of House Manderly. Perhaps he'll know someone," Ned said thoughtfully.
"I'll start writing letters to the clans. Let's hold a meeting there in three months," Ned said.
"Alright," Harry replied with a nod. They couldn't afford to rush these things too much.
...
Two months passed quickly, and Harry prepared to depart for the mountains alongside his father, Jon, Theon, and a small force of one hundred men.
The clans had replied that they would gather beneath the mountains, and House Manderly had sent an expert in mineral extraction.
He had apparently worked for the Lannisters, but had been dismissed after claiming that their gold reserves were beginning to run dry.
Their meeting had been rather interesting, as it was the first time Harry had met someone who wasn't from Westeros.
A middle-aged man stood before him, with curly hair and calm, observant eyes.
"My lord," the man said, greeting Harry.
"Hello. You're Philip, aren't you?" Harry asked with a smile.
"That's right. Lord Manderly informed me that you had a job I might be able to help with," Philip replied, concealing the doubts he felt as he looked at the child standing before him.
He had spent several months in White Harbor and had heard all sorts of rumors about the Stark heir.
Even so, he still wasn't sure what to think now that he was seeing him in person.
"I heard you worked for the Lannisters. Is it true they're running out of gold?" Harry asked, a gossipy look on his face.
"I can't say for certain, but it's the conclusion I reached after observing the mines," Philip replied, pursing his lips slightly.
Those words, spoken while drunk, had cost him his position and nearly his life.
"Oh," Harry said, nodding thoughtfully as he looked him in the eyes.
"My lord, what sort of work do you have for me?" Philip asked, feeling somewhat uncomfortable under those bright green eyes.
"Well, how about you tell me about your work? There's an iron mine in the north near the mountains. I plan to build a mining town, and I'd like someone to take charge of it," Harry said, looking at him.
Philip's eyes brightened noticeably, a hint of ambition appearing in his gaze.
While he had held a respectable position and earned a considerable salary with the Lannisters, he had never been anywhere near being in charge.
"My lord, before mining even begins..." Philip said, launching into a lengthy explanation about the importance of proper excavation, reinforcement, and transportation within a mine.
Harry listened to his ideas regarding the construction of both the mine and the town. Finding them reasonable, he ultimately offered him the position and placed him in charge.
Philip thumped his chest and assured him that if a collapse ever occurred, Harry could have his head.
The man had been sent north a month earlier alongside several caravans that had already begun constructing houses at the site.
He had managed to gather several blacksmiths at the site. Even so, they still needed many more people, though he would leave that problem for Philip to handle later.
After saying goodbye to his family, the entire group departed from the castle.
Riding atop Ater, Harry noticed his father glancing at the horse several times, drawing a faintly smug smile from him.
Ater could be quite intimidating, especially to other horses, which would instinctively move aside whenever he snorted in irritation at the pace they were forced to maintain.
Hedwig had remained at the castle, serving as Harry's eyes in case of any emergency.
It took them nearly a week to reach their destination. Several structures were already beginning to rise, and the sounds of hammers and saws could be heard clearly even from a distance.
The entire group dismounted, and the soldiers led their horses to a nearby stream for water.
Ater required no such assistance, and Harry simply let him run free.
"My lord," Philip said as he approached upon seeing them, offering a slight bow to Harry and his father.
"My young lord, where is the mine?" Philip asked immediately with a somewhat stiff smile. He almost felt as though he had been brought here under false pretenses.
He had expected to become a foreman, only to find open grasslands, a few scattered structures, and an untouched mountain.
"Right there," Harry said, pointing toward the mountain a few hundred meters beyond the construction site.
Philip looked at the mountain and wore a thoroughly confused expression.
"If you start digging in that direction, you'll find the deposit. It's quite large," Harry said with a smile.
Seeing the disbelief on his face, Harry could not help adding a few more words.
"Don't worry. Just look around at all the money that's already been spent. I'm not joking," Harry said, barely managing to pat the man's shoulder as he stood there with a rather pitiful expression.
Ned was somewhat confused as well, but knowing that his son could use magic, he assumed that was how the deposit had been discovered.
Looking toward the mountains and the plains surrounding them, he found himself wondering how much this place would change in the years to come.
With several days still remaining before the mountain clans arrived and having little to do, Harry wandered over with interest and began helping with the construction.
Whether carrying wooden pillars or helping raise walls, he found it surprisingly enjoyable, as he had never built anything without using magic before.
His actions alarmed several foremen, as none of them had ever seen a noble engaging in that sort of work.
They did not have the courage to tell him what to do, but neither did they dare tell him to stop.
Paying them no attention, Harry simply continued, eventually dragging Jon and Theon into helping as well.
----
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