Fourth Month of 682 B.C. Broken Branch

Prince Donnor Stark

Winter was in full effect here, and it was beginning to wear away at his nerves and his own resolve. The bodies of the men he had been forced to leave behind on the march from Winterfell to here had left their image in his mind, burning a brand onto him, that he thinks he will never be able to shake off. Donnor was a hard man, he had had to be to be able to justify being named heir to the Winter throne, and he had seen his own fair share of hardships growing up as it was with his father being a drunkard and abusing his mother and his other siblings. Donnor had grown up before his time, and he knew what it was to fear, but this, this was something else.

The king had asked him to see to it that the rebels, the pirates whatever or whoever it was that was causing them so much grief near White Harbour be dealt with and swiftly so. And so he had ridden off with some 2,000 men to do just that and when he had arrived all he had found was that Jon Arryn and his men were fighting and burning the places near White Harbour for Sansa, the cousin he had barely remembered. Ramsgate, Widow's Watch, Oldcastle all had fallen to the Arryns and had bent the knee and recognised Sansa as her father's rightful heir. There had been struggle upon struggle when Donnor had gotten to Ramsgate, he had fought hard and long with the men there, the push had been long and hard but eventually Lord Torrhen Amber had bent the knee again and so added his strength or what was left of it and they had marched for the Broken Branch where it was said that the armies of the Vale and the Manderlys were gathering.

His wife's uncle Hothar Bolton had added his strength to theirs along the way and so their numbers were swelling and Lord Jojen Reed had brought his strength as well as that of the Towers and the Wells to the field. Reed though had brought dire tidings from White Harbour it would seem. "The king is dead." Reed said as they were camped on the western bank of the Broken Branch. "Slain in single combat by Jon Arryn." There was silence for a long, long time, before Lord Jojen speaks once more. "He was led into a trap. Ser Gared Manderly has been named Lord of White Harbour and his brother and nephews thrown into the Wolf's Den. The man led King Harlon there under false pretences and Jon Arryn was there waiting for him."

Donnor is silent for a long moment, not sure what to say, the man had been more a father to him than his own. Eventually he finds his voice and asks. "What terms did King Harlon set for this duel?" He knows his uncle, and knows he would not have ridden out to fight without considering all the options.

Lord Jojen is silent a moment. "The terms as they were before the duel were that if King Harlon won, Jon Arryn and his men and Sansa would give up all claims to the north and return back to the Vale never to return to the north again. If he lost, then all was on you to decide. That is why Jon Arryn and his Valemen are marching here with so much haste."

Donnor nods though inside he wants to scream. "And how quickly can Lords Karstark, Umber and Hornwood come to answer the call?"

Hothar Bolton shakes his head. "No my prince. There would not be enough time. Tallhart and those closest to the king's own host have come with Lord Reed and myself. We must make a stand now, otherwise Winterfell will surely fall."

Donnor sighs and for a long moment says nothing, feeling choked by all that is happening. Then finally he rolls his shoulders and says. "Then we had best begin discussing the battle plan."

Lord Jojen nods and speaks. "Myself and my men can take the river way and lead parts of the Valemen away from the main body of their host and cause chaos."

Donnor nods and then asks. "Lord Jojen do you know if the Flints and the Manderlys have sent their main commanders with their hosts or not?"

Lord Jojen shakes his head. "I know not Your Grace. Though that should not be too much an issue, after all we have the advantage of knowing more of the land. Jon Arryn will be over confident and will not listen to the advice given to him by Manderly and others."

Donnor nods and says. "Very well then Lord Jojen you and yours shall take the boatway pass through and lead part of Arryn's host on a merry chase, kill all if you can. Hothar you shall command the left and I give you permission to kill as many men as you and yours see fit. I shall take charge of the centre, whilst the right shall be yours Lord Amber."

After that the camp is alive with the bustling of men preparing for war, from the other side, Donnor can see that the same is happening in the Arryn camp, where the falcon and the wolf of the man who wants Winterfell flies high. He snorts and swears by the old gods that the Andal shall never have Winterfell or the north so long as breath is in his body. Soon enough he is armoured and he and his men are mounted, when the horn sounds the charge begins and battle is on. Donnor swings his mace with skill and proficiency cutting down men left and right, crushing their skulls as he goes, swinging and swinging and swing, men fall down and down and down. The river soon flows red with blood and the carnage continues, on and on it goes.

He takes his own fair share of blows, a knock here, a blow there, soon enough his armour is stained red with blood, so much so that it could be easy to forget that it is actually black. The push continues a swing here, a swing there, on it goes, swinging and crushing, swinging and crushing, the pain he pushes through and ignores. On and on it goes, looking for the man who killed his uncle and yet finding more and more of his own bannermen dying by his hand instead. The coward no doubt is hiding behind the northmen, the Valemen are dying as well but he seems to be only killing northmen. On it goes, on and on it goes until suddenly there are no more men left to fight.

Ser Gared Manderly is brought before him in chains, Ice put into his hand. Donnor looks at the man and says. "I should wipe out your whole family for the treason you have done. King Jon Arryn is dead, his head shall be put on a spike and sent to the Vale for my cousin to weep over. And yours, yours shall be removed and put on a spike on Winterfell." With one fell swing, Donnor Stark now King of the North ends the winter rebellion once and for all.