Game of Thrones: The Frozen Throne

James Codd, a man in his thirties, was captured within the Amber family's territory. Among the prisoners taken by the Northern army, he was one of the few bearing a noble surname from the Iron Islands. This prompted Eddard to interrogate him for more information regarding the Ironborn pirates and the infamous "Iron Whore," Helen Pyke.

Despite the Codd family's origins as thrall descendants—despised by both nobles and commoners alike—their family motto, "Beneath Contempt," was a testament to their defiance. Nevertheless, nobility was still nobility.

As night fell, the flickering flames of a bonfire cast long shadows. James Codd knelt before the heart tree, his hands shackled in iron chains.

Eddard loomed over him. "How many Ironborn pirates does Helen Pyke command?"

James Codd sneered, his grin twisted. "Did the Iron Whore give you a hard time? I knew it! Sooner or later, Helen Pyke and her pirates would teach you Northerners a brutal lesson."

Greatjon Umber delivered a powerful kick to James Codd's back, slamming his face into the ground. His lips split open, blood seeping out, yet he only laughed harder.

Eddard's voice was cold. "James Codd, you seem far too pleased for a prisoner. Do you not fear death?"

James Codd spat blood onto the ground. "Then do it! I'd rather die quickly than rot in a cell. The Ironborn despise rust. If you don't kill me, Helen Pyke will come, tear down your iron cages, and free me. Then, I'll make sure more Northerners die."

Greatjon drew a sharp dagger. "Lord Eddard, let me grant this fool's wish. I'll carve open his chest and see what his black heart looks like!"

Eddard raised a hand to stop him. He turned to James Codd and said, "You may accept your own death, but what about your family? Are you willing to see them suffer?"

James Codd's grin faltered. "My family died during the Greyjoy Rebellion. I have no family."

Eddard's gaze did not waver. "You're lying. You became a pirate to bring back wealth and ease the lives of your parents and siblings. James, you are a Codd. I can use your name to track down your relatives in the Iron Islands. Your entire family will bear the consequences of your actions."

James Codd scoffed. "You're bluffing. The North is far from the Iron Islands. What power do you have there?"

Eddard remained composed. "If you believe that, you are a fool. It is well known that I am King Robert's close friend. When Balon Greyjoy bent the knee to Robert, he swore before the Drowned God and the Seven to keep his Ironborn in check. Any Ironborn caught raiding within the Seven Kingdoms would face execution."

"Your pirates may have free reign in the Stepstones, but you dared to raid the North, even allying with the rock-born of Skagos. King Robert will not let this go unpunished. Your family will pay the price."

Eddard gestured toward Theon. "Theon is my ward and the rightful heir to the Iron Islands. If I write to King Balon, he will hunt down your family himself and make the Codd name suffer."

Balon's name struck more fear into James Codd than Robert's. After all, Robert was far away, across mountains and seas, but Balon Greyjoy ruled from Pyke, with his golden kraken reaching into every corner of the Iron Islands.

Fear flickered in James Codd's eyes. Eddard pressed on. "The Codd family were once thralls. They fought for generations to climb to their current status. Because of you, they have made an enemy of the North. They will all suffer."

James Codd scowled. "My life as a pirate is my own. Why should my family be punished?"

A weakness. Eddard seized the opportunity. "If you do not want your family to suffer, then answer me. How many Ironborn does Helen Pyke command? We can hear the waves, smell the salt in the air. The Drowned God is strong here, James. If you lie, he will not forgive you."

James Codd hesitated for a long moment. "Less than a thousand."

Eddard's voice remained firm. "That's too vague. Any number from one to nine hundred ninety-nine is 'less than a thousand.'"

"Nine hundred or so," James Codd muttered, eyes fixed on the ground. "At least, that's how many she had before I was captured."

Theon frowned. "The Iron Whore commands that many?"

James Codd scoffed. "Your father, Balon, lost to Robert's army. Not only did he kneel, but he forced all the Ironborn to kneel with him. Those who still followed the Old Way fled to the Stepstones to live as pirates. The Stepstones are lawless waters—no one cares what you do there."

"The Stepstones are a pirate haven. Many Ironborn have settled there. Helen Pyke gathered her crew in those waters. She is a natural leader. It's not just Ironborn who follow her—pirates from the Sisters, Myr, Lys, even the Summer Isles and the Basilisk Isles serve under her."

Eddard asked, "Then why leave the Stepstones to come to Skagos? She could have remained a pirate queen there."

James Codd sneered. "Because of that damned Salladhor Saan. He is a Lyseni pirate with powerful allies—the Lyseni Magisters, and perhaps even the Master of Ships, Stannis Baratheon."

Roose Bolton chuckled. "Stannis? Working with a Lyseni pirate? The man is as rigid as iron. He forgives no one. You expect me to believe he allies with pirates?"

James Codd shrugged. "All I know is that Stannis' man, the so-called 'Onion Knight,' Davos Seaworth, is friendly with Salladhor Saan. With support from Lys, Myr, and Dragonstone, Salladhor Saan controls the Stepstones. Helen Pyke couldn't stand against him, so she fled to Skagos."

Captain Greybeard Caseren, a notorious pirate from the Sisters, had also mentioned Helen Pyke's defeat at the hands of Salladhor Saan. James Codd's words held credibility.

Eddard pressed on. "Helen Pyke allied with the Rock King, Samro Crowl of Skagos. She has shipyards and forges on the island. Where exactly are they? Crowl's Deepfort? The Magnar's King's Hall? Or the Sterns' Driftwood Hall?"

James Codd smirked. "Deepfort, the Rock King's stronghold. But you'll never take it. That fortress is stronger than Casterly Rock and Storm's End, more impregnable than the Eyrie!"

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