After getting Lord Rickons approval of th deal Rodrik spend some time in winterfell to make some more trading agreements with Rickon & to enjoy a little rest. After few days he didn't return straight to the Eyrie. Instead, he took the long way—down the winding roads and mountain paths through the Vale. He wanted to see with his own eyes what three years of reform had wrought, to see the shape of his promises turned real.
His first stop was Ironoaks, seat of House Waynwood. The once modest town now boasted a proper irrigation system and cleaner streets. New warehouses lined the riverbanks, and locals greeted him as if he were a returning hero. Lady Anya Waynwood received him in her solar. "I'll admit, Lord Arryn, I thought your plans were too grand," she said over tea. "But trade flows through our gates like never before. The market here bustles every morning."
Further south in Wickenden, the coastal town had flourished into a thriving fishery and minor trading port. Lord Morton Redfort, known for his grim pragmatism, approached Rodrik as they walked along the docks. "Three winters ago, our grain came late. Now, thanks to the rail, it arrives before the snow falls. You've made our isolation a strength."
Wherever he went either the strong & steady roads were made or work was in progress. Bridges were getting build. Children's were not roaming the roads but they were in schools, streets were clean as per his clean initiative. There were no sick people laying on the streets they were getting proper treatment in local hospitals. He even attended one court hearing on Runestone. Some things needs to be improved but all over the system was working.
Earlier people from remote villages were born there & died there but now everything is connected there are roads. Direction signs.
The true marvel, however, was the railway.
The Impact of the Rail Network
A network of active rail lines now crisscrossed the Vale, linking coastal towns, mountain strongholds, mining villages, and fertile valleys. Rodrik saw with pride how stations had become hubs of life: goods unloaded, people traveling freely, and soldiers moving with efficiency.
In Longbow Hall, Lady Corenna Hunter explained how local craftsmen now sent their wares to Gulltown with ease. "A craftsman's worth used to end at his doorstep. Now it stretches across the Vale."
Each rail station had created new opportunity. Grain from Snakewood reached the mountains before spoil. Timber from the Bloody Gate traveled swiftly to the shipwrights of Gulltown. Coal and ore from Coldwater Burn no longer sat idle in mines but fueled forges across the Vale.
In a humble farming village called Elksfield, Rodrik watched as a train unloaded grain, tools, and blankets. A child tugged at his cloak Not knowing who is was so Rodrik asked him are you going to school. On which the child confirmed. Then Rodrik asked did he like it.
The boy grinned. "Yes it's very fun."
By the time Rodrik finally turned his horse toward the Eyrie, the mountain wind felt warmer. His people lived fuller lives. His risks had borne fruit.
And there was still so much more to do.
The gates opened with a deep groan of ancient wood and iron.
Jayne was the first to reach him, wrapping her arms around him tightly before whispering, "You look older… and wiser."
Rodrik chuckled, "The North has a way of chiseling the stone."
Jaymee, now taller, smiled wide and proud. "So how was two years without a friend ."
Rodrik replied " Lonely"
Albert gave a respectful bow, but Rodrik saw the emotion in his eyes the same you would see in a proud father. "It's good to have you back, my lord. The Eyrie is too quiet without your pacing."
They shared laughter and warmth, and for a moment, it felt like the long winter of struggle had finally given way to spring.
After a warm bath and much-needed sleep, Rodrik met with Yobert in the war room, where a large map of the Vale sprawled across the stone table. Reports and figures were stacked neatly beside it.
Yobert, thinner than before but as sharp as ever, stood ready. "My lord, we've compiled the latest assessments."
Rodrik nodded. "Show me."
Yobert stepped forward. "The Vale's revenue has nearly doubled since your reforms. Our annual treasury has climbed from 400,000 gold dragons to approximately 850,000, after tribute to the crown."
Rodrik leaned in. "What about production?"
"Up across the board," Yobert said. "Grain yields in the Heartvale are up by 60% thanks to greenhouses and improved irrigation. Timber and stone exports from the eastern ranges have increased due to the railway and river canal integration. Mining output has nearly tripled in the Redfort and Coldwater regions, particularly in iron and silver. New tools and better ventilation methods reduced accidents by half."
Rodrik folded his arms. "Population?"
Yobert smiled faintly. "Growth of nearly fifteen percent. Sanitation , nutrition & the healthcare have lowered mortality. More families are settling in the inner valleys where food, shelter, and work are guaranteed. We've documented thousands of new births and resettlements in places like Redridge, Stonehaven, and Silvergrove."
"And education?" Rodrik asked.
Jaymee answered from the side, having entered silently, "Literacy is spreading faster than disease ever did. Your schoolhouses are full, and there are waiting lists in many towns. We'll need to hire more tutors by next spring."
Rodrik sat back in his chair, absorbing it all. "We planted seeds, and now we see the forest."
Jayne approached him then, placing her hand on his shoulder. "You didn't just build roads and railways, Rodrik. You built hope. They have started to believe that there is no man behind the curtain & you are the one coming up with all these invenstions.'"
Rodrik raised an eyebrow. "Maybe time has come to come clean."
Yobert smiled. "Perhaps. Vale is already yours Lord Arryn both in Title & hearts. They will only relesh this fact now."
Rodrik looked out the window toward the valleys below—green and golden, webbed with tracks, roads, and the hum of life. For once, his heart felt still.
Yet he knew deep down: the work was far from over.