Eleventh Month of 699 B.C. Trident Keep

King Tristifer VI Teague

At night he can still hear the sounds of men fighting and dying, behind his eyelids he can see the fire and blood of battle. The Reacherlords had come marching into the Riverlands with fire and steel, trying to further the kingdom of the greedy old bugger Gyles Gardener, and Tristifer had summoned what men he had left after dealing with the Stormlords and their prince and marched towards the Stoney Sept. The battles had gone forth for many months, with control of the town passing backwards and forwards like something from a child's game. Mace Tyrell the man given command of the Gardener host was a competent commander even if he did reuse many of the same strategies. It was this fact that allowed Tristifer to begin constructing guerrilla attacks on Tyrell and his men, draining away their supplies and morale and beginning the ending of their stay.

Of course the Reach always had had a massive amount of men to call upon and so more and more men came and began causing havoc around the rest of the southern riverlands. Tristifer had found himself caught between a rock and a hard place, his boys were still fighting to hold the Bloody Gate, and so he'd called upon every last reserve had at his disposal and thrown it at the reacherlords. They'd come very close to losing their lives during the battle of the summer ash, as the sheer number of men Mace Tyrell now commanded was coming close to overwhelming them, it had been pure luck that a rainstorm had caused the Rush to flood and drown horses. That chance of fate had allowed Edmyn and his men to come and add some sort of benefit and protection to their fight and they had eventually broken the Gardener host and slain Mace Tyrell and captured the man's son adding to their list of highborn hostages.

Tristifer had led campaigns to secure the southern riverlands and was planning on building a fortress at the Sept that could hold back invaders, as such the Reachermen were now to busy focussing on fighting the Ironborn, the Westerlords and the Dornish. And as such Tristifer had allowed his men to return home for a brief period, but now with the Gate secure and belonging to them, it was time for him to secure the borders to his west. "So long as the Golden Tooth remains in the hands of the Leffords and they remain loyal to the Lannisters, are western front is under threat and we risk facing attacks at every chance. That King Tyrion has now decided to attack the Reach is a bonus for us and it means we can attack now, sooner rather than later."

Lord Walder Frey spoke then. "Is that a wise move Your Grace? We have just come off of the back of several campaigns in the Vale and against the reacherlords and the Stormlords. Our men will be feeling tired and winter is beginning to wage itself in earnest. Surely we should allow ourselves and our men time to recover before planning another attack?"

"Normally I would agree with you Lord Walder, but this recent bout of fighting has made me consider our options. We will always face threats being the middle kingdom of the seven, and as such we must make sure that we are in the strongest position possible to face these threats. Holding the Tooth and the lands bordering it will ensure this." Tristifer replied.

Lord Walder spoke up once more. "That is fair enough Your Grace. But I say that we give it at least some more time before launching full on into the campaign. The Lannisters will be watching us now and will be expecting us to do something."

Edmyn spoke then. "Aye that they will but I say we give them a portion of what they expect to happen. We hit the tooth with a portion of our strength and then break through their defences and work into the Tooth itself. We want the Lannisters tied up when we strike, and I say attacking with the element of surprise is to our gain."

Lord Darry spoke then. "And what do you suggest be done with the Leffords should they be found not as willing to whatever terms you would offer Your Grace?"

Tristifer looks at his wife's nephew and says. "If they do not bend they shall die. One daughter shall be left alive for the man who claims the Tooth to wed, the rest shall die. That is the way it has always been and that is the way it shall always be. The Lannisters will send men to take the Tooth back and Lord Lefford himself might return, they shall die."

"Must they all die though Your Grace? Surely keeping some as hostages might make Lefford and Lannister reconsider storming the keep or using brute force as reparations?" Ser Kyle Rivers asked.

Tristifer looks at the young man knighted by Edmyn and says. "Aye that must be the way of it. Lannister will not simply sit and allow one of his bannermen to live and Lefford will not allow a hostage to stop him reclaiming what he sees as his. We must kill the males and females and leave only one woman alive who can have children for a loyal retainer to wed and sire children to secure our hold over the tooth and protect our border. I do not like it but it must be done."

Ser Kyle nodded and then asked. "And who will lead the parts of the army Your Grace?"

Tristifer knows why the young knight asks the question, he took a serious injury during the fighting with the Reacherlords and is just about recovering, but this is one conflict that he must fight in, of that he is sure. "Edmyn shall lead the right, Lord Darry you shall command the left, the centre shall be Lord Walder's, and I shall command the reserve. We shall plan and prepare more thoroughly, though I want scouts sent out, send word to Lord Brynden, it is time we put our plans into action."