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Chapter 10: Rise of Winter
A group of men, Lannister guards. Eight in total were walking down a trail, singing songs and passing around drinks.
They were making a pass over a bridge when an arrow zipped past and hit one man right in the eye, shocking everyone else and when they recovered they turned and saw at the end was two girls. One taller and another shorter, both had bows in their hands and were drawing another volley.
They unsheathed their weapons and charged the enemy, thinking if they are quick enough that they could take them... They were wrong.
The girls darted and ran and they pursued until they were over the bridge and were mercilessly attacked on two sides, three large wolves and two boys came out from the brush as the two girls got a good distance and loosed another two arrows. One boy with violet eyes splintered one man's blade in half with a mighty greatsword, the steel cutting in the enemies shoulder.
The other boy held a masons hammer and bludgeoned one man's skull into mush, the last three tried to flee before the copper and dark-furred wolves jumped and bit down on their heads, making them scream in terror. The last one barely made it over the bridge before being struck in the leg, falling to the ground and resorted to crawling now.
"Please! Mercy!"
Mercy? Where was the mercy when his family was unjustly denounced, enemies? Where was the mercy when countless men and women died in his fathers household? Arthur walked over to the wounded soldier and lifted Ice high in the air. "There is no mercy for lions in a wolves woods." With that, he brought the steel down and slew the soldier.
Later On...
They were readying their horses for the final day before getting to Riverrun, he thought to himself of what they've been through in the last seven days.
His father is dead, his brother has marshaled the forces of the North to save them. Not long ago the first battles happened, the Battle of the Green Fork with Tywin Lannister and his brother's men under the command of Roose Bolton. They lost but the first battle gave the Northmen the chance when they heard from fleeing villagers that Jaime Lannister had led 15,000 men to lay siege to Riverrun and were defeated in two battles, the Battle of the Whispering Wood and the Battle of the Camps.
That's where they are heading and it won't be long now, just one more day before getting to home territory.
"Hey." He turned and smiled, leaning in to kiss Mya on the lips, "We are ready." He nodded and jumped unto his horse, turning it and the four of them and the three wolves moved down the trails, staying clear off the main roads.
It was an hour later when he heard a horse come up to him, turning to see Arya.
"Will we tell Robb about father?" His little sister whispered out as she came up to him, he didn't give much thought to it as he feared to do so.
Telling Robb will break him, will break Lady Stark and little Rickon and Bran. And Jon, Jon loved their father and respected him much more than he's been over the last several months. He dreaded saying the words because he thinks about the very fact every moment he is alone, yet is his duty to give the news because the Lannisters will no doubt keep his brother believing his father is still captive in King's Landing.
"Yes. It is our duty." He said to her and she lowered her head in sadness, until he gave her a gentle smile, "Hey! Don't be glum, we will avenge our father and everyone we lost in King's Landing." He said with a smile and she frowned, turning from him and whispering something out that sent him back.
"... What about the Kingslayer? Will you be able to kill him."
He went silent after that, unable to answer her question without lying or angering her. He just urged his horse forward, keeping quiet.
Jaime
Jaime Lannister laid back and thought about what happened just yesterday, regretting every decision since before the war began.
His father wasn't particularly happy with him when he came back empty handed, what with letting his apprentice and friend go back to King's Landing only to be imprisoned again as he assumes. His father had also chastised him for not grabbing Eddard instead and said to him that a Bastard means nothing, it was idiotic of him.
Yet instead of leaving him home he was given command of 15,000 men, sent north to Riverrun to take it from the Tully's. He was close to doing just that when Robb Stark and his lot arrived, goading him into charging with 1500 men and met close to 18,000 thousand Northmen along with another 2,000 Frey's. He was defeated and captured.
His two camps across Riverrun were trampled one after the other, some fled and most were killed and he was put in chains with a collar around his neck. He laid back and wiped some dirt from his face, he'll need a bath when he gets out of this.
"Kingslayer!" The words came from Catelyn Stark, standing over him a foot away with a stone in her hand.
"Midnight visits? Who knew fish enjoyed lions, Heh." He chuckled lightly and was received with a harsh glare, "What do you want? Your son defeated me, but I almost got him if not for some of the men guarding him." He mentioned with mirth, mocking the woman before him.
"I should kill you for what you've done, you and your family. I should cut off your head and send it to your sister." She threatened and he cracked a smile.
"Well, you start with an ax and not a stone, if that's what you want? Don't threaten me Lady Stark." She welled up some tears, yet he felt indifferent. "Robb is a coward, you know. Arthur is more skilled, with what I taught him he might have beaten me singlehandedly." He boasted and saw the woman's expression turn, she wasn't angry with him anymore... It was Arthur. "I let him go, you know. I genuinely liked the boy other than the other bastard or your older boy, a shame he might be dead with how much my nephew hated him." He ended and let all he's said to sink into Lady Stark, her face was still with anger. Eventually, she left him with dropping the stone she came to kill him with, he just reclined his head and closed his eyes shut to get some sleep.
The next morning the camp of Riverrun was lively as it woke him from his slumber, some men were gasping or waking others as they all went to the edge of the camp. He sighed thought another army of Rivermen were joining the fighting and was going to sleep until he saw four horses in the distance and noticed one of them, his eyes widened as he sat up and got on his knees to get a better look and was astonished and grateful at the same time.
Arthur was here, and his sister and Lady Mya. Another boy was with them though he couldn't make him out.
Arthur
The outriders caught them but upon seeing the wolves by their sides the guards took them all the way to the gates of Riverrun where he saw Robb, Theon, Lady Stark and several noblemen and women of both North and Riverlands. They were ecstatic and Arya eagerly jumped from her horse and ran up to her mother who took her into a tight embrace, he smiled and hopped from his own horse and walked over to his brother and silence was all either of them offered with kind smiles and warmness.
"Brother." Robb didn't say anything and took him in a brotherly embrace, after a time he did too.
"Thank the Old Gods you are alright, would be boring if you died, Arthur." He offered Theon a smile for his remark. The pleasantries sadly ended when Catelyn noticed two who weren't here, and he cursed himself for it once more.
"Sansa and Ned. Are they still in King's Landing? Arthur." She asked him and held her daughter, Arya buried her face and began to weep again.
No words can be said to tell them, no form to say that Eddard Stark, a proud father, and an honorable man had died from his wounds. He walked over and grabbed the wrapped Ice and brought it over, getting on one knee and holding it for Robb to take it, the moment this was done Catelyn started to cry and Robb began breathing heavily as the tears welled up in his eyes. He kept his head low, unable to look his brother and Lady Stark in the eye and all while he cried all over again.
The camp went into a time of mourning for the late Lord of Winterfell, he spent much of that time walking amongst the camp and getting to know some of the men. Lord Forrester introduced him to Rodrik, son and heir of Ironrath. He also met others such as Smalljon Umber, son of Greatjon and met Lord Rickard the Lord of Karhold and heard of his sons Eddard and Torrhen being slain by Jaime Lannister. Lord Karstark didn't like him, his reputation as Jaime's squire making that abundantly clear.
Mya and Gendry were given room and board in Riverrun, they are children of the old King and deserve some form of respect. Mya in here bluntness said she would be in his chambers which shocked Robb, and delighted Theon who made a few lewd comments about the wolf bringing the doe under him. He shut the fool up and apologized to Mya who was red in the cheek, she left soon after and the event became somewhat uncomfortable.
He was passing the prisoner pens when he saw who he'd come to visit, Jaime Lannister sat in mud and dirt. The older man looked up at him and cracked a smile.
"Looks like I'm the prisoner now. Care to offer the same courtesy and free me?" How dare the man, does he think him daft or something? He grits his teeth and huffed.
"My brother and Lady Stark would hang me by my feet, and no." He responded. "I saved my father, I saved him. And he died because of your nephew." He smiled smugly for a single moment, "But I did get your blood back, stuck Joffrey with a thrown spear." He boasted and saw Jaime's face turn dark for a moment like his father had gone when he was... Being, oh gods. He left Jaime, needed to get away after realizing the disturbing truth that Joffrey, tyrant king is no king but a tyrant bastard, Jaime's son.
His mentor was the father of three royals, born of incest like the Targaryens.
This is terrible.
Ten Days Later
Robb
He had mourned, he came to save his father and sisters and Arthur. He got Arthur and Arya back and lost a father, now he has to save Sansa from the Queen and King.
For nine days he mourned and before the tenth he would have counsel, calling his lords and the bannermen of his grandfather and uncle. The matter is to decide on who to swear their loyalty to, in the Reach and Stormlands the old Kings youngest brother has declared himself King, in Dragonstone Roberts second brother, has also declared right to have the throne. He will not be siding with Joffrey, both he and his mother will die for their treachery.
He looked at Ice on the table, his father's sword that is now his as the new Lord of Winterfell.
As for the Tyrant himself, he learned from Arthur that he isn't even Roberts son upon talking to Jaime. He is a bit upset his brother went to that man but is happy his brother came to him right away, in a way he has no real allegiance to the current monarch who isn't a monarch at all, just a bastard born of incest and nothing more.
"The proper course is clear: Pledge allegiance to Renly and join our forces with his." One Lord said and some agreed to what the man was saying, but not him.
"Renly is not the King!" The same Lord went to argue it with him after declaring the truth, and he would urge it on.
"You cannot mean to hold to Joffrey my Lord, he put your father to death." He grits his teeth, he will not hold to that bastard.
"That doesn't make Renly king. He is Robert's younger brother, now Bran can't be Lord of Winterfell before I and Renly can't be King before Stannis." Chattering began after saying this from him being asked if they will declare for Stannis and one saying that Renly is not right, it would be Greatjon who would quiet everyone in the hall.
"MY LORDS! Here is what I say to these two kings! spits upon the ground. Renly Baratheon is nothing to me, nor Stannis neither. Why should they rule over me and mine, from some flowery seat in Highgarden or Dorne? What do they know of the Wall or the Wolfswood or the Barrows of the First Men? Even their gods are wrong. The Others take the Lannisters too, I've had a bellyful of them. Why shouldn't we rule ourselves again? It was the dragons we married, and the dragons are all dead! There sits the only king I mean to bow my knee to, m'lords. The King in the North!"
Everything became quiet with what Greatjon Umber said, his breathing became heavy again with nervousness. He looked back by his mother and Lady Mya who were sharing worried expressions on their faces. Lord Karstark rose from his seat, excited and eager.
"I'll have peace on those words, they can keep their Iron Chair and red castles too. The King in the North!" Others began to join, Theon too.
"You're my brother, in life and death. I will follow in victory and defeat, the King in the North!" The next to rise from his chair was his blooded brother.
"Every time a northerner went south, tragedy followed because we were sworn to Aegon and his brood of incestuous dragons. I say we sever that chain binding us to the Iron Throne, for father." He nodded to his brother, For father, He thought as he finally got up, accepting his new role and Arthur knelt before him with his blade unsheathed, "The King of Winter!" He heard him cry out and suddenly everyone followed suit.
"The King in the North! The King in the North! THE KING IN THE NORTH!"
A/N: So the fourth king has joined the war. The chapter wasn't what was expected and Ill try harder.
Silver Crow, Yeah didn't know what they were thinking when they made that his name. Well in all my stories his name will be Jaehaery.
Leylinjan, Sorry about that, I will try