Chapter 47: The Dreadfort
Different POV
Robb deployed the giants with the big wooden shields around the Dreadfort, to prevent the enemy to tack and flee the fortress, while the Wildings were waiting and shouting something in the old language.
"How long does that fucker think he can hold on with so few men?"
"He has at least 8,000 men inside the fortress, and 2,000 are on their way if Sigorn cannot stop them."
"Pha. Two thousand is nothing to us. It will be food for your crows," said Tormund with a mighty voice. "But we need to get that fucker out."
"And we will. But without endangering the queen," Robb replied, looking towards the fortress. If they make one wrong move Bolton could kill Daenerys, and he cannot allow it.
It would mean failing Jon, and he didn't want to do that.
"Southern. There's something green around the castle," Tormund said as he approached with another man, whom Robb remembered as a Warg. This revelation puts him on high alert, not knowing what it was about, because he had never seen or heard of a green liquid in the north. "I don't know what it is."
"So, if you didn't know what it is, then we can't advance. I don't want my people to die from that shit," said Tormund looking down at him. "You know very well that we are here only because we have a debt with him. But I will not waste unnecessary lives."
Robb was ready to disagree with this, but stopped at hearing a man shoot, "Riders are coming!"
And turning, he saw a group of men riding towards them at great speed, in a few minutes they were in front of them.
When the men descended the horse, Robb couldn't believe what he was seeing. Or more precisely who was seeing. Someone he thought was dead. A friend that was like a brother to him.
"Jon?" breathed out Robb, with widened eyes, and his friend pulled down his hood, hugging him immediately. But Robb didn't return the hug right then, because he was still shocked, but that, and after this toucheful moment, they stopped, and looking at him, Robb asked, "How is this possible?"
"I don't know, but here I am. Back to life and ready to end House Bolton," said Jon, smiling.
"Well, it seems the wolf is still with us," came Tormund's voice, as he was approaching them. "It seems that not even the famous Night Queen can kill you."
"Yes," chuckled Jon. "How is the siege going."
"Not well," responded Robb as they started to walk toward the main tent, the command tent.
There is something green around the fortress and I don't know what it is. So that is the reason why-"
"It's wildfire," came a woman's voice, and turning, Robb saw that it was the sorceress, Shiera, the one who was with Robb who speak.
"Everyone turned toward her, and she stopped too, lowering her hood, continuing, "Wildfire is a flammable liquid that can be ignited by fire and can burn everything. Cloth, wood, leather, and steel, which will then go up in flames, and especially it can burn on the water."
"Can it be extinguished?"
"Yes and no. But you are lucky that we are in a very cold place. However, you should be worried if it is old, which I doubt. It has been a long time since the pyromancers have produced it."
"Well, this information change everything, said Tormund, "If that cunt light it up and we are near the ring, we are fucked."
"Tormund. A horseman is approaching," came another voice, and turning around Robb saw that it was one of the clan leaders of Free folk.
"Well, it seems the bastard wants to deal," said SmallJon.
As everyone headed to see the man, Robb was stopped by Viserys, asking, " Do you know anything about my sister, Robb?"
"No. But I'm sure Bolton won't harm her," replied Robb, patting his shoulder, before following Jon.
When he gets there, Robb saw a Bolton soldier, under a white banner asking, "I have a message for the man who is in charge here. Who is the leader?"
Robb glanced at Jon, who shake his head, and stepping forward, he said, "I am the leader, and I suggest you deliver your message without getting down from your horse."
The man nodded, starting to speak, "Lord Bolton knows that you have no chance of winning this battle. The walls are unbridgeable, and the Tully Army is marching North-"
"I'll stop you right there. It's me who has a message for your lord. He must surrender, yield the castle and free the prisoners. If he doesn't accept, he'll have one of the worst deaths in the world."
With that the rider rode away, and Robb turned to Jon, asking, "What do we do now?"
"Use the giants' bows to break down the doors and wait for our allies inside to slaughter archers so they don't set fire to the Wildfire."
"But how can they manage to do that? There are at least 8 thousand men inside there."
"Don't worry about that. Now it's time for us to go," said Jon starting to head somewhere followed by the others.
"What are you doing?" asked Robb shooting, but the only thing that came from him was, "Keep their attention on you."
"Tormund, how many giant arrows do we have?"
"Don't know, a dozen or maybe more."
"How good is their aim?"
"Oh, very good," responded the red-bearded man laughing. "Dong took down one of your little crows from the top of your Wall."
"Good. Then see who is the best and tell him two tie long ropes and shoot the gates. They are made of wood. But they are also small. Hit them. After that try to hit their scorpions on the towers and walls. He expects for the giants to advance in order to hit them with that. Let not give them that chance."
Tormund nodded, heading away, as Robb went to give orders to oversee the construction of the light trebuchets.
Ramsey was on the wall watching the enemy. The giants were lined up with a wall of shields around his castle, but he had the weapons needed to defeat them. Scorpions on the towers of the Dreadfort, and two catapults inside the castle. Not to mention the fact that the giants are useless against his high walls and the small gates.
When he saw Soren's approach, Ramsey asked, "Did you find the queen and her father?"
"No. But I sent the men after them."
"What about the sons and daughters of the North? Are they in the great hall?"
"Yes. Chained up and ready for the show."
"Good," replied Ramsey, grinning.
After some silence, resting on the walls, Soren said, "We can't win Ramsey. There are too many of them."
"We can. And we will," Ramsey replied, giving him a deadly look. "Their numbers are worth nothing in front of these walls. Neither in front of these gates."
"Maybe. Anyway, our secret weapon has been disposed. They only have to advance and will burn like rats," Ramsey said, smiling, looking back at the enemy army.
I still don't understand what he's getting out of this. You're gonna be king in the North and I bet you're not gonna kneel to an incestuous brat."
"No. But he wants my help against his grandfather. His plan at Highgarden has failed so he needs allies when the lion will attack him," Ramsey replied, recalling the arrival of the envoys from the King of the Stormlands.
"Now. Soren, to you the archers and the walls," Ramsey said as the men prepared themselves in the courtyard. "Steelshanks. You have the infantry. If they breach the gates or the walls, it's up to you to defend them."
With that, Ramsey made his way inside the castle. He had to find Daenerys and bring her outside to force the enemy army to retreat.
Daenerys and her father hid in one of the empty rooms of the Dreadfort. They didn't have any weapons with them at the time, so they'll have to use what was there.
"I'm sorry father," she said, looking down, and feeling guilty for what she did. "If I didn't send you to the wall, you wouldn't be here."
"Don't be sorry regarding the decision you made. What is done is done," her father said dismissing the topic. "But if we are in this mess is also my fault. I should have marched against Bolton sooner and be done with it."
Daenerys didn't respond at that because it was true what she was saying. If they destroyed Bolton way before, all this wouldn't have happened.
"But now. We need to escape the Dreadfort and join the wildlings that are outside," he said breaking something.
"Father. Jon is dead," she said, looking down, with tears in her eyes that were starting to fall down on her cheek. "He got three arrows in his chest. I think it was the Nigh Queen. I lost him."
"Then we need to defend his memory by defeating the Bolton. With you as Queen in the North, his legacy won't be lost. With Bolton yes."
Suddenly the door burst open and that bitch of Myranda entered, with a bow in hand and a smirk on her face, "I always warned Ramsey that you were a traitorous bitch."
"And you haven't seen everything yet," said Daenerys, grinning again, and approaching.
"Take another step and I'll put this arrow straight through your heart," said the girl, and Daenerys stopped, but it was on her father, who throwing something at her, knocked the girl down, disarming her.
" Wait, father. She is mine," Daenerys stopped him, and her father released Myranda. Approaching, Daenerys saw that the girl had also lost the knife, and picking it up from the floor, grabbed Myranda by the hair and then stabbed her in the side.
The girl gasped, releasing a scream, and whispering Daenerys said, "You know, I am a woman of gentle heart and I don't like to torture or kill people, but for you and your master I will make an exception. By twisting the knife in her side while the woman was screaming.
"Daenerys!" she heard her father's voice. "We need to go."
Returning her attention to the girl, Daenerys leaned whispering in her ear, "You will die slowly and in a very painful way."
With that, she took off the knife and hitting her in the leg again before getting up and followed her father outside, but she knows it will be difficult to leave and save the children of the north at the same time. She hoped that Leontes and his men will open the gates soon, and let the wilding in.
While Robb was continuing to besiege the Fortress, therefore drawing the enemy's attention on him, Jon and his group headed for the secret tunnel, and thanks to Shiera who raised the mist to cover their entry into the secret tunnels of Dreadfort, they managed to sneak inside. But he knew that victory would be far from easy.
"Do you happen to know how many men are in these tunnels and if there are traps?" Viserys whispered to the woman, who replied in an annoyed tone and almost raising her voice, "I am a sorceress, not a seer!"
"Why didn't you use your magic crystal?"
"It's a glass candle, you idiot," she snapped.
"Silence!" said Jon, turning towards them. "We have to be silent and fast."
Drawing one of his sword, Jon started heading into the passage, which was really horrifying. It smelled of death, something known in the Bolton lands since they buried their families under the fortress.
The closer they moved in, the more Jon heard the screams and footsteps of soldiers running inwards and outwards, but suddenly he heard SmallJon say, "Is this the damn Wildfire, Your Grace?"
"Yes," Shiera replied, starting to say words and the green liquid, remaining the same colour, began to freeze.
"What the hell is happening?" asked Viserys, but Jon saw that the woman was about to fall down and immediately grabbed her and held her.
"I just need a few minutes to recover," she said, with her eyes half-clenched and resting on him, while Jon signaled to the men to move forward slowly because now there was ice on the ground.
"What have you done, my lady?"
"I froze the liquid so we had more time to reach the end of the tunnel," she said with her eyes closed, swallowing, and Jon could see that she was starting to recover. "But it won't be frozen for long."
Jon nodded, and helped her to walk, but at that moment, they heard something fall from where they entered, and one of his Kingsguard ran there.
"What happened?" Jon asked when he saw him coming back.
"They've sealed the tunnel," replied the man. "We're like rats in a trap."
"Damn!" cursed Jon, and looking at the woman he asked, "Can you walk on your own?"
She nodded, and Jon pulled away his hand from her waist, drawing his second sword while following the tunnel ready to face whatever was in the end.
The enemy wasn't advancing so they couldn't light the Wildfire. Between these walls, they had the strength to hold them off, but if they don't attack, they will come to a bad end during this siege. He had warned Ramsey about it, but the bastard did not listen because he wanted to attempt the impossible by relying on alchemy, pyromancy, and fear.
"Bolts!" shouted one of the men and Soren leaned over the wall, looking towards the gate, seeing there was a rope. Damn them. "To the gate!" he shouted, climbing down the wall, only to hear another loud shot. "They want to break the gates!" shouted Soren as he approached them, making his way through the soldiers. "Open them, damn it!"
But it was too late. The men couldn't open the gates anymore because the enemy was dragging from the other side, therefore ripping them off from the hinges.
At that very moment, while he was in the courtyard, Soren heard a roar coming from the sky and flames began to burst on the walls and all the men screamed as they burned. It was a dragon. A fucking black and red dragon. The stories said that the dragon's fire is the worst in this world, and may he be damned if he will stay here to find out.
So as the soldiers were burning, screaming and running, trying to save themselves, he ran to the Keep, to find Ramsey, warn him and find a hiding place against the enemy.
The wildlings started to panic when they saw the walls of the Dreadfort on fire and heard the screams that were coming from inside.
"What is happening?" asked Tormund with a worried expression.
"A dragon. The queen's dragon," he said with widened eyes. He remembers that the Queen's dragon was missing after her disappearance, and now the answer was here. He was here, at the Dreadfort. He came to rescue his mother.
"Southern. We need to do something. We need to advance, otherwise those burning cunts will light the damn Wildfire," Tormund said, and Robb nodded. They would be fucked if the Wildfire will light up. It could last for a very long time, and Jon and every ally of theirs would be fucked.
Tormund runs immediately, towards the giants and tell them to advance. After a few minutes he saw them scream and run towards the castle with shields in hands, before stopping right after the ring of wildfire.
This was a very dangerous situation, one spark of fire and the giants will be fucked in that same moment, so raiding towards the trebuchet, he commanded to the men who were there to start to throw the stones toward the fortress.
After that, he rode towards the clan leader Dim Dalba and tell him to send the wilding forward. It was also time to attack the city before anything bad happens to his army.
Ramsey was inside the keep when he heard men screaming outside and looking out the window, he saw them running back and forth in flame, and some others shoot in the arrows up.
"What the hell is happening," murmured Ramsey, starting to head toward the exit of the keep, but in his path, he saw Soren running towards him, screaming, "A dragon! It's a dragon."
"Fuck!" he cursed. That bitch lied to him in saying that the dragon died, killed by the so-called Night Queen. Turning to Soren, he said, "Leave the man to their fate. We still can win. The Company of the Roses the houses of the North should be here soon and the Wolf Pack will take Winterfell now that the army is away protected only by a few hundred of men, and so. I receive ravens from our scouts."
With that, he immediately headed to the great hall, with men from the Elite squad and the Bastard Boys.
Entering, he saw that everything was ready for the coming of his guests, and that the children of the Lords were already chained, and sitting at their place.
Taking one of the goblets filled with wine, he said, "Well. Only one guest now still in missing her. The bride." Sipping from it, and turning to his men, he said, "Dip your blades in the poison on the table."
And the men obeyed, as well as he did it with the valyrian sword. Soon the wolf will die because of the Wolf's bane."
Once they left the chamber with the weapons that Myranda had, Daenerys started to head toward the great hall, alone knowing perfectly that he was there, with the children of the lords for sure, and sent her father to the secret passage that was leading outside the fortress to bring in the soldiers.
She could also feel that Syrax was outside and searching for a way to enter the keep, but she was sure that once she will be in the Great Hall, Syrax will burst in through the big windows.
When she saw some soldiers in the hallway shooting at her, Daenerys started to run, but was immediately stopped by some other, and one laughing said, "Finally we cough you little bitch. We searched all the keep for you."
"You must be shit at searching if you couldn't find me in your own keep," she said, smirking to the man, who now was red in anger.
Grabbing her by the arm, he said, "Come. Lord Bolton wants to see you."
She was brought to the Great Hall, where Bolton was inside with some of his men and the Children of the Lords who were seated at the tables which were prepared for the wedding feast.
"Welcome to your wedding feast, Queen Daenerys," said Bolton smirking, as the man who was holding her by the arms let her go. Or should I say, lady wife."
"I spoke no word to you, Snow. And my husband's name is Stark. Jon Stark of Winterfell," she replied in a challenging way, and despite her response, Bolton keeps grinning at her. Getting down from the table, he approached her, and she asked, "Your men are dying outside for you. Why aren't you with them?"
"They are doomed anyway. Why should I care about their lives? I had something much better to do."
"What is better than the lives of your men who are fighting for you?"
"Fuck you, of course," he said running his winger over the blade of the sword. "You know when I asked the smith to remake the handle, I asked the master to search what the words mean, and despite taking him a long time, in the end, he managed to translate them. My queen. My light. My Love." And she looked straight at him when he said those words. They were written on the sword that Jon made for her namesday. And Ramsey fucking snow disrespected that beautiful gift. "Such worthless words, from an unworthy man."
"He was more worthy than you could ever be."
Bolton started to laugh at that approaching her, and grabbing her by the hairs, pulling at him. "You know. The moment you were brought here, I know you were plotting against me. But I enjoyed this little game that now sadly needs to end."
He bent down to kiss her, but Daenerys bit his lips, before spitting in his face and grabbing his knife, she cut him on the eyes.
Bolton releases a loud scream, and one of the soldiers hit her, making her fall to the floor and lose consciousness.
Getting out of the secret tunnel was anything but easy. Jon and his men need to fight their way towards the courtyard with dozens of soldiers, and once they reached the courtyard, he couldn't believe what he was seeing. It was a living hell. Men were burning, running and screaming, others were fighting among themselves, and looking up Jon saw what seemed…. a…. dragon? A black and Red Dragon?
"Fuck! What the hell is happening?" asked SmallJon, as he was looking around and Jon didn't know what to say but saw Lord Aerys coming toward them limping rapidly.
"Father?" Jon heard Viserys' voice coming from behind him and immediately running at him. But Jon turning to his men, he said, he needs to enter the Keep, find Daenerys and the Sons and Daughters of the North, and then kill Bolton.
"Jon," said his Hand, approaching him, and giving a big hug. "Daenerys said you were dead. I thought- "
"I'm alive, and ready to kick the flayed man in the ass," Jon responded, smiling, ready to leave, was stopped by Lord Aerys.
"Daenerys is heading towards the Great Hall, Jon," said the man, with serious and worried. "She wants to kill Bolton herself and free the sons and daughters of the north." And hearing that Jon started running straight there, followed by the man of but with the corner of his eye, he managed to see some of the wilding enter the Dreadfort, and starting to fight against the Bolton soldiers.
But refocusing his attention towards the true destination. The great hall.
In all this chaos, Arthur managed to sneak inside the Dreadfort through the gates, and then head toward the keep of this cursed place.
However, as he was fighting with the Bolton in the hallway, Arthur saw more men coming from outside, but they didn't bear the flayed man emblem, instead the direwolf on the chest, and wearing the royal armour of the Wolfsguard.
After cutting another one of the soldiers, Arthur quickly approached them, and in that instant, he saw him. His nephew. Jon, wearing the armour that he asked the smith of Winterfell to forge it. The golden valyrian armour.
As the Wolfsguard and the Stark soldier keep fighting, Jon, stopping, said, "It's good to see you again Arthur, but I need to find Dany."
Not knowing what to say because it was as his voice had gone, swallowing Arthur nodded, and after patting his shoulder, Jon charged towards the enemy.
Close quarters were a bad choice for a long sword, and the current hallway full of soldiers was a bad choice, despite them being the best from the north.
Behind him, he could also hear more men shouting, and so he went towards the entrance to stop anyone who wanted to get it, but fortunately, they were wildings led by Tormund.
"Where is that cunt of southern that you call Bolton?"
And Arthur pointed in the direction of dead bodies left behind by Jon, who was making his way through the men and cutting them as they were cheese.
While the wildings were attacking the castle, fighting in the courtyard that for sure was a chaos by now, Robb heard the men who were still with him outside the Dreadfort scream and saw horsemen charging at them at great speed.
"Damn!" cursed Robb, turning his horse, and shouting to the men to take their positions. "Spears out! Archers behind!" riding back and forth. Glancing behind him for a moment Robb saw that Tormund was shooting to a giant to shoot with the big bolt towards the ballista.
Refocusing on the enemy in front of him, Robb gives the order to the few wildings with bow in hands to get ready, nock, and draw.
The enemy was near them, with the wildings that were shooting the arrows, the giants came to the protection of the footmen, making a straight shield wall, therefore the cavalry crushed against it.
Many Giants fell to the ground because of the impact, some of the footmen got injured, but the enemy force was blocked, and they were falling under their ours.
However, when in that same moment, he saw another contingent of men riding towards them, and he didn't know if they were allies or enemies.
"Get ready for another attack!" shouted Robb, as he got down one of the Bolton soldiers that was near him, from the horse.
As he was fighting with the enemy, Robb saw someone riding from the Dreadfort, sword in hand, full of blood, and Robb charged at him, managing to knock him down. Once on the ground, he quickly grabbed his sword again ready to fight the men but saw him rise hand to stop him, saying, "Wait. We are allies. I'm Leontes, the second in command of the Hundred Lances." and hearing that Robb remembered what Val told him. Her lover was the commander of the Hundred Lances and that she was on a mission for the queen.
"Did the queen sent you here?" Robb asked, pointing the sword, should he try something.
"Yes. And the army that is coming is mine. My men. The other are at Greywater Watch," Robb nodded, turning his attention back to the enemy and charging in the fray fitting alongside the wildings, who were winning thanks to the giants.
After a long a strenuous fight in the hallway of with the Bolton's soldier, Jon finally and his men finally reached the Great Hall.
Upon entering, he saw that Bolton was waiting for him there sited on the main table with all the sons and daughter of the North, seated at the tables that were on the sides, chained; and Daenerys was too sited at the main one, tied to the chairs, and he could see blood dripping from her beautiful lips. At that, he was seeing red. Anger was taking over him and Jon knows that was a mistake.
"Ah! Your grace. Welcome to the Dreadfort," said the man with a mocking bow. "It seems that the tales regarding your death were false."
Stepping forward, with sword and axe in hands, he says, "Considering that the future of the North is right here, in this hall, more or less, I suggest a one on one combat. Me against you. Till death. The winner will become ruler of the North."
Jon looked at him for a moment before spinning his swords and nodding. However, he knows that Bolton will try to cheat during the fight.
Bolton started to approach him with a smirk on his face, and he make a step forward, which resulted in it being fake.
Daenerys' heart was beating so fast because of what she was seeing that she didn't know if she will survive.
Jon was fighting with ruthlessness and using the head, making powerful attacks that made Bolton lose his balance.
They fought for a long time, but in the end, Jon was the one to disarm the man and bring him to his knees, by hitting him in the throat with the handle of the sword and then pierced Bolton through the armour.
And with that, the chaos escaped. Bolton's soldiers tried to kill the children of the North, and the wildings and the Wolfsguard charged immediately at them, Jon himself did that trying to protect the prisoners, as Daenerys was struggling trying to ease the robes around her arms and escape. However, in that same instant, she felt heat coming from behind and the stone and the windows melt.
And through the fire and smoke, appeared her dragon. Syrax. Spitting fire, her dress lights up and the robes that were around her wrist burned out.
Jon was shielding his eyes from the fire with his arm, as the enemy dropped their sword and fled the room.
"Free the prisoners!" shouted Jon, as he tried to approach Daenerys that was sitting at the table and now in flame. He cannot lose her. Their children cannot lose their mother.
As the fire was, dying because of Shiera, opening his eyes, Jon couldn't believe what he was seeing. Daenerys was still there alive, and unharmed. She didn't' burn. Only the clothes she had did.
Daenerys slowly approached him, with the dragon in her arms, and they were looking at each other in the eyes, not knowing what to do.
His men took away all the enemy soldiers, and Arthur, with SmallJon, pulls up Bolton from the floor, and hear Shiera whisper to him, to not kill Bolton and his men. But he ignored her and everything around focusing his attention only on one person. His wife. His Dany.
He opened and closed his mouth a few times before, swallowing saying, "Y... You are unburnt." But she didn't respond, as the dragon from her arms flows up in the room.
Returning his attention back to Daenerys, Jon remembered that she was naked, and quickly grabbed one of the cape that was lying on the table, and pulled it over her shoulder, but in that instant, she jumped at him, wrapping her arms around his neck, squeezing him tightly, and trembling. He knows that she was crying silently, and the squeeze around his neck was tightening.
"I thought that I lost you," she whispered between the tears, and he too squeezed her tightly trying to kiss her naked shoulders. He missed so much her embrace, her body, her love.
"I thought that I lost you too at the hands of the Bolton-"
She slapped him pulling away.
"Why-" another slap came, and started to hit him on the armour and screaming, between cries, "Why did you leave me?! Why did you die?! Didn't you think about me when you left?!"
"Dany!" he said, trying to stop her, and she moved away from him taking the cloak from the floor. His heart was breaking at what he was seeing. Her red tearful eyes that were looking at him and her chest moving fast.
Jon. The Dreadfort is ours," said Arthur, entering. "A lot of dead men; many prisoners. Bolton is alive but badly wounded."
"Take them down to the dungeons and give orders to the men to prepare some chambers. I want to know the numbers of our wounded and when the wildings will be ready to march south."
Arthur nodded, leaving, followed immediately by Daenerys, leaving him alone in the great hall. Jon released a long sigh, and as he was looking at the floor, his eyes were cached by a sword. A valyrian sword. Bending down, he picked it up and read the inscription on it. 'Ñuha dāria. Ñuha ōños. Ñuha jorrāelagon.'
It was the sword that he made for Deanery's namseday. But looking at the handle he saw that it was the flayed man. "Damn Bolton!" he cursed, storming out the great hall.
Near the coast of the Dreadfort…
The boats were rowing towards the shore, with their men on them. Thorkwin could see in the distance soldiers waiting for them and he was sure that they were Bolton's. They will join forces before attacking the enemy that will besiege the fortress.
"Well. Home sweet home, isn't it, little brother," came the laughing and powerful voice of Thorkilt. His Twin brother was always loud when it came to this kind of situation and dreaming of coming back home and take their rightful place. The last Heart.
This company was only a means to reach that goal and so was Bolton and his little games of crown and shits.
After a few minutes of fast rowing, they finally reached land, and getting down from he saw a fat man with a rough face coming towards them, followed by two younger boys, one which have long blond hairs, and the same expression as the old one.
"You must be the Twins commander of the Company of the Rose, Thorkwin, and Thorkilt."
"Yes. And who are you?" he asked, placing his hands on the weapons around his waist, and looking at them, hearing his man behind do the same.
"I'm Ludd Whitehill, one of Lord Bolton's Bannerman. The time is against us and we need to quick the pace and reach the Dreadfort in less than a half-day."
"Bolton said every House from the North were on his side," said Thorkilt, stepping forward, and the man nodded. So, pointing his arm, his brother asked, "Then who's that army?"
Shiera's warning was true regarding forces coming from the sea. It seems the two sellsword company had landed and the Whitehill troops were waiting there for them. For sure they have a great number, at least five thousand men, and he had eight thousand.
"Grey Worm. Put your men in position. They had many horsemen, but we have the lances. You will stay in front of the arches."
The commander of the Unsullied nodded and started to shout orders in Valyrian, and Rhaegar turning to Jory Cassel, said, "Jory. To you the Stark force on the horse. When the enemy will charge at us, you will attack them from the side, destroying their archers and the light infantry."
The man nodded riding away to the right side, followed by the soldiers.
"My Lord. A rider is coming," he heard someone say, and saw that the rider was coming under the white banner.
Stopping at a few feet, the rider said, "My lord, Ludd of House Whitehill sent me to parley with you."
"Then speak."
"Lord Ludd wants to know why you are here with an army and not at the Dreadfort to help lord Bolton in defeating the wildlings?"
"Well, I'm sure that the gray direwolf and the three headed dragon is enough of a response why we are here. Tell your lord to yell and bend the knee. We may grant him life and the possibility to join the Night's Watch. Otherwise, it will be death for him and his house."
The man nodded, lowering his head in a bow and riding away.
Rhaegar hoped that this will persuade the men to not fight, surrender, and maybe the Free Companies too.
"They are too many, brother. What do we do?" asked Thorkwin.
"We fight and-"
"Close your mouth, Whitehill. So, brother? We fight or we go back to Essos?" asked Thorkwin looking at his brother.
He didn't respond immediately, rotting his double axe in the hands, and glancing behind him, and to the enemy, he said, "No. We won't fight. The enemy is ready, but we aren't. Our men need still to land, and our horses are still on the ships. Sent someone to ask a parley."
"No!" yelled the Bolton man, pulling out the sword and pointing at them. And so, did the others who were with them. "Lord Bolton paid-" but Thorkilt planted his axe straight between Whitehill's legs, making him fall to the ground. Thorkwin on the other hand attacked the two sons cutting the heads, and their men, who were on land started to fight with the Bolton's one.
"What the hell is happening," murmured Rhaegar to himself at seeing the enemy starting to fight between themselves.
"Skoros gaomagon gaomi?" (What do we do?)
"Īlon umbagon. Ivestragī zirȳ vīlībagon. Kesi deal lēda se umbagon mentyr," replied Rhaegar, not taking his eyes from the battle ahead. (We wait. Let them fight. We will deal with the remaining soldiers.)
Rhaegar waited for a long time as the battle keep going, and the Bolton soldiers were running away, but his men never lost the defensive position. Should the enemy charge at them they will be ready.
With the corner of his eye, Rhaegar could also see Jory, riding towards him, fast, and once he was near him, asked, "What do we do, Lord Rhaegar?"
"We wait and see who is the winner and-" But stopped when he saw a man on the horse, ride toward them.
"Men get ready!" shouted Rhaegar, and the unsullied pointed their spears out, and the archers nock their arrows.
The man stopped a few feats of distance with the white banner, said, "My commanders Thorkilt and Thorkwin wants to speak with you in the middle between our ways. You can take one soldier with you since they are two.
"I will," Rhaegar responded and glanced at Jory, who nodded, so they headed there to the middle, but not before commanding to the men to kill every one of them should they kill him and Jory.
"Are you the king of this land?" asked the men who had a serious look on his face.
"No. But I'm the Hand."
"So, you clean his shit?" asked the other, with a mark on his forehead and his hairs in a bun.
"Are you here to surrender?" asked Rhaegar ignoring the comment the other man said.
"Shredder? No. We are here to bargain."
"Bargain? And what a sellsword wants to bargain?"
"A contract and land, of course," said the man with the mark.
"I don't' have the power to give you land neither to hire you."
"We. As I can see you are in a bad situation," said the serious man. "When we were sailing here, there were rumors that an army was heading North."
"Then we will march south to meet them," responded Rhaegar, and the two looked at each other, nodded, however, before returning to their men, the serious one asked, "What about the land we want?"
"You will bargain with the king," replied Rhaegar, turning his horse, "Get ready to march south. You will be the vanguard that will fight at Moat Caillin."
He will have to keep a close eye on them to prevent a betrayal, or should they try to use this as a cover to attack them.