A/N: Standard disclaimer here. I don't own ASOIAF and only write for fun.
"Unfortunately," Ser Arthur said staring off in the distance, waiting for his signal. The stars lit up the nights sky clearly, and they could only thank the gods that they could see so clearly. "We have to wait for the first shot to be fired. They will light one of these fields up. When the men start retreating to the holdfast, they will try to set that on fire too, its wood. They will try to burn them out."
"Its dangerous, what we sent those men to do," Jon said. He never liked this part of Ser Arthur's plan.
Ser Arthur frowned and sighed, "aye, but sometimes you have to take risk to win battles Jon. Our greatest strength here today is that they do not know we are here. They think that town and holdfast is full of regular people."
"How are we so lucky that we haven't been spotted?" Jon asked.
"They do not expect resistance," Ser Arthur spoke again. "They did not scouting. They just came hoping to strike hard, fast, and retreat. It would have been successful if not for your father."
"Are men really that cruel," Jon asked. "Will they really attack a holdfast with people they know are innocent for revenge?"
"Remember what I told you outside the feast back in Winterfell?" Ser Arthur asked and Jon nodded. "The north really is different Jon, I want you to remember that. In Winterfell honor reigns supreme and justice is most important. These men are not of the North. They only know how to take what they want and don't really care how they achieve their goal."
"It doesn't make sense," Jon said and wanted to say more but Ser Arthur interrupted him.
"That is because you don't understand a man like Tywin Lannister. One of your biggest challenges as King will be learning how to understand the houses and families outside the north. Tywin Lannister once destroyed an entire house because they revolted against him. He killed every man, woman, and child who carried the Reyne family name because they dared commit a slight against his family. Lady Stark took his son. This reaction from him is tame and only meant to make it easier for him to go to war. Soon Twyin Lannister and the Kingslayer will be leading armies into the riverlands. Our goal here is to take one of his top weapons away from him."
"Surely Lady Stark knew this could happen?" Jon asked. "I know she thinks Tyrion had something to do with the attack on Bran but surely there could have been a better way?"
"I don't understand it either Jon," Ser Arthur said but then he paused, gathering his thoughts. "It was actually Lord Stark who gave the order to take Tyrion. You know him and his dreams. He had a dream that Bran would be attacked, and put Robb in the perfect position to stop it. He had a dream that Tyrion Lannister had something to do with it, so he gave Lady Stark instructions to capture him. He had a dream that Tywin Lannister would respond and he sent me to deal with it."
"It is a strange thing, those dreams he has. It is almost like he has experienced this all before," Jon said.
Ser Arthur laughed. "I doubt he has. These dreams Lord Stark has aren't that uncommon. They say that your ancestor Daenys dreamed of the doom before it happened and convinced her family to move to Dragonstone. In the north, house Reed speaks of the dreams of the northern lords going all the way back to your ancestor Brandon who built the Wall."
Jon sighed. "I thought magic didn't exist anymore."
Ser Arthur laughed again, and then spoke real quiet so that only Jon could hear him. "You have told me that you dream from your direwolve's perspective, you told me that you feel as if your dragon egg calls out to you and that it feels warm to your touch while it is only cold to mine. Do you really think that all magic is dead?"
Jon laughed too. It was an insane thought, but he couldn't help it. His mind tried to rationalize how his father knew the things he knew, and none of it made sense but Arthur was right. If he could see out of Ghost's eyes, then maybe it was plausible that his father could see the future.
"Look," Ser Arthur suddenly said as a fire arrow lit up against the darkness of night. A volley went up in the air, and suddenly the fields were on fire and Jon could see men running away toward the hold fast.
"Ready!" Arthur called out. It felt like it lasted an eternity but in reality it was just a few short moments. The mountains men, if their scouts were right there were three hundred of them, had started to advance on the holdfast once people started running for it.
"He doesn't suspect a thing," Jon muttered. "He doesn't even realize how empty the village is."
"Wait," Arthur commanded loudly again. Jon couldn't see from this distance, but knew that soon the Mountain would fall for the trap.
When the Mountain and his were close enough, the trap was sprang. Suddenly he could hear a horn blowing in the distance and saw a hundred arrows fly from the top of the holdfast as the Mountain and his men approached.
"Tonight we conquer a Mountain," Ser Arthur shouted, "CHARGE!"
The sound of hooves pounding the ground filled his ears and lasted what felt like an eternity. Ghost was faster than them all, and he had quickly reached his first victim and pounced on him from behind, his teeth ripping out the back on the mans head. He never had a chance.
When Jon's horse got close enough, he swung his sword in an arch landing a killing blow on one man, before he quickly moved on tot he next. Ghost was quickly moving from man to man, ending them quickly and quietly. Jon could almost taste the blood on his lips as if he were the one biting and ripping flesh with his teeth.
Once the Mountain and his men had realized what was happening, they tried to turn and fight them but it was too late. By then, the gate to the hold fast had opened and the infantry stormed out, charging at them.
It was a rout. Left and right the Mountain's men met their end and before long men threw down their swords screaming for mercy. After a while only the Mountain and his most trusted men were left standing, stuck in the middle of a circle that was closing in on them.
"Gregor Clegane," Ser Athur called out, "you will yield or die. Tonight you have committed a great crime against the riverlords and their people. Were it not for my scouts, you would have burned and pillaged this village, killing hundreds of innocent people. I will take you back to Riverrun, where you will face Lord Tully to answer for your crimes."
"Ser Arthur Dayne," Gregor called out. He spat on the floor to his right and laughed loudly. Jon had to admit, in that moment he admired his bravery. Even in the face of certain defeat he was confident that he would win. "I see you are too much of a coward to face me one on one. You had to attack me from behind to win this battle."
He was trying to goad Ser Arthur into single combat, but Jon was certain that he would not entertain the idea. Ser Arthur shook his head and sighed. "Seize them!"
For a moment, no one moved and Gregor threw back his head and let out a great laugh. His laugh, mocking their courage, caused some men to go forward, only for Ser Gregor to lift he sword above he his head and swing wildly.
Jon didn't even see Ser Arthur move, but before he knew it, his mentor was in front of the large man and had caught his blow between Dawn and his other steel sword. Time seemed to slow then, as the look of amazement took over the faces of many of the men present. This wasn't supposed to happen. The mountain was too big, too strong.
Ser Arthur then quickly moved and disarmed Gregor with one quick strike before bringing the man to his knees by maneuvering around him and slicing at the back of them. He pointed Dawn at the back his head and commanded coldly, "yield."
Ser Arthur would have died right there if Jon didn't react. A sandy haired younger man, loyal to the mountain moved to stab him in the back but Jon was quicker. He paired the blow aimed at his mentor's heart and swung his sword, taking the man's head clean off his shoulder.
His other men went to attack then, loyal to end, but Ghost had jumped into the action then and had already taken one out before leaping at another. The other three men had the wisdom to quit then. They threw down their sword and lifted their hands.
"Bring me the chains," Ser Arthur commanded.
He couldn't sleep that night. He knew it would be hard and his body felt tired, but his mind would not allow him to rest. So he called ghost and walked to the top of the battlement where an unlucky few men had drawn the first watch. He found a quiet spot facing the river to the north and turned to watch the sun rise.
He heard the footsteps behind him, and once again a low warning from Ghost had let him know exactly who it was.
"Can't sleep?" Ser Arthur asked tiredly and Jon just nodded, never turning to look at him. After a moment of silence passed Ser Arthur spoke again, "what is on your mind?"
Jon again shook his head, not knowing what to say or how to say it. He opened his mouth many times, but closed it again just as much.
"You killed your first man today," Ser Arthur tried, but Jon again shook his head. That hadn't bothered him. He knew what would have happened had they not been there. Those men were going to slaughter innocent people, they deserved justice. His mind drifted to those who deserved it, but never had gotten it until now.
Ser Arthur sighed. "Speak freely Jon, I'm afraid I do not speak the language of brood as I often told your father."
Jon opened his mouth again, and again closed it but this time, the question flowed freely and he felt like he had lost control.
"Do you think Rhaenys would have been more like Arya or Sansa?"
He could hear the smile in Ser Arthur's voice.
"Definitely Arya," Ser Arthur said. "Do you remember when Lord Stark first brought the wolves to Winterfell? How suddenly it was like there were two of your sister running around the castle causing trouble?"
Jon nodded, his eyes uncontrollable as they begin to water.
"Rhaenys was just like that execpt instead of a wolf pup, she had a great black kitten she called Balerion. As soon as she could walk her and that cat ruled over the Red Keep as if she was the Queen."
Jon laughed through the tears, "Balerion? After the dragon?"
"The same one," Ser Arthur responded happily from behind him.
Jon let a moment pass them again, before he asked, "and Aegon?"
"I only saw Aegon once," Ser Arthur said sadly. "Rhaegar was presenting him to King Aerys. We left for Harrenhal soon after and the rest is history. Your grandmother, Queen Rhaella, said he looked just like Rhaegar as a babe so I do imagine that he would have been the same as him, as you are."
Jon sighed. It wasn't the first time Ser Arthur told him that he and Rhaegar were similar. As much as a part of him wanted to deny it, from the stories that Ser Arthur told on the road, Jon often found himself noticing how similar they were. He chucked to himself. At least he didn't play the harp. Robb and Theon would have teased him tirelessly if he played the harp.
"Have I done right?" Jon asked. "Have I gotten the justice that they deserve?"
"Not yet," Ser Arthur said. "I can feel the tides shifting. I feel that you will be crowned King soon. You northerners are so different, but I can't help but feel that when it comes to justice, you have it right. He who passes judgment must swing the sword."
"I will swing it," Jon answered angrily.
"Then you are not ready," Ser Arthur said sternly. "Do not confuse revenge with justice. They are separate. Justice cannot be taken so lightly."
Jon sighed, but he nodded anyway. Above him the sun had finally decided to stop hiding. It was gorgeous in the distance, but the cold wind still blew. Winter would come for Gregor Clegane. He just had to wait.
A/N: Another one! Again, I hope you guys like this and it doesn't make sense.
In the books, we know only of Gregor's attacks from the views of the small folk those attacks they effected. It felt like they attacked quickly, moving from small holdfast to small hold fast until they had completed what they came to do and left. The villagers in the book don't know exactly how many men were with Clegane, but there I believe they thought it was anywhere between 50-300. I went with the later.
Nothing really to special about this small battle, and I wouldn't even call it a battle. I hope my reasoning for it being a rout makes sense. Again to me, in the books, Gregor's objective was to strike as fast and hard as he could. He didn't expect opposition. Obviously here that is different. Knowing that, I had Ser Arthur plan for it. Empty the holdfast of all of the innocent people and when Gregor advanced to set it on fire, let off a volley of arrows, and then rout them from behind.
To me, Clegane doesn't seem like the type to yield. We know from the books that Ser Arthur is often called the greatest swordsman of all time, so I added the spectacle of him catching Gregor's blow with his two words, and then bringing him to his knees. The almost being stabbed in the back part is a nod to what happened in the show.
In the end, we leave Jon thinking about the brother and sister that he never had which I think that cannon Jon would have thought about a lot if he had known.
Again, I don't want to keep you too long. Thanks for all the support. Let me know if you enjoyed. Next chapter probably won't be out until after Christmas, and in that chapter I will try to respond to some of your reviews.
Until then!