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Chapter 26: Wolf Hunt
Stark Army
Robb Stark held his wounded arm as he and the rest of his army retreated back to the Riverlands, his eyes were darkened with hate and disgust.
His campaign into the Westerlands is a complete and utter failure, Tywin and Mace's forces came at all sides and crushed his people, forcing many to break and scatter.
So many of his bannermen were lost. Greatjon, Rickard, Dacey Mormont, Roose Bolton, all fell as they fled the field and more fell to their wounds along the way. Clutching arm, feeling the blood seep through the bandages, he knows that the more time they waste the chance of him keeping his arm become slim.
Robb felt his vision begin to blur, breathing became heavier. Grey Wind was by his side, catching him as he fell from his horse.
"My King!" Smalljon cried and dismounted, running towards the fallen Stark who had lost all consciousness.
Catelyn and Arya were at his side in moments, followed by Gregor Forrester and Ludd Whitehill. The situation was getting worse, the Lannister and Tyrell army might be a few days behind them but their army is too weakened and tired to fight.
Some in the army blame Stannis Baratheon for their misfortunes, it was the man who was supposed to fight the Tyrells and defeat them while Robb was to deal a blow to Tywin Lannister and take his lands.
"We have to keep moving, throw the King in a wagon and keep moving!" Ludd said with shadows under his eyes, Gregor didn't appreciate what was said.
"You will remember he is our King, show some respect, Ludd." Gregor snapped and Ludd quickly got to his feet and squared up to the man.
"Respect won't bring Gryff from the grave, will it? His body and the bodies of many Northmen are back there, forgotten and rotting! I'll show my respect when the grief leaves me." Everyone was silent, understanding towards the Lord of Highpoint, Gregor's own son lies injured from his waist taken by an arrow in the battle.
Catelyn feared for her son, feared for her daughter and the many men marching from the Westerlands. She was thinking about having the Northern force leap around and go to join their numbers with Stannis but immediately, her idea burned when most of these Northmen began blaming Stannis for not defeating the Tyrells.
So, instead, they settled on going back to their own territory and gathering the Riverlords and their men- The one's her son let go home and see to their lands.
"Smalljon, help me." She enlisted the burly man who helped her take her son to a wagon, her son's physician, the foreign beauty was shocked to see Robb's state but quickly recovered and aided them in laying the King in the North down. "Help him, he's been hiding that wound for some time, I would smack him upside his head if he was well." She joked half-heartedly to Talisa.
"I will do all I can, I promise." Catelyn didn't want a promise, too many people made too many promises to her and they all either died or were hurt.
She doesn't approve of her son's fancy but she can-
"The Lannister's, they are on us!" A soldier cried and Catelyn felt her skin crawl, seething with hate and scorn for that damned gold and red banner.
Gregor and Maege Mormont took a thousand in a blockade formation, shields spread and archers led by Arthur Glenmore and Locke. Catelyn didn't want to leave those men behind, Gregor urged her to keep going for the Riverlands.
Just when the Golden Tooth was behind them, so close and yet even more death followed the Battle of Ashemark.
The matriarch of House Stark prayed and told those brave men to break an run when they've gotten away, to save themselves for saving them.
Three days would pass her mind, each of them worrying over her son who had started to heal- The bleeding had stopped after the first day. She thanked Talisa near a thousand times before she stopped crying, Arya told her that she knew her brother would be alright and that she should have too, the child was very optimistic.
The Defense at the Golden Tooth seemed to stop Tywin's pursuit, she immediately realized that their destruction wasn't the goal, it was all to separate their army from being close to Stannis in the Reach. What was left of their force met them two days after, 400 good men and Arthur Glenmore were lost to them.
"Riverrun, milady." A rider met them and she saw it, her home. I'm home. Catelyn thought with a smile and put an arm around Arya, bringing her daughter close and wishing that Sansa was here.
Storm's End
Shireen and Sansa were sitting with her mother in the great hall, meeting her future subjects as she will probably be taking over the Stormlands when her father and brother move into the capital.
Her back felt sore, she's been sitting in this chair for more than an hour and feels restless. Shireen wished that she could go to the Maester's library, she was itching to read that book on the Dance of the Dragons, one of only a few copies within Westeros.
"Sansa, your stitching is wonderful." Her mother praised her future good-sister, Sansa beamed at the older woman's acknowledgment. "A wolf prancing with the stag, just wonderful." Shireen laughed a little teasingly which made Sansa blush a little.
Her friends become quite enamored with her brother, she is glad that Sansa and Joran are finally starting to get along after whatever happened in the days after her brother came back from Bitterbridge. I wonder when I'll be seeing my nephew or niece. She thought with a twinkle in her blue eyes.
As for herself and the prospect of love and parenthood, her mother had gone through the trouble of lettering the Prince of Dorne or perhaps Lord Yronwood with the Dornish emerging from the Southernmost Kingdom. Her father and brother had written to them, they would be convening with the other Lords and Ladies to decide whether they turned South to 'negotiate' with Prince Doran, continue pacifying the Reach, or break and be ready to defend the Stormlands and the holding they've taken in the Reach.
It was a lot to ponder and her mother thought to start by sending ravens to Dorne, hoping to find themselves a line to walk.
Her train of thought was put aside when the great halls doors were opened, she saw some men usher in a man bearing the lion on his breast which caused her mothers expression to fall and replace itself with anger.
"How dare our enemies send you here?! They must be cold to send you to die, now, who are you?" She demanded of the messenger whose blonde hair parted and showed his green eyes, Shireen's eyes widened in surprise.
The man was handsome, and not any Lannister messenger.
"My- M- My name, is Lancel Lannister. Kevan Lannister's eldest son and a Knight of the Royal Court." Lancel announced himself and with slight trepidation, stepped forward and held out a letter, "Her grace and Queen Regent has tasked me with requesting the handover of Lady Sansa Stark and Arya Stark... And their wolves." Sansa looked at Lancel a long moment before laughing, she also joined in and her mother sniggered lightly.
"So, the 'Queen Regent' sent her cousin to his death for the fruitless attempt of taking my son's betrothed?" Her mother asked and Lancel's face became beat red before speaking out of turn.
"The traitor's sister was my King's betrothed, not the Scaled Stags!" It made her angry, she took Sansa's hand and stepped up to defend her mother before her mother could order the guards to seize him.
"You lot think that name makes my brother flinch, you are wrong. Joran is the Seven Kingdoms Prince, my father is the rightful King, they will take the kingdoms back and return the Realm to peace!" Her blue eyes bore into Lancel's green ones, her voice bellowed with the authority that comes with one from her House.
Sansa looked at the daughter of Stannis, she looked so regal and confident that only reminded her of her mother.
Queen Selyse saw her daughter stand tall and defiant to Lancel's words, she smiled with a hint of pride in her daughter. For the longest time she had tried to pull Shireen to be like her, a polite and obedient Lady but now, she realizes her daughter isn't a fox, she's a stag with a brightness incomparable to even her brother.
The guards took Lancel away despite his claims of being protected by the laws of men, he seemed to quickly forget that men don't rule this castle at the moment.
Shireen, she felt her heart beating so fast. She's never spoken so loudly before and from the looks she got, everyone else must have thought the same. She turned back around to her mother and held her head in shame.
"I shouldn't have said that, I'm so sorry, mother." She said, her mother gave her the exact opposite of the expression she had expected.
Her mother embraced her and it shocked her to no end, eventually, she reciprocated the act and wrapped her own arms around her mother. She soon noticed Sansa was standing by with her hands folded together, Shireen parted from her mother and her smile returned to its normal brightness.
"Sansa, let's go take a stroll while the day is clear of rain and heavy wind." Sansa jumped to Shireen's suggestion, Selyse thought it was a good idea as she'll need to write to Stannis and inform her husband and son on their little messenger.
The Reach
Joran was being helped into his suit, he gave a glare to the servant that felt discouraged in touching his arm of Greyscale, "Get out!" He growled at the fool and finished doing everything himself.
His mind wandered to his father, the King decided that he would lead an expeditionary force of 10,000 and go to the Prince's Pass at Nightsong. It appears that's where the next fight will be taking place and he's meant to hold of the Dornish army or negotiate with whoever's in charge of it.
He's glad he's got good leaders like Gulian Swann and Rolland to back him in fighting either the Dornish or whatever comes their way, his sworn brothers tagging along seems to make him feel a lot better about his odds.
A groan escaped his mouth, he was frustrated because he wanted to keep pacifying the Reach with his father and perhaps find Loras Tyrell.
His father found a way or at least a location of sorts from interrogating Willas, torture wasn't as honorable as simply getting Willas to come clean but it got them some results. The Arbor, Lady Tyrell, and Lady Margaery are there. He thought as he imagined torching the Arbor's gates, and finding Loras and taking the pillow-biters head.
But of course, they'll need Old Town's ships. His father needs only to blockade the island, starve them as his family was starved during the siege of Storm's End.
The Lannister's and Mace Tyrell are still in the Westerlands, nearly 50,000 strong and what with Robb Stark getting defeated at Ashemark, his father will need to keep his eyes to the North while he takes care of the Reach.
"We'll be fighting the Dornish, next?" Aurane asked him while leaning against the entrance of the door, a pensive expression on his friend's face.
"You look like you don't want to go to Dorne, Aurane. Why?" He returned the question with one of his own, Joran noticed Aurane didn't want to say anything.
Aurane groaned and scratched his chin, "It's just that I've tangled with the Dornish, I never thought I'd be going back." Joran respected that Aurane didn't want to speak about but he caught a few hints as to why.
"It's about 'her', isn't it? It's about Arianne?" Aurane sighed heavily and turned, then walked away from him and left down the hall.
Aurane had met a woman two years ago, he described the eldest daughter of Prince Doran perfectly but more so, the man had gotten the woman with child. Aurane wanted to go to her and take her as his wife, he didn't want his child to be a bastard like him. Joran remembered it took two days to convince him that if he so much as step foot in Sunspear, he'd have been killed on the spot. Aurane shouldn't worry, there's no chance that Arianne is going to be there. Joran thought as he grabbed his sword.
It was time to leave, Joran thought as his steps carried him all the way to the first wall and gate of Highgarden, it was where he saw his father waiting for him. The King stood with Davos and his son, uncle Axell as well astride his white stallion and Imry Florent stood to be his father's new squire for future battles.
"I would rather have the Martell family imprisoned for their treachery... But you must take caution and negotiate with them, son- Do not meet them on their terms, you have them meet you within Nightsong, alright?" His father told him and he nodded, hearing his every word. "You've made me a proud father in these few months, Joran, I am sure you will make me prouder in the months to come." His father's appreciation for him was encouraging.
He can do it, he WILL do it. "I will be there, father, when you march on King's Landing, I will be there," Joran said his goodbyes and marched off with his army, heading South to meet his next adversary.
AN: A little shorter than I wanted, but, I do hope you guys enjoyed it either way and sorry for the delay. I also recently made some adjustments to my profile so make sure to check out what might be on the menu in the coming months after this, Hour of the Wolf, Debts Paid in Blood and Wrath and Within the Blood is the Fire are complete. Or unless, you know, there's something you guys would like to see sooner.
