Chapter XIV
Robb VIII
Robb scouted the battlements before him. The Lannister camp was in disarray, soldiers hurrying for their spears and shields and hadn't noticed the host of northmen creeping in the woods behind them, thank god. Surprise was everything, and they needed to attack at dawn, to avoid Lannister scouts finding them out, as they'd arrived the night before and walked in complete silence, not even lighting fires that night. Brynden Tully had acknowledged the message and as soon as the sun set upon the horizon, his troops had massed at the Northern gates of Riverrun.
The lion trap was set, he had the bait, now all he had to do was for the westerlanders to take it, and then he could send in the cavalry to squash the Lannister host in front of the walls of Riverrun. The Blackfish's plan was sound, he'd send in his troops to bait the Lannisters into committing their whole host, all the while holding reserves to stop the Lannisters from retreating when Robb would hammer them from the back.
Soon, he, the Greatjon and Rickard Karstark watched the battlefield as the Rivermen charged on the field, both hosts clashing with a deafening sound. No one moved a muscle, but Rickard Karstark did make a wave with his hand to order the men to get ready, but Robb barely acknowledged it. Instead his focus was on the battle in front of him. The Riverlanders were getting pushed back, but that was to be expected, all Robb needed to wait now was for the perfect opportunity.
He needed Kevan to be too far forward to be able to retreat back to the Golden Tooth, a decisive victory, squashing any chance for the Lannisters to reform a host and reinforce Tywin, allowing them to secure the passes and blockade King's Landing from land. He just needed the Lannisters to push forward a bit more…but then the Blackfish committed his reserves. Shit.
Robb turned to Tormund on his right.
"Tormund, let the eagles loose, now!" Robb cried out as the large man acknowledged. Robb then turned to his left. "Lord Umber, Lord Karstark, sound the charge, we're going in."
Robb gulped, took a breath of fresh air, before reaching for his lance, all the while keeping a hand on Dark Sister, now refitted with a beautiful wolf pommel. This wasn't the time for fear, nor the time to be brave, this was the time to survive. He raised his lance in the air and cried out with a deafening roar of his own:
"Charge!"
And so, hell was unleashed. Out of the woods came the northern cavalry, led by Rickard Karstark, the tall bearded man running at the spearpoint's vanguard, while Robb stayed slightly behind, waiting for the first wave to crash into the Lannister rear. He could hear the footmen led by the Greatjon right behind him, likely followed by Tormund's berserk free folk. He didn't look back however, only forward, as he watched Grey Wind dodge several horses and disappear in the melee that was occurring in front of them. Soon enough, Robb's spear collided with a Lannister soldier, ripping his armour up. He swiftly unhooked the spear, moving to several other soldiers swiftly, likely surprised by the charge from behind them.
The Lannisters were regaining their composure however, and at the sixth or seventh enemy, Robb lost count, his spear broke. He then unsheathed Dark Sister and started hacking away at anything with a red cloak approaching him, sometimes hitting something, sometimes nothing but air, relying on his horse to absorb the blow for him. It soon became too much for his mount, though, as the Rill Stallion broke and collapsed.
Robb didn't have time to process what was happening or whether or not he'd been hurt, he had to get off his saddle and get back on his feet quickly. Luckily, not one soldier made a move to intercept him, and getting off was easy. He spared a moment to look around him, as he scouted the horizon, and soon found the fighting was dying off around him, the Westerlander host likely already routing. In the distance, Robb could make out several horses with coats of red making it out of the battlefield to his west. Shit.
Robb didn't have time to curse as one man lunged at him with a sword. He was taken off guard but the man's sword was no match for Dark Sister, who cut through the poorly-made metal easily, allowing Robb to rip the man's belly open as the man watched his blade be split in two in shock.
"Lord Robb!" a voice called out, as he barely had time to wipe the blood off his face, unable to reach for the blood dripping around his ears under his helmet.
He turned around to see the Greatjon Umber with barely a scratch on his armour, the giant man instead having several red strokes along his chest plate.
"Lord Umber?" Robb cried out, attempting to make out something out of the chaos around him.
"The Lannisters are routing, but it seems their commander, Lord Kevan, has escaped."
Robb looked around him, and indeed the battlefield seemed to have died down, with the chaos slowly subsiding into faint cries of pain and pleas on all sides.
"Can Lord Karstark give chase?" Robb asked, looking at his sword, whose valyrian features were slightly hidden by the blood on it. Did I really plow through that many enemies? I barely remember getting here, he thought. "Or our reserves perhaps?"
The Greatjon merely shook his head.
"Lord Karstark doesn't have the men for a pursuit, especially with the Lannisters' host on the southeastern side being mostly intact, and our reserved won't be able to jump on them on time without proper scouting, they could still be marching into a trap."
Robb sighed. He'd been so close, so desperately close to a decisive victory. He'd annihilated a whole host, fifteen thousand strong, but their leader had escaped, and there was the whole problem.
"Right, let us meet our allies then." Robb gestured the Greatjon who nodded and opened up the way through the battlefield, where the last Lannisters left behind were surrendering amidst the mountains of corpses on each side.
He made his way up to where two men were standing, bearing the trout of the Tullys on their breastplates, the auburn beard of the man on his right making him instantly recognizable, but still, he didn't want any mistaken identities.
"Edmure Tully, I presume?" he asked the bearded man.
"Aye." The man answered. "To whom to I owe the pleasure."
"My name is Robb Stark." he answered, removing his helm to reveal his own auburn curls, without any beard, though, Robb insisting on being clean shaven. "Sorry to disappoint you, we chose to come to your aid instead of being sitting ducks at Darry."
"Well you damn well fucked it all up!" the man to his left roared. "What the fuck took you so long?"
Robb raised an eyebrow as he looked the older man up and down. So, this is what the legendary Brynden "Blackfish" Tully looked like. Right.
"Took you so long?" Robb asked confused as ever. "I thought we agreed that you'd send in your centre only after the signal, which you did not do."
"What do you mean?" the Blackfish roared as Robb could feel the Greatjon Umber nearly collapsing into a fit of laughter, disguising it as a cough behind him. "If we'd charged then we would be so close to the fighting that we'd be able to see the colour of the westerlander eyes, and our armies could well have started routing already!"
"And we'd have gotten Lord Kevan and his retinue!" Robb shouted in protest. "Instead, when he saw our host coming, he had time to escape west to the Golden Tooth."
"I'll take Lord Kevan fleeing over three thousand dead riverlanders any day, boy."
"Three thousand dead today, or five thousand dead tomorrow?" Robb answered. "Lord Kevan will be able to make it back and raise another host to aid his brother now."
The Blackfish made a move to argue but to Robb's surprise, calmed down and sheathed his sword, enabling Robb to sheathe his.
"We'll speak about this later. In any case, thank you for answering our call. The Lannisters have been defeated, but we need to count our losses, no doubt Tywin will be sending reinforcements here soon."
"Aye." Robb nodded. "You're right. We can lay blames later, let us honour and bury or burn the dead today. Your riverlanders fought valiantly, we managed to capture five thousand Lannisters on the Southwestern side. The Eastern forces retreated to Harrenhal though."
Robb looked at the eastern side, where the Westerlanders were already sounding a retreat in good order, and judging by the battered state of the Tully forces, there would be no pursuit.
The Blackfish then moved to speak, but Robb got startled by Tormund, who leapt to his side, his beard and axe both soaked in blood. The giant looked around and shrugged, nodded to everyone before turning to Robb and whispering in his ear:
"Lord Robb, I've heard Val is in need of you. The child's coming."
Robb's face drained of colour as he recoiled in shock, waiting for Tormund to tell him it was all a joke, but the Giantsbane kept a stoic face. Shit, it's happening, it actually is happening, he thought as he panicked more than when he charged into the Lannister rear. He turned back to both Tully lords and spoke hurriedly:
"You must excuse me my lords, it seems my wife is about to give birth."
Robb took up the saddle offered by Rickard Karstark, who had joined them during their discussion with the Tullys.
"Lord Umber, you have the field." He told the Greatjon as he saddled his second horse of the day, rushing with Tormund and Lord Karstark back towards camp.
Robb could now observe the sheer extent of the battle as he rode hard towards the wood where the northern camp was carefully camouflaged. Lannister soldiers were dead or wounded across the field, with little to no northern casualties. They were already routing, Robb thought, the victory belonged to the rivermen today, it would be hard to salvage command of the joint forces now, that honor surely belonged to Brynden Tully. But as he cleared the field and rushed into the woods, those thoughts disappeared.
Robb, Tormund and Karstark all leapt out of their horses, and rushed towards a smaller tent, located just behind the command tent, flying a grey direwolf and guarded by three free folk guards, and one Mormont. Robb just flew past them and entered the tent, where he saw Val lying on the makeshift bed, with a midwife, holding a small figure in her hands.
He rushed to her side immediately, and grabbed her hand. It seemed that she had endured the birthing process quite well, but Robb just wanted to make sure.
"Val, are you well?" Robb asked apologetically. "I'm sorry I couldn't be there earlier…I…"
"It's fine." The wildling woman answered. "I am no southron woman, I do not need anyone to help me bring a child into the world. My only regret is I couldn't be on the battlefield with you." She tried to rise, but Robb quickly prevented her from doing so. Meanwhile, both Tormund and Rickard Karstark had entered the tent, but kept their distances.
"You need to rest." Robb said sternly. "A birth is no small thing, you must be tired and in pain. You have to stay here. I'll bring a carriage to bring you into Riverrun."
"No carriage, Robb." Val answered. "A horse will do. The pain is manageable and I'll rest later." She paused before changing the subject. "Do you wish to hold him?"
"Him?" Robb asked as he raised his hands towards the midwife, who promptly gave him the babe that was resting in her arms.
"Aye." Val smiled. "A boy, healthy one too."
"Did you name him?" he asked, too shocked to think properly as he held a child, his child in his arms.
Val shook her head. "We do not name children until their third name day beyond-the-wall."
"Here we name a child when he is born." Robb answered with a smile. "We'd need a northern name, one that is used both north and south of the wall."
Val thought for a moment.
"How about Mance?"
Robb winced.
"I'm only joking." She gave a wide smile. "Ulric, Lyarrak, Thormond, Aenar, Olaf are some of the names the southern clans give."
"Olaf." Robb answered with a sly smile. "Olaf sounds nice. Olaf Stark."
"Olaf Stark." Val nodded. "The heir to the north."
Robb cradled the baby in his arms as both Tormund and Rickard Karstark approached without a sound, observing the figure in his arms.
"He has the Stark looks." Rickard Karstark observed. The boy had the same nose and brow as Ned and Robb, and most importantly, he had dark, black hair matching Jon and Arya.
"Aye. But he has the build of one of ours." Tormund commented, as the boy was still heavier than expected, with the physique one could expect from a wildling beyond-the-wall.
"Announce the good news, Lord Karstark." Robb turned to him. "This is another reason to celebrate tonight."
The usually brooding lord nodded with a small smile, before turning to Robb with a finger up in the air.
"I almost forgot with all of these news, Lord Robb." Rickard Karstark handed him a sealed letter. "A messenger brought this a few moments ago, I didn't want to intrude, but this might be a good time for me to give it to you."
Robb nodded, and handed the baby for Val to hold, as he ripped open the seal of the letter and started reading. Quickly, he shouted for Rickard Karstark to stop, right as the commander of the northern horse was exiting the tent.
"You might want to read this." Robb handed the confused lord the letter he'd read in an instant.
Robb hadn't seen such a wide range of emotions cross a man's face in such a small amount of time, but Rickard Karstark had likely gone through a bunch by the time he'd finished reading, handing him the letter once more.
"This will make the next meeting with the Tullys more than interesting." He chuckled. "Especially since the next war council is scheduled for this afternoon, as Tarly should soon arrive. What about the last part, it isn't written in the common tongue, but rather, weird symbols?"
"Aye." Robb answered. "Code for me from my father. The last part doesn't quite concern us yet, you need not worry about this."
Rickard Karstark nodded.
"In any case such news cannot be delayed much more, we need to make for Riverrun as soon as possible."
"I agree." Robb answered with a nod. "Get the men ready. Tormund, saddle a horse for Val, we need to get her and Olaf installed in Riverrun as soon as possible, the portcullis of the main gates should have gone down by now."
As quickly as the camp had been mounted, everything had been packed and installed on the fields closer to Riverrun, where Lannister prisoners were being lined up and herded into makeshift prisoner of war camps. Robb could only feel sorry for the men that probably wouldn't see their homes for a long time, but he didn't have time to worry about their treatment now, as he forwarded his horse into Riverrun's walls.
He was surprised at the amount of smallfolk around, but remembered that Edmure was indeed actually quite caring of his people in the books, it would make sense he kept that sense of duty to his people here by protecting them from the ravaged countryside.
The Blackfish was waiting for them in the courtyard and as Robb unsaddled, the old trout spared a look at Val, who held Olaf in her arms. Robb made a move to help her down from her horse, but Val was as agile as ever, as if the birth of a child barely phased her.
"So, is she your wildling wife?" he asked bluntly.
"Aye, she's Lady Val. And in her arms is my son, Olaf."
To his surprise, the Blackfish kissed Val's hand and smiled at the boy.
"A Stark boy in looks, through and through, your bannermen must be happy." The Blackfish chuckled. "In any case I'll have accommodations readied for Lady Val and your son. As a matter of fact, my nephew's wife Roslin has just given birth as well, to a healthy boy, so they won't be alone."
"I thank you, Ser Brynden." Robb answered politely.
"No need, we're family after all." The Blackfish gestured to a servant in Tully colours to come forward. "Bethany, please escort the Lady Val and her son to her quarters."
"Her guards will have to come with her." Robb quickly interrupted the Blackfish.
The old Tully answered with a nod, as Robb signalled the four men to follow the young girl to Val's chambers. Robb approached Val and left her a kiss on the cheek.
"I'll check on you once this is over."
"I look forward to it." She answered with a smile.
With Val gone, Robb's attention shifted back towards the Blackfish, who gestured him and the few lords following him to the war room, located a few steps over in Riverrun's main tower, or dungeon, he wasn't sure what to call it. As he and the lords entered, he was greeted by the sound of a middle-aged man's voice.
"Ah, Lord Stark! We were expecting you! Quite a victory you've achieved."
"Lord Tarly, it is a pleasure." Robb nodded as he noticed the huntsman right under his mail. "You've made quite the journey."
"A journey I'm afraid I made for nothing. Most of my host deserted for the kinslayer Stannis and all I'm left with is my men and a few crownlanders, not a host to be reckoned with I'm afraid."
The room mumbled as the word kinslayer was spoken, before a lord Robb recognized as Tytos Blackwood spoke up.
"Kinslayer? Surely you cannot be serious as to believe these rumours?" the Lord of Raventree Hall scoffed.
"You might want to read this." The Lord of Horn Hill retorted, unphased, handing a missive to the Blackfish, who read it calmly, before handing it to Edmure.
"It has been signed by representatives of four different kingdoms, possibly five." The Blackfish noted.
"Loyalists to Renly, all of them, I bet." A man in Vance colours spoke up.
"Including my niece, Catelyn." The Blackfish put both fists on the table, looking straight at the Vance lord. You could hear a pin drop, and if Edmure hadn't passed him the letter, he could have sworn the look the Blackfish gave the Vance turned him to stone.
"Do you suggest my niece is a liar?" the Blackfish continued.
"N…no…but she could have signed this under duress." The Vance lord replied, but Ser Brynden just waved him off.
"When we were young, I taught her to code her signature in a way that would be unique if she was coerced into saying something she didn't want to say, or something that was untrue, notably about the relationship with her future husband." The Blackfish replied. "No offence meant, Lord Robb, this was years before she was betrothed to your father."
"None taken." Robb answered as he passed on the letter to Rickard Karstark, who was flanking his right.
"We devised this unique signature only she and I could understand." The Blackfish continued. "And the signature on this paper isn't one that suggests she was coerced into signing."
"I beg your pardon, Ser Brynden. But if Stannis is a kinslayer, and Renly is dead, who do we bend the knee to? Who is the king now?" Lord Bracken asked.
"Certainly not the bastard Tywin Lannister plans on using as a puppet!" Lord Blackwood retorted.
The northmen all started snickering, and even Robb couldn't repress a small chuckle.
"What are you lot laughing at?" Marq Piper asked with a scowl.
"Oh nothing." Dacey Mormont replied with an innocent tone. "It is just nice to see you southrons try to decide on a king."
"And you already have, I bet." Edmure Tully asked sarcastically.
"Oh yes, we have." The Greatjon countered. "We know no king but the king in the north whose name is Stark. Ned Stark, king in the North."
"The king in the north! The king in the north!" the northmen shouted as Robb smiled from ear to ear, in front of the baffled riverlanders.
"Heh." Brynden Tully chuckled. "I expected nothing less from you lot. But this still leaves us without a king to bend the knee to."
"It's fine, I believe we made the decision for you." Lord Karstark chuckled.
"You don't think we're going to bend the knee to you?" the Blackfish stared at Lord Karstark wide-eyed.
"Mayhaps it is for the best…" Edmure thought aloud, but Robb cut them both off.
"We're not asking you to bend the knee to my father. Rather, we're giving you another choice. The Riverlands are difficult to defend, they have little natural boundaries aside from the Westerland marches in the West. In order for your lands to be properly defended, the Riverlands need to be part of a larger kingdom."
The Blackfish nodded.
"I agree on that, Lord Robb, but I ask you again. Who do you wish for us to bend the knee to?"
"Well it is simple no? With the Baratheons wiped out, the crown goes back to the Targaryens. And there is one left…"
"You want us to bend the knee to the Targaryens? Have you gone mad?" the Blackfish cried out. "Do I need to remind you who rebelled against them?"
"It doesn't rejoice me either, Ser Brynden. But we don't really have a choice." Robb retorted. "The girl has three fully grown dragons, and yes, it is true, not only a rumour. What do you think she'll do to us when she inevitably comes back to Westeros?"
He could hear Edmure gulp.
"If we help her get her throne in exchange for no reprisals and an extension of territories, let's say the incorporation of the Golden Tooth and Deep Den into the Riverlands…"
"Then we'll be safe from any attack and we'll be winning in the end…" the Blackfish thought. "But how can you guarantee she'll keep her word?"
"Lord Manderly is currently leading a fleet to Meereen alongside Alysane Mormont, Theon Greyjoy, Roger Ryswell and Jason Mallister. The latter of which you can recall at any moment. Their objective is to get there, present our terms to the Dragon Queen and offer her and her armies, because, yes, she has an army of ten to fifteen thousand men, possibly more." Robb noted. "And ferry them to Westeros. We need the realm to be united against the northern threat, and with fire such a powerful tool, we will need her dragons."
The Blackfish nodded.
"Fair points, fair points. And the addition of the Golden Tooth and Deep Den could be good for our coffers…" Edmure answered in turn looking to his uncle.
"You're the Lord of Riverrun, Edmure, you make the decisions, not me."
Edmure drew in a deep breath.
"Assuming we bend the knee, I'll ask for a few more conditions from the Dragon Queen. Firstly, extensive reparations from Tywin Lannister for the damage done to our lands."
"That is fair. Although you'll get that yourselves at this rate." Robb answered.
"Secondly, I want Silverhill as well." Edmure continued. "And finally, Lord Mallister enough. I'll want two more riverlanders to head towards Maidenpool and join the ships you've set sail with, that is Symon Darry, Lord Raymund's cousin, and Ser Tristan Ryger, one of my most trusted men."
"Both acceptable terms, Lord Edmure, although you'll have to negotiate Silverhill with her, though I doubt she'll deny that request."
Edmure turned to the lords assembled before them.
"I won't make any decision without your backing my lords. If you wish to speak against this, now is the time."
"If she has three fully grown dragons, and she comes here, and we're enemies…if we can get anything out of it, I say we go for it." Stevron Frey called out.
"I agree, as long as she leaves us alone and we get reparations, let us take the offer while we can." Karyl Vance nodded.
"Aye. I don't like the Targs, but I'll take them over the Fiery Stag or the bastard any day." Lord Mooton concluded.
Edmure nodded. "Ser Tristan, you and Lord Symon will ride to Maidenpool tomorrow, Lord Mooton will provide the ships for you to join the Northern fleet."
"I'll send a raven informing them of the reinforcements." Robb answered. "They shouldn't have weighed anchor yet; you'll have time to catch them before they hit Driftmark".
Robb looked at the room as everyone turned to Lord Tarly now. The old man just shook his head.
"And why would I pledge my allegiance? What do I get out of it? As far as I'm aware Tywin will try to sway the reach, I'll have to follow my liege lord."
"And you are a loyal man, Lord Tarly." Robb poked him a little. "You fought for the Targaryens, beat Robert Baratheon at Ashford."
"I bent the knee."
"And now the Baratheons are dead, shouldn't your allegiances shift back to the Targaryens."
Randyll Tarly thought for a moment.
"I suppose. But if my liege lord calls for me to support a bastard…"
"As you say, he is a bastard. The Dragon Queen as three dragons, if the Reach stands in her way, then the Tyrells will be extinguished, my sister and mother excluded." Robb continued to eye him. "And then we'll need a new lord paramount of the Reach, and who better than a man who has been at her side since the first?"
Randyll Tarly chuckled.
"Aye, there's some merit to that. I'll think upon it, but right now we'll need to crush the Lannister forces. I've been given an order by the late King Robert, and I intend to fulfil it."
"Aye. This talk of kings and queens has slowed our conversation down, but Tywin has been pushed out of King's Landing." The Blackfish answered. "With Renly dead, he'll be looking to speed back to the Rock and reunite with his brother, who is raising a second host with his cousin past the Golden Tooth."
"And possibly ally with the Reach." Robb muttered.
"He'll be looking to reunite with his men saved from the slaughter here, this might leave us some time." Rickard Karstark spoke up.
"Aye, but if he marches to Deep Den directly…" Edmure let that comment hang in the air.
"I still have ten thousand men at Pinkmaiden under Lord Piper's command." Brynden answered. "I'll have them march south towards the Stony Sept to try and block the Blackwater Rush and the Goldroad. This will give us some time to reunite with them."
"You cannot keep the Riverroad undefended." Randyll Tarly spoke up. "Kevan Lannister could try to hit you from the rear."
"He needs time to train his men, time he does not have. By the time he is at the gates of the Golden Tooth, we'll have crushed Tywin's host. In any case, I have a plan for that as well, that involves circumventing the Golden Tooth…" Brynden continued
Robb paused. So that's how he got past it in canon, right.
"With fifteen thousand men from the northern host, plus your three thousand, Lord Tarly, and a further five thousand I can commit, we can have a host of more than thirty thousand ready to engage Tywin's twenty-five thousand. I'll leave ten thousand to defend the mountain passes in case of a Lannister counter-attack but that seems unlikely, with Deep Den under threat, Stafford and Kevan Lannister will likely move south." The Blackfish continued.
"A sound plan. Engage Tywin Lannister around the Stony Sept or the Goldroad, stop him from making it West or South and then crush the reserve hosts at Deep Den and move onto the Rock…" Randyll Tarly answered "But who will lead the host, the young wolf, or yourself?"
Robb wasn't ready for that question as all faces now turned to him, including the gazes of his own men. He knew he was under pressure, but there really was only one choice here.
"My uncle will have command." He finally spoke up. "I'm young, and even if my host numbers half, I must admit I am quite inexperienced as my bannermen like to remind me. You are the veteran of three wars, Great-Uncle Brynden, and the victory today is as much yours as it is the north's. You should lead."
For once the Blackfish was dumbstruck, and it took a few moments to recollect himself.
"I thank you for the kind words, Lord Robb. It is settled then, I will lead the forces, but I trust each of you…" he pointed to both Robb and Randyll Tarly "Will want to manage your own forces. Do as you wish. We'll leave in a day, time for all of us to get some rest, then we make for Pinkmaiden. It's time to end this once and for all."
"Winter is coming for Tywin Lannister…" Rickard Karstark muttered as the northern lords chuckled and roared in agreement.
Robb smirked. Winter was coming for Tywin, but it will also come with fire and blood.
I really have to stop saying the next chapter will be shorter, because it always ends up longer... Well this marks the end of this small rotation of events occuring roughly around the same time. Next time we head towards Sunspear as Jon has a a small and a big problem. I won't promise it will be shorter because I'm already approaching 3k words at half. Anyways next chapter is in two weeks as I have another fic lined up first (which I won't be posting here because the goal won't be a semblance of realism unlike this one. That said, hope you enjoyed, and don't forget to leave a like/kudos/comment if you enjoyed, it's always nice.