We're nearing the end of the Dance with Dragons and heading into The Winds of Winter, only two chapters left. There will also be an appendix coming soon probably after the end of this book or somewhere in between the Winds of Winter segment as there will be too many characters for me to keep up with as new factions begin to enter the war.
The Arryn fleet stole into White Harbor on the evening tide, their sails rippling with every gust of wind.
Twenty thousand men sailed with Catelyn; all sworn to the six lords who had helped her achieve the alliance between the Eyrie and Winterfell. The rest of the knights of the Vale had been left behind to defend their lands should the Iron Throne retaliate. If only they had sailed with her the first time things would be different and Robb might still be alive, but they were not to blame, it was Lysa's fault, hers and Petyr's. She should never have trusted them, but there was nothing she could do about it now, the past was in the past. All that mattered to her now was seeing all of her children again, together at Winterfell where they belonged.
Glancing over at Sansa who stood with her new husband, Catelyn remembered the conversation she had with her after the wedding, with Sansa confessing to going to the queen after Ned had told her that she was going back to Winterfell with Arya. She couldn't believe it, but then she remembered that it was Petyr who had told her and she knew that she would be playing right into his hands if she let her anger get the better of her.
For now Catelyn tried not to think about it as she knew that soon Petyr's head would be on a spike when Brynden learned that they had the man who had betrayed Ned in their custody. Sansa need not suffer any more than she had and Catelyn knew that Brynden would forgive her just as she had.
The past was in the past, Catelyn repeated to herself. All that mattered now was the future.
As they sailed into the harbor, the walls of whitewashed stone rose before them, on the eastern shore where the White Knife plunged into the firth. The direwolf of House Stark and the merman of House Manderly was everywhere in evidence, flying from the towers of the New Castle, above the Seal Gate, and along the city walls.
Lord Manderly had indeed been busy since she had last seen him, Catelyn noted, as she spotted the jetty walls concealing the inner harbor. The outer harbor was larger, but the inner harbor offered better anchorage, sheltered by the city wall on one side and the looming mass of the Wolf's Den on another, and now by the jetty wall as well. A score of ships could be concealed behind those walls, waiting only a command to put to sea. The harbor was indeed well defended should the south ever decide to invade the north.
Lord Manderly and a retinue of guards awaited them as they docked at the port. Lord Harrold was the first to disembark, along with Sansa, with Catelyn and the other lords trailing behind her.
"Welcome, my lords, my ladies. We have been expecting you." Lord Manderly greeted, bowing his head.
"Where is the king? I thought he would be the one to greet us, seeing as he did summon us for our men." Harrold asked, causing Lord Manderly to frown.
"The king is currently riding for Winterfell from Eastwatch after rescuing the wildlings at Hardhome."
"Wildling scum." Catelyn heard Lord Royce mutter behind her.
Catelyn knew their new allies would disagree with her son's alliance with the wildlings, just as she knew that many northern lords still disagreed with his decision. Her son was walking on thin ice with this new alliance, and she blamed Stannis Baratheon and Jon Snow for putting her son in this situation.
It was moments like these that Catelyn wished her son had never married the wildling girl. It would at least leave him in a far better position than dealing with a potential rebellion from his bannermen. All it would take was a single spark to destroy the alliance, and her son's marriage to the wildling girl would be all for nothing.
"So we are to ride for Winterfell then I take it?" Harrold asked.
"Aye, though you are not the only ones. The king is summoning all of his bannermen to Winterfell, which means that I will also be accompanying you."
All of them? Catelyn was just as surprised as the other lords when she heard the words come out of Lord Manderly's mouth. Her son couldn't possibly preparing for another war, could he, or was it something else?
"He doesn't mean to march south does he?" Lord Royce asked, voicing all of their thoughts.
Lord Manderly shook his head. "Not south, north."
"North," Lord Royce scoffed. "What other enemy is out there for him to deal with now that he is fraternizing with wildlings?"
"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you. Even I'm still having a hard time believing it, even with the men and lords who had accompanied the king swearing to have seen them at Hardhome."
"Them?" Lord Harrold parroted. "What do you mean?"
"The Others."
The lords and Harrold immediately guffawed at Lord Manderly's reply. Even Catelyn found it hard to believe, though she knew that her son was no liar and wouldn't make something up like the Others existence.
"You can't be serious. The Others are only a story, a tale to make children shiver. Your king must be mad if he would have us believe that the Others are real." Lord Royce said.
"Believe me, I wish he was, but the other lords that were with him also saw them with their own eyes. I know these men and they would never lie about something like this." Lord Manderly defended.
That must be the reason why Brynden made the alliance with the wildlings, Catelyn realized. Brynden trusted Jon Snow, just as much as Lord Manderly trusted the men who supported his claim and that would be more than enough of a reason for her son to believe their existence. She shuddered at the thought of the Others being real though, remembering the tales Old Nan used to tell her children at night.
If they were real what chance did they have at beating them? She prayed that her son had a plan to defeat them.
The other lords however were still skeptical of the Others existence. "I'll believe it when I see it," Lord Harrold declared.
"Come my lords, my ladies. We've lingered here for far too long for my liking. You and your men should rest for a bit before we ride for Winterfell. Then we can hear from the king himself of what he saw at Hardhome."
Lord Manderly turned around and led their group to New Castle. Marble mermaids lit the way as they climbed the Castle Stair to New Castle. Catelyn could hear Lord Royce scoffing and muttering about northern fools, knowing that he found the existence of the Others ludicrous. Even Catelyn still had a hard time believing it, but she knew her son would never call all the northern lords to Winterfell unless the threat to the north was serious.
Ser Kevan Lannister had arrived to the capital within a fortnight after receiving a raven from Pycelle, accepting the position of Lord Regent and Protector of the Realm when he had learned of his niece's imprisonment by the High Sparrow. Now he found himself sitting on the small council, listening to the dire news of the north.
"Lady Sansa Stark has wed Lord Harrold Arryn, my lord. They now sail for White Harbor with an army, according to my spies." Qyburn informed them.
Winterfell and the Eyrie, bound together by marriage. Should the Demon of the North turn his attention south, Kevan feared that another devastating war like the War of the Five Kings would erupt across Westeros. Cersei was right, they should never have sent the Stark girl back to her family, but all Tywin wanted was his son back and he could not blame him for that. Along with the wildlings the Blackwolf could muster a force even greater than the one Robb Stark had during the war.
Yet the King in the North had not made a move since securing an alliance with the wildlings and the Eyrie, which caused Kevan to worry. He hated the waiting and not knowing what his enemy was planning.
"And what of Stannis?" Lord Tyrell, the Hand of the King, asked.
"Still on Dragonstone along with the Manderly fleet. Several ships though have been reported sailing north for reasons unknown."
"They have the numbers to launch an attack or to resume the war yet they do nothing." Lord Randyll Tarly voiced his thoughts. "What are Baratheon and Stark up to?"
"I wish I had the answer, my lord." Qyburn bowed his head.
Kevan still found it hard to believe that a man like Stannis Baratheon would form an alliance with Brynden Stark whilst he still called himself King in the North. Something must have happened at the Wall to cause those two men to form an alliance together.
When will these battles end? Kevan was growing too old for this, but he would do his duty for the realm and his house, to ensure that Tywin's legacy would not be brought down by the follies of his children.
"What of the Blackfish?" Kevan asked.
The last he had heard of that man before he had left King's Landing was that the Blackfish was still raiding and plundering in the westerlands, unleashing the fury of the north on their lands. He knew their attacks were nothing more than a distraction but was still grateful that Cersei at least had the sense to send an army to the westerlands to deal with them before her imprisonment.
"The Blackfish has pulled back his men to the Winter Fleet." Qyburn replied.
Mace snorted. "No doubt he decided to fall back when he learned of my men's arrival."
Kevan highly doubted that, knowing that the Blackfish would be more than capable of defeating the Tyrell army with the men he had. It only proved his point that the Blackfish's raids in the westerlands was nothing more than a feint to draw their forces away from the south, but for what purpose he could still not figure out.
"Have our men fall back to Riverrun," he ordered. "They will find no battle in the west."
Lord Tyrell and Tarly looked at him as if he had lost his wits. "The Blackfish raids in your lands and you would have me pull my men back? You would let these barbarians loose in your lands unopposed for what?" Lord Tyrell asked.
"Their attacks are nothing more then a distraction, to draw our forces away from the south. You may underestimate the Blackwolf, my lord, but I will not."
Kevan still remembered the Massacre on the Green Fork and the Whispering Wood. How the Stark boys had managed to fool Tywin and capture Jaime along with lifting the siege of Riverrun. He would not make the same mistake and fall for the Blackwolf's tricks. They had just managed to take control of the south, with only Storm's End and Dragonstone left to take and Kevan would see to it that it would remain that way.
Lord Tarly then nodded in agreement when he realized what Kevan meant. "A boy he may be, the Blackwolf has more cunning than the Young Wolf."
Lord Tyrell frowned. "You believe Brynden Stark means to invade the south? He has no more allies after he abandoned the river lords to secure the north."
"He has the wildlings and the knights of the Vale at his side. Their numbers are more than enough to overwhelm our forces if we spread ourselves thin." Kevan pointed out.
Even a small force with a skilled commander would be able to achieve several victories before they would be able to consolidate their forces. It would also take time to march their armies to wherever the enemy struck with the Tyrell and Tarly armies in the capital to secure Queen Margaery's release from the Faith.
"I doubt Stark has any interest in the Iron Throne unless he means to sit Stannis Baratheon on it." Lord Tyrell grumbled.
No, but he may exact his revenge on the Freys for their part in the Red Wedding. Kevan had no doubt that the Twins would be the first place Brynden Stark would attack should he decide to turn his attention south.
"For now we should keep our attention focused on the north. Lord Redwyne will keep Stannis occupied with the ships he has left, but that does not mean that we should let our guards down." Kevan said.
"Until this farce of a trial with my daughter is dealt with, the Others can deal with them. Let these two kings sit and do nothing while we focus on dealing with the High Sparrow."
"Very well, my lord. This meeting is adjourned for today."
Lord Tyrell grunted and stood up, leaving the chambers with Lord Tarly trailing behind him. Qyburn bowed before taking his leave, leaving Kevan alone to his thoughts.
The riders poured through the castle gates, both new and old faces Bran recognized from his brother's last stay at Winterfell. They were five thousand strong, and over their heads a dozen icy banners whipped back and forth in the northern wind, emblazoned with the grey direwolf of Stark.
His brother's sworn swords and companions had a few new additions, Bran noticed, spotting a few wildlings amongst the group. Yet his brother at the head of the column caught Bran's attention, as he stared in awe at his brother's Valyrian steel armor. Even after already seeing it once before it was still a sight to behold.
Beside his brother was his queen and wife, Val, of the Free Folk. The two of them together looked like a true king and queen compared to when King Robert Baratheon had come to Winterfell.
Brynden dismounted from his horse and approached Bran while the others continued to pour through the gates. He smiled when he stopped in front of him, with Shadow prowling the area, searching for his littermates. "You've grown a few inches since I last saw you."
Bran wanted to hug his brother, but Brynden was his king now, and not just a brother, so he said only, "Your Grace. Winterfell is yours."
By then the others were dismounting as well, and grooms were coming forward for their mounts.
"Anything of importance happen while I was away?" Brynden asked.
Bran smiled. "You'll never guess who Ser Helman's scouts picked up on the causeway to Moat Cailin."
Brynden raised an eyebrow. "Who?"
Bran looked over his shoulder and nodded his head. A stocky man with a clean-shaven appearance approached, now clad in the silvery mail and long grey cloak of the Stark guards. "Your Grace," he bowed.
Brynden studied the man for a moment before his eyes widened in recognition. "Harwin? I thought you were dead along with the rest of father's guards."
"Not yet." Harwin grinned.
"Are there others with you?"
Harwin shook his head. "I'm the only one left from your father's guards."
Bran then chose to interrupt the conversation. "His companions said they were here to help you fight in the coming war."
"Companions?" Brynden frowned.
A scarecrow of a man, wearing a ragged black cloak speckled with stars and an iron breastplate dinted by a hundred battles, stepped forward. A thicket of red-gold hair hid most of his face, save for a bald spot above his left ear where his head had been smashed in.
"Dondarrion? You're still alive?" The raspy voice belonging to the Hound spoke up from behind Brynden.
"Clegane? Never thought I would find you here up so far north." The scarecrow that was Beric Dondarrion replied.
"You're the ones Arya spoke of," Brynden realized. "The Brotherhood without banners."
"Aye, we are, Your Grace. As your brother already mentioned, we've come to help in the wars to come. Our swords are yours if you will have us."
"We could use all the men we can get." Brynden smiled.
"Is mother with you?" Bran asked, hoping to see her again.
Brynden shook his head. "She should be arriving soon at White Harbor with Sansa. Lord Manderly will be waiting for their arrival."
"What about Jon?"
"He is the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch now. His place is at the Wall, fortifying our defenses against our true enemy." Brynden replied.
"Let's just hope they don't decide to assault the Wall while we are here." Smalljon Umber muttered.
"The Wall has held them back for centuries. So long as it is still standing we have nothing to fear." Brynden tried to sound sure of it though Bran noticed that his brother did not at all seem to believe the words he spoke.
"Let's hope you're right."
Once the conversation ended Brynden said to Bran, "Walk with me. We have much to discuss."
Brynden led Bran away from the group as the others began to make their way into the castle. It was still a strange sight for Bran to see wildlings walking beside northerners, but times were changing and Bran knew that Brynden would do anything to protect the north.
"You saw something at the Wall, didn't you?" Bran asked, hoping to find out what was going on. Something must have happened to have caused Brynden to call his bannermen to Winterfell.
Brynden sighed, shutting his eyes for a moment before opening them again. "The Others are real. I saw them with my own eyes and even killed one of them. I know I must sound like a madman to you right now."
"That's why you let the wildlings through the Wall." Bran pointed out.
Brynden nodded. "Aye, but we lost Mance and thirty thousand wildlings to the Others. We don't have the numbers to deal with an army like that."
"How do you plan to deal with them?" Bran hoped that his brother at least had a plan to defend the north against the Others instead of relying on the Wall.
"My first priority is protecting my people, which is why I will be having the Winter Fleet ferry those who cannot fight to the Iron Islands. It will take some time, but at least we will be able to have less areas to worry about should the Wall fall."
"An evacuation," Bran's eyes widened.
"It's not perfect but it will mean fewer enemies to swell the ranks of the dead. For now that's the only thing I'm focused on until the Lords of the Vale arrive. I can already foresee how they will look at me when I tell them what I saw at Hardhome." Brynden chuckled.
"But you'll still tell them anyways," Bran muttered.
Brynden smiled. "Aye, because at the end of the day, the only enemy that matters is the one beyond the Wall. If I can convince the Lords of the Vale of the true threat then there is a chance I will be able to convince the other Seven Kingdoms to band together against the white walkers."
"You will," Bran assured him, for both their sakes. He didn't want to know what would happen if his brother failed.
The war council Brynden had summoned consisted of his bannermen, the Free Folk, the Lords of the Vale, and the few river lords who had returned with the Blackfish. Brynden and his northern lords sat at the head of the high table, with his siblings seated below the raised platform. The Greatjon sat at his left hand, along with Galbart Glover, Lady Mormont, Lord Harrion Karstark, with Val seated to his right, and then his mother, Lord Manderly, Lord Hornwood, and the Northern mountain clans.
Opposite of them were the Vale lords, the so-called Lords Declarant. Lord Harrold Arryn sat at the head of the table, with Lord Royce by his side, and the other five lords arrayed beside them. To the right were the Free Folk, with Tormund as their leader, along with the chieftains who followed him. Then to the left was Brynden Blackfish with Lord Mallister, and Lord Blackwood, the only river lords to have accompanied them north.
Tensions were running high in the Great Hall of Winterfell as Brynden listened to the arguing going back and forth between the Lords of the Vale, the wildlings, and Lords of the North. He should have foreseen this, but he needed them all present to discuss their plans against the coming storm. Several fights had already broken out in the Winter Town, and luckily no one had been killed yet. It was only a matter of time though unless Brynden did something about it.
"You can't expect the Knights of the Vale to side with Wildling invaders." Lord Royce exclaimed, with several other Vale lords nodding in agreement.
"We didn't invade. We were invited." Tormund pointed out.
"Not by me." Lord Royce declared, sitting down, with the arguing resuming once more, causing Brynden to stand up.
"The Free Folk are bound by marriage to the North, just as the Eyrie is to Winterfell." Brynden pointed out, causing many to turn their attention to him. "They are no longer our enemies, my lords. The true enemy lies beyond the Wall, waiting to strike, and if we don't band together we will not survive."
"And how do we know that you aren't just being used by the wildlings?" Lord Harrold, Sansa's husband, asked, standing up. "Forgive me, Your Grace, but I find it hard to believe that this army of the dead and Others exist. For all we know you and your lords could be deceived by their sweet words, just like the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch."
"Do you take me for a fool, Lord Arryn?" Brynden growled, his tone as cold as ice, causing the young lord to flinch. "I was fighting the Lannisters, scouring the Iron Islands, and defending the Wall while you were still a green boy. I have faced many enemies on the field, but none of them terrified me as much as the Others did. I fought one of them and barely survived. The lords that are standing beside me can all vouch for me."
He could still remember the screams, the dead blue eyes staring at him, and the way the Other moved as if it was the wind. Were it not for his Valyrian steel armor and Ice, Brynden was certain that he would be dead right now. The very thought of how close he was to death and what he saw at Hardhome caused him to realize just how petty their war in the Seven Kingdoms was.
"You are a fool if you believe that I would be deceived by wildlings." The Greatjon added, standing up, glaring at the young lord. "My family has been fighting their kind for as long as I could remember. We are closer to the Wall than any house here and have clashed against wildling raiders time and again. I would rather split my own belly than be made a fool of by Wildlings, but what I saw at Hardhome is as real as you and me. As much as I hate to admit it, they are our allies now, whether we like it or not."
Brynden nodded to the Greatjon in thanks while he sat back down. He then glanced at Lord Arryn who wisely chose to sit back down as well. He was around Brynden's age, but still inexperienced, though Brynden supposed he would also be like him if he hadn't experienced war and been crowned king. Still, he was grateful at least that Lord Harrold had sworn his swords to his cause, which made him ten times better than his cousin Robert in his eyes.
"I know this new alliance is a lot to take in, my lords. Even I was skeptical of it at first until I was convinced of the importance from the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch." Brynden admitted, causing many of the lords to murmur to each other. "If the brothers of the Night's Watch could set aside their differences with the Free Folk than so could we. That is why I am pleased to announce that Smalljon Umber has agreed to take a wildling woman as his wife."
This caused many lords in the room to shout in disapproval, something Brynden had anticipated. The Greatjon slammed his fist onto the table, causing many to shut up in response.
Brynden was grateful that he had discussed such an idea to the Greatjon and Smalljon Umber first when they were riding for Winterfell. Initially they were opposed to such a match, until Brynden had convinced them the importance of the match. Smalljon had reluctantly agreed to it, as his house was indebted to Brynden for gifting them Brightroar.
Not to mention that it would also help solidify their alliance in ways that not even Brynden's marriage to Val could. For if the Umbers, sworn enemies to the Free Folk since the Wall was built could put aside their differences than so could the rest of the Seven Kingdoms.
"I don't like the thought of taking a wildling as my wife either, my lords, but we all must make sacrifices for the greater good." Smalljon added, standing up.
"And I take it that you would have our sons and daughters also take a wildling as their spouse," Lady Anya Waynwood scoffed.
"No, you are free to wed your children to whomever you see fit." Brynden replied. "A marriage between an Umber and the Free Folk is important however for our alliance."
"So how do you plan on dealing with these Others and their dead?" Lord Royce asked, frowning.
"As part of our alliance the Free Folk have been helping the Night's Watch man the abandoned castles along the Wall. As you all know the Wall hasn't been properly manned for years and the Night's Watch numbers have been dwindling. The Wall is our first line of defense but should it fall the Last Hearth will be one of the first to be hit." Brynden replied.
"Luckily we have giants and mammoths to help out with our defenses," Smalljon Umber grinned, causing the Vale lords to murmur to each other in disbelief.
"Then what is our purpose if you have giants and mammoths?" Lord Harrold asked.
"We can't throw all our strength at our first lines of defense." Brynden replied. "Winterfell is the heart of the north and should be heavily defended. Half of your forces will help augment my own army. The other half will head to Moat Cailin, which will be our last line of defense. Hopefully it will not come to that."
"Half of the giants and mammoths will come to Winterfell," Tormund added.
"If these Others and their wights are as grave of a threat as you say they are should we at least seek out the aid of the other Seven Kingdoms?" Lady Anya asked.
"Stannis Baratheon is on Dragonstone mining the dragonglass and sending them north with the Manderly Fleet. He has also gained the gold of the Iron Bank and is using them to hire sellswords across the narrow sea. As for the Lannisters, you all know how I feel about them, but we need them and their allies the Tyrells and Martells if we hope to survive this war, which is why I plan on using the Kingslayer to negotiate with them."
His response was immediately met with disapproval as the southron lords roared in disagreement.
"The Kingslayer should be executed for his crimes, not pardoned and released!" Lord Blackwood cried out.
"The Lannisters cannot be trusted!" Lord Royce added.
"You may as well bend the knee and swear fealty to the Iron Throne," Lord Harrold scoffed.
Brynden knew exactly how they felt as they continued to voice their disapproval. Hell, he even hated himself for suggesting they ally with the Lannisters as he would sooner trust a wight to fight alongside him than a Lannister. Jon was right though. They would need all of Westeros united under one banner if they hoped to survive.
The Others were on the move though after centuries of having the rest of the Seven Kingdoms believe they were dead and Brynden feared that meant they had a way to pass through the Wall, which had been raised after the Long Night to prevent such an event from happening. Either way, Brynden was not going to let the North or his people suffer because he underestimated the enemy.
Brynden raised his hand, silencing the room. "Stark, Lannister, Baratheon, Arryn, Tully, Tyrell, Martell; it doesn't matter which house you come from, the enemy won't care. To them we are nothing more than a sack of meat to slaughter and add to their army. Sacrifices must be made and if we must lay in bed with our enemies than so be it. We can go back to killing each other once the true enemy is dealt with."
"My lord father was butchered at the Red Wedding and I will never forget that, but what I saw at Hardhome is coming for all of us." Harrion added, balling his hand into a fist. "I don't like the Lannisters any less than any of you as my brothers and father died fighting them, but we need them. We cannot hope to defeat them alone."
"Yesterday's wars don't matter anymore. The only thing that matters now is the living and the dead. So I ask you, my lords, are you with me or not?" Brynden continued.
The room was silent for a moment before Lord Royce stood up. "We were all frustrated with your Lady aunt when she refused to aid your brother during the war, that will not happen again. Our swords are yours, Your Grace."
Lord Harrold stood up, grinning. "So long as I get to test my steel is fine by me. We are kin now and that means something in the Vale. The Vale is with you, Your Grace."
There was no words needed for Tormund and the other chieftains as they simply nodded their heads to Brynden in acknowledgment.
Brynden looked at his uncle who stepped forward. "You needn't ask where my loyalties lie, Your Grace."
Lord Manderly was the last to stand up, representing the lords who did not accompany Brynden to Hardhome. "The north remembers, Your Grace. We are with you until the end."
"Thank you, my lords." Brynden sighed in relief.
He had done it; he had united the Free Folk, the North, and the Knights of the Vale against their common foe. Brynden knew the south would be a challenge to convince and he had an idea to go about doing it. He just hoped that Jon and the Night's Watch were up to the task.
Hopefully you guys enjoyed the way I handled Brynden convincing the Vale lords, and northmen to band together against the Others. To be honest, I think I handled it better than the show did as I included their reactions of Brynden informing them about the threat beyond the Wall instead of just skipping over it.
And the Brotherhood without Banners join Brynden Stark in the north. With Catelyn still alive there is no Lady Stoneheart, and I figured that now was the perfect time for Beric to join Brynden in the war against the Others.
Next Chapter: Justice of the North