The Plan:
Northern Camp:
Robb Stark or King Robb Stark as he was known now since being declared the King in the North by his Bannermen was thinking. He was having trouble trying to think. This past year had been nothing but trouble for his family. It all started by the arrival of King Robert Baratheon. First his brother Brandon had fallen while climbing an old tower which had left him crippled. Followed by a murder attempted on Bran, Robb's mother Catelyn was convinced that Bran had seen something and the powerful Lannister family were involved. Then his mother had gone to King's Landing to speak with his father Eddard who had been named Hand of the King but on her way back, he had kidnapped Tyrion Lannister, the dwarf son of Lord Tywin Lannister and taken him to her sister at the Eyrie in the Vale. Tywin Lannister in retaliation had taken an army into his mother's homeland and had ravaged the place.
Things then fell apart when King Robert died in a hunting accident. The new king Joffrey had arrested his father for treason and taken his sister Sansa hostage. There was no word on his other sister Arya. When a letter arrived demanding Robb go to King's Landing to swear fealty, Robb had gathered his bannermen. The last time a Stark went south on the orders of a King to the city to answer a King's demands, that Stark had been burnt by wildfire. Robb's northern army managed to gain passage over the Twins with Robb agreeing to marry one of Lord Frey's daughters and take the young Olyvar Frey as his squire. The army had managed to ambush Jaime Lannister and capture him before relieving the siege of Riverrun, his mother's home and destroy an entire Lannister Army. But the victory was overshadowed when word arrived that Lord Eddard Stark had been executed. The north and Riverlands had renounced their fealty to the King and declared Robb as their King.
Robb was now forced into a dangerous game. They had been declared traitors and Robb knew the story of the Rains of Castamere, the Lannisters were a powerful and dangerous foe. However the fight was not just here, Robert's brothers Stannis and Renly had also risen up and declared themselves the rightful King. Renly had the backing of House Tyrell and the Reach meaning that he had an army of over 100,000 men. The war ahead looked like it was going to be bloody. Robb had sent the prisoner Arton Lannister to King's Landing with a peace offering but he knew it was going to be rejected. His old friend Theon Greyjoy had offered to head home to the Iron Islands and try and convince his father to lend his ships to the cause. They could sack Lannisport and hit the Lannisters where it hurts most, their home. Robb had given him the go ahead but not everyone agreed.
That was why Robb was in his tent talking to his mother.
"You don't want Lord Balon Greyjoy as your ally." Catelyn informed her son.
"I need his ships." Robb replied "They say he has 200."
Catelyn scoffed "They saw a million rats live in the sewers of King's Landing, should we rally them to fight the Lannisters."
Robb sighed "I understand you don't trust lord Greyjoy..."
Catelyn interrupted him "I don't trust Lord Greyjoy because he is not trustworthy. The Ironborn are little more than pirates and raiders even you other Bannermen say the same. Your father had to go to war to end his rebellion."
"And now I'm the one rebelling against the throne just like my father did against the Targaryens." Robb replied "You married one rebel and mothered another."
Catelyn narrowed her eyes at her son "I mother more than just rebels, a fact that you seem to have forgotten!"
Robb sighed "Mother, I've told you this before!" he replied "If I trade the Kingslayer for two girls, even if they are my sisters, my Bannermen will string me up by my feet. They made me their king but they can easily unmake me as well. I have to keep my Bannermen loyal and Karstark is already angry after losing Harrion to the Kingslayer."
Catelyn was now hysterical "You want to leave Sansa in the Queen's hands? Who knows what she's going through? And Arya? I haven't heard a word about Arya. Who are we fighting for if not them?"
Robb pretty much lost it "It's more complicated than that, you know it is!" he snapped
Catelyn was quiet for a few seconds before speaking up again "I think it's time I head back to Winterfell. I haven't seen Bran or Rickon in months."
Robb shook his head "Not yet mother, I have an important mission for you." Catelyn just looked at him "I'm sending you south for a talk with Renly Baratheon. You know him, you know his family."
Catelyn scoffed "I haven't seen Renly Baratheon since he was a boy. You have other Bannermen you could send."
"And who else know him better than you?" Robb questioned "Most of my men are Northerns and they dislike the south. You know the ways here better. Talk to Renly, form an alliance, we'll take King's Landing, rescue the girls and we can all go home and be a family again."
Catelyn sighed "Family." She said softly "My family is falling apart. My father is dying, two of my children are at home probably scared and missing their mother, my two daughters are being held hostage and my final son is here fighting a war. My sister won't help us and we're up against the most dangerous family in Westeros."
Something Catelyn had said caught Robb's attention. She was right, they were outnumbered and if the Reach becomes an enemy then they will be in trouble. If they were to win this war, they would have to boost their numbers. But Catelyn also said something about family and her sister and it made him realise something. He knew of someone else who could help "Mother." He smiled "Thank you."
Catelyn looked confused "For what?" she asked
"For helping me realise." Robb replied "Olyvar, come here."
Robb's squire, Olyvar Frey entered the tent, most of his Bannermen disliked the Frey family but Olyvar seemed like a good man and eager to prove himself "Your grace." He greeted
"I need you to go find Lord Gregor Forrester and his son Rodrik as well as Ser Wendel Manderley, I have to speak with them."
"I'll go find them at once." Olyvar replied, he knew who he was speaking about as they had met on the road down.
Catelyn looked at them "What do you wish to speak to them about?" she asked
"Because they can help us gain more allies." Robb replied "And Forrester knows them personally."
...
A few hours later, Robb was in his tent with his mother and the people he had called over. Ser Wendel Manderley was the second son of Lord Wyman Manderley of White Harbour. Lord Wyman had been unable to come as he was extremely fat so the Manderley forces were being led by his sons, Wylis and Wendel. Wendel was almost as fat as his farther; he was also bald and had a walrus like moustache, he also had a booming voice. Lord Gregor Forrester was the lord of Ironrath, a vassal of House Glover of Deepwood Motte. House Forrester was a house that was famous for shaping Ironwood into bows and shields, a difficult skill and then tended the Ironwood groves carefully. They also had a fierce rivalry with House Whitehill of Hightpoint, a vassal of House Bolton and a house that had lost all their Ironwood groves over the years as they did not take care of them. House Stark had been forced to prevent conflict between the two houses at times.
Lord Gregor Forrester was a strong man with a head full of brown hair and a thick beard, his oldest son and heir Rodrik looked just like him when he was younger.
"Your Grace." The three of them greeted.
"Is there something you need?" Gregor asked
"There is Lord Forrester." Robb replied "I must ask you, when was the last you heard from your brother."
"My brother?" Gregor questioned "I haven't heard much from him but I do know that he joined the Company of the Rose after he left Westeros. He didn't seem happy with your father when he left, I don't like to say it to you, but the last thing he said was that he saw your father as a disgrace to the north."
Lord Gregor's brother was Edward Forrester, he had been a good friend of Eddard's brother Brandon Stark when they were children. Edward had managed to avoid being killed alongside Brandon when he went to King's Landing to challenge Rhaegar Targaryen after he kidnapped Lyanna Stark. Edward had been hunting Outlaws and dealing with Whitehill incursions onto Forrester land at the time. He had also been with Eddard at the Tower of Joy and been the only one other than Eddard and Howland Reed to survive. But after that, Edward didn't speak well of Eddard Stark, he was not fond of how he was being pushed around by his wife such as opening a Sept and having a Septa train his daughters. Edward said that Brandon would never have allowed that and accused Catelyn of corrupting the north with southern views. He had left shortly after that after calling Eddard a disgrace to northern culture.
"Do you know where the Company of the Rose is now?" Robb asked
Catelyn knew what her son was thinking "Robb, you can't be serious, they're sellswords."
"But there also true Northerns." Robb countered "They rejected my ancestor Torrhen bending the knee to the Targaryens and chose exile."
"It has been 300 years since that." Wendel spoke up.
"But I see what you're thinking." Gregor stated "You want to try and convince the Company to return here. I have heard they would return when the Starks ruled alone again."
"Do you think you can speak to your brother personally and see about convincing him to return home?" Robb asked
"If it works, it might be worth the try." Wendel stated "I've heard the company of the Rose has over 7000 fighters, one of the strongest sellsword companies in Westeros and loyal to the cause. A force like that would be helpful."
"How can we trust sellswords who would only fight for gold?" Catelyn hissed
"I can understand your reluctance my lady." Gregor stated "But what I did hear from my brother is that the company would wish to return to Westeros as long as they know that the Stark king won't bow to the south. If you wish to gain their loyalty, you'll have to show that you're a true northern and someone worth following. Knowing my brother, that will be hard due to his belief towards your father. But there is someone else who might help."
Robb knew who he was speaking about "You mean Astrid?"
Catelyn tensed up when she heard that name, Astrid Snow, the brother of Jon Snow, one of the two babies who her husband had brought back. She hated the dishonour of having the two shames in her house but her husband was protective of both of them. She remembered how fierce and angry Astrid would get, Eddard said that she had wolf's blood within her, she was a strong northern and hated anything to do with the south. In fact, the first Septa that Catelyn brought to Winterfell had to be sent away after striking Astrid and that was what sealed Astrid's dislike of the south and of the Faith. She would refuse to even see the new Septa Mordane when she came north. Catelyn tried to keep her children away from Astrid fearing she would teach them immoral things. She had silently been happy when Astrid had left one day apparently leaving with Edward Forrester. She had sent letters to her family which Catelyn tried to intercept until her husband caught her, it had been the one time she had been scared of her husband and as a result, she never tried to do that again. Arya had always been fascinated with her half sister while thankfully, Sansa was not as fond and so most of Astrid's letters were for Arya. The thought of her returning, Catelyn couldn't bear it.
"No!" she hissed "I won't have the bastard here!"
Robb glared at his mother "You don't make commands here!" he hissed "I won't let your personal feelings interfere with getting the help we need." He then looked back at Wendel and the Forrersters and brought out a letter "I would like you to sail to Essos and speak with the Company of the Rose. Explain my offer to them and see if they would come back and fight for their old homeland. Also, speak with my sister, even if the company doesn't return, at least try and convince her to come. I could do with her advice."
Gregor nodded "I can go, I know my brother better, thankfully my son is just as experienced to lead the Forrester men in my absence."
"I won't let you down father." Rodrik replied
"I know you won't." Gregor stated.
"So it's settled." Robb stated "Ser Wendel and Lord Gregor will journey to White Harbour and catch a ship to Essos. Find the Company of the Rose and try and convince them to return home and if not, at least try and get Edward Forrester and Astrid Snow to return."
Gregor bowed "It will be done your grace." He said and soon he along with his son and Ser Wendel left the tent leaving Robb and his mother alone.
"What were you thinking!" Catelyn snapped "How could you allow her to come back here. A shame on me and a disgrace to my family."
"Astrid is not a disgrace!" Robb snapped "I won't let your personal feelings affect what needs to be done here. We're at war and we don't have time to be arguing. The lords here won't accept peace and if we're going to win this war, we're going to need all the help we can get. I need you to talk with Renly Baratheon but try not to jeopardise the cause here. You may be my mother but remember, I have a commitment here to the north and I need the lords support." Robb then left the tent in order to speak with his commanders about the upcoming campaign in the Westerlands leaving Catelyn alone.
She sighed, she hated the fact that the second of her husband's bastard children would possible be returning and potentially corrupting her true children. But there was nothing that she could do about it. Robb had changed, war had changed him, Ned's death had changed him. She could only pray to the Seven that he would not get himself killed. She then went to prepare for her mission to the Stormlands and to meet with Renly Baratheon. She hoped that this war would end soon and she could get her daughters back. Maybe once this was over, she could try and get the bastard girl sent away again and keep her away from her daughters. Arya was already wild and she refused to allow her to follow in her bastard sister's footsteps.
Notes: Hello, Fantasymaker76 here, I'm sorry for not updating recently but these past weeks have been hectic for since I had to do four assignments at once to be finished by March 10 which gave me very little time for my fanfictions. As Rise of the Divines takes long to write and my Dragon X isn't that popular, I decided to start rewriting my Wolf Awakens which I had to delete due to cyber bullying issues. It won't be exactly the same and will be based on what was going to happen after I left off. This story starts off at the beginning of season 2 as the changes from the original mean that little would change in season 1. This new version will have changes as right away, I've made Astrid a Snow instead of a Stark and added in a new character. Other new characters will be introduced for the Company of the Rose Sellsword Company which will be my own version since they've never had much detail published about them like some of the other sellsword companies like the Golden Company or the Second Sons. I hope people will enjoy this new version of what was one of my more popular fanfictions.