Back again, I hope you all enjoy!
Chapter 38: Nor the Bad the Good
The Dreadfort
Davos walked up to the top of the gatehouse, finding Stannis speaking to a few of the more loyal commanders who will be taking charge of the five-thousand soldiers they brought to the North.
Upon seeing him, Stannis dismissed the six men who retreated back to their positions.
"We have the advantage," Stannis mentioned and he was right.
The Dreadfort might be a relatively small castle, but the place is full of chokepoints and tight spots which means that Arthur and his army will have to try their hardest to seize it from them.
On the downside of things, they lack a bit of food. Before Axell and Selyse's stupidity, Arthur had been gracious enough to share some provisions with their force.
Combined with their own that they brought from the Stormlands, Dragonstone, and Braavos, they only have enough food to last roughly seven weeks and that's if the cold and snow don't hamper their morale as the frost as it's been falling down for quite a few days already.
"Perhaps we should still prepare for the worst, your grace." He said, Stannis turned and looked at him with suspicion. "This was all a big misunderstanding, we could parlay with Arthur and make peace, if not for the men then for your daughter." He added and the King shook his head no.
"Arthur never wanted us here, he was looking for an excuse because it's what I would have done... And it would have come to this, either way." A sigh of regret escaped the Hand of the King, his shot at saving them all from a fight being put aside.
"What are my orders, my King." They aren't leaving this place, it'll be their grave and he is content as he'd gotten his son away from here.
Stannis made him follow as they descended from the gatehouse and on the battlements, their two-thousand cavalry preparing to meet the enemy army. The few weeks they've been in the North, they even prepared some trebuchets for any potential fight but it won't be enough.
"You and five-hundred men will protect my wife and daughter, leave out the Eastern passage if the battle gets too grim." So he does have a plan in the event of defeat, it made things feel better about the survival of Shireen.
"What about the Witch?" It wasn't the right time but to hell with it, it's Melisandra and her influence that got us in this situation.
Stannis ignored him and he closed his eyes in frustration, turning and going to prepare for the battle coming to their doorstep. "I will punish them, with any arms at my disposal", Davos remembered the King saying this and he can only imagine Stannis giving into sorcery to win the battle despite what it costs.
No, if this is the day they all die, they will perish fighting with some semblance of honor and courage than being remembered for trickery.
The Hand of the King will do as commanded by his majesty but he will not stop until that wretched woman leaves this world on the same bloody path she's set so many on, she's going to die this day.
Elsewhere
Arthur stopped his horse, gesturing for the proceeding nine-thousand men to keep marching onward to the Dreadfort.
In the past when his forces originally took the castle, it wasn't very manned and had the disadvantage of leadership. It's different, this time. Stannis has a few thousand men under his command, brave commanders and he himself being a vicious tactician on the field.
It might just be his most important fight, the first time he'll be fighting one of the last remaining first leaders of the War of the Five Kings.
Robb, Balon, Joffrey, Renly, now Stannis is going to join them.
"Arthur, some of the commanders want to know what to do with the captives?" He turned and quickly answered the Karstark soldier.
"What captives, they broke the law of truce between our forces. They won't get no mercy, tell that to all commanders." He ordered and the rider went back to his Lord, then the news quickly spread to all nine-thousand soldiers marching down this road.
Patting the horse's neck, he pushed on and rode in silence for quite a bit, only the noise of the wind and trotting horses and footmen being his company.
Then he heard the noise of someone approaching and found his mother looking proud, a set of leather and chainmail being her armor. "I heard you went to see that daughter of Oberyn, before we left?" He mentioned and the older woman nodded, it was true.
"I wanted to know the current state of my House in Dorne, it seems like the Daynes will need a home here in the North." He would've asked them to stay whether they were allowed to return or not, they are his family.
"After today, the Dreadfort will need a new Lord." He hinted and his mother was surprised, "I'll wait until Edric is well, then I shall hold a feast for his appointment as Lord of the Dreadfort." It would make the North home to not one, but two Southern families.
House Manderly being the most important but the Daynes are a greater prize, it's even in his blood.
"You should use this, then." He offered her Dawn once more, "You've carried this sword for twenty years, I want you to use it in the battle." his mother hesitated for a moment before taking the sword, "I also want you to look after Arya for me, I would very much appreciate her safety." He knows she could take care of herself, it's his little sister that he is worried about.
Back then, they fought brigands and raiders but these men they'll be battling are veteran and experienced soldiers, these soldiers will fight to the last as their morale is high after defeating the Wildlings, then their latter defeats by House Lannister on the Blackwater.
Arya might be getting better with that blade of hers, yet she's not ready to fight the shock troops of the Stormlands as a great few of them are veterans from the Rebellion with King Robert.
Memories of Nan telling them about the day Robert and his army fought and defeated three armies in a single day, that he'll be fighting Stannis who is the King's brother is something to be nervous of.
He shared this feeling with Howland Reed before leaving, the older Lord of Greywater Watch scoffed and stated boisterously that Stannis isn't his older brother.
"Stannis might be an experienced commander, but that was in a single naval battle and a string of defeats years after that." The sage told him and then became serious, "He slew his own brother to take the Stormlands, he cares not for the faith of his father and despises our resistance. I say show him the teeth of your House." And he will.
"Keep pushing to the Dreadfort! We can't keep our guests waiting!" The various captains began singing, from light songs to war chants.
The drummers beat hard when they came over the last hill, the ancient fort of House Bolton meeting everyone's gaze, and a smile crept its way on Arthur's lips and his hands gripped the reins of his horse.
He quickly noticed the lines of cavalry protecting the castle, it mattered not to him as they'll be decimated on their first charge.
"Prepare the formation and one close enough, rain fire down on them." He ordered and unsheathed his sword, a moment later his mother rode back up to him. "No, don't even ask. Stannis doomed House Baratheon when he tried to kill us, and my father and Robert are gone and so is the bond that brokered friendship between Wolf and Stag." He said with finality before riding on ahead to meet the other commanders.
His march here is to uphold the consequences of rites and rituals, he did the same with House Frey, then to House Bolton and now House Baratheon.
The Dreadfort
"What do you mean she is gone?!"
Davos reported Melisandre's disappearance not long after searching for the witch, he knew that something was off with that stunt two days ago when she burned Axell and those other sycophants.
Stannis was shocked and he held his tongue from telling off his King, their is already low morale among those who follow the Red God after Axell was executed and Selyse was imprisoned.
"Your Grace, I know you don't want to hear this," He stopped the moment the King laid his angered eyes on him, yet he forced himself to continue. "This new campaign is a disaster, we came here thinking this would be an easier victory than striking at the heart of Westeros but it only cost us everything we have left." He tried once more to reason with the man.
"What would you have me do? Run? Bend my knee to that usurper!?" He shook his head, they wouldn't run or surrender.
"We can parlay with him and explain everything, it's the only way to stop this unnecessary battle from starting." Just then, a soldier rushed into the hall with panic on his face.
"My King! Trouble! Arthur and his army are here!" He held his shocked expression.
Stannis remained stout and stiff, "What are they doing? Are they waiting or attacking?" His grace asked the soldier who quickly responded.
"They seem to be getting into formation, some have already begun marching closer." So the Dread Wolf doesn't intend to talk to us.
"Then get everyone to their stations, start arming the trebuchets and tell Lord Cafferon and his son to only meet the enemy when the men on the walls have let go three volleys." The soldier quickly left the hall and Stannis turned to him, "Pick five hundred and place them around the courtyard and inside the castle, protect your Crown Princess." The King left then and guided by his honor guard of knights.
The Hand would honor that command, protect the Princess.
"Should we put more men at the Princesses chambers, Lord Hand?" One of the seven leaders in his 500 man company asked, and Davos swallowed his doubts and turned to the man.
"I actually have another task for you and fifty other men, come with me."
While Davos planned for the survival of Shireen, Stannis made it to the battlements and unsheathed his Lightbringer. "Men of House Baratheon, hear me!" He called to the warriors he brought from battle to battle, the exception of the twelve-hundred coming from mercenaries. "Today is the beginning of our great conquest, after today's victory we will unlock the road to the capital."
"The man who brings me the head of Arthur Snow will be made Lord of Winterfell, and given the hand of Lady Sansa Stark." It wasn't a grand speech he wanted to speak, he simply needed to give all his men something to give their all for.
Wild war cries echoed out throughout the castle, his words reached across to the men and that meant he has a better chance of victory.
Within the lines of the first wave of Northmen, Greatjon Umber halted the advance upon seeing the trebuchets. "Pound your shields!" War chants ensued and at the enemy line of cavalry, their commander was successfully goaded into attacking early.
Stannis watched as his riders rode on ahead earlier than when they were supposed to, archers behind Greatjon's vanguard let loose hundreds of arrows and the formation readied for what was left of the charge to hit them.
Lord Cafferon's son was shot through the neck, falling forward with his horse and the man looked too late as a shaft ran through the visor of his helmet.
No one to steer the charge correctly when the two Lords and their captains killed, they were met viciously by the Umber and Glover pikemen, and behind the third line followed spears being thrown forward.
Arthur smiled and threw down his own visor, taking the 1500 horsemen and split them to encircle the two-thousand Stormcrows that Stannis bought with his loan from the Iron Bank.
A thousand each from the back lines excluding the archers started marching for the North and Southern gates of the Dreadfort, Stannis cursed as that meant they had to choose where to aim their siege weapons while being attacked from three sides.
Arya and Ashara watched Arthur lead the men, for Arya it reminded her of Robb, and for the mother of Arthur, it reminded her of Ned.
"When do we attack?" Arya asked the older woman, Ashara swiftly shook her head.
"Little one, only at the end are we to join." It was why Arthur left them five hundred of the cavalry before he rode off to finish Stannis's men outside the walls.
Arya huffed with disappointment, turning away from seeing the fighting.
To Ashara, this child reminds her too much of Brandon when they met at Harrenhal all those years ago.
"Don't be saddened, it looks like the battle will be over within an hour or so." She assured the girl whose eyes glimmered slightly, she smiled and remembered some of the battles in Essos she witnessed, one of which came from the Golden Company.
She was traveling and saw fist sight a battle for the Disputed Lands, Myr had purchased three smaller mercenary companies and occupied an abandoned castle then came the Golden Company with their forces and elephants.
The Commander, Harry Strictland had used a strategy somewhat like Arthur is doing but instead of horses, they goaded six-thousand soldiers to a slaughter before attacking all five gates of the castle. The force fell withing three hours, everyone who couldn't get away were killed mercilessly.
In her eyes, she can clearly see that a similar fate lies with Stannis at the end of this conflict.
Escaping through of the very few tunnels built into the Dreadfort, Shireen was guided by men who were sent to keep her safe. Davos stopped, Shireen did also with worry on her face.
"Ser Onion Knight, where are we going?" He didn't have the strength to tell her the truth, that she will be running for survival whilst the rest of them perishes for a greater cause.
"You will follow these men to our ships, and return to the Stormlands at my Keep with Devan, Princess." She questioned his words silently, he smiled and put his hands on the child's head, ruffling her hair softly then taking the crown of her mothers and handing it to her guardians. "Your father and I will be right behind you, now go because it's a way back to the boats." He told her and the men ushered the struggling Princess away and he refused to move until they were completely out of sight.
Once he couldn't see them, he closed and locked the passage back up then made his way back to the courtyard and joining his King.
An hour passes and Stannis's forces on the field were caught, killed, or scattered and now the Stark forces began their attack on the castle itself. Men who climbed ladders were killed, those brave enough to try breaking through the gate had boiled water and oil poured on them, Arthur lamented the lost lives at the moment but was willing to throw them all at the Dreadfort to slay Stannis.
Stannis was showing the same ferociousness, with every man his defender's slew, three more would take their place and fight harder to take the gatehouses and walls.
"My King!" A soldier bearing the sigil of Haystack Hall approached with blood on his cheeks. "We should retreat into the various positions, we'll lose the walls soon enough." He pondered for a long moment, realizing that it was true.
Arthur's proven an above-average tactician, before even defeating his field force he sent separate contingents at the other entrances to not only cut off any breakthrough escapes but to strain where he will be defending the most.
"Take seven hundred men through the tunnel, attack Arthur's rear to our North gate." It was their weakest at the moment, "I won't concede to this pup when our glory is before us! Men, fight with me!" He led hundreds to the South gate.
After finishing his field men, Arthur led his banner and wolves to the South gate. "I kill Arthur, and his army will lose hope and route." He told himself and gripped Lightbringer, reminding himself to use the blade to behead Melisandre for her treachery.
At the South gate, Arthur arrived with roughly half of his riders, the other he split and sent to the West and North gates.
"Arthur, I'd advise not getting in the thick of this." Asher is right, those high walls of House Bolton are quite the obstacle to breakthrough and that's if those archers don't let up which they haven't.
"If the King doesn't lead, how can he expect his men to follow." He said with a sickening smile across his face, one that hasn't been seen since the Battle of Oxcross. Asher watched Arthur sheath his longsword before unsheathing Ice, the men just then broke through the gate, and with more men atop the walls meant little volley fires. "Let's hunt us some Stags!" With that, Arthur led the charge towards the Dreadfort.
Davos and Stannis met the very sight of the South gate breaking, neither took the time to question one another quickly joined the fighting with their fellow warriors.
The Hand of the King cursed his inability to use a sword, having to keep some of the soldiers nearby so his head doesn't get cleaved off by one of those Umber men.
He lost Stannis in the swarm of Northmen and their forces, "Stannis!" He yelled and received no answer, "My King!" He cried out once more and still no sign of Stannis who had dove into the fighting.
As the Dreadfort fell from gate by gate, the Baratheon forces were pushed into the hall and Stannis who had gotten wounded during his brave charge was cursing his misfortune of being defeated twice during this war.
Davos was the one to bring him back after finding him, only to be captured and taken by the enemy when they retreated near the West gate. "Stand your ground! Show no fear!" He shouted to his men, glaring at the enemy who inched into the great hall.
"Stannis, why bother resisting." He watched as Arthur pushed his way through to the front of his men, that valyrian greatsword of the Kings of Winter doused in the blood of his men. "Come join the rest of your men, here." A head was thrown to the middle of the room.
It was of Davos, the man who had saved him during the Rebellion all those years ago and now lie dead to the wolves of the North.
"Why don't we settle this in the old way, you and me, I'll even surrender the North and her armies to you if I die." Stannis felt aggravated toward the pup. "You can take a chance to win the North, or see your House and men be exterminated." Both men had a quiet stare down.
"... I accept." Arthur smirked and was excited to defeat another notable warrior and commander.
Their needn't be any more words left to say, Stannis and Arthur took no time before lunging at each other and clashing Lightbringer and Ice for the fate of both lives and kingdoms.
Arthur swung Ice to cleave the King's head off, Stannis evaded and slashed at the Dread Wolf's stomach but only scratched the leather protection.
The King of the Narrow Sea saw the King of the North swing downward, too fast for the older man to react and could only lift his sword to clash with the Valyrian steel.
The blade named Lightbringer broke on the first inch of pressure, in his mind it was as if the sword breaking was the last sign that he was not the Azor Ahai that Melisandre spoke of.
No, the last Baratheon King wouldn't let this be the end and before the Greatsword could touch him, he rolled out of the way and one of his men threw him a longsword and a war-ax so he may continue the fight.
"Ahh!" Stannis cried with the fury of his House, launching at the Bastard of Ned Stark.
Arthur was shocked at the rival monarchs new-found strength and speed, it gave him a glimpse of the power that Robert must have had when he took the Seven Kingdoms from House Targaryen.
The Dread Wolf was forced to go on the defense, dodging and clashing against his enemy's attacks that came in wave after wave and eventually backed him into a wall. He glanced upward and used a free hand to grip one of the burning torches held by a skeletal hand jutting from the wall.
He then whacked King Stannis in the face, burning his right eye and making the older man cry out in pain and rage. Arthur then went on the attack, doing everything he can so Stannis doesn't regain that momentum from before.
It worked, his seventh strike forced Stannis to lose his footing, and as he attempted to rise he put at his throat but holding back to eye him.
"Do it, I lost... But I would ask one thing, my last wishes." Arthur hesitated to agree but then he heard and watched his mother enter the room, his sister following behind her with some more of their men.
"Fine, speak!" He seethed and itched to hurry and cleave his head off.
"My first request is to spare my men, so they may live to avenge the betrayal that House Lannister had done to my House." The Baratheon shock troops would be a fine vanguard under the right commander, he nodded to the first request. "My second is to spare my daughter, if not kee her then banish her with guards and coin." He didn't ponder that, it was reasonable.
"What is the last, then?" He asked and Stannis gritted his teeth, looking at the floor before raising his head.
"The witch, Melisandre is the leader of the fanatics who tried to end your life. I would ask you to slay her, so I shall repent for my foolishness." With the last request being met, Stannis readied and surrendered to the sting of Ice as it took his head from his shoulders.
The remaining 700 men of Stannis's army swore their fealty to him, he then put them under the commander of Lord Asher for his courage. Shireen was gone, so was Melisandre that he spoke of but the man's Queen, Selyse was still locked in her chambers and had taken her own life after his men broke through the door.
He had her burned with her husband and the forty-three hundred soldiers that fought to beat him back.
A day later, he sent two-thousand to ride North and claim Stannis's ships as his own which would give him more vessels to besiege King's Landing with.
"Son, they are all waiting for you." He was standing in the great hall, turning to look at his mother.
"I wanted to slaughter them all, perhaps I still should." He said and his mother looked at him with a frown.
"Being a great ruler means that you don't need to kill every enemy, mercy can be just as powerful as fury. It's why men like Stannis, Tywin, and Robert all failed at the most monumental moments of their lives." He let out a heavy sigh, pondering his mother's words.
"I want to go to Castle Black, I want to bring Jon home to Winterfell." His mother loved that decision, he smiled and they both left to rejoin the army and soon split with two-thousand more going North and the rest returning to Winterfell.
A great threat was defeated, and a greater one is on the horizon and they need to prepare for the worst winter they will ever face.
AN: I do hope you all enjoyed the update, sorry that it took so long for it to come around. The next one will be detailing more of the South than the North, most notably Jaime fighting the invasion from the Vale and Cersei's crazy plan involving the Sparrows plus Mya's assassination plot.
Guest, I'm afraid it had to be done, Davos kind of served little purpose as Arthur already has his mother for humane counsel. Melisandre had a vision in the flames detailing Jon's revival, it's why she ditched Stannis when he most needed her witchcraft most.
Gentryandrew2000, Here it is, I hope you liked it!