The King is dead. The capitol is reporting the cause of Robert's death was an unfortunate hunting accident, which seemed far too simple for Dareon to believe. He had learned through personal experience that nothing was ever so clean cut in King's Landing. Dareon's cousins had seen fit to detain Eddard Stark and charge him with plotting treason against the new king, Joffrey Baratheon.
Dareon closed his eyes and inwardly sighed as he listened to the reports of the Northern Lords uniting to rebel against the crown. The Lannister of two-and-twenty currently sat in a meeting with all other high ranking Lannister's in close proximity to Casterly Rock. Looking around the large table, Dareon noticed again that those closest to his age were still at least a decade his senior.
Fortune seemed to both favor and setback Dareon with his place in the world. He had the luck to be born into the main family of the richest and arguably most powerful dynasty in Westeros. While he was born into the main family, it was not to the leader of House Lannister, Tywin. Instead Dareon is a son to Tywin's younger brother Kevan, which is the reason he was granted such a high seat at this table. Yet, he still catches the occasional glance of disapproval being sent his way.
Dareon knew the cause for this, it lay upon the top of his head. Lannisters are reknown for their glorious locks of golden hair, while Dareon carries a very healthy head of hair it is not the color of gold. Dareon has the hair of a blackest night, perfectly framing his pale features. Kevan Lannister has had three wives. Dareon's mother, Rose Westerling, was Kevan's second wife and died bringing Dareon into this world. One of the few things Kevan still has of her is a lock of her magnificent dark hair, something Dareon has spent many moments of his life holding.
There were a few who originally claimed that Dareon was not a true Lannister upon catching sight of his dark features, and to disprove those rumors all Dareon had to do was open his eyes. Piercing green eyes has always been another mark of a Lannister, commonly referred to as "The Green Eyes of a Liar", and Dareon possessed a rather striking pair of them.
Dareon turned his mind from his thoughts and brought his attention back to the meeting, well to be honest the gathering was more a formality, all those present knew Tywin had already decided their next course of action. Hearing of how the passing of Robert spurred four kings instead of one, brought a thin smile to Dareon's lips. Not a smile for the intending bloodshed destined to happen, but for the potential possibilities the future might bring.
'And here I thought my life might be dull.' Dareon thought as he listened to his Uncle describe how both Stannis Baratheon and Renly Baratheon had announced themselves king. Dareon was no warmonger, but he couldn't deny that it made things more interesting. The young Lannister had a burning ambition inside him, a need to show the world that he was more than just another Lannister. Dareon is one of the few at the table who is actually somewhat excited at the events to come.
"The Baratheons are fool enough to fight each other before marching on us." Tywin announced to the men of varying ages around the table "Renly outnumbers Stannis five to one, yet there is no doubt in my mind that the older stag will make the younger one bleed."
"So we will focus on the North." Kevan responded and desperately tried to make it not seem like a question. Dareon was not the only one in the room who caught it, but understood his father's intentions. Dareon would be the first to say his father is a great man; Kevan is a noble, just, wise, and great leader. Yet, while there have been many men like his father, there will only ever be one Tywin Lannister. The tall imposing man is a force the world rarely sees, and someone Dareon is utterly grateful is on his side of affairs.
Tywin nodded to his brother "We will move the majority of our host to intercept Stark, although we cannot simply ignore the threat of the Baratheons." Tywin looked to the back of the room and addressed a middle aged man "Dameon, you shall take a small host south positioned near King's Landing."
The capable middle aged Dameon immediately nodded his head "I would be honored."
Tywin continued his instruction "Do not engage either Baratheon unless they move on King's Landing." Tywin turned his gaze back to the map in the center of the table "The Tully's have named their support for Stark, and for it their lands will be this war's first battle grounds. I have already sent Clegane to begin assaulting their holds."
Dareon had always held an intense dislike for the giants who call themselves Clegane, but he could not argue with the results they bring. Hearing that the Mountain Who Rides had been set to attack brought only one thought to Dareon's head 'The Riverlands will bleed'.
"As we battle the Starks, Jamie shall take his forces to lay siege on Riverrun." As Tywin finished his speech, the heads around the table bobbed with agreement, completely trusting in their Lord.
"If I may Uncle?" Dareon asked out loud, garnering the whole room's attention to himself. Tywin looked at him with a steady face and Dareon met it with his own. Dareon had learned that Tywin always favored him, for what reason Dareon was unsure. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that he was the only one willing to add some sort of input.
The Lord of Casterly Rock nodded his consent and Dareon said his piece "I believe it would be best for us to spread our navy across the coast of the Westerlands."
"For what purpose?" An older Lannister asked, Dareon thought he might be a second or third cousin.
"The Ironborn." Dareon simply responded "With the impending conflict Balon Greyjoy has a ripe opportunity to begin plundering again, hopefully he'll see that the unguarded North is a better target than the South."
Dareon could've sworn he saw a small smile grace the lips of Tywin, and his uncle replied "Balon has a daughter, correct?"
"He does, Asha I believe." Kevan dutifully answered.
Tywin smiled in contemplation a moment before continuing "So be it, we'll make sure to leave a sizable presence in the sea. Perhaps we'll even prompt Balon into action on a later date. For now though we need to begin organizing our ranks."
Tywin turned once more to his nephew "Dareon how long will it take you to prepare your men?"
Dareon considered the request, for most military commanders in Westeros there would be a simple answer, but his was a bit more complicated. Dareon is leader of the sole cavalry force in Westeros. Horses are common in the Seven Kingdoms, yet not nearly as abundant as they are in Essos. Any respectable knight has a horse, but building a sizable force of mounted warriors is no small feat. Dareon had relentlessly hounded his father to consider the idea of cavalry forces, until the man gave in and allowed Dareon to put together a small example of his vision.
It took Dareon a year to gather the correct horses and riders necessary to make a proper showing. When Dareon presented his fifty men riding war horses in full armor and carrying the Lannister flags, Tywin immediately put his nephew in charge of putting together a larger force. What started as fifty men turned into a thousand, a very costly investment only the Lannisters, Tyrells, and Martells could ever pay for without serious war would decide whether or not the risk was worth it, and Dareon is eager to prove it was.
However, while cavalry undoubtedly travels faster, assembling it takes longer than infantry. Dareon contemplated the question a moment longer before answering "I'll need a week."
Tywin thought about the answer for a moment before responding "We'll have most likely begun fighting by then. I want you to surprise Stark by suddenly attacking his flank."
"It'll be done." Dareon answered with a smile, before standing. Tywin had turned his attention to other occupants in the room and the Dark Lannister knew he was dismissed. As Dareon was leaving he caught his father sending him a proud smile, one he gladly returned. Dareon left to prepare his heavy cavalry, a force he named the Dark Charge.
(Eight Days Later)
Dareon smiled as he glided across the grass plains on his war horse. Travelling on such a large beast brought a commanding presence, and Dareon loved the feeling. On the ground he was just under six feet with a thin athletic build, but atop his steed Dareon reached nearly ten feet in height. Adorned in the red and gold plate armor custom made for all high ranking Lannisters, Dareon looked like a death dealing giant.
It was this image that gave him the idea of a heavy cavalry, and hearing the ground tremble under the force of five hundred horses brought a smile to his face. Dareon had consulted with his father and decided to divide his force of a thousand. Tywin's orders would of course still be followed, but Dareon knew a smaller group would be able to make several more charges in a short time. In this line of thinking, Dareon sent four hundred of his cavalry to bolster Tywin's host and the other hundred were sent with Lord Damien to defend King's Landing.
Sparing a glance behind him, Dareon smiled at the determined faces he saw. When he chose men for the cavalry, Dareon went about it in a unconventional manner. Normally, when assembling a force, the first individuals to be sought out are knights. While many of his cavalry are hedge knights and lower knights of the Westerlands, the majority of Dareon's cavalry are those with a talent for riding. That was the talent Dareon requested in those who wished to join, and he would take anyone with the proper skill. Of course weapons training would be an important factor, especially since few had the chance to work with the armaments a mounted soldier uses.
Looking down at the saddle of his dark horse, Strider, Dareon patted the straps that held his mounted weapons. The most common riding weapon was a strong balanced lance, letting a strong man skewer anything made of flesh. Aside the lance were two small spears, which Dareon had trained his men to throw and impale those out of reach of a lance. On each mans hip laid a well made blade, capable of decapitating another man at a horses full charge.
Out of the five hundred men who rode with Dareon, only thirty wore heavy plate armor. After a charge Dareon and a gallant group of knights dispatch from the main group and depart their mounts to fight with the infantry. The war horses had been trained to fall back once the rider has departed and remain in the area for when they will next be needed. The rest of his soldiers all wore reinforced leather armor.
They rode at a mild trot, a hundred horses wide in lines of five with Dareon leading the charge directly in the middle. Currently they were a few miles from the besieged Riverrun, but there destination was beyond it at Tywin's camp. Moving at a steady pace, Dareon saw a rider emerge from a hill in front of them.
As he grew closer, Dareon recognized the man as a scout he had sent to patrol ahead of the main group. Giving the signal for the group to slow down, Dareon was able to stop the cavalry charge within a minute of the rider meeting him.
"What word do you bring?" Dareon asked as the flushed looking man stopped, looking erratically at his commander.
"My Lord it's your cousin!" The man yelled back, clearly exasperated.
This gained Dareon's full attention "Jamie or Tyrion?" Dareon had learned of Tyrion's abduction a few days earlier and the news had enraged him. Dareon has always been close to his cousins, but he spent a large part of his childhood with Tyrion. Hearing that the Lady Stark had taken his cousin to the Vale, made Dareon look forward to bleeding the North all the more.
"Ser Jamie, my Lord!" The man quickly responded "The small force he is leading to flank Riverrun is about to be assaulted by a larger Northern group!"
Dareon gripped Strider's reins tightly. The young commander knew Jamie was dividing his forces to surround Riverrun, which was a risky move, but could end the siege much faster. "How many in each group?" Seeing the man stop to ponder, Dareon encouraged him "Think man!"
The scout gulped and answered "Ser Jamie looked to have about eight hundred men with him and the rebels appeared to have a force double that."
"And they haven't engaged yet?" Dareon quickly questioned.
The scout shook his head "No, but they most likely will meet in at least half an hour." Dareon was about to dismiss him, but the man continued "My Lord judging from the banners they had, Robb Stark and his bannermen are in the group."
That made Dareon falter a moment, but he quickly shook that away and regained his determined image. "Lead us to the point you think they will meet." Dareon ordered and the scout quickly complied, leading the now galloping Dark Charge.
About twenty minutes later Dareon stood atop a large hill overlooking a field below that meets a large thicket of trees. With him were two of his trusted compatriots, Ser Ren and Ser Larst. The rest of the force were on the other side of the hill, effectively hidden from those on the plain below.
Dareon tensely watched as Jamie's force moved toward the thick forest. "Our cavalry won't be much use if they fight in the trees." Ren grimly stated to his commander.
"Than we better hope the Stark is impatient." Dareon answered as his eyes were fixed on the lining of trees. As he continued his stare the banners of the North emerged and a clearly larger force than Jamie's swarmed out with them.
Larst jumped and began to move back "I'll ready the men."
The knight was stopped by Dareon "Not yet." Both knights looked at Dareon confused and waiting for an answer he readily gave "If we charge now the Stark will just retreat into the forest. We need to wait until his entire host emerges and clashes with Jamie, just as they meet we'll ride and tear through the back side of them."
"This will detain us for quite some time." Larst remarked as the Northmen continued to emerge from the trees. The young knight said this because he knew Tywin was expecting and most likely depending on their surprise counterattack.
Dareon saw Jamie's men clearly falter for a moment before pushing on to engage the now running Northerners. "That's why you will not stay." Dareon responded and continued before Larst and Ren objected "Our full force will ride through them and dispatch as many as possible, than I will break off with the knights. You two will have command and continue leading the force to my Uncle."
Dareon turned around just as the forces clashed, Larst and Ren ran ahead of him to spread his orders to the men waiting below. Dareon took a deep breath as he heard the screams of the dying begin. Walking straight to Strider, Dareon wasted no time in mounting and turning the horse around to face his soldiers.
"Lannisters!" Dareon yelled to the hundreds of men before him, getting some confused looks from the term. "Yes I called you Lannisters! You may not share the same blood as me, but we all wear the crimson of Casterly Rock!" The hundreds of men below him erupted in a cheer. "My fellow Lannisters, ride with me now and let us remind the Wolves why we are the Lions!" Dareon grinned as his men screamed their agreeance. Turning around to lead his columns of cavalry, Dareon dropped the visor of his helmet and began the trot over the hill.
The Dark Charge streamed down the hill with lances drawn to the forces below. Dareon steered his riders to the rear end of the Stark force, as to not cut down any Lannister infantry. The charge took less than a minute, and it was doubtless that many of the Northerners saw the oncoming tide, but they had nowhere to go. Stark had led them too far from the trees and the ones closest to the tide of horses were blocked by their fellow warriors.
A crashing thunder erupted as the war horses broke into the infantry ranks, mercilessly skewering and trampling rows upon rows of soldiers. Dareon had trained to steel his grip with a lance, yet he still could not keep hold when it travelled through a Northerner's shield and chest. Dareon abandoned the lance as Strider continued it's charge, knocking down everything in it's path, and gripped his first spear. Not taking time to aim, Dareon threw the projectile into the mass of bodies ahead of him and could've sworn he heard a particular shriek of terror in that instance. Deciding to save his other spear, Dareon unsheathed his long sword and repeatedly struck down with it as he rode over the screaming masses.
It wasn't long before the cavalry broke through the forces onto the other side of the plain, it would later be determined that this one charge had dispatched a third of Stark's forces. As Dareon had commanded, he and his group of thirty knights broke off to move towards the front of the battle, while the main force continued riding out of the plains.
Head lowered and sword slashing Dareon led his knights into the very heart of the fray, knocking down any who stand in the way. Once fully immersed in the center of conflict, Dareon jumped off his horse and took his shield from its slot in the saddle. Securing his shield to his wrist, Dareon slapped his horse and let it ride out of the conflict to wait nearby. As Dareon watched Strider trample his way out of the mass, he heard an incoming battle cry from behind him.
Turning around Dareon saw a thick bearded man rush him with an axe suspended above his head. Not willing to see whether or not that could split him in two, Dareon sidestepped the mans attempt at an overhead strike and simply thrust into the man's side. The castle made steel Dareon used was more than enough of a match for the simple leather armor the man wore, clearly shown by how it slid out of the man's ribs with little resistance. Sensing another presence behind him, Dareon spun around with his shield raised.
The block was put into place just in time to intercept the swing of a broadsword. Feeling the trauma vibrate through his arm from the force of the heavy blow, Dareon used his shield to push back before the man could pull back his sword. Catching his assailant off balance, Dareon cut low to avoid the wooden shield and sliced the man's thigh. Dareon was a very heavy believer in finishing what you started and ensuring what you started wouldn't be able to sneak behind you and jam a knife in your spine, so when the man fell to his knees Dareon went straight for his throat.
Quickly dispatching the already bleeding out man, Dareon looked up to analyze the chaos around him. Trying to find a pocket to jump into, Dareon witnessed a Northern knight cut down two Lannister soldiers with a mighty swing of an intimidating greatsword. Even though his instincts told him to avoid that one, Dareon relied on his adrenaline for an extra boost of courage. While rushing his new fore, Dareon saw that the man was aware of Dareon's charge and was preparing to intercept him with a swing. Looking at the mighty sword, Dareon doubted his shield could protect him from an onslaught of such a large weapon, so the Lannister did something that he knew could most likely end with his death. Dareon dropped his shield.
Gripping his sword with both hands Dareon ran to the man and rolled under the wild blow. Dareon's heavy armor made the impact with the ground a rough one, but he used his momentum to keep moving and rise up to the side of the knight. Before the knight could attempt another swing, Dareon sliced at the man's lightly armored low blow didn't fall the man, but his scream confirmed the pain he felt. Dareon had to raise his sword to block a swing, but much of the mans strength had left him when his tendons had been severed. Dareon pushed back on the blade and kicked the leg he had just wounded. Like Dareon's earlier foe, the knight fell to his knees and Dareon stabbed downwards into the small opening above the neckline. The sword was considerably more difficult to remove this time around, and Dareon had to push off the man's limp shoulders to remove it.
As the armored body fell with a thud, it's killer took a moment to inspect the sigil displayed on the armor. With a variety of people's blood on it, Dareon could make little sense of the illustration and doubted he would have been able to identify it even without the gore. A nearby shout of "The King of the North!" brought the Lannister's head back into the chaotic situation around him.
Looking up Dareon's eyes grew wide at the sight they witnessed. About ten yards in front of him was the young Robb Stark and his guards, cutting a hole through the Lannister line. Dareon had to admit, Robb Stark did not seem like a boy of only sixteen. Dressed in full mail with blood on his sword, the Stark looked like a man grown. In that same glance, Dareon saw the best swordsman in Westeros rush at the group. Jaime looked like a man possesed, slicing through the Northerners with merciless efficiency. Dareon knew his older cousin had a target, and that target was the self proclaimed King of the North.
While Jamie fought his way closer and closer to Robb Stark, a giant figure steadily made his way to the Kingsguard. Dareon didn't need to examine the man's sigil to identify him, his bird's nest of a beard and warhammer told everyone who he was. The Greatjon. Jon Umber was about to take Jaime by surprise and end this battle, something Dareon would not let happen.
"Do they all have to be so bloody big?" Dareon mumbled as he looked around for something to assist in combating his cousin's potential assailant. The Lannister wasn't to keen on charging one of the biggest men he had ever seen, so an indirect way to topple the man was very preferable. Observing the bodies littering the bloody battle field, Dareon saw that a nearby cadaver had a bow and quiver discarded next to it.
Dareon ran to the bow and stabbed his long sword into the ground. Bow in hand, Dareon rose to his full height and took a deep breath. With one hand Dareon removed his crimson helm, letting his black locks of hair fall down his head. Squaring his shoulders Dareon rose the bow in front of him and took aim. Jaime was quickly dealing with the last of Robb's guards, which would leave Stark face to face with the Kingslayer, yet the Greatjon was still advancing towards the unaware Jaime.
Dareon was looking at Umber's heavily armored back, and thought about taking a shot at the man's unprotected head. The Lannister was about to loose an arrow straight at the man's skull, until that ambitious voice in his head made itself known. 'The Greatjon would make an impressive captive.'
"Of course he would." Dareon murmured to himself and took aim at the Lord's lesser armored lower back. Feeling the tension in the string, Dareon let the arrow fly and smiled as it landed a few inches to the left of it's intended target's spine. The Lannister's smile left when he heard the man's very vocal rage and saw him whip around violently. Sensing the man's gaze on him Dareon reached for another arrow and knocked it as the man began his charge toward the Lannister.
The Lannister aimed low and sent the second arrow spiraling into the thigh of the running giant, making Lord Umber falter and stumble. Dareon gaped as the man seemed to bite down the pain and continue his, albeit slower, run. In one fluid motion Dareon reached for another arrow and sent it low once more, only this time it entered the already injured leg's knee cap. Umber may be a tough bastard, but no man can walk with a leg as ruined as his. To his credit the man didn't just fall outright, he landed on his other still intact knee and put all his weight on his warhammer.
Dareon dropped the bow and picked his sword back up. Walking casually to the crippled man, the Lannister's smirk seemed to stoke a fire in the Northerner's eyes. When Dareon was close enough to hear his foe above the roar of battle, the Greatjon quite literally spat at him.
"Fucking coward!" The man bellowed through gritted teeth. "Couldn't fight me proper? Afraid that I'd ruin that smile of yours with my hammer?"
Dareon wasn't sure if the man's screaming was a question he wanted answered, but the tone all the same annoyed him. Knocking the warhammer out from underneath him, Dareon couldn't suppress a chuckle as the man yelped in pain. As Umber rose back up one leg defiantly to glare at Dareon, the Lannister answered him "I don't intend on eating a hammer today."
Before the Northern Lord could retort, Dareon brought the head of his sword hilt down on the man's temple. The resounding impact made a sickening crack, that rendered Umber unconscious.
Wondering how in the Seven Hells he would move the big bastard, Dareon heard a particular shriek of terror that made much of the commotion around him pause. As Dareon looked up to see the cause of it, the men around him exploded into movement once more. The Lannister saw Jamie combatting two knights and a bloody Robb Stark being pulled away by his men.
"Retreat!" Several Northern accents screamed over the carnage, leading to the Westerners yells of joy. Dareon lost sight of his cousin and began bellowing orders to the loyal Lannister men to hold ground and not give chase, not wanting to risk losing any men by running into Northern reinforcements.
With the Northerner's nearly completely cleared out, Dareon regained view of his cousin once more. The knights Jamie had been fighting laid dead at his feet, yet Dareon could see that his older cousin was not satisfied. Jamie looked wistfully at the trees Robb Stark had fled too, and seemed unaware of the cheers around him.
Than a soldier ran next to Jaime and pronounced the reason for Stark's retreat. "The Wolf's paw!" The man screamed as he held the forearm of Robb Stark. Upon seeing the lower arm of their foe's King, the Lannister army yelled in triumph. Looking at the lifeless limb, a thought of how morbid the gesture was entered Dareon's mind, but he shrugged it away. 'Morale is morale.'
Dareon's gaze went back to his cousin, who had his own eyes set on Dareon. With a nod and smile, Dareon raised his sword to the older Lannister. Jaime returned the gesture with one of his own, only for his pleased face to turn to a shocked one a moment later. Dareon was confused why his cousin was screaming, the Lannister was also puzzled as to why his chest suddenly felt sticky and wet.
Looking down Dareon saw the cause. In his right shoulder, just at the spot where his armor was weakest, a crossbow bolt had embedded itself. Dareon looked back up to only see black fill his vision.
Hello everyone! Thank you so much for taking the time to read this! I've wanted to write a Game of Thrones fic for a while, and I hope you like the direction this is going in!