Chapter 59: The Dragon Remains in the Hall of Ice

After the lands of the Frost Clan were reduced to scorched earth, Eddard led the Northern army toward the domain of the Ice Dragon Clan.

The stoneborn warriors of the Ice Dragon Clan had been taken away by their chieftain to aid the Stone King, Samro Crowl, in defending Abyss Keep. Upon hearing that the Northern army was burning houses and fields in the Frost Clan's territory, the elderly, women, and children who remained behind fled into the caves and mountains.

Jon Snow rode beside Eddard, frowning. "Ice Dragon Clan—what a strange name. Could it be that dragons once existed on stoneborn lands? I always thought only the Targaryens had dragons."

Dominic Bolton, heir to the Dreadfort, rode on the other side and responded, "Snow, dragons once roamed across the world. The Targaryens were merely one of the Valyrian dragonlord families. When the Doom of Valyria came and fire and magma consumed the Freehold, the other dragonlord families perished, leaving the Targaryens as the last dragon-riding bloodline."

"How could there be dragons on Skagos? A dragon would struggle to find enough to eat on such a barren island."

This conversation was overheard by the stoneborn guide, Nonda Mapleleaf, who interjected, "The Ice Dragon Clan does have a connection to dragons. In their lands, there is a dragon's skeleton near the grove of the Nine-Heart Weirwoods. Long ago, it was beside that very skeleton that Samro Crowl, the Stone King, summoned the nine great clan chiefs and was crowned beneath the gaze of the dragon's remains and the weirwood hearts."

Hearing this, the young men—Dominic Bolton, Theon Greyjoy, and Jon Snow—became excited.

Theon smirked with his usual cocky grin. "I've heard that longbows made of dragonbone are the finest in the world. I'm going to take a piece of dragonbone back to Winterfell and have the blacksmith Mikken craft me my own dragonbone longbow."

Dominic added, "I'd like to take a piece back for study. Even in the Citadel, dragonbone is a rare and valuable subject."

Jon Snow chimed in, "If I could bring back a piece, I'd show it to Robb, Arya, Bran, and Sansa."

As the young men chattered, Nonda warned, "It's best not to disturb the dragon's remains. They lie beside the sacred weirwood grove, and the faces on those Nine-Heart Weirwoods watch over them. The power of the Old Gods is strong here. It's said that anyone who dares to take from the dragon's remains will incur the wrath of the Old Gods."

When the Northern army finally arrived at the site, they were all stunned by the sheer size of the dragon's skeletal remains. Hundreds of ravens perched on the darkened dragon bones, and as the Northern scouts approached, the birds flapped their wings, cawing as they scattered, flying toward the weirwood grove.

Jory Cassel, Captain of the Winterfell Guard, along with the sharpshooter Feran and the guardsman Dawson, rode their horses through the gaping maw of the skeletal remains. The hollow eyes of the dragon seemed to stare at the Northern soldiers.

Eddard was deeply struck by the sight. Though the skeleton was not as massive as the legendary Vhagar or Balerion, it was still enormous by any standard.

If smugglers or slavers knew of this place, they would have stolen the bones long ago. Dragons were long extinct, and dragonbone was highly valuable in both the Seven Kingdoms and the Free Cities. Dragonbone longbows were unrivaled in range, superior even to the goldenheart wood bows of the Summer Isles.

Dragonbone jewelry—necklaces, bracelets—were considered luxury items, coveted by nobles and merchants alike. Some maesters even believed dragonbone had medicinal properties, capable of curing ailments.

Eddard calculated the worth of the bones before him. He was deeply in debt, owing fifty thousand gold dragons to the Iron Bank of Braavos and another ten thousand to his vassal, Lord Wyman of White Harbor. The war against the stoneborn had drained Winterfell's coffers. He could not afford to let such valuable dragonbone go to waste.

Clearing his throat, Eddard declared, "The dragon's remains must be taken away. They cannot stay here."

Nonda Mapleleaf was shocked. "Lord Stark, the dragon's remains are sacred to the Ice Dragon Clan. They have rested here for over a thousand years, beside the Nine-Heart Weirwoods. The power of the Old Gods is strong here—they watch through the faces of the weirwood trees. To take the dragonbone would be to provoke their wrath."

Many Northern lords shared the stoneborn's faith in the Old Gods, and at Nonda's words, they urged Eddard to reconsider.

Lady Maege Mormont of Bear Island spoke up, "Lord Stark, this land is protected by the Old Gods, and these remains have been undisturbed for so long. Why disturb them now?"

Greatjon Umber added in his gruff voice, "A pile of bones is of no use to us."

Lords Medger Cerwyn, Harrion Hornwood, and Rickard Karstark voiced their agreement. The Old Gods were sacred to them, and they hesitated to defile this place.

Eddard remained solemn. "My lords, why do you think this dragon died here? Because it provoked the wrath of the Old Gods. The old nan used to tell stories of dragons burning down weirwood groves, angering the gods. This dragon died so close to the sacred heart trees—no doubt it sought to burn the grove before meeting its end."

Many Northern folk tales spoke of dragons setting weirwood trees ablaze.

At this, Greatjon, Maege Mormont, and the other lords began to nod in agreement.

Eddard continued, "A dragon is the embodiment of fire, and fire is the bane of trees. Letting its remains lie here, staring at the weirwood grove, is the true blasphemy against the Old Gods! As a devout believer in the Old Gods, I cannot allow such desecration to stand!"

He turned to Nonda. "You said the Ice Dragon Clan reveres these remains as a sacred relic. But it is because of this relic that they have lost their faith, turning into traitors who follow the Stone King. We must purify this land."

Even Nonda Mapleleaf began to see the logic in Eddard's words. "Lord Stark, then what do you propose we do?"

Eddard answered calmly, "The land must be cleansed. We will take the dragon's remains away to appease the Old Gods. The Ice Dragon Clan views them as sacred—if we remove them, their leader may be provoked into leaving Abyss Keep to face us in battle."

Convinced by Eddard's reasoning, the Northern lords and Nonda agreed to move the dragon's remains. Eddard ordered Jory Cassel and the Winterfell guards to dismantle the skeleton and load it onto supply wagons, filling five carts.

To prevent theft, Eddard assigned his personal guards to oversee the transportation of the dragonbone.

Afterward, Eddard and his vassals knelt before the weirwood grove in prayer, as the red leaves whispered like hushed voices.

Not far away, the abandoned Ice Dragon Hall had been set ablaze. Like the Frost Hall before it, the crude wooden and earthen fortress was left to burn to ashes.

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