I know it sounds repetitive, but I appreciate the reviews. And yes, loyal, awesome Roose Bolton is the kind of ironies I love :D
And now for a twist, because Cat is now at the Reach and met Renly and Stannis. In a similar, but not the same, fashion as in the books.
Catelyn III
She had prayed the Crone for wisdom, the Mother for mercy, the Warrior for his children... she hadn't dared to pray the Father for justice for her cause nor the Stranger. None prayed to the Stranger, yet she felt she should have. Renly Baratheon had flat out refused to allow an independent Kingdom of the North, and only promised justice for Ned and a good marriage for Sansa. That last part had raised a lump in her throat. Her son's success had only sparked the need of others to secure hostages against him.
Worse was the meeting with Stannis. Suddenly declaring himself King and accusing Cersei of fornicating with her brother, Renly's older brother had sailed to lay siege to Storm's End and challenge Renly, not Joffrey, for the Throne. As for the King in the North, Stannis had only promised his particular version of justice.
And so she stayed at the entrance of Lord Renly's tent, surrounded by her guards and Renly's rainbow guard, filled with doubts. Renly had decided to attack with a fraction of his force, 20,000 heavy horse of the Reach and the Stormlands. Did she care if one brother or the other won? She wanted to walk into the tent, to make Renly see reason and join his forces to her son's and march on King's Landing, on the Rock and on any place of Earth where a Lion banner waved. But Snow had it right. Renly and Stannis were her enemies.
"Are you coming in, my Lady?" asked her Ser Robar Royce, of Renly's Rainbow Guard
She saw inside the tent. Lady Brienne was arming Renly for the battle she was to see from one of the nearby hills. 'The Others take them all' she though and shook her head. Just as she was about to walk out of the tent's entrance, she felt a cold wind rush past her. Inside the tent, in full view of the Rainbow Guard and her own escort, a third shadow moved between Brienne and Renly' shadows. The Lady of Tarth saw it approaching Renly and let out a piercing scream. Brienne tried to fight it to no avail and the Shadow struck King Renly from the back.
"It's cold" whispered Renly before dying.
The next moments happened in a whirlwind. Her guard and the Rainbow Guard had to restrain Loras, and Hallis Mollen knocked a few teeth out of him with his shield to do it, before the young knight managed to slay everyone on sight. Brienne cried as loud as her huge lungs allowed her to. People from all over the camp were rushing to see what was going on.
Catelyn struggled to regain her calms 'Did the Others took him, as I wished?' She wondered. But the Shadow had a distinct shape she knew too well. "Ser Loras! Get a hold of yourself!" she commanded. The young knight was crying louder than Brienne, if that seemed possible, but reacted to Catelyn's clear command. "You've all seen what killed your king. That shadow was Stannis. He, and his shadowbinder. Ser Loras, Lady Brienne, Lord Bryce, Ser Emmon, Ser Guyard, Ser Parmen, Ser Robar, do you want to avenge your fallen king?" When all the knights, and one lady, nodded and formed around her, Catelyn lowered her voice "With Renly dead, Stannis is the Lord of the Stormlands. Kinslayer or not, few will believe how Renly died, and the Stormlords will follow him. Ser Loras, you have to gather the Reach lords around us and lead them to battle if you expect to avenge him. And beware, fighting could erupt in this very camp" Ser Loras, his eyes red with tears, nodded. Shortly, the Knights of Summer went to do their duty, recruiting back all the men in Renly's camp. Without any hesitation, Catelyn Stark and her guard left the camp for the hill they wanted to use to watch over the battle.
"They won't win" said Hallis Mollen when they've reached the hill under a peace banner. Fighting had already erupted at Renly's camp between the Reach Lords and the Storm Lords and the skirmished filled the air with the scream of the fallen.
"They should defeat the Storm Lords at the camp with easy" corrected him Catelyn
"Oh, yes, they will, and soon. Several are already running, and many are uncommitted. But they won't defeat Stannis" Catelyn held the reins of her horse. She wished they did. Whatever power Stannis had called, Catelyn feared he'd use against her Robb. But she had concede the captain of the guards knew more about warfare and tactics than her.
The fighting in the camp didn't end up until past midday, with the Reachmen victorious. It took them another two hours to be ready to attack, all while Stannis prepared his lines for the Reach cavalry. She had to concede Hal might be right. Ser Loras, if it was him who was leading the attack, had managed to reunited something between 8,000 to 10,000 men and horses, as the rest were lost to injuries, desertions or simply left.
They've charged bravely and foolishly. The arrows, catapults and scorpions behind Stannis line broke the charge at many points, and those who reached the lines of pikes got their horses torn to pieces. Catelyn could only admire the discipline of Stannis' host. Thrice Ser Loras guided his cavalry to Stannis, and thrice they've smashed against the pike wall of Stannis' infantry, all while archers kept raining death and knocking down the horses behind their lines.
Finally, the attackers a full out infantry assault, armed with poles, spears, swords and axes. Only then they've managed to smash the battered defenders. She heard horns, shouting and saw banners moving all along Stannis line. With hope, she watched Stannis banner fall. Finally night fell and both armies pulled back. The men of Dragonstone lifted the siege and boarded their ships, with the remnant of Renly's 20,000 pulling back to their camp.
It was by next morning when Catelyn dared walk into the camp to find out the result of the battle. She was allowed passage without being disturbed. All over, she saw men covered in blood, with demented and lost looks, with missing limbs, delirious because of the fever of infected wounds, drunk, injured, dead or dying.
She made her way into what once was Renly's tent. A scarred Brienne was holding the hand of a one-armed Ser Loras, while Ser Robar, with a bloody patch covering his right eye and half her face mounted guard supporting his weight in a spear. Ser Loras tried to speak, but he coughed up blood. He looked at her smiling.
"We avenged him" said Lady Brienne "We killed Stannis the Kingslayer in our final charge and his Red Witch fell with him"
Catelyn nodded. She wanted to comfort them and congratulate them for their victory. But it didn't fell like a victory and they weren't her men to comfort. She wanted to tell them she would be glad to have them in their service, but that would mean they've fought and bleed for naught.
She greeted them and left for Grassy Vale, to check on the main Tyrell host and Margery Tyrell, King's Renly Queen and widow.
"He won't make it. Ser Loras. Those injuries will kill him soon" said Hallis Mollen. He had a knack for telling the obvious.
And who are you, the proud lord said,
that I must bow so low?
Only a stag of a different coat, that's all the truth I know.
In a coat of black or a coat of red,
a stag still has antlers,
And mine are long and sharp, my lord,
as long and sharp as yours.
And so he spoke, and so he spoke,
that lord of Storm's End,
And so he spoke, and so he spoke,
that lord of Dragonstone,
But now the rains weep o'er their halls,
with no one there to hear.
Yes now the rains weep o'er their halls,
and not a soul to hear