The second month in the North began the same way the first had ended:
Silence.
Snow.
And Leo moving unseen between the trees like a shadow obscured by frost.
But there was one difference.
He had a plan now.
A larger one.
**Phase II: Move closer to Winterfell without being noticed.
Blend in.
Gather deeper intel.**
To do that, he needed something very simple:
A cloak.
THE SYSTEM PURCHASE
In the early morning, hidden inside his forest shelter, Leo opened the Market System window.
The interface glowed pale blue in the cold air.
[CLOAK — WINTERFELL STYLE]
Wool, hooded, ordinary appearance. Keeps the wearer warm.
Cost: 10 silver stags
Cheap.
Practical.
Exactly what he needed.
He accepted the purchase.
A brown wool cloak blinked into his hands—rough, northern texture, but warm and thick. It smelled faintly of pine, as if the System knew exactly where he needed to blend in.
He swung it over his shoulders, securing it across his chest.
The cloak fell perfectly over his vibranium arm.
To any guard, any farmer, any passerby…
He would look like a regular traveler or hunter.
No metal.
No shine.
No suspicion.
Perfect camouflage.
GATHERING RUMORS — THE DEEP LISTENING
With his disguise ready, Leo returned to the roads near Winterfell.
Not close enough to draw attention, but close enough to hear people as they passed.
He sat on fallen logs, pretended to adjust his boots, sharpen a knife, or check snares—whatever made him appear harmless.
Then he listened.
More About Ned Stark
From two old hunters:
"The Lord of Winterfell spends hours with the maester. Says the King's letters are comin' more often."
"Honor'll get him killed one day. Mark my words."
Leo absorbed it.
Ned was preparing for something.
The King's arrival was getting closer.
More About Jon Snow
A young soldier bragged:
"The Stark bastard beat three boys in the yard today. Lad fights like a demon."
His friend scoffed:
"Aye, well… bastard or not, he's still more Stark than most."
Jon was training hard.
Possibly sensing change.
Good.
Useful.
More About the Boltons
This rumor was darker:
"They say Lord Roose sent men north. Some business beyond the Wall."
"Flayed men don't freeze, I heard."
"…You're sick."
Leo narrowed his eyes.
Boltons meddling north of the Wall? Before the show timeline?
That meant they were already scheming.
If they found something they shouldn't—like White Walkers—it could shift everything.
More About Future Events
Multiple travelers said the same thing:
"King Robert is only weeks away."
Meaning:
The Stark children's lives would soon begin to twist.
Catelyn would mistrust everyone.
Arya would train.
Bran would climb.
The Lannisters would arrive.
Leo had maybe 5 month before the world changed forever.
He needed every advantage.
INFILTRATION — NIGHT TWO INSIDE WINTERFELL
The cloak made everything easier.
Leo approached Winterfell under the cover of a snowstorm—thick clouds overhead, wind howling, torches flickering helplessly.
The northern guards closed their cloaks around themselves and leaned into the cold.
Their eyes watered from the wind.
Perfect.
With his hood down and face half-covered, Leo passed by the outer moat like nothing more than a traveler seeking shelter.
No one questioned him.
He didn't go through the gate, of course.
He went over it—same as last time.
But the cloak made him nearly invisible.
No glint.
No metal shine.
No suspicious silhouette.
Just another shadow moving in the storm.
INSIDE THE WALLS
Winterfell was louder than last month.
Carpenters were repairing carts.
Cooks prepared for the feast.
Guards trained at night.
Servants hurried from hall to hall.
The King's visit was making the entire castle restless.
Leo used the chaos to blend in.
He walked the shadows behind the stables.
Listened near the training yard.
Observed the Great Hall preparations.
For the first time, he felt like he belonged inside the castle.
Not as a lord.
Not as a soldier.
But as a phantom observer.
Nobody noticed him.
Nobody suspected him.
He passed within ten feet of two Stark guards—one yawning, one rubbing his eyes.
He slipped behind a group of servants carrying barrels.
He crouched behind a low wall while a patrol walked above.
He was gathering information nobody else could gather:
Where the guards got lazy
Which doors were left unbarred
Which servants gossiped the most
How often Jon trained at night
Which windows opened silently
Where the Maester kept ravens
Pieces of a map that only a ghost could assemble.
THE FINAL OBSERVATION OF THE NIGHT
Near midnight, he spotted something new:
Bran Stark—climbing.
Small, fast, fearless.
Just like in episode one.
Leo watched from a rooftop as Bran crawled up a tower wall with bare fingers.
"Kid's insane," he whispered.
But he smiled.
It meant the timeline was still intact.
For now.
EXIT — THE CLOAK WORKS
Leo left Winterfell the same way he entered: quiet, unseen, and with a mind full of dangerous knowledge.
Back in the forest, he sat under a pine tree, cloak pulled tightly around him.
Worth every coin.
The System, his skills, his memories—they were all part of a larger plan.
And the timeline was burning closer every day.
END OF CHAPTER — MONTH TWO PROGRESS
✔ Cloak purchased — identity hidden
✔ Arm concealed — no suspicion
✔ Rumors gathered from roads
✔ Confirmed King Robert is close
✔ Learned more about Ned, Jon, Boltons
✔ Infiltrated Winterfell again
✔ Scouted guard rotations
✔ Observed Bran climbing
✔ Blended in as a normal traveler
✔ Timeline still intact
✔ Zero kills, zero alarms
Leo was no longer just a ghost.
He was a ghost with a disguise.