Jon

"Truly?" He asked, through a mix of grief and fear.

"I'm afraid it is, my lord. I am sorry," Karstark answered. The words seemed to be stuck in Jon's head. Lord Eddard was dead now, the man who had said that Jon was his bastard son for all the realm to see.

Jon felt grief for the man who had been his father, but he knew he couldn't show that, not here. They had to have a council he knew, to discuss matters after the battle, but now he wasn't sure he wanted to, though Jon forced himself to do it anyways.

Lord William, Lord Jorah, Lord Medger, Roger and Rickard Ryswell, Lord Galbart Glover and a dozen other lords and commanders sat in the tent with Jon, and each in turn gave Jon their condolences before they took their seats at the table.

There were less than their had been before though. Lord Halys Hornwood and Ser Wylis Manderly had both died in the battle, Lord Halys from wounds, while Ser Wylis's horse had been hit by a stray arrow, and fell, crushing the man.

He looked over the map. Robb had won a victory over the Kingslayer at the Whispering Wood, and a second against the rest of his host in the camps beneath Riverrun, while they had Lord Tywin running back to Harrenhal.

In all his years, they had been the first to beat Lord Tywin in the field. They had won, Jon realized, not just the battle but ought to have won the war, yet with Lord Eddard dead, it had all proven worthless. The war would continue, that much was certain.

"What will we do my lord?" Asked one of the Ryswell brothers.

"Lord Tywin is going towards Harrenhal with his tail between his legs, now is the time to strike," said Harrion Karstark. "He will be vulnerable from his rear as he crosses, and it would be a devastating battle for him to have to face us pinned between our host and the river."

Ser Oswell spoke up next. "He speaks truly my lord, but that is not the full of it either. South of the Ruby Ford, Lord Tywin is bound to face opposition as well from the Lords of the Trident. He would be trapped there, his host sure to be destroyed."

"Perhaps we might take a more cautious approach my lords," Lord Medger said. "Now that the Young Wolf has beaten the Kingslayer's host in the west, and rallied the Riverlords, he will be soon to come join us. With our combined strength we should be more than double that of Lord Tywin's battered force."

"And let him take up position at Harrenhal, or retreat all the way to King's Landing?" Lord William asked.

"If our strength were bolstered by that of Lady Lysa and the Riverlords south of the Trident, our host would be too great for them," Lord Medger countered.

"And it is said not even a million would be enough to assault Harrenhal, nor are we like to have enough food to have a siege with Lord Tywin's burning the lands," Lord Jorah Mormont said.

"If we wait, Lord Tywin will break the strength of Harrenhal, Maidenpool and Darry before we could ever hope to join with them. The Young Wolf and Lady Lysa will come to us quickly enough, and after we break Lord Tywin's host, King's Landing will be ours to take," Ser Oswell said.

Men had taken to calling the battle that they had just fought the Battle of the Green Fork. It had proven to be less decisive than Jon had hoped though. After they had captured Ser Addam and finally broke through the screen, they had struck at Lord Tywin's camp in the heart of night to catch them by surprise with their raid. For every man they lost, three Lannister men had been cut down, but there hadn't been any more than five thousand men slain, and Lord Tywin's host hadn't scattered as they had been hoping.

Their hostages were poorer too. While Robb had captured the Kingslayer, the best captives they had taken was Ser Harys Swyft, and his heir, Ser Steffon of Cornfield.

Lord Serrett had been killed by arrows, and Lord Lydden was slain by Ser Danwell Frey, while Ghost had ripped the throat of Ser Peter Plumm out, killing the knight.

He supposed though that with Ser Addam Marbrand as their captive, Lord Tywin would not be able to command his outriders as well anymore. Jon had replaced Robett Glover and given command to Ser Oswell, who had proven more capable, but he was not as confident they would be able to beat Lord Tywin again in the field of battle.

"Aye, and once King's Landing falls, we can mount the Boy King and the Queen's heads atop spikes as they deserve," Ser Marwyn said. "We should make haste, and strike at Lord Tywin before he has crossed the Trident. The only place he could hope to cross is at the Ruby Ford, where there will doubtless be men waiting to defend it."

Jon remembered that the Ruby Ford stood where his true father, Prince Rhaegar had been slain, named for the rubies in his armor that had been scattered when Robert smashed in his breastplate with his great warhammer. And further south was Harrenhal, where the Prince had met Lyanna, and where Brandon had met Lady Ashara. He wondered if perhaps their ghosts would haunt him there, what they would think of him if they could see him now.

"We have more men than Lord Tywin too," Osric Umber said. "Should we win another battle against him, his men will know that he is done."

"Lord Tywin will not be so easily beaten again though," Lord Medger Cerwyn pointed out. "We caught him off guard, but he will not be as surprised the next time we face him."

That's the problem, Jon thought to himself. It seemed that their only opportunity to truly beat Lord Tywin had slipped through their fingers now that his host was recovering well, and licking their wounds.

"We only need wait," suggested Roger Ryswell. "Lord Tywin has a new threat to face, now that Lord Renly has made himself King Renly. He marches with the strength of the Reach and Stormlands behind him, it is said, and his host will be too numerous for Lord Tywin to ignore. He will have to abandon Harrenhal and go face Renly, unless he wishes to allow King's Landing to fall."

Jon shook his head. "Out, all of you," he finally said, and each one of them began to leave.

He waited a few moments before he pointed at Lord William and Ser Oswell. "You two stay," he said to them.

The men took some time leaving, but before long, Jon was alone with the two men, considering what to say to them. "You know who I am…" He finally told them bluntly.

Both of them seemed to be trying to feign ignorance. "What is it that you mean Jon?" Ser Oswell asked.

"You were with my father… With Lord Eddard in Dorne… And you were waiting for him there, why?" Jon asked them.

"He picked me," Lord William answered first. "Your uncle Brandon was fostered at Barrowton, and was a friend of mine, and I had earned your father's friendship and trust as well."

Jon nodded. He had suspected as much from him, but it was Ser Oswell's story he wanted to know more, and to hear it for himself. He looked at the old knight of the Kingsguard, who seemed more confused than anything else.

"Your father… The Prince… He… He had his secrets… It is best you do not know I'm afraid," he finally said.

Jon didn't feel particularly satisfied with the answer, but he took it, knowing he wasn't likely to get much out of Ser Oswell. Whatever secrets Prince Rhaegar had were meant to die with him.

There wasn't much else he had to say from them, and he began to sit down again, carefully looking over the map again, while Ser Oswell and Lord William seemed to understand he had finished with them, and left on their own accord.

Jon wished that he had more men who were mounted, so that they could better pursue Lord Tywin. The only way to win if Lord Tywin made it to Harrenhal was through a siege, and that would prove to be difficult. If it came to a siege, it didn't matter how Jon had more men, he would need to spread his men all around the castle as the Kingslayer had with Riverrun, and Lord Tywin would be able to lead his host in a full sortie through their thinner lines.

It was either that, or they would have to find some way to draw him out, but Jon didn't know how they could. Perhaps if King's Landing were under assault, but that would require him to get around Lord Tywin's host at Harrenhal, or if Robb was able to take Casterly Rock somehow, but the Rock had never been taken by force in a thousand years.

All the solutions that he could think of would get him more men, but none would give him the time he needed to beat Lord Tywin. Robb, the Lords of the Vale, Renly, none of them would make it until after Lord Tywin had taken up his position at Harrenhal, and by then it would be too late.

The strategy had worked. They had bloodied Lord Tywin and would have forced a peace, but the Lannisters had made a botch of it.

He wished that he didn't have to worry about any of this. He wished he could simply take his horse and begin riding west, making for Raventree Hall to see Jeyne again, and ignore the war, but he couldn't.

Jon decided he could at the very least write to her, and took out some paper. The last letter he had written he had been pretending to be Robb, writing to Riverrun to tell of his victory over Lord Tywin. He supposed the ruse hadn't been needed though, since Robb must have broken the siege even before the letter arrived, and now since he was writing to Jeyne, he could write as Jon again.

When the letter was done, he looked over the map again, thinking of ways to try and draw Lord Tywin out of Harrenhal. It would have to be King's Landing he supposed, that was the only way, but Jon couldn't launch an assault on the city with his host. Not without being cut to pieces as they tried to go around Harrenhal.

But there were other castles between Harrenhal and King's Landing. There was Rosby, the seat of House Rosby, and he remembered that one of Robb's Frey companions was mothered by a Rosby. They had fought in the Rebellion too, though it had cost them a good deal of their family he recalled, but if they had Rosby, they could perhaps march on King's Landing to draw out Lord Tywin.

Jon got out of his tent, and began to look for the Freys himself. He remembered where they had set up camp, and was able to find Ser Hosteen's tent quickly enough.

"Ser," Jon called in, hoping he wasn't disturbing the man.

After a few moments, the large man emerged from his tent, still dressed as he had been earlier. "Can I speak with you?" Jon asked.

"Yes… Perhaps you would like to come in?" The Knight asked.

Jon followed in as he was offered, going into Ser Hosteen's tent.

"What troubles you my lord that you sought me out at this hour?" He asked when they were inside.

"If Lord Tywin makes it to Harrenhal, our only choice will be to draw him out," Jon said, and the man nodded back. "Our only way to draw him out is to threaten him elsewhere… In King's Landing."

"You would have us go around Harrenhal to march on the city?" Hosteen said, a little confused.

Jon shook his head. "No… But one of your father's wives was a lady of House Rosby, yes?"

"Lady Bethany… She must have died a little after the Rebellion, yes," he said. "What about her?"

"Are any of her sons with us?" Jon asked. He supposed it would be best if his message was carried by one of Lady Bethany's sons than it was to be carried by raven. He doubted they had any birds they could send to Rosby anyways.

"Benfrey is… What would you have of him?"

"Send him to me on the morrow. I should like to speak with him," he answered. It was late now, and he figured it would be best to talk with this man tomorrow.

"Is that all?" Ser Hosteen ased.

"Yes," Jon said, nodding his head. "Thank you Ser."

And with that, he left Ser Hosteen's tent, returning to his tent. He prayed that his plan would work. The sooner we beat the Lannisters, the sooner I can find Jeyne.

Author Notes:

So this was the last chapter of Return that I was struggling with, but now here it is. There's three more chapters to go, one of which will be the Epilogue, and then an appendix that I'm hoping will translate well enough to where it can be posted.

But that's that.

Thanks for reading of course, and I think you guys know the drill by now, that I don't own ASOIAF.