The Sundering

The celebration for the dead had been long forgotten. News of the Kingslayer dominated the camp. Arya prayed to her gods that the old Tully knight had lied, that her mother had not betrayed House Stark. She sought her brothers out, hiding her face under a gray wool cowl.

"The Kingslayer must have a golden cock. He sleeps with the Queen, and now Lady Stark opens her legs for him." a knight with a black pitchfork on a golden bar sinister sneered.

"Shut your bloody mouth, Haigh." a Cerwyn man said.

"Why should I? Why else would she free the Kingslayer?" the man replied. "He fucked her and she let him go. The Tullys have been fucked by the Lannisters before. Maybe they like it."

It's not true, Arya desperately hoped. They were telling lies. But the camp had turned angry and tense, and no one, not even the Tully men, raised their voice to defend her lady mother.

The torches at the pavilion revealed dozens of armed guards, standing a respectful distance away from Robb's command tent. They were all Stark men and they carried spears and wore steel mail shirts and caps. There were no smiles on their faces.

She found a spot next to Dacey Mormont. Less than ten Northern lords had been allowed entrance and even fewer rivermen. A grim Ser Brynden stopped a nervous Edmure from pacing.

"How did Ser Jaime go free?" Robb asked Ser Robin Ryger.

"Lord Stark, we were travelling on the riverroad. Lady Catelyn wished to stay a night at the Inn of the Kneeling Man. Our men were happy for a hot meal and a warm bed. Her sworn sword guarded the Kingslayer that night. When we woke the next morning, the two were gone with horses. Lady Catelyn then told us that she released Ser Jaime." the bald knight said.

"Madness, why would she do this?" Wylis Manderly asked.

"For Lady Sansa. She says she was promised her daughter's safety." Ryger said.

"Did you search for them?" Robb said.

"Hallis Mollen and I sent riders west on the road. We looked for hours, my lord but found no trace. After a day, I rode South to alert you. Hallis wanted to search for longer, but we had not found any trail. No one saw them on the river road. I would swear that." Ryger said.

The Inn of the Kneeling Man was a hundred miles from Riverrun, near Stone Hedge. It was an odd place to release a captive who would have to ride far to reach the crownlands.

"Did Lady Stark receive a raven at the inn?" Jon asked. The old knight stammered and hesitated. "Answer the question, Ser Robin - did she receive a raven?"

"Yes, a raven was waiting for her at the inn. We thought it was a message from Lord Stark." "I just sent you off to Riverrun. Why would I send a raven to an inn when I am fighting a battle?" Robb said.

"Did Lady Stark send a raven from the inn?" Jon said. Ser Ryger gulped and nodded.

"And you did not inquire about these messages?" Robb said.

"My lord, it is not for us to question our lady. She is Lord Hoster's eldest child and Lord Stark's wife. Hallis says he has followed her orders for fifteen years without question." Ryger said. Arya doubted that Hallis Mollen would remain captain of the guards for House Stark any longer.

"I say we find the Kingslayer and take his head." Lord Karstark yelled.

"My Lord, there was no trace of Ser Jaime. Our men searched for days." Ryger said.

"You had twenty men. I have two thousand." Karstark said. "I will find him, and send the Kingslayer back to Tywin in pieces. A son for a son. Blood for blood."

Robb ignored the outburst. "Where is my lady mother now?"

"Hallis is bringing her here, my Lord. He should arrive in a day." Ryger said.

"Lord Karstark, you will wait until Lady Stark arrives. I wish to hear her reasons." Robb said.

Edmure Tully looked like he wanted to speak but a cold glare from Karstark stopped him. Robb dismissed the other lords. Arya would have left but Ghost pressed his shaggy pale fur against her leg. She slipped into the corner and waited until only her brothers remained.


"How did you know about a raven?" Robb said.

"If your mother intended to free Ser Jaime, she would have done so at Harroway or near the Inn at the Crossroads. It would be far easier to escape to the Crownlands from there. So, something changed her mind. A message or an offer from the Lannisters." Jon explained.

"Can you find Ser Jaime?" Robb asked.

"How?" Jon asked. "I am not a warlock who drinks shade of the evening and mumbles about his powers. No blue lips. "

"Jon, you do know magic. You proved that at the Whispering Wood, and at the Red Fork. And the wind at the God's Eye was unnatural." Robb said.

"There is magic and there is magic. Seeing through the eyes of Ghost or a raven is a small thing. But Jaime Lannister was released five days ago. He could be a hundred miles in any direction. Even if I were at the Inn of the Kneeling Man, it would be hard to find him." Jon said and sighed. "Fine, brother - I will try. I will send Ghost and ravens north, but without any hint of his plans, it will be hard."

"If you were the Kingslayer, how would you escape the Riverlands?" Robb said.

"I wouldn't escape. Your lady mother sent a raven from the Inn. That means whoever made the offer received an answer. Bolton says there are others that will break faith with House Stark. They may send men to rescue Ser Jaime, or give him shelter." Jon said.

Robb looked at a map of the Riverlands. "The Inn of the Kneeling Man is between Stone Hedge, and Raventree Hall. But the Brackens and the Blackwoods have fought bravely for us."

"It may not be them. But there are many, many riverlords with holdfasts near the Trident. Tywin Lannister needs to only bribe one, and the Kingslayer could hide there, until he is rescued."

"He wouldn't do that." Arya insisted.

"Why not?" Rob said.

"Brienne is with him, mother's sworn sword. She would insist that he go to King's Landing for Sansa's sake." Arya said.

"That assumes Brienne is still alive." Jon said to his sister's shock. "Arya, Jaime Lannister is one of the most skilled warriors in the Seven Kingdoms. Why wouldn't he just kill Brienne and travel alone? I would. Why would Ser Jaime need her alive to return to King's Landing?"

"But Brienne is a great fighter. She is big and strong." Arya said.

"Better than the Kingslayer? He almost defeated all my guards at the Whispering Wood. He was beating both Dacey and Eddard when Jon captured him." Robb said.

"Even if Brienne was skilled, she has to rest. She cannot kill him. But he can murder her in her sleep. He can use a rock or her sword." Jon said.

"Do you think Brienne is dead?" Arya said. Jon shrugged. "I do not know. But it is possible, even likely. Lady Catelyn put her in grave danger. Brienne will live only if the Kingslayer allows it."


Tyrion Lannister enjoyed clever schemes, sharp wit and a clever tongue. But only when he understood their meaning. Sadly, he was not certain what game Varys was playing that morning. The eunuch appeared at breakfast, with colorful saffron robes smelling of lavender and lilac. His soft white hands clutched the Tyroshi honeyfinger like a spider playing with a fly.

"I am sorry but Lady Sansa is indisposed." Tyrion said, finishing the savory kidney pie. Sandor Clegane barred the way to the Stark girl as did Bronn's sellswords.

"Pity. I merely want to make certain of her health. She is after all quite important to your house, and death can be so sudden in King's Landing." Varys giggled and smiled.

Tyrion lifted a goblet of wine to give himself time to think. Had the Spider discovered his father's promises to Lady Catelyn? And was that a threat to Sansa Stark? If the North thought the Stark girl died due to the Lannisters, all hell would break loose.

"Surely no one would wish Lady Sansa harm. She is only a girl." Tyrion said.

"We all know how much Lannisters care about the health of children. Your bannermen are famous for it. Ser Amory Lorch sang quite the tale at Sunspear until the Martells ripped his tongue out." The Spider said sweetly.

"I had ten name days at the Sack of King's Landing, and I was eight hundred miles away at Casterly Rock. I do not know what happened at the Red Keep then." Tyrion said.

"You do not know because you do not care to ask. But Oberyn Martell does, and he was seen on Cape Wrath, riding for King's Landing." Varys said.

Tyrion did not wish to deal with this. The Red Viper hated the Lannisters and had a fearsome reputation for violence and unpredictability. Still, Oberyn Martell, given the past, was known to abhor the killing of children. He hoped that would be shield enough for his niece.

"Varys, I know you like your little secrets. But I cannot spend the days eating honey fingers and kidney pies. Or even drinking Arbor Gold. As Hand of the King, many important tasks require my attention." Tyrion pushed the plate away to dismiss the eunuch.

"Ah yes, you are the Hand." Varys chucked into the folds of his robes. "And I am a member of the Small Council. I serve you at your pleasure, my Lord, just as you serve the King."

"I am afraid these meetings require the utmost of secrecy." Tyrion said.

The Spider looked puzzled although the tilt of his head and his eyebrow were exaggerated. "Which meeting, my lord? The one with the Black Ears that you intend to send back to the Vale. Or the summoning of the Most Devout at the Great Sept of Baelor?"

Tyrion gritted his teeth. He expected Varys to learn about his appointments, but only after they occured. "You may accompany me to see the High Septon this morning." The eunuch nodded, the smile reached his eyes this time.

"I'd rather not. He is a fat pig who grows ever fatter on lampreys while the poor starve. My little birds tell me I am unwelcome at the Sept and that the high septon says that I am a heathen from Essos." Varys sighed.

"You are a heathen from Essos." Tyrion retorted.

"True. Better a heathen than a hypocrite. What do you want with the Most Devout?"

"For them to spread the word that Snow is a sorcerer and an enemy of the Faith." Tyrion said.

Varys chuckled. "The North follows the Old Gods. They will not care."

"But the Riverlords do not. And a proclamation from the Most Devout that Jon Snow commits blasphemy and dabbles in dark magic may drive men away from the Starks." Tyrion said. "And back to the Lannisters? Only fools listen to the High Septon. But if you want him to bleat your song, you will need gold. He cares about blasphemy as much as you do." Varys said.

The door opened and two giant men plowed forward, in green cloaks edged with gold and satin. The lady in between them was tiny and white haired but the rich clothes and the pendant of a golden rose announced her quite clearly. A dozen green cloaked spearmen followed and several knights from the Reach.

"Lady Olenna, to see you again after so many years is a blessing." Varys simpered.

"Oh, shut up, Varys." The Queen of Thorns said. Ser Garlan reached for his sword, and Tyrion realized the Tyrell men were heavily armed. "We need to see Sansa Stark."

The eunuch quirked his eyebrows. "I have heard that she is indisposed."

Olenna snorted and gazed at Tyrion. "What do you need to speak to her about?" he said.

"Business involving House Tyrell." Olenna said.

"I intend to keep the girl safe. I will not allow….." Tyrion said.

Olenna interrupted. "Who will keep you safe, Lord Tyrion? By year's end, my granddaughter will be queen. My son will be Hand of the King. Where will you be?"

Tyrion tapped his fingers together. As a Lannister, he had his father's protection but Lady Olenna was not Catelyn Stark. She would not strike openly. And the Tyrells were wealthy enough to pursue him to Essos. Before he could decide, Sandor Clegane moved aside. A calm Sansa Stark walked out and curtsied.

"Lady Olenna, I would be happy to speak." the girl said.


Sansa Stark asked the servants for pears poached in wine and a cheese plate. She calmed herself by filling a cup of sweet plum wine for Lady Olenna and Ser Garlan. Clegane hovered near and the Hound glared at Olenna's twin seven footers. Tyrion and the eunuch sat at the table, munching honeyfingers.

"You know the results of the battle at the God's Eye?" the tiny old woman said.

"Yes, my lady. I have heard stories from the servants." Sansa turned to Ser Garlan. "Ser, I am glad that my brothers did not take your head."

"I am glad too. I like my head and wish to keep it." The knight smiled ruefully.

Olenna sighed, her years clearly showing. "Your brothers captured many of our men. They intend to keep the very highborn as hostages but have demanded a ransom for the other Reachmen. Snow has said he will kill them all if we do not pay."

Sansa nodded. She was not surprised at those threats. The scullery maids at the Tower of the Hand gossiped about the capture of the Golden Tooth, of boys flung over walls, women starved for weeks and children dragged from septs. They wondered if the wolves would come to King's Landing and murder them in their sleep.

"Are these simply words? Or will House Stark massacre unarmed prisoners?" Olenna said.

"Robb would not. But I have not seen Jon since he left for the Citadel." Sansa said.

"But what do you think? Will Robb Stark allow this outrage by his brother?" Olenna said.

"Outrage? My father's men and servants were slaughtered by the gold cloaks. Septa Mordane's head was mounted on a spike on top of the Red Keep. The Lannisters did not allow Stark guards to be ransomed." Sansa said.

"That was a different Lannister." Tyrion said uncomfortably.

"And a very stupid one. It would be better to have hostages." Olenna said. "Lady Sansa. Tell me the truth. Would your brothers kill prisoners? Butcher thousands of men after the battle?"

"Perhaps. Jon has the North in him." Sansa said.

"What does that mean?" Tyrion asked.

"My father says the North is hard and cold, and has no mercy. So yes, I believe Jon would kill your men. Why feed captives when they can be turned into gold?" Sansa said.

"He sounds like a delight. Didn't Snow hang you from a gibbet?" Varys snarked at Tyrion.

"The wolves set me free in exchange for Ned Stark and his daughters." Tyrion said.

"My father is dead, and I am a prisoner here. I hope Jon finds you again, Lord Tyrion. I hope you learn how the North treats oathbreakers." Sansa said.


He dreamt of dragons, not wolves. Ghost had run North to the River Road and the ravens had flown last night to the Trident but in his sleep, he only saw dragons. Aegon the Conqueror, Maegor the Cruel, Jaehaerys the Wise. He saw all the Aegons - the first of his name, the greedy one, the sad one, the whoremonger, and the unlikely. The maesters claimed the Targaryens danced too close to the edge of madness. Perhaps they did. What did it mean for him?

He saw his father, Rhaegar Targaryen. Long silver blond hair, deep purple eyes, a red half cloak over night black plate armor - the last dragon. Jon wondered - had Rhaegar triumphed at the Ruby Ford, how would his life have turned out? Would he have been embraced as a Targaryen prince or shunned as his father's shame? Rhaegar had loved his mother - he was sure of that. But that love had been a sad story.

Was I worth it, father? Your death at the Ruby Ford, my mother's death in Dorne, a bloody war, the murders of my brother and sister, and the end of a dynasty. Was I worth it - Jon wondered as he gazed upon his father and the kings of his house, stretching back for 300 years.

You're a dragon, the shades whispered. And nothing matters more than the birth of a dragon. But that wasn't true, Jon thought. There were Targaryens that had not mattered - babes who died within a few years, girls married off for alliances, even kings who had done little or died too quickly. There were princes who drank themselves to death and princesses who led lives of quiet misery. Only a few Targaryens had benefited the realm.

Jon saw a vision of a castle on the foothills of reddish streaked mountains. A towering fire had broken out - an inferno that consumed the pleasure palace of Summerhall. This is what happens when you attempt to birth dragons, he thought. His father had been born here, amidst fire and grief. Aegon the Unlikely had died there, with his son and his friend, the two Duncans. They had failed, but what if they succeeded? What if the eggs hatched?

Jon cleared his mind. He had no egg and no way to acquire a dragon. He had an army of Northmen over a thousand miles away from home. Too far to get reinforcements, and eager to return home after six moons. As for the Riverlords, their lands had been pillaged and burnt. They might desire revenge but they also needed to rebuild their holdfasts.

He came upon Arya perched on a high rock, with Nymeria hovering like a protective denmother. The dark gray she-wolf was a head taller than her mistress and looked nearly as somber. Arya looking to the North, searching for her mother's horse.

"Do you think they will punish her?" she said, biting her lip.

"They? Robb is the one your mother betrayed. And Robb will be the one that has to render judgment." Jon said.

"But, she was doing it for Sansa." Arya said.

"What would Ned Stark have done, if a bannerman freed the Kingslayer?" Jon said.

Arya wrapped her arms about Nymeria's neck. She took great comfort in her dire wolf just as Jon did with Ghost. "Taken his head." Her voice was slightly muffled in the grey fur. "But she must have had her reasons."

Nymeria accepted Jon's touch with no complaint as he patted his sister's arm. "Everyone has reasons. That does not mean they are right." There was nothing more he could say.


That afternoon, as the sun hung low in the cloudy sky over the cold steel of the God's Eye, a shamed Hallis Mollen led Catelyn Stark into the main tent. Bystanders gawked and whispered as the lady walked forward, a dire wolf pin on her heavy gray cloak. Her brother Edmure hastened to Catelyn's side but the Blackfish stayed back. Only a single representative from each of the great houses of the North were allowed, along with Arya and Jon.

"Lady Stark, did you release Ser Jaime Lannister?" Robb asked. He had put on the solemn stone face but he lacked the hard cold eyes of his father.

"Yes, Lord Stark. At the Inn of the Kneeling Man." Catelyn said.

"Why?" Robb demanded, his voice cutting through the silence of the tent.

"They made promises about ….." she said.

"Promises? More like lies. What are the words of southron cunts worth?" Karstark yelled.

"Be quiet, Lord Karstark. My lady mother is speaking. What promises?" Robb said.

"Assurances for Sansa's safety. That no matter the outcome of the battle, she would not be harmed or mistreated. I feared for her life in King's Landing - that she might be beaten, tortured or abused." Catelyn said.

"Who made the promises?" Jon asked.

"There were three. Petyr Baelish vowed that he would protect Sansa and plead for her well being to the Iron Throne. Ser Jaime Lannister swore on his honor as a knight that he would see Sansa returned safe and unharmed. He would compel his brother and father to honor that pledge. And Lord Tywin." Catelyn said.

"That was the raven at the Inn?" Jon said.

"Yes. Lord Tywin promised on the honor of House Lannister that Sansa would not be harmed if Jaime was freed. Baelish claimed that Lord Tywin had sent ravens before to the Inn." she said.

That last promise sealed Ser Jaime's release. Lady Stark believed that Tywin would keep his word, despite House Lannister's history of treachery.

"A whoremonger, an oathbreaker, and Tywin Lannister. How can you trust any of them?" Rickard yelled in a red fury.

"Baelish has already lied to us. Jaime Lannister killed the king he swore to protect. And father would have never trusted Lord Tywin, not after the sack." Robb said.

"Tywin Lannister may be ruthless but he will honor his promise. He cares greatly about the Lannister name. He will not break his vow." Catelyn said. "My lords, my son Bran was crippled by the Lannisters. I do not wish to lose my oldest daughter."

Rickard Karstark's face turned from an angry red to a grim cold stare. That was far more worrisome than yelling. "I had three sons. One is dead. Another lost a hand. And the last, my heir, has not woken up for six days. What about my sons? While you plotted with the enemy, my sons fought the Mountain."

Lady Stark faced him calmly. "I grieve for your loss, Lord Rickard. But the Kingslayer's death would not bring back your children. His living may buy safety for Sansa."

"The Lannisters have played you for a fool. And you are a traitor - to the North, and to House Stark. My Torrhen deserved better. I want vengeance against the lions. If I cannot have the Mountain's head, I will return the Kingslayer to his lord father in two pieces." Rickard said.

"The Kingslayer serves better as a captive. We do not want him dead. As our prisoner, his life protected Sansa, not the words of Baelish or Lord Tywin." Robb said.

"She was still beaten bloody in front of the court. And trapped at the Tower of the Hand for the past moon. Who knows what Tyrion Lannister has done! He may want revenge against the Starks and hurt Sansa." Catelyn said.

Revenge against her, Jon thought. It was Catelyn Stark who kidnapped Tyrion in a reckless flight of fancy. She made it worse by losing him at the Eyrie. Had she brought him to King's Landing when Robert Baratheon was alive, a trial would have stopped this entire war.

Lord Karstark stood up and directed an icy narrow voice to Robb. "My Lord, what will you do? Your mother conspired with our enemies."

The Greatjon crossed his huge arms together and stood in front of Lady Stark. "Leave off, Karstark. It was a mother's folly. A woman looking to protect a babe."

"Folly? I name it treason. My Torrhen is dead. While he fell in battle, the Kingslayer scurried back to King's Landing thanks to Lady Stark. I demand justice for my sons." Karstark said. He stormed off, pushing through the Greatjon and Wylis Manderly.

"Perhaps we can capture the Kingslayer before it is too late." Dacey said.

"We do not know where he is. He could be anywhere." Jon said.

Robb held his hand up. "My lords, I must speak to my lady mother, alone." Edmure hesitated but the Blackfish pulled him away. Soon, the tent only held the Starks and Jon Snow.


Robb Stark placed both hands over his face. Only his thick red brown hair could be seen, the vestiges of his Tully blood. Jon stood at his right side, waiting for his brother to speak. Arya stayed quite as well, refusing to meet her mother's eyes.

"Robb, I am sorry. I…" Lady Catelyn started.

"You betrayed me. Why?" Robb said in a flat voice.

"For Sansa. I could not bear it if she was hurt." Catelyn said. "I know he was a valued prisoner but Lord Tywin has promised Sansa's protection in return."

"His loss will cost us dearly. But it is more than the Kingslayer." Robb paced restlessly, his hands clasped together. "Why did you not trust me? Why did you not believe in me?"

"But I do. The men respect you. You will be a good Warden of the North." she said.

"If you believed in me, the Kingslayer would be delivered to Riverrun. You thought I would lose the battle. You thought I would fail, mother. That is why you freed him." Robb said.

"I saw the Tyrell army with you at Bitterbridge. They had fifty thousand swords. Thousands and thousands of knights. And there were Lannister reinforcements as well ." Catelyn said.

"At Harrenhal, I told you that Jon and I have a strategy to defeat them. Why did you not believe me? I have won all my battles. I have not been beaten on the field" Robb cried.

"They had so many more men. And Lord Tarly is a great soldier. I feared that Sansa would be killed or worse. If you died, the Lannisters would have her at their mercy." Catelyn said.

"They still do. Ser Jaime Lannister may have sworn to return her but Baelish and Tywin did not. Tywin only said that she should be safe, not freed." Jon said.

"Jaime Lannister swore to compel his brother and father to release her." Catelyn said.

"He is Commander of the Kingsguard. What power does he have over his father?" Jon replied. "We all know who rules House Lannister."

"Tywin Lannister is our true enemy. Joffrey may have chopped off my father's head, but he would not dared to commit such an offense without Lannister swords and gold. You have humiliated me in front of my men. How can I lead an army when I cannot control my own mother? Who will trust me to lead them in battle?" Robb said.

"It cannot be so bad. You won against Lord Tarly. You have a hundred highborn prisoners at Riverrun and captured many lords of the Reach."

"Tywin Lannister does not give a shit about the other prisoners. If they die, what does it matter? Jaime Lannister is his oldest son. He had more value than all the other prisoners combined. You know that. So does everyone else." Robb said.

"I am sorry, Robb but I did this for my love of Sansa. I am a Tully of Riverrun, and our words are Family, Duty, Honor. I would sacrifice my duty and honor for my family." Catelyn said.

Robb turned his back on his mother. "You did not sacrifice your honor and duty. You sacrificed mine. How can I command an army when I cannot control my own mother? Lord Karstark is right to be angry. He lost a son while Tywin Lannister gained his back."

"I did not know about the Karstarks. You cannot blame me for that." Catelyn cried.

"Men die in battle. If it wasn't Torrhen, it might have been the Smalljon or a Manderly brother. My father said that our bannermen are loyal to House Stark because we fight for them. How can we do so when we help our enemies?" Robb said.

"Robb, I…." Catelyn said.

Robb raised his hand. "Leave me, mother. You have done enough." They watched in silence as a wretched Lady Stark exited the tent.


"I thought the battles would be the hard part. I did not think I would have to worry about my own mother." Robb said bitterly. "Karstark is furious. And I have no answer for him." He held his head in his hands, and continued to pace. "You found no trace of the Kingslayer."

"None. The river is one hundred and fifty miles away. Ser Jaime may have taken the river road. He might be on a boat on the Red Fork. He may be hidden in a castle of a traitor. In five days, he could cover a great deal of distance. He may even have left the Riverlands." Jon said.

Robb shook his head. "What can we do about the Kingslayer, Jon? How can we recover from this folly and make amends with Karstark?"

"He lost a son. He will not be happy unless he has spilled Lannister blood." Jon replied.

"You don't mean to allow him to kill our captives." Robb said surprised.

Jon shook his head. "The other captives hardly matter. He wants the Kingslayer or the Mountain. Ser Jaime has been gone five days. That is enough time to flee the Riverlands, but not enough to get to King's Landing. We do not have much time. I say attack now with all our forces. Burn Stokeworth and Rosby to the ground. Cut off Duskendale. Prepare to besiege King's Landing. Forget Jaime Lannister. Bring the war to the Crownlands."

"We do not have the men to take King's Landing - not quickly. And we don't have the Kingslayer. If we starve the city, they may kill Sansa." Robb said.

"But what about the promises to protect her?" Arya asked.

"Would you trust Tywin Lannister? The man who sacked King's Landing and ordered the rape and pillage of the Riverlands? The man who employs monsters like Clegane and Hoat? He may not know if the Kingslayer is safe. And even if he did, when has honor ever meant anything to the Lannisters?" Robb said.

"I grant you that there is risk, and that our injured are not ready. But the time is now, before the Kingslayer returns to King's Landing. Nothing is certain in war. There is a tide in the affairs of men, which taken at the flood, can lead to victory. We need to remain on the attack. We need to press Tywin Lannister in the open, and not in the shadows." Jon said.

"We do not have enough men, Jon. Combined, the Lannisters, Tyrells and the city guards will be more than twenty thousand. And they are fighting behind walls. This is not Oxcross. They will see us coming and be able to prepare." Robb said.

"It would be better to have more soldiers and if our injured could recover. But the only thing that matters is to fight at the right place and the right time. The right place is King's Landing, so we can force Tywin into the field. The right time is now." Jon said.

"And Karstark?" Robb said.

"Punish Lady Stark harshly. After that, send the Karstarks into the Crownlands to hunt the Mountain. Better he kill our enemies then lurch about the Riverlands." Jon said.

"She is my mother, Jon. I cannot punish her severely. I can send her back to Winterfell or keep her locked away at Riverrun. She is my blood." Robb said.

"Robb, you are not a Tully. You are a Stark. You were raised to rule the North. We have to defeat the Lannisters. We lose, we die, and so does the North." Jon said.

"I cannot risk Sansa's life - and what sentence can I give my mother? I will not send her to the Silent Sisters." Robb said.

"Why not? Lady Catelyn does not need to swear a vow of silence, but she should be banished from your side. If we win the war, welcome her back. Karstark will not care if we win and the Mountain is slain." Jon said.

"You don't understand, Jon. You don't have a mother. If you did, you would not send her away to a sept. I will not shame her." Robb said.

An icy silence fell over the tent as her brothers glared at each other. "You are right, Lord Stark. I don't have a mother." Jon turned and walked away. Arya did not know who was in the right. She could not blame Robb for protecting their mother, but Jon's advice seemed right. Her mother had made a serious error. And the North would remember how the Kingslayer had been freed, and who had freed him.


The birds sang sweetly and the muddy red river flowed beneath the boat as the triangular sails picked up a strong east wind, blowing them into sight of the pink stone walls of the harbor. Lannister gold had paid for the impassive captain who managed the sails and tillers of the small cog. The old seaman was quiet, speaking to the two passengers only on the few occasions that he needed a second or third hand for reefings, shifting the ballast and tacking. He does not wish to know our names, Jaime Lannister realized. Profit mattered more to Braavosi than stories.

Jaime laughed out loud as the sun tickled the gray whiskers on his face. He had kept his full scraggly beard grown over the last four moons but hacked his long golden locks short. With the homespun brown cowl and robe, he could pass for a begging brother. That could not be said for his companion, well over six feet tall with broader shoulders than the Clegane brothers. She insisted on wearing dented plate mail on board, despite the captain's sour looks.

"You have to keep out of sight." Brienne hissed. The deep blue cobalt of the armor peeked out of the drab brown cloak, and a quartered sun and moon was displayed on the pauldrons.

"No one will notice me, wench." Jaime said. "They will stare at you."

Brienne blushed. "Knights wear armor. The Riverlands may be peaceful but fighting men are still needed."

"You are not a man, wench. And we are nearly out of the Riverlands." The walled town of Maidenpool could be seen to the South. They had crossed the Quiet Isle hours ago, and the red water of the Trident had been replaced by blue. Tyrion would know where the Bay of Crabs began and the Trident ended. Jaime barely cared. He only wanted to return to King's Landing.

'You will have to hide below deck." Brienne said. The cog pulled closer to the harbor and Jaime could see the great stone bathhouse where Good Queen Alysanne had almost died. He began to sing Six Maids in a Pool, a ditty about Jonquil and her sisters bathing while Florian the Fool watched. "What are you doing? We don't want any attention." she said.

"Rather late for that." Jaime said. Armed men wearing a red fish on white waited at the docks. They carried spears and wore helms with fish crests. But these were not Tully guards wearing trouts. A pale whiskered man stepped forth. He looked soft and tired, and his fancy ornate armor could not hide a fleshy flabby body.

Brienne drew her sword, attempting to block any entry on the gangplank. Jaime snorted, and flipped down his cowl. The wench might be strong and skilled with the sword, but she knew little about the world. There were at least eight guards, and no way for the ship to escape.

"Ser Jaime Lannister?" the fleshy man with the red salmon sigil asked. Jaime nodded. "I am Lord William Mooton. Welcome to Maidenpool."


He sat on a gilded chair, overlooking the town walls, and the rutted road that led to Duskendale. The raven said that men from Hollard Castle would arrive in a day's time to escort him south. Jaime drank the broth of the thick mutton soup, avoiding the onions and the beets. The food had been brought by only a lone guardsman who Jaime judged as the oldest of the ones at the docks. Clearly, Lord Mooton wanted no servants to learn his identity.

"Go back to Riverrun, wench. I will not need you on the road to King's Landing." Jaime said.

"I swore to return Lady Sansa to her mother, no matter what the danger. I made a sacred vow and I will keep it." Brienne looked warily around the room, full of gilded wood, rich red velvet, and fine woven tapestries. A bright blue Tyroshi tricorn hat rested on a pale gold pillow near the window. Lord Mooton's solar was more garish than a whorehouse.

"There is no danger. Mooton wants us to leave. So does my father." Jaime said flippantly. "We should go bathe in Jonquil's Pool. I will wash your back if you wash mine."

Brienne glared at him with disgust. "I don't understand. Why is Lord Mooton helping you escape? The Starks freed Maidenpool. They saved House Mooton from your father's forces. So why would Lord Mooton help the Lannisters?"

"Simple. He is a coward. Why are you helping me escape?" Jaime said.

"I am pledged to Lady Stark." Brienne said.

"Lady Stark betrayed her son for the same reason that Lord Mooton does. Fear. Mooton has a girl of thirteen name days, two boys who are squires, and some younger babes. He hides them from us but I saw their faces in the windows." Jaime said.

"So?" Brienne asked.

"What do you think my father will do to them?" Jaime waited a moment. "If Mooton betrayed me, his daughters would be raped and his sons tortured. Maidenpool is not far from King's Landing on the Duskendale Road. He might give the girls to Gregor Clegane. As for the boys, they would be lucky to die quickly. Mooton knows that his house can end in a flash."

"But, but.. The Starks are winning the war." Brienne said.

"The Starks have honor. They would not rape young girls. My father does not have such limits. Why do you think he uses the Mountain? Ser Gregor has married three times. All the girls died within six months. What do you think the Mountain does to them before they die? He smashed a baby's head against the wall and raped his mother with Aegon's blood still on his hands. Lord Mooton has bent the knee. After the war, a Lannister will sit on the Iron Throne. My father will be Hand. My sister will be Queen Regent. And the Starks will be a thousand miles away."

"How can your father allow such a thing? Knights and lords are sworn to protect the weak." Brienne said.

"You are a greater fool than Lady Stark if you believe that. My father cares about one thing - the Lannister name. Not his bannermen, not his children - he wants our family name to be feared and respected. And if raping girls and killing children will do it, then so be it. He would put Maidenpool to the torch, just like the Riverlands. My father is a butcher. Robb Stark is not. He does not have the stomach for it." Jaime said.

"Better to be Lord Robb than your father, then." Brienne said.

"You think so, wench? Then why are you helping Tywin Lannister? You are working against Robb Stark, by bringing me to King's Landing." Jaime said.

"I am serving Lady Catelyn." Brienne retorted.

Jaime snorted. "And if Lady Stark asked you to stab her son in the back, or bring her Jon Snow's head, would you do that? Lady Stark is a fool, and so are you. You are helping my father win. And Tywin Lannister always wins."


The camp was quiet when Jon woke. He had dreamt of dragons again, flying over an ugly square of a city, miles and miles of cramped shabby structures. The roads were broad and lined with trees but the inns, stalls, graveyards, taverns, and tanneries huddled together, like orphans begging in front of the great red keep. Aegon's city. Rhaegar's city. Not mine, Jon thought. I have never been there.

The smell of blood and fire was heavy in the air, or was that still the dream? At night, the wind blew from the fields to the lake, and despite the best efforts of the army and the prisoners, there were still bodies to be burned and buried. In a week, they will all be buried - and even the unknown soldiers would be burnt to ashes and placed six feet below.

A gloomy half light filled his tent. Jon did not feel the chill. He had thrown off the blankets last night, even without the presence of Ghost. He washed his face in the cool water of the basin, and donned his clothes. He strapped a blade to his belt but wore only boiled leather. He didn't even need that. Eddard Karstark, Dacey Mormont and Wendel Manderly guarded him during the day. The youngest Karstark strapped a thick shield to his maimed left arm, and could still fight well with a heavy axe. Not as quick, but Northmen were tough.

The sun had not risen high enough to burn off the grey fog. Jon walked to the God's Eye, and to the quays and posts that dotted the shore. Even through the fog, he could see the boats bobbing on the water, and the arms and buckets of the catapults and siege machines sticking into the air, ready to unleash a forest of missiles.

"Milord." Jon acknowledged the bows and waved them back to work. The smallfolk and villagers had spent the last few days cutting down timber, fitting masts and sails, and building more ballista. These were small machines, suited for quick boats that could sail down the Blackwater. The stones and bolts were not strong enough to damage city walls. He would need to build larger weapons for that, if the army ever got closer to King's Landing.

The cogs, carracks and galleys docked on the God's Eye were not the Iron Fleet. Even the stoutest bireme had only a dozen pairs of oars. But Jon could still use the ships. He could sail them down the blue-green river to the Blackwater Rush. He could supply his forces from the river, and transport men quickly to attack the crownlands. The source of the Mander was only fifty miles from the Blackwater. The upper reaches of the great river were muddy but rough but rafts and skiffs could sail into the heart of the Reach. He might even reach Cider Hall before the Tyrells were aware of the invasion. Before the Targaryens came, the Iron born had used the rivers to terrorize their enemies. He could do the same. But - he did not control the Northern army. Robb commanded the troops.

He had vowed to stand by his brother's side in war. I will not betray Robb, Jon thought. He is my liege lord. The voice inside whispered that was a lie. Robb Stark may have been Warden of the North and head of House Stark but you are the king - the blood of the dragon. You were born to rule, to restore Targaryen rule, and exact retribution for his dead brother and sister. Fire and Blood - those were the words of his house. Fire and Blood.

He sensed the wolf before he saw anything through the fog. Then again, Nymeria was taller and broader than his sister. Arya handed over half a loaf of warm bread with a dollop of honey.

"Are you still angry at Robb?" she asked.

Jon took a bite. The bread was delicious, like most of Hot Pie's baking. "I am not angry."

"You are a terrible liar." Arya said.

He chuckled. "I suppose I am. I have never been good at trickery or hiding my thoughts." He was not Ghost, silent as the grave.

"You think Robb is wrong for waiting and not attacking." Arya said.

"There comes a time in every battle and every war where both sides are exhausted and consider themselves weak or beaten. He who continues the attack wins." Jon said.

"Or she - she could win as well." Arya said stubbornly.

Jon nodded. "Or she. Our war with the Lannisters has not ended. We need to continue fighting. Negotiating or trusting Tywin Lannister or Joffrey Baratheon is a dangerous game."

"I want to kill all of them. Tywin. Cersei. Joffrey. Trant. Ilyn Payne. The entire Kingsguard. Everyone who has made our family suffer." Arya said.

"They are all at King's Landing, sister. And that is where I wish to go." Jon said.


Late that morning, when the sun had burned away the fog, Jon and Arya stood in the tent with the other lords. He kept his eyes on Lord Karstark. Even with Eddard's recovery, Karstark was gaunt and wild-eyed, his long grey beard unkempt. He stared at Catelyn with something worse than anger. Contempt - the Lord of Karhold felt only contempt for Lady Stark.

Robb sat in the middle next to his lady mother. That felt wrong - Catelyn Stark should be lower. She needed to show more remorse than a bowed head.

"My lady mother has confessed to freeing Ser Jaime Lannister. She did so to ensure the safety of my sister Sansa Stark. For her punishment, I send her back to Riverrun under guard and she will remain in the Wheel Tower." Robb announced.

"Is that it, Lord Stark? Is that your justice?" Karstark asked.

"She will be imprisoned in the tower. She will not give any counsel for the war." Robb said.

Karstark spat on the floor. "You mean, she will not be allowed to betray the North further."

"Lord Rickard, I know you are wroth. I would make amends." Catelyn said.

"If you were a man who freed Jaime Lannister, I would challenge you to a duel. Instead, my men will hunt for the Kingslayer. We will search for him in the Riverlands. We will find him and kill him." Rickard grunted.

"My lord, the army must stay together. We cannot allow our host to separate." Robb said.

"If it is not treason to free Lannisters, how can it be treason to hunt them down? Surely you want prisoners, Lord Stark. Or do you mean to send me to my room as well?" Lord Karstark stood up, and walked out.

Outside, Karstark cavalry had already saddled their horses, ready to ride and Karstark infantry formed lines, their tents packed last night. Robb had just lost two thousand men. A remorseful Eddard turned his face away and joined his Lord father. Fools - they were heading in the wrong direction. Jon was certain that they needed to march south.

Author's Note

I will address quickly the vitriol I have received on Catelyn releasing Jaime. I have mapped out how I want the war in the Riverlands to go, and Jaime going to King's Landing is a piece of the story. The betrayal of the Starks is also part of the story as well, and I will just say it is part of the hero's arc. The villains - Tywin, Baelish, Varys - these are people who win by treachery.

Some will say this was not the best decision. Catelyn should have done nothing - and they are right. Bad decisions are part of the Game of Thrones. Ned not telling Jon his mother's name was a bad decision. Theon betraying the Starks was idiotic, and Bran not telling others his vision even stupider. Daenerys sitting on her ass in Meereen for many many chapters was stupid. So in this context, Catelyn releases Jaime to make certain that Sansa won't be killed after the battle. Before the battle, everybody thought the North would lose. 18K to 19K tired men against the Reach's heralds of chivalry 35K to 40K strong - the bets to win would not be on the North. Robb says Jon and I have a good plan, but do you blame Catelyn for her doubt? And do you blame Robb for keeping the plan to himself? And the offer from Tywin is not canon.

Some will claim that I despise Catelyn versus a heroic Jon. You are entitled to your thoughts, but Catelyn is a mother, and she cares a great deal about her daughter. Enough to screw over her son's war effort - I say, yes. Just like capturing Tyrion was incredibly damaging for Ned Stark and the Riverlands. As for Jon, his decision making has flaws too. He is still 16, and he is not as ruthless as he should be. I read a good book recently with a protagonist who is amazing. I won't go into names but the hero completely screwed up a decision where he allied with someone who literally stabbed the party in the back. As a result, a party member was killed, and he was captured and tortured. Now I am sure the writer would have been accused of bad decisions, etc. etc., but it was part of this hero's journey. And that journey was awesome.

There is always a suspension of belief but I think the notion of Brienne as a great fighter is way off. Brienne is stronger than Jaime Lannister but that is not how fighting works. Speed and skill are crucial too, (Arya Stark) and Jaime Lannister is described as wicked fast. The quest to return Jaime Lannister to KL is a very strange thing. First, Riverrun is 500 miles away from the capital. It is really hard to get there. I know in the books, Cleos Frey is with them and Ser Jaime is in irons but Cleos is a bad fighter. "He fought like a goose." Second, in the first chapter of Storm of Swords, Jaime could have bashed her head with an oar while she swam in her armor. I really believe that if Jaime was alone, he would have killed Brienne and just tried to go to KL.

Incidentally, if you read the chapter closely, Jaime claims he was drunk when he swore the vows and therefore it doesn't matter if he returns Sansa and Arya. This obviously is the whole Jaime is a true knight and will be redeemed arc. How did he get drunk in a jail? Did Catelyn Stark force feed him wine? I personally think Catelyn Stark made a terribly short sighted bet in the books. It is not different from Doran's bet on Viserys. That was a terrible long sighted bet.

Given that Varys orders little boys with their tongues cut out from Illyrio, it is hypocritical of him to criticize the Lannisters. But then again hypocrisy has never been an issue with the Spider.

The new model for prisoner treatment is based on the fall of Acre in the Crusades. Acre was a city in modern day Israel. After a year and a half, Richard the Lionhearted took the city. He offered an exchange of 2000 Muslim prisoners for 1600 Christian captives, 100,000 gold and the True Cross. Saladin accepted the deal, but a month later, the ransom had not been paid. So Richard took all of the prisoners from Acre to a small hill where in full view of the enemy army, he massacred 3000 soldiers, women and children. Saladin then executed 2300 Christian prisoners in Syria. And Richard the Lionhearted is considered one of the noble medieval kings.

The phrase Jon has the North in him is off Tyrion's comment to Jon Snow in their first meeting. I know that Tyrion was freed to bring a proposal to his father, and that Joffrey killed Ned Stark before that he returned to the Lannister camp. (Chap 15) But Sansa doesn't see it that way. She thinks the Lannisters are all liars, and dishonorable. Which actually is less fair to Tyrion and Jaime, the ones with the worst reputations, and correct for Tywin, Cersei and Joffrey.

The first chapter of A Storm of Swords features Jaime on the run. Catelyn, with a sword at Jaime's heart, makes him swear oaths. Everyone makes a big deal about Jaime's redemption and giving Oathkeeper to Brienne. But in the book. Jaime also swears to never take arms against Stark and Tully. One book later, he is sieging Riverrun and threatening to kill Edmure's son. So - broken oath there. Of course, you have to wonder how valid an oath at swordpoint is.

The same chapter where Catelyn tells Robb that she freed Jaime Lannister, Robb tells her he married Jeyne Westerling. So it is a clusterfuck of enormous proportions. And people say this story has too many weird assumptions. The North basically blows themselves apart in a single chapter - along with many terrible decisions - Robett Glover invading the Crownlands, Robb trusting Roose's bastard with taking back Winterfell. It is basically a huge disaster, and it is a credit to GRRM's writing that we don't think the passage of Robb spouting off on love's not wise and we must follow our hearts isn't completely moronic. First of all, he knew Jeyne for about a week or so. Second, he says these ridiculous words in front of the Northern army commanders. It is like a Harlequin passage, except terrible things will happen. Robb's reaction is different here. He realizes that the Kingslayer will cost him the respect of his men - certainly Karstark.

"There is a tide in the affairs of men, which taken at the flood, can lead to victory." This is a quote from Julius Caesar where Brutus argues they should march to Phillipi to fight Marc Anthony and Octavian. The ironic thing is that in this case, this was the wrong advice. Jon knows he is throwing the dice, but he wants to seize the day and press on the attack. He fears that there will be more breakdowns in the army, and other traitors. Robb worries about Sansa's fate, and knows the battle will be uncertain. He will be outnumbered and on enemy terrain.

The complete quote comes from Clausewitz, a Prussian general. "The end for which a soldier is recruited, clothed, armed and trained, the whole objective of his sleeping, eating, drinking and marching is that he should fight at the right place and the right time." This is an extremely useful lense to analyze why people won or loss, despite numbers and terrains. It helps to explain why Alexander the Great, Hannibal, Caesar and the Mongols consistently beat the odds.

In the books, Jaime is in chains when released. But that means he literally has to make a trip over five hundred miles of war torn land in chains. And he can still kill Brienne anyway. He just needs to wrap the chains around her throat and strangle her. So if you are going to travel that far, you might as well have him unchained. This isn't Midnight Run.

There is this notion that people do not fear Tywin because he lost a few battles. That might be true if you have no memory of the Sack. But I see Tywin as the ruler who would rather destroy his kingdom than lose power. Even in a corner, he is dangerous. So until he is dead and buried, you would be a fool to underestimate him. And that is something anybody who lives close to King's Landing would understand.

I am never quite sure what GRRM thinks knighthood. Brienne is the closest to the true knight archetype and yet, she is quite naive. She is clever enough to avoid the obvious traps, but almost Sansa like in clinging to her oaths. And it is funny in a sense - she is sworn to protect Sansa and Arya - but, Arya does everything herself. Sansa is freed by Theon.

The quote is from Ulysses Grant. "In every battle, there comes a time when both sides consider themselves beaten, then he who continues the attack wins." Of course, there is more to that - the North became experts at the art of the indirect attack by the end of the war.

I reread some of the chapters around the release of Jaime. There were many signs that the Northern efforts were falling apart. Some of that came from Roose Bolton - he sent infantry under Robett Glover into a disastrous attack at Duskendale. It is hinted that Tywin Lannister had full knowledge of the troop movements from Bolton.

The treason quote comes from the Storm of Swords after Rickard Karstark has killed Willem Lannister and Tion Frey and several guards. It is not clear to me how soon Lord Karstark killed the prisoners after Catelyn fesses up to freeing the Kingslayer. By then, Karstark men had already left to search for Jaime Lannister.

The fundamental point is that the decision to free Jaime Lannister destroyed the discipline of the Northern army. You can certainly argue that with Roose and Walder plotting, that discipline was already in the crapper - along with Robb sleeping with Jeyne/Talisa, but a poorly disciplined army is a failed one.