The Crossing

Jon rode the sturdy little garron down the Kingsroad in the center of the Northern Army. He kept watch over the catapults, trebuchets and other siege machines pulled in several wagons and his special supplies - saws, hammers, ropes, block and tackles, nails, adzes, and large nine inch nails. Each boy trained for the artillery had responsibility for certain tools, and Jon received reports daily on the equipment. The wagons also carried steel gears, hooks and pulleys and a large load of ironwood, strong and hard but also quite light.

Robb had made excellent time, and the army had reached the Neck in five days. Jon dismounted and prepared for nightfall. With Ghost by his side, he spoke to the boys in each wagon, making certain from their leaders that there was ample food and drink. After he finished, Jon fed and watered the garron and proceeded to walk about the camp. Ghost caught the scent of his littermate Grey Wind, and the two dire wolves had gone off to hunt.

Years ago, before the Citadel, Jon occasionally envied the attention paid to Robb as heir to Winterfell. On this march though, he was happy to be a Snow and not a Stark. Every minute, Robb was surrounded by nobles and lords who wanted his time. The Umbers demanded to march before the Glovers. The Glovers asked for funds from Winterfell to build ships to repel the Ironborn. The Karstarks, or at least Lord Rickard Karstark, sneered at everyone, claiming pre-eminence through their blood ties with the Starks, a great irritant to the Manderly brothers.

Jon thought Robb managed the army well, handling the many lords and heirs. Twelve thousand men and three thousand cavalry had ridden down from Winterfell. Another four thousand had joined during the march - Flints, the mountain clans, and men from White Harbour and Deepwood Motte. Every morning and evening, Robb had ridden with a different Lord, lending an ear to concerns and asking about their family and men. Robb's battle guard was large and growing, and he made sure to recognize each member, regardless of future inheritance or the power of their House. A few, like Daryn Hornwood and Dacey Mormont, would become Lords while some like the Karstarks and Owen Norrey were second and third sons.

The Northern army was sixteen thousand large, with much of the strength concentrated in a few great houses. The Karstarks provided twenty three hundred men and the Manderlys fifteen hundred. The Umbers and Boltons sent two thousand each, although Jon noted that the Boltons had far fewer horse than expected. The first three houses were loud in their demands for Robb's attention but it was the last one - the flayed man of House Bolton - whose silence bothered Jon more. The Bolton men were as hard and aggressive as any Umber or Karstark but a silent Roose Bolton controlled them with a silent but iron fist, and Jon found that more disturbing than arrogance or boasts.

Jon enjoyed his time with the Mormonts and the Forresters. The Mormonts were brave but poor, their home of Bear island suffering from wildling raids, Iron Born, and a lack of trade. Maege Mormont, a short tempered, proud and willful lady, had brought three daughters South - Dacey, Lyra and Jorelle, and they were all tough and could wield a spiked mace better than any man. If he had a working forge, Jon would have offered to craft stronger armor for the She-Bears, as he admired their fierce independence. The Forresters were rich but few, as they controlled the largest source of ironwood in the North. Ethan Forrester, the third son, had been curious about the siege engines and sought him out to ask questions of the Citadel. Jon was happy to answer them for some day when Robb was Lord of Winterfell, he planned to visit the forests and experiment with uses of ironwood material in water and windmills.

"Snow." Several members of the honor guard had come to visit the center of the caravan, including Dacey Mormont to see her sisters, and Daryn Hornwood with Eddard and Torrhen Karstark to accompany Dacey. Jon had heard rumors that Hornwood was betrothed to Alys Karstark but the future Lord clearly had eyes for the tall and comely Dacey, to the chagrin of the Karstark brothers. Then again, Lord Rickard made it clear that he would be happy to replace Daryn with Robb for Alys's hand, if the heir to Winterfell indicated any interest.

"Not riding with Robb?" Jon asked the crowd.

"Theon Greyjoy keeps bragging about his manhood." Dacey said, rolling her eyes. "He says he slept with three wenches the night before we marched."

"How does one man satisfy three women?" Eddard Karstark wondered, receiving a quick clout on the head from his older brother.

Jon had no idea. He was a maiden still and he had no wish to father a bastard. He whittled a wooden winch with his knife.

"What are you doing?" Eddard Karstark asked.

"The winch can be used for a pulley." Jon continued despite the confusion in their faces. "A pulley can pull things of great weight, like heavy logs of wood or giant stones."

"Is it for your war machines?" Hornwood asked. Jon nodded although in truth, the winch could be used for many things.

"My sisters say you have not fired the catapults since Winterfell. Do you not need to test them?" Dacey asked.

"No, I already know what they can do, and my men have trained. And there may be spies in our camp." Jon said. "I asked my father why he didn't fight in tournaments. Lord Stark said that when he fights a man for real, he wants his enemy to not know what he can do. The Lannisters will not expect these weapons. They will pay for their crimes against the North. We will see how well their cavalry hold against artillery."

A day and a half later, the Northern Army had reached the Trident. That river was the heart of the Riverlands, and they were at the Green Fork. The Trident was not wide at that point but the River ran high and fast at the crossing. The first battles of the war went poorly for the Riverlords. Jaime Lannister broke Lord Vance and Lord Piper at the Golden Tooth, advancing to Riverrun. Ser Edmure Tully had been taken hostage but Piper and Blackwood led survivors back to the Tully castle, forcing a siege. Gregor Clegane's forces had joined with Tywin Lannister after wiping out Ser Beric Dondarrion, and that army was pillaging and burning the land.

Robb's force reached the Twins in the late afternoon. The stronghold consisted of two identical castles with high walls, a deep moat, and a barbican and portcullis on both sides. The stone bridge was less than five hundred feet long and wide enough for four warhorses to ride abreast or two large wagons. The Freys could dig channels, making each castle an island and the bridge was guarded by a strong tower with arrow slits and murder holes, and portcullises for defense. Anyone who controlled that central tower could rain death onto the bridge. The Twins lied directly in the path from Winterfell to Riverrun. The ancestors to the Frey family had chosen this point, the narrowest of the Trident, and constructed the only bridge for hundreds of miles on each side. It was an astute decision, Jon thought, as he examined the lush forests nearby.

The Lords were summoned and Jon walked over with Maege Mormont, and Rodrik Forrester to the command tent. A small group of knights with two blue towers and a bridge as a sigil stood outside. Lady Stark's face was sour, and Jon was thankful he was not to blame for her mood. Robb was stone faced but the anger of the Greatjon and Lord Karstark were obvious to all.

"Lord Frey refuses us passage." Catelyn Stark said. "He claims he does not wish to anger the Iron Throne, and that Tywin Lannister has a long memory."

"His liege lord is besieged at Riverrun. He has sworn oaths to Hoster Tully." Robb said.

"The word of a Frey is about as worthless as one of their knights in battle." the Greatjon said to agreement of many Northern Lords.

"Do you think he means to betray us to the Lannisters?" a nervous Robett Glover asked.

"Walder Frey is cunning but cautious. He will wait and wait until he is forced. He wants the greatest reward with the least risk." Lady Stark said.

"We need to cross the Trident." Robb said. "There are two Lannister armies. If we cannot cross, our allies will be crushed by one, while we must fight the other."

"We should attack the Twins. We have four times as many troops as they." Theon said. Jon thought of the incredible stupidity of that comment. With the bridge as a source of supplies and reinforcements, the castles were difficult to besiege. Whoever controlled the Water Tower ruled the bridge. And the Freys had seen the Northern Host from miles away. The fortresses would be well stocked with men and food. Theon's lack of skill as a military strategist was only matched by his preoccupation with his cock. Fortunately, Robb had better sense.

"No. A siege would cost us many months. Riverrun can hold out for one or two moons but not that long. Mother, you will need to treat with Lord Frey." Robb said, the disgust clear in his voice.

"Walder Frey will extract a heavy price, my Lady." Rickard Karstark added. "He is as greedy as he is lusty. The man is 90 years old and bedded his eighth wife last year."

Jon left the meeting deep in thought. He had an idea but before he spoke to Robb, he needed to find a few answers. With Ghost and Grey Wind watching, he cut a long, thin pole from a dead oak tree and then stripped the branches. He marked off one foot increments on the pole and undressed to jump into the river. The current was quick but Jon was a strong swimmer and stayed close to the western bank. He jabbed the pole deep into the riverbed and then swam for the shore, his right hand steady. Eight feet deep. Less than he expected. When he emerged cold and wet, he saw the lush forest of trees - oak, pine and hawthorn. A great deal of wood, a shallow river, a narrow crossing. He could work with this. Jon would need to speak to the Manderlys and the crannogmen tonight and then burn a midnight candle. He had diagrams to draw and distances to measure.

The next morning, he walked to Robb's tent. His brother had awoken with the sun, and a few Northern boys carried pails of water and food for both men and horses. All around them, the honor guard started to rise although Jon noted that Quent and Shad, long time Stark men, were wide awake, patrolling the tent.

Jon had bought the two Manderly brothers and a cousin. He needed Wylis and Wendel to speak, but it was the opinion of Maturin Manderly, whose father was harbour master and castellan of Seal Rock, who mattered. A few crannogmen came too, Arslan Peat and Ebbert Boggs. Jon's entrance during breakfast went unnoticed for a minute.

"Still no word from your Lady Mother?" Robett Glover asked.

"Lord Frey declined to see her last night. The longer he delays, the higher the toll. He believes us desperate." Robb said and then smiled at seeing his brother. "Jon - care to join for us for bacon and bread?" Grey Wind playfully licked Ghost's nose.

"Robb, I have a thought. But first, I wanted you to hear something from the Manderlys." Jon said

Wylis Manderly stepped forward, clasping fat meaty hands in front of an impressive belly. The Heir to White Knife was not boisterous like his father but his formal dignity quieted the crowd. "Lord Stark, your brother has asked us a question on our naval knowledge. The best person would be my cousin, Maturin Manderly." Another large, round faced man stepped forward.

"Ser Snow. Any ship with a capable crew could hold such a machine in place. We can even use a flat barge or fisherman boat and use anchors and oars to do so." Maturin said. Jon expected the answer and didn't have time to correct his title.

"What machine, Jon?" Robb said.

Jon took out a piece of parchment and the men gathered about. There was a drawing of a structure built from four long poles in a pyramid with a sturdy wooden base. Steps were cut on two poles on opposite sides and there was a one last pole in a face of the pyramid where a large but narrow wooden crate rested tied to a long rope with several pulleys attached. That rope finished in a steel capstan, a horizontal crank, large enough for four strong men to turn.

"Err - what is that, Jon?" Robb asked again.

"This is a crane, and the Manderlys say that we can use it on any riverboat. The crate will hold timber pilings lashed together by boards and rope. This crane will drive the pilings into the river floor. It can make a foundation, Robb!" Jon said.

"A foundation for what?" Robb asked.

"A bridge - I can build you a bridge across the Trident." Jon said to many incredulous faces in the tent.

Before Robb could fully take in his bastard brother's words, Lady Stark returned, flanked by several weasel like Freys. She calmed herself before asking Ser Stevron, a grey eyed man with balding grey hair tied in a topknot, to stay outside.

Lady Stark began immediately, once the tent flaps were closed. "Lord Walder Frey has named his price. He wishes Robb to marry one of his daughters, Arya to be betrothed to another, two Freys to be taken as squires. Two other Freys will be fostered at Winterfell, and he expects Lord Stark to help make marriage alliances for other Frey knights." Lady Stark's bitter expression was mild compared to the outrage on the honor guard.

"Two marriages, squires and wards. Why doesn't he ask for a dragon egg and a gold mine as well?" Daryn Hornwood japed.

"How many swords and horse?" Robb asked.

"4000 men of which 1000 are knights" Lady Stark said.

"Frey knights. Cunts who can barely hold a sword the right way. They fight like blind and crippled bears. No offense, Lady Mormonts." Umber hastened to tell Dacey and her mother. The She Bear had joined several Lords in the tent when Lady Stark returned.

"None taken, Smalljon. One green Mormont boy is worth ten Freys." Maege Mormont said.

"You need the passage, Robb. Walder Frey knows that." Lady Stark said.

The mood in the tent had turned sour and Jon decided to speak up for his brother. "Robb is worth more than this. He is the heir to Winterfell, and the son of one of the greatest Lords of the realm." he said.

"And what does a bastard know about making marriage alliances?" Catelyn responded.

Jon did not flinch. "I know this. House Hightower has fifteen thousand swords and the wealth of Oldtown. House Tarly has ten thousand swords and a skilled commander. House Frey has Walder Frey, his get and a bridge. One day, Robb will be Lord Stark. The Starks have ruled the North for eight thousand years. His hand in marriage is a valuable prize, and not to be wasted." Jon said before addressing Robb directly. "Lord Stark, I can get the army across the Trident."

"Tell me more. What will you need, Jon?" Robb asked.

"Thousands of strong men who will work hard. We need to cut and saw a great deal of timber, and lash them together as poles. The Crannogmen say they will build rafts to ferry men across to defend the other side. Give me eight days, and I will give you the crossing." Jon said.

"I do not see how that is possible." The cold voice of Roose Bolton filled the room. "The water is fast and the rush of the Trident can blow poles away. Not only men need to cross but horses, wagons, and all of our supplies. Lord Frey will only increase the price if he sees us desperate."

"Riverrun is besieged, Robb. We need to relieve my father." Lady Stark said.

Robb held up his hand for silence and thought for a minute. "Do you think the Freys will attack as we are building?"

Lady Stark shook her head. The Freys were more likely to huddle in their tower, waiting for the effort to fail. House Frey was not known for martial prowess.

Lord Karstark stood in the corner with his sons. "It took the Freys fifty years to build the Bridge in stone. They will think us fools if we try to build it in war."

Robb looked at Jon's unflinching eyes and nodded. "Riverrun is under siege but it won't fall quickly. The Blackfish is not so easy to defeat. It will hold for many months. The Rivermen have already been pushed back into their castles so nothing will change in a week. The Lannisters will think us stuck at the crossing. They might be easier to ambush then. My Lord, I trust my brother Jon. He is a man of his Word. If he says, it can be done. What more can I do?"

"Allow me to address the men in the camp. I will explain what I need. My boys cannot do this alone but with the help of your Lords, I can." Jon said.

Catelyn Stark tried to whisper into her son's ear. "You cannot allow the bastard to do this." Robb gave her a cold stare and walked away.

"Lord Umber, Lord Karstark, Lord Bolton - send messengers to gather the men. Our captains and knights and heads of House will assemble in fifteen minutes. Lady Stark, send the Freys away. Tell them we will consider their offer." Robb said.

The leaders of the army gathered near the river bank, where three wagons sat, with much metal machinery and hornwood on blankets of leather and skin. Chett and Denys were unloading saws and adzes from another wagon nearer the trees but had returned, leaving several boys to continue preparations.

Jon stood with Robb in front of hundreds of men. Thousands more, milled close, curious as to the events of the day. He had not spoken to an army before but he had presented in front of packed halls of maesters and students. He had not been nervous then, and he would not be nervous now. As the crowd gathered, Jon worked on a sketch of the future bridge.

"My Lords and Knights, my brother Jon would speak." Robb said simply.

Jon put away his drawing in a pouch and turned his eyes to the men and Mormonts. "Walder Frey wishes to hold us hostage. He demands our leader's hand in marriage, my trueborn sister, two wards at Winterfell, multiple squires, and to Lord over the North. It is his duty to help his besieged sworn lord against the Lannisters, but he sits in the castle, refusing us passage. Will we allow him to extort us? To rob us? To tell us what to do?" Loud snorts of no and cries of disgust rang out. "What do we say to people who would steal from and cheat us?" Jon expected an answer of No but the men of the North had a more pungent response.

"I say FUCK THE FREYS!" Smalljon Umber roared. The chant echoed through the crowd. "FUCK THE FREYS, FUCK THE FREYS, FUCK THE FREYS" could be heard loud and clear and for several minutes.

"Aye, but I will need your help. Brave men must stand guard on the other side of the Trident. We will have to saw and cut timber, lash poles together, and bring the boats to the right spots on the river. I will build a crane to construct the bridge. This machine will increase lifting power tenfold. A man who can raise 50 pounds will be able to pull 500 with this crane. But for that final task, I will need the biggest, strongest, toughest men in the North. Are you with me?" Jon said. Once again, Jon miscalculated. He expected an Aye, but the thundering crowd surpassed his expectations. And then Smalljon rose to his feet.

"You need men, not little boys. Only the Umbers will do." Smalljon lifted his arms to the sky and then lowered them to flex bulging muscles. The red headed and red bearded Smalljon was not small, and only slightly less broad than the massive Greatjon.

A fierce rangy warrior with a black cloak patterned with white suns snorted loudly. "The Karstarks are stronger than you. My brothers and I will lay down this bridge." Harrion Stark, the heir to Karhold, beckoned Torrhen and Eddard to join him. The Smalljon was perhaps an inch or two taller but the three Karstark boys were long limbed, powerful men. The Greatjon and Lord Rickard stood aloof as their children glared, with no hint of backing down.

"My Lords, there is a great deal of work. The crane will require many strong men, Umbers, Karstarks and others. The work will take hours and we must have shifts. We need everyone. Manderlys for the boat, crannogmen to get soldiers ashore, boys and men - young and old together." Jon said. The cheers of the crowd could be heard far along the river.

The next day, Robb walked about, shocked at the speed of transformation of his army. Many thick poles had been cut into long lengths, ranging from eighteen to twenty two feet. The poles were lashed into bundles, like a giant's fence, by the river bank. The camp buzzed with activity, and working through the night by the light of a fire, Jon had finished the crane.

The crane was immense. It was twenty five feet high with a cradle that easily held two connected poles in the basket. Robb had never studied building but the key was the center block and tackle that held a long rope in a five pulley system. The rope extended down to a metal capstan with longer wooden handles. There, men could wind the rope, lift the pilings up to the apex, and then release. The force was magnified by an immense rock counterweight which the capstan and the pulleys lifted until the poles were dropped down, smashing into the river floor.

The Manderly men commandeered a barge from local merchants with some compensation and the crane was loaded onto the boat. Experts from White Harbour practiced positioning and securing the boat in exact locations with sail and oars. Several houses - the Forresters, the Hornwoods, and the Whitehills - took charge of the timber and lumber operation. In particular, many of the Forrester men were skilled lumberjacks. The mountain clans - Knotts, Wulls and Burleys - won the dice game for the honor of defending the far side of the river and the crannogmen rafted them over that morning in force. Robb was pleased that there had been no reaction from the Twins, even as armored archers patrolled the towers.

"It will never work." Theon Greyjoy said, drinking from a wineskin. "The poles are far too long, and they will snap from the current." Robb knew that many whispered the same in private.

"It is certainly unusual." Galbert Glover said cautiously. "I had not known maesters were capable of such things. I thought all they did was talk about the history of kings and tell you not to eat and drink too much."

"That boy is either mad or brilliant." Maege Mormont said.

"Perhaps, he is both." Dacey said.

Robb had asked Jon if he could help. Men from almost every single house pitched in, eager to attempt to do their best to Fuck the Freys. Only the Boltons stayed distant, as their men claimed it was a complete waste of time. Most Lords, even if they were privately skeptical, monitored the activity with care, for no one had witnessed such a feat of construction in their lifetimes.

Jon's reply to Robb's question had been a chuckle and a smirk. His brother asked Robb "How does a lord raise a banner?"

Instead of guessing, Robb merely responded. "How?"

"A lord tells his steward. How does a steward raise a banner? The steward tells his master at arms. How does a master at arms raise a banner? He orders his men. Robb, you are our lord general. Let your men handle this. All you need to do is to look pretty, feast with your men, and turn down wedding proposals." Jon said with a twinkle in his eyes.

They laughed but Robb took Jon's advice to heart. He walked about the camp, speaking to commanders, praising the hard work of the men, and smiling at smallfolk and nobles alike. He had no idea how the bridge would be erected but he trusted Jon.

Late in the afternoon, less than thirty six hours from the rejection of the Frey offer, the first pier was ready. The three Karstark boys and Greatjon and Smalljon Umber were in the boat, close to shore, with Jon, Wylis and Maturin Manderly. Crannogmen clustered about in rafts, ready to bring more supplies. The great and small Lords watched from the river bank, and Robb held his breath without realizing.

The logs were one and half foot thick, sharpened to a point a little above the lower end and shortened slightly given it was close to the river bank. Logs were tied together in pairs with nails, boards and rope, with a two foot gap in between. The piles were brought to the boat in rafts and then the Karstarks and Umbers tied them to cradle of the crane, and lifted them high in the air. And then, the five men drove the piles into the river bed, not vertically, but leaning at an angle forward in the direction of the current. The boat then moved 30 feet, and then another set of piles, with a similar two foot gap, was driven at a similar angle against the current. Once both posts were smashed deep into the river, a large log two feet wide was placed directly into the slot formed by the gap. Then supporting posts were angled and tied to the pier on both sides. The Manderlys piloted the barge away, and minutes passed until the Northmen realized the structure was stable and sound.

Robb was too astonished to speak. The two sets of poles were kept apart by braces on the outside and the thick log in the middle. The angled pier held in place, and the force of the current actually locked the piles together. The bridge would rise eight feet above the Trident, so it would not be easy for the Freys to attack the structure with a barge.

Jon stepped out from the boat, ignoring the boisterous cheers from the Karstark and Umber men. The Smalljon ran about celebrating like a maniac, and taking a long and loud victory lap. Jon went back to the Command tent to consult the sketches of the bridge and speak to the boys to make sure more poles, rope, and nails would be ready for the days to come.

"Gods, Jon. Those poles stand. They are not falling down." Robb said. He expressed what many of his Honor guard thought.

Jon raised an eyebrow. "Of course they won't fall. This is construction, Robb - not destruction. But that is only one pier. The width of the river is five hundred feet. We will build a pier every twenty feet, so that will be twenty five piers. We are not finished either. The Forrester and Hornwood men will saw more logs to connect each pier and then we can lay sheets of wood, nailed together like planks on top, over logs as a road. I also plan to drive more piles on the downstream side as a buttress to break the force of the river. We can lash some timber, in the direction of the bridge, on both sides, to strengthen the connections as well." Jon mused.

"Maester Snow, what else can our men do?" Harrion Karstark asked respectfully.

"With a full day, we should be able to place down five or six piers, even with the extra work connecting the pilings. In four or five days, the bridge will be finished." he said. "Using the crane will be very tiring. I hope your men and the Umbers can take turns." Jon exited the tent, leaving behind a flabbergasted crowd. He was tired from the long two days.

Five days later, as the sun rose high in the sky, Robb Stark and the Northern Lords watched from the tent as the last double layered board was placed on top of a bed of logs on the far side of the river, finishing the road. The bridge was complete, 30 feet wide and 500 feet long, as impressive as the stone crossing of the Freys. Canoes, holding Manderlys, Glovers, and crannogmen, swarmed about the water, checking the poles and supports, and testing each pier. It had been a week since that fateful morning meeting, and Jon delivered the crossing in a day less than he asked.

The men working on the bridge came back to the near side of the Trident, tired but cheerful. The entire Northern host looked on with great anticipation. This was the moment everyone had waited for - to test the bridge, and see if it could bear the army's weight.

"Lord Stark, I would be happy to go first." Jon said. The wagons holding his equipment had been packed and loaded and the boys from Wintertown were ready to go. Before Robb could accede, Maege Mormont, dressed in furs and patched ring mail, and wielding her spiked mace, stepped forward.

"House Mormont requests the honor of crossing the Trident first." the She Bear said.

"But we don't know if it will hold." Jon said.

"You are Ned Stark's son. We trust him, and that means we trust you. The story of the bridge will be retold many times. House Mormont will be known as the ones who braved the crossing first to spit on the Freys." The She Bear said.

On that note, the men and women of House Mormont stepped forward, with Dacey on a black stallion, and Maege and her other daughters walking abreast. Jorelle and Lyra Mormont winked at Jon as they passed. The five hundred plus fighters in House Mormont marched over the Trident to raucous cheers. There was no quiver at all on the wooden structure, and bellows of pride came from both the Umbers and the Karstarks.

"The bridge has held." Robb declared.

"The Mormonts have few horse. I should cross to test wagons on the bridge." Jon said.

"We would march next." Robett Glover said. "We have horse, men and wagons. We trust the bridge as well." His elder brother, Heir to Deepwood Motte, nodded his agreement.

Robb agreed. Eight hundred Glover men and two hundred horse crossed, with Jon urging that they space out the horses to keep weight well distributed on the bridge. Again, the structure did not quiver and stood sturdy and strong. Jon crossed next and Robb honored his brother by riding by his side, the two dire wolves keeping them company. Jon's wagons, carrying siege machines, tools and equipment, followed next. Whispers of the Young Wolf and the White Wolf could be heard, much to Catelyn Stark's dismay.

"You have done a great thing, Jon." a delighted Robb said as they dismounted on the other side.

"The bridge is not perfect, Robb. A heavy storm could blow off planks. The Freys won't be able to knock out the piers but they could damage the support posts or the top. Ripping apart the deck would make the bridge unusable until it is fixed." Jon said.

"You are too hard on yourself. The Freys took fifty years to build a bridge over the Trident. You have done it in seven days." Robb crowed.

"The Freys are idiots. We are the Starks, and it was the combined efforts of the Northern army. Many good men made the work much easier." Jon said.

The two brothers sat in a comfortable silence, watching as the army marched over the river. Many knights saluted as they passed, and neither Jon nor Robb cared who was recognized. Only two thirds of the army passed before sundown, as Jon urged caution in the crossing. The rest of the troops could have marched at night, but without enemies nearby, Robb decided to post a watch on both river banks and wait for the dawn.

As night fell, Jon sat in the tent with many of House Stark's strongest supporters. After the events of the past week, even Lady Stark could not ban him from Robb's side. The She-Bear, the Greatjon, and Lord Cerwyn wanted to lavish praise on Jon but he deflected the credit to many helpers, a fact that Wylis and Wendel Manderly, crannogmen, Smalljon and the Karstark sons appreciated. Jon's mind had already moved past the bridge. He was far more focused on the planning for Riverrun and listened carefully as Robb explained to his commanders what he expected as they approached the ancestral Tully castle. Come the morning, the Northern Army would ride hard south to break the siege.

As Robb spoke about the rivers and terrain near the castle, a page from Flint's Finger entered with great trepidation. "Lord and Lady Stark, there are visitors."

Several weasel like faces waited outside the tent, their path barred by men of the mountain clans and Karstark soldiers. Jon saw the old man who had led the previous Frey delegation, Stevron Frey, and several grotesque figures, a fat fleshy man with small greedy eyes, a brawny man with a jutting jaw and huge muscles, an ugly man with a rat's tail beard, a weak chin and watery red eyes. If these were the Frey knights, Jon felt even more certain that fifteen thousand of them would not be sufficient to tie the Stark family in a betrothal.

Behind these men, there was a wiry figure with a black beard. He was young but escorting a group of Frey soldiers setting down a litter. The extremely old man on top was bald, his head spotted with age. He looked like a cross between a vulture and a weasel, with scrawny shoulders, skin dangling under a weak chin, a toothless mouth full of drool, and a hunched back. The only sign of his vitality were cloudy eyes that still retained a spark of raw cunning. Those ugly eyes looked at the bridge and Jon saw flashes of anger and greed.

"Walder Frey. I have never seen you outside the Twins." Catelyn Stark said.

"Lord Frey. Call me by my title, when you are next to my castle." Walder said.

"What do you want, Lord Frey? We have no need of your bridge." Robb said. There was no pretense of politeness and Robb did not offer salt or bread.

"But young pup, you could use my soldiers, and you will need my bridge when you return." Lord Frey said. Several lords and heirs reached for their weapons at the insult, and more guards surrounded the Frey knights.

"We have a bridge." Robb said coolly.

"But how will you defend it when you leave? Wood bridges do fall apart, unlike stone." Lord Frey said, an ugly smile spreading on his face.

"What do you want, Lord Frey?" Lady Stark asked, the anger barely disguised.

"I will not ask for your fool son's head. He will probably lose it soon enough. But your younger daughter in marriage, so you can use the crossing." Walder said.

Robb's face was a mask of suppressed rage. But before he could lash out at the Freys, Jon put a hand on his shoulder. The white wolf stood by his brother. "We don't need to defend the bridge." Jon said.

"Ehhh?" Lord Frey said. A similar confusion manifested on his children and grandchildren.

"Destroy the bridge if you can. But we will tell other Lords and their maesters how to build such a bridge. House Tully. House Blackwood. House Mooton. House Piper. The Seagards and the Vances. What will your bridge be worth when all the riverlords can cross the Trident?" Jon said.

"How dare you?" Lord Frey squeaked. The Freys looked at each other, and for the first time, the expression was fear and not stupidity.

"The Northern Army built the bridge in seven days. How long do you think the River Lords will take? Longer perhaps but they will send men and horses to defend their bridge. And no one will pay your toll again." Jon said.

"What do you want?" Lord Frey asked.

Jon nodded to his brother. Robb turned to the Frey men, his face proud and fierce as any King of Winter, his eyes full of disdain. "We ride to rescue your liege and my grandfather. You will supply me all your knights and men. They will swear loyalty to House Stark and serve under my commanders. We will use your bridge when we wish and pay no toll. There will be no marriages." Robb said.

"How dare you!" Lord Frey said.

"If you do not, I will sent plans of the bridge by raven to every house in a thousand miles. There will be so many bridges built that the Riverlands will be renamed The Hundred Bridges." Robb quipped. "If your men serve well, they will be rewarded just the same as mine. I will take a squire from the Twins. They can join my Battle Guard along with the heirs of the North. If your sons fight bravely, I will speak with my Lords about marriages for your daughters and grandsons. But nothing until they have proven themselves in battle." Robb finished.

Walder Frey's tongue, born bitter, had sharpened greatly with the years. He was an irascible man who enjoyed fondling young woman and firing barbed comments at anyone around. But faced with the destruction of his family fortune, he only stared hatefully at Robb Stark. He had expected to receive a rich toll but discovered instead that the wolves had sharp teeth.

"Very well, I accept." Frey said, the bile clear and present in his voice. Robb didn't care. Jon, however, watched Walder, his sons and grandsons, carefully.

Author's Note:

The bridge is based on Julius Caesar crossing the Rhine, not once but twice in 55 and 53 BC. Caesar built the first bridge in ten days. He had 40,000 men, so twice the army of the North, and more experienced engineers but the Rhine was 1000 feet wide and 30 feet deep! Plus, there were enemy Germans on the other side, so Caesar could not land men on the other side, and that may have slowed the Romans down. His full army crossed the river and spent 18 days before returning and destroying the bridge behind them. The second bridge was built in even less time. Both are considered masterpieces of engineering, and stunned the Germans.

Many of the details are rephrased from Book 4 of the Gallic Wars by Caesar, and that is exactly how the Romans built the bridge - double sets of 2 long poles connected with boards with a slot, hammered in at angles against and with the current, and connected by a large log. The Romans probably had a nicer bridge deck by using blankets of woven twigs [greater experience building roads] but the structure, itself, is exactly the same. And yes, in my mind, it would be considered a marvel to the Northern Lords, not as amazing as a dragon but still impressive.

Jon Snow's technological level should be considered the level of ancient Rome, if it lasted a thousand years into medieval England. He won't invent gunpowder or steam engines (although he might sketch drawings of the latter) but he is quite capable of watermills, siege machines, viaducts to irrigate fields. The flying buttress, the spinning wheel, the printing press were all invented in the Middle Ages as was the system of planting clover in a three field system to enrich the soil and enhance crop yields. Some of his ideas might be impractical - the hot air balloon would be difficult to steer, and some may fail because of the lack of materials but he is an avid tinkerer and a scientist. He won't invent everything but he may imagine many things.

If this sounds too high tech, remember that in the Age of Heros, Brandon the Builder constructed Winterfell, Storm's End and the Hightower. And the cities in ancient Valyria were undoubtedly impressive as well. You can decide yourself how much of that was magic and how much was giants using massive cranes and other equipment.