The White Knife river was full of rocks and rapid currents; after traveling some distance by barge, they had to disembark and rely on carriages for transport.
The Harrenhal army had grown accustomed to the main roads during this time, and as soon as they stepped back onto the Kings Road, they felt as if they were sinking into sludge.
The soldiers couldn't help but complain:
"I used to think this Kings Road was so convenient, but looking at it now, it's far inferior to Lord Roman's roads."
"Stop complaining. Don't you think about when this road was built?"
"That may be so, but why hasn't the iron throne updated it in all these years? In the end, it took Lord Roman to update the Kings Road within his own territory."
"Less talk, more work! The wheel's stuck in a mud pit, get over here and help!"
...
The group put in a great deal of effort along the way, finally enduring the absurdly terrible roads of the North.
In truth, the roads weren't necessarily 'bad'; it was just that the soldiers of Harrenhal had grown used to 'fine dining' and naturally looked down on this fare.
Roman led his troops to scout for threats, using the journey as a rehearsal for transporting supplies during wartime.
First, scouts were spread around the convoy, Light Cavalry performed mobile patrols, and infantry surrounded the carriages, while heavy cavalry served as the general reserve.
However, the North is typically vast and sparsely populated; there were few travelers on the road, though wild beasts were plenty.
Wherever Roman went, the beasts in the vicinity were cleared out.
Quite a few soldiers from the Riverlands were visiting the North for the first time, and they were full of curiosity.
It was still the Long Summer, so even the North was lush with greenery; aside from needing a few extra layers of clothing, it was no different from the Riverlands.
Winterfell.
As soon as Roman arrived at White Harbor, House Manderly's ravens had already carried the news to House Stark.
Shortly after, Fili's raven also flew into Winterfell.
"Eddard Stark, Roman Rivers is arriving at Winterfell with his troops. He brings materials to support the Wall and some supplies for Winterfell as well. He has disembarked from the White Knife and is proceeding on foot."
Ignoring the shocked expressions of everyone in Winterfell, Fili's raven directly shoved aside the raven that had just arrived and usurped its food.
Some timid Servants began muttering prayers to the old gods, while Eddard summoned his courage to ask the raven:
"What are you?"
"Hmm? I am a raven, the raven of Lady Fili. Lady Fili works for Roman, so I deliver messages for him."
Eddard wanted to ask more, but the raven quickly finished its meal and flew away.
Once everything returned to calm, the group snapped out of their daze and hurried to investigate the details regarding Roman.
They suddenly realized that the little cub they had once ignored had gradually grown his wings over the past year or so.
Catelyn stood beside her husband, her brow furrowed with worry.
"Ned, how should we deal with Roman Rivers?"
"Deal with him? No, he is here to help us. Regardless of what secrets he holds, we should show him proper hospitality."
Eddard was also concerned about the raven, but he still disliked showing hostility to someone who came to help him.
"But my father has written to say that the Hean Family has not been very settled lately; they have even conspired with the Dragon Party of the East Riverlands in trade."
Looking at his wife's face, Eddard sighed. "Let us prepare first. Let Roman Rivers enter."
Roman did not care about the hesitations of House Stark; he would not take the initiative to stir up trouble.
For him, the longer peace lasted, the stronger he became; time was on his side.
Moreover, with the Night King watching like a hawk, Roman had no interest in joining the Game of Thrones.
After struggling through the mud for a good while, the Harrenhal army finally arrived at Winterfell.
With the messenger's notification, Eddard led his family and Servants to greet them at the city gate.
But when Roman's army truly arrived at Winterfell, Eddard finally understood why Hoster had said to be careful of Roman.
He saw the Harrenhal soldiers in uniform armor, with infantry accompanying and guarding both sides of the convoy.
The heavy and Light Cavalry moved forward to form ranks, with the heavy cavalry in the center and the Light Cavalry supporting on both flanks.
This was a classic cavalry charge formation, where Light Cavalry would first harass the flanks; if the enemy formation remained steady, they would continuously fire arrows to whittle down their lines, intimidate the infantry, and circle to the rear.
If the opponent's formation began to collapse, the heavy cavalry would swarm forward for a direct charge. If it didn't break, they would wait until the cavalry had completely surrounded the infantry phalanx before launching a full-scale assault.
Northerners had always been known for their ferocity and even looked down on Southerners, but when the people of Winterfell saw the Ironmen and the infantry armor of Harrenhal, that disdain began to waver.
Seeing that the Stark family had come out to greet them, Roman dismounted and headed toward Winterfell, bringing only Fili with him.
"Lord Stark, I have long heard of your great name. I am Roman Rivers, here by the order of Lady Helaena to assist Winterfell and the Nights Watch!"
Eddard looked at the polite boy before him and returned the respect.
"I thank Lady Helaena for her continued assistance to the Wall. The North will not forget; Stark will not forget."
Roman then introduced Fili beside him, much to the surprise of the people of Winterfell.
In their stereotypes, someone who could make a raven speak should have been an old crone; instead, she was an extremely beautiful and shy young woman.
Eddard then introduced his family members one by one.
Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran, and Rickon. As for Snow, he was nowhere to be seen, likely standing somewhere within the crowd.
Roman noticed that children in Westeros were generally precocious; several children barely ten years old had already grown to be quite poised.
Robb even looked at him with a scrutinizing and provocative gaze.
Roman and the Young Wolf were of the same generation, and Roman was only a few years older than them.
However, Roman possessed a robust physique rare even among adult men, and his fame had already spread throughout the Seven Kingdoms during this time, so many people compared Roman to the generation of Eddard and Robert.
Roman greeted each of the Stark children in turn, and each had a different reaction.
Robb's provocation, Sansa's shyness, Arya's curiosity, Bran's detachment, and Rickon's indifference.
"It is cold outside the city, and you must be tired from your long journey. Let us go inside to speak in detail."
The Harrenhal troops thus officially entered Winterfell, the heart of the North.
Winterfell was large enough; the Stark family would allow the people of the North to enter the castle during the long winters, using the hot springs beneath Winterfell to heat the walls so the people could survive the cold.
The Hean Family's troops could naturally be accommodated. However, Roman's soldiers did not rest upon entering; instead, they began a series of preparations around the barracks—clearing, scouting, and patrolling—to ensure everything was foolproof before they began to enjoy the feast.
Furthermore, the Harrenhal soldiers had no celebrations; they only ate until they were seventy percent full, did not drink to intoxication, and never let go of their weapons, maintaining a complete wartime posture.
For Roman had said: "Duke Stark is a just and honorable lord; you need not fear persecution there. Therefore, you must seize this opportunity to practice how to arrange defenses in such a setting."
All the Harrenhal soldiers treated this feast as a rare training exercise.
However, this behavior made Robb feel insulted. After Roman had eaten bread and salt, the future "Young Wolf" was the first to strike:
"Lord Roman, House Stark has shown you hospitality, but why do you act with such defensiveness? Do you no longer care for guest right?"
"Robb!" Eddard quickly rebuked his eldest son. This accusation was quite severe; if it spread, it would be bad for both houses.
But Roman was not angry. Instead, he bowed slightly to Robb, then looked at Eddard and said:
"Forgive my offense, Lord Stark. The reputation of the Warden of the North resounds throughout the Seven Kingdoms; everyone knows House Stark is just and honorable."
"My actions are not directed at you, but are a precaution. After all, history shows there truly are those who dare to trample upon guest right. Even if the culprit is punished afterward, lost lives cannot be recovered. I simply do not want my soldiers to suffer such a fate."
From the corner of his eye, he watched Eddard. Roman knew that Eddard was a man who valued honor more than life. If there was any way to quickly close the distance with the Stark family, it was to display the honor of keeping an oath before Eddard.
Roman needed to give himself a high standing in advance; an oath that could trigger Eddard's sense of honor was most appropriate.
Roman looked around, raised his Northern spirits, and spoke with a powerful voice.
"But the offense is already a fact; this is undeniable."
"By the new and old gods! I, Roman Rivers, hereby swear that the next time House Stark faces difficulty, I shall provide my full assistance!"
Having finished his oath, Roman's wine cup burst into a blazing White Flame.
Under the shocked gazes of everyone in Winterfell, Roman drank down the wine and the fire together.