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Chapter 5
Goodwill
Robb
He was overwhelmed.
Growing up, he had heard quite a few stories about his father's time in the Vale and how those were some of the best years of his life. It was there that Eddard Stark made an eternal bond with Robert Baratheon and Jon Arryn, one which toppled a three hundred year old dynasty. He knew his father was respected and loved in the Vale, but as he stood in the great hall of Castle Runestone surrounded by almost every major and minor Vale lord...he now understood the true extent of the goodwill his father had left behind for him.
Apart from House Arryn and a few minor lords, most of the other great Vale lords had made haste to reach Castle Runestone on Lord Royce's call to meet Robb Stark.
In truth, Robb was not prepared to handle so many sincere condolences and promises of support from all of these lords. It had almost overwhelmed him until Lord Karstark had smacked some sense into his young mind by reminding him that for all their love of Eddard Stark, most of these Vale lords had their own reasons and ambitions for joining this war. Their support would not come without a cost or consequences.
It had again reminded Robb of his own doubts regarding his ability to lead. Battles he could understand, but to see the good from bad, from the noble man to the dishonest one...it was still hard.
At his age, his father had fought in so many battles during the Rebellion.
Robb could only hope he could do a fraction of what his father accomplished. Many of the Vale lords were quite open in praising his recent victories, most important being taking Jaime Lannister prisoner. However a few were sharp enough to point out that for all his victories his military strength was currently half of the Lannister's clearly implying that he needed their help.
Now that all of them had feasted, they had all gathered together around a large table where Lord Royce had placed a rough map of Westeros.
Robb engaged the Vale lords by explaining his victory at the Whispering Woods, and how he used speed and the cover of night to annihilate the forces surrounding Riverrun. That earned him some much needed respect and acknowledgement as more than one lord nodded. Few even smiled or laughed at the Lannister's smashing defeat.
It was no secret that the Vale bore no love for the House of Lion. There were minimal formal ties existing between the two kingdoms, and recently the death of Jon Arryn in mysterious circumstances in the Capital had only seemed to further destroy relations.
"The gods know the lion needs to be smashed and we all weep for your Father and our Lord Jon Arryn" confessed Lord Royce in his grave voice, earning grim nods from the lords around them.
"Not so long ago it was the Vale, North, Stormlands and Riverlands that together uprooted a rotten dynasty. Once again, we face the same situation. I cannot speak for you my lords, but I will never bow to the inbred golden little shit" promised Robb fiercely, his voice burning with righteous fury.
He saw Lord Karstark nod at his fierceness, after all the veteran warrior had advised Robb not to show any weakness or risk losing credibility. Rickard had reminded him that all the Vale lords had heard about was his victories, they considered him a gallant commander, not as strong or fierce as Robert Baratheon but more cunning and smarter than the Demon of the Trident. Robb only needed to live up to that belief.
He hated doing this, pretending to be someone or something he was not...but the harsh truth was that he needed Vale's power and if doing this meant protecting his siblings, then he would do so without regrets.
He was relieved when most lords openly cursed Joffrey and joined Robb's declaration of never kneeling to the current king.
"That I understand, Lord Stark. And I do respect your battle skills, the gods have shown you to be a skilled commander. But if I am to risk the future of my house, the lives of my family and people...then I need to know how you plan to win this war" questioned Lord Horton Redfort,
As strong as Stone.
Robb remembered the words of House Redfort and looking into the older lord's serious gaze made him understand how true they were. There was no doubt in Lord Horton's grim gaze but a keen desire to measure Robb's worth. Something which Robb couldn't fault him for.
"How many men can the Vale truly field in battle?" asked Robb frankly,
"Assuming you are able to get Lord Robyn Arryn's blessing and all of ours as well, then the full might of all our banners should muster up 45,000 to 48,000 men" answered Lord Redfort, earning nods from the other lords as well.
Robb fought back his own thumping heart, those many men could actually give him a chance to get his family through this war.
"However, we will not leave our homes undefended against the Mountain Clans or other threats. I would say we can contribute some 35,000 fighters. The rest of the men shall stay in the Vale and defend our lands" pointed Lord Gilwood hunter quickly,
Robb nodded as he understood their desire to protect their own lands as well. He had been surprised by a raven sent by Bran that reached him a few hours ago. His little brother had been busy mustering up more and more men for the North and while Robb admired his brother's desire to protect their people, he was at odds with Bran's decision.
If Bran mustered too many men to fight, then there would be very few left to reap the crops. Winter was coming and the North needed every ounce of grain to feed its people. That could not be accomplished with most of the men stationed across Moat Cailin, Deepwood Motte, White Harbor and Stony Shore.
On the other hand, Robb needed as many men as he could get to win this war. If he lost, then the future of his house would be destroyed. It was why he had to reluctantly agree with Bran's decision to muster the North's full strength, but in the meantime he had also asked Lord Wyman Manderly to acquire the services of laborers from the Free cities that would held the North reap its crows and keep its economy running until its sons returned from war. This decision would cost him quite a bit of coin, but it was the right one because he couldn't let his people starve.
The gold and men he was spending so quickly, he needed fresh support to keep his war effort going.
Something the Vale could great help with.
"The Knights of the Vale are the finest cavalry force in the world. With the Vale, three of the seven kingdoms would oppose Joffrey. I highly doubt Dorne would raise any sword to defend any Lannister after what Tywin and his dog did to their princess. Still I plan to send a raven to Prince Doran to ask for his support in destroying the man who ordered the death of his sister, and yet I don't have much hope from Dorne" explained Robb honestly,
His decision to speak the truth turned out to be the correct one as he heard several "Aye's" from the Vale lords, so Robb continued.
"That leaves us with the Stormlands, The Reach, The Westerlands, The Iron Islands and the Crownlands. At this point they are all our enemies or factions not on our side. I had initially planned to ask Balon Greyjoy for support" confessed Robb,
"That would be foolish, Lord Stark. Your father took the man's son hostage and the Kraken will never forgive that" warned Lady Anya Waynwood worriedly,
"The Ironborn cannot be trusted"
"Reaver scum!''
Robb bristled on seeing Theon leaving the room at the insults thrown upon his people. The Stark lord couldn't help but sigh knowing how much effort it would take to make Theon forgive these slights.
"For now, the Ironborn can stay in their shitty islands. However, the North and Riverlands are hesitant to join either Baratheon brothers. We cannot support Renly for reasons known to every lord lest you plan to set an example" warned Lord Rickard Karstark, thankfully saving Robb's war strategy from getting sidetracked by Theon's abrupt departure.
"What are your thoughts on Lord Stannis, my lord?" asked Lady Anya curiously, earning a sigh from Robb.
"My father died for his claim but in truth I don't know the man. He neither has the strength to rescue my sisters or get justice for my father or Lord Arryn. And I will not support Renly, a man whose's unchecked ambition has led him to betray his own elder brother. I cannot support either Baratheon at this time and maybe I never will" confessed Robb,
"The Seven Kingdoms needs a King. If you will not follow either Baratheon, then whom do you plan to support?" questioned Lord Lyonel Corbray,
To that question, Robb had no answer.
These lords and ladies were paying attention to his each move for quite a few reasons. He was the ruler of the North and his influence was high across the Riverlands through his mother. Whatever decisions he made would have far flung consequences for each of the Seven Kingdoms.
"I haven't decided yet, my lords and ladies. Right now, I want to save my sisters currently trapped in King's Landing. I want my people to stop being harmed by the Lannisters. I want justice for my Father, for Lord Arryn and every man and woman of our household butchered in the capital. I am not fighting this war for glory or to make someone's arse sit on the Iron Throne. That is not who I am" answered Robb,
"So you're saying you just want your family back, butcher the Lannisters and leave the Seven Kingdoms in turmoil?" questioned another lord with a heavy frown,
Robb bristled and was about to reply back with sharp words until Lord Royce interrupted him.
"Your war strategy, my lord. It won't matter who becomes king unless the Lannisters are actually divided. Tell me, how do you plan to make that happen if we grant you our aid?" questioned Lord Royce, earning a thankful nod from Robb who started picking up a few falcon pieces on the map.
"We don't need to rush forward and clash against Tywin Lannister. Let Renly or Stannis fight the Lion, in the meantime I'll take the entire Vale and Northern Cavalry force and invade the Westerlands with speed. If the bannermen of Casterly Rock witness their castles being taken and their lands conquered, then the Lion would be finished off by his own allies. I plan to use the Vale fleet to blockade Casterly Rock by destroying the Lannister Fleet" explained Robb, as he started placing the pieces across the map drawing the full attention of the Vale nobility.
"What of our infantry and remaining forces?" questioned Lord Shett curiously,
"They shall link up with the forces of the Riverlands and the North and station themselves across the Trident. The Riverlands cavalry shall support this army. I don't plan to let this army march towards Tywin, but after conquering his lands I plan to make him come to us...that is if he is not finished by either Renly or Stannis. This way, we can protect the Vale, Riverlands and the North while conquering the Westerlands" explained Robb,
"The plan sounds reasonable and even doable, Lord Stark. However, the Westerlands won't be easy to conquer...Casterly Rock even more difficult. They say Stafford Lannister is raising one last great host" warned Lord Moore gravely,
Robb nodded as he glanced at the lone lion placed in the Westerlands by Lord Moore.
"But most of his forces are peasants and farmers. Maybe in a few months he can mold them into a proper force but if we strike now and fast then we can destroy the last effective force defending the Westerlands. A straight path into Lannister territory: all their riches and arrogance waiting to be conquered" said Lord Karstark fiercely, as he picked up the lone lion from the map and crushed it upon the Westerlands territory.
"There are a lot of risks, my lords. I bore no love for the lion but we cannot underestimate Tywin Lannister" warned Lord Upcliff somberly,
Robb didn't falter at those words and looked the hesitant man straight in the eyes. It was in that moment when the Vale lords saw the ice cold fury in the Stark's eyes.
"Family. Duty. Honor. Those are the words of my mother's house and something which I believe in as well. I'm fighting this war to save my family, I will defeat the Lannisters as it is my duty to bring justice on them for all their crimes. It is true that Tywin is a strong foe but if I back away in fear, I will forever stain my honor for letting those monsters rule over the Seven Kingdoms and ruining the lives of the people. House Stark is fighting this war valiantly, House Tully is fighting this war nobly. Choose my lords and ladies, fight with us to save Westeros again or shrink in fear and doom the lives of your future generations to Lannister rule" warned Robb gravely,
"Then pray that Lord Robyn feels the same, my lord. Or I fear you will die without our support" said Lady Anya hesitantly,
To her surprise, the young Stark smiled.
"Then I shall die fighting for the North, for the Riverlands, for Eddard Stark and for Jon Arryn"
Lady Anya was left speechless for there was nothing but grim determination in those young eyes. There was no hesitation or doubt, with or without the Vale...Robb Stark would fight.
"You would make a far better king than the one we have right now, Lord Stark" praised Lady Anya with a gentle smile,
Before Robb could reply to that praise, another voice cut him short.
"We fought for King Robert but he is gone. We fought for Lord Eddard but he is gone too, we thought all our hopes and dreams to be crushed until you proved us wrong. Lord Robb of House Stark, you are the Fury of Winter. The Wolf King!" declared Lord Hunter,
Robb and most of the people present in the room stared in surprise when Lord Hunter unleashed his sword and knelt before the young Stark.
"Why?" asked Robb in a whispered voice, unable to take in the magnitude of impact this action would have on his life.
Lord Gilwood "The Young Hunter" looked him square in the eye.
"The Starks are known for their honor and courage, I see those traits clearly when I see you. Despite the odds, you still have the strength to do what is right for your people. You maybe young and not the King that the Seven Kingdoms wanted, but one which they deserve! House Hunter shall stand behind you till the end just like we did for your Father" pledged Lord Hunter fiercely,
"So shall House Mallister and every son of our lands. You fought for the Riverlands when no one else would, for that you have my undying loyalty and that of my house, King Robb. It would be a little forward but I think most of my fellow Riverlords feel the same and will come to see you for the man you truly are. We will be honored to call you our King!" pledged Lord Mallister, as he too unleashed his sword and knelt before Robb with no doubt in his unwavering gaze.
"My sons died for you and there are times when I wonder why they did so. Torrhen and Eddard believed in you, same goes for every Northman who left his home to fight by your side. The North will be honored to have you as King of the Seven Kingdoms!" declared Lord Karstark, as he too followed the actions of Lord Hunter and Lord Mallister.
Robb could only watch as Lord Bolton also knelt before him and so did many of the minor Riverlords who had followed him here also followed suit.
That made many of the Vale lords follow suit unleashing a tide that was unstoppable.
Swords were being unleashed, vows being shouted one after another, men and women both kneeling before him one after another with hopes and dreams in their eyes.
The noises were growing louder and stronger until only a handful lords and ladies remained standing, contemplating their own choice.
Robb felt euphoric and terribly afraid.
His boyish heart cheered on seeing so many people believing in him, but the part of his heart scarred by war and suffering knew the eternal burden this would put on him.
A duty he was neither born or trained for.
He wasn't even supposed to be here, he wasn't supposed to lead the Northern army or rule over his lords.
It was supposed to be his Father here, a man far more worthy to be King than Robb himself. Could he truly do this?
He looked at the cheering lords and ladies wondering if Torrhen Stark, the last Stark King felt the same weight on his shoulders as Robb felt in this moment. Being a King was no easy feat and Robb wondered if this was the right choice.
Even Lord Royce, Lady Anya and a few others had not joined the others but their resolve was wavering.
But their dilemma didn't matter to Robb who didn't know what to do in this situation. Either choice would define the rest of his life.
He was surrounded by men and women far older than him, away from all his family and he doubted himself.
His eyes widened when the doors opened again and he saw Theon walk back inside. The Greyjoy ignored and swept past everyone, ignoring their skeptical and even sneering gazes. The cheering stopped when Theon stepped before Robb.
"I thought you had left" whispered Robb, earning a smirk from Theon as he extended his arm towards Robb.
"I'm not a Stark, I know that. But you are my brother in all but blood, I will fight for you or die trying if you shall have me?" asked Theon honestly,
In that moment, everyone around them disappeared for Robb as he stared at his oldest friend. The hopes in the eyes of the other lords may not have convinced Robb, but the faith he saw in Theon's eyes for him was enough.
"Don't trust the Greyjoy, my king!"
Many more joined that cry, even so Robb was silent as he looked into Theon's eyes. The older boy was proud to call Robb his King, honored to stand by his side and wanted to fight for him until his dying breath.
"He's a Greyjoy, aye...and he's a Stark" declared Robb proudly, daring anyone to say otherwise.
No one did.
Theon's eyes became moist and his lips betrayed him as words escaped him. A part of him had always wanted to be a Stark after staying with them for so many years, and another part of him belonged to his blood family. Robb understood that better than anyone else and his acceptance was everything Theon ever wanted.
"When I become Lord of the Iron Islands, we will declare for you King Robb" promised Theon,
Robb gave a respectful nod at his friend's decision, he doubted Balon Greyjoy would agree but then again he didn't need to put his friend through any unnecessary pain. He already had enough people doing that to Theon.
The entire hall had knelt save for Lord Royce and Lady Anya, the last two leaders of two of the most ancient and noble houses of the Vale.
"I never thought I'd see this day. The North, The Riverlands, The Vale and even a son from the Iron Islands have united for one man. We thought this would never happen again after Robert but maybe this was how it was always meant to be. Lord Eddard would have made a fine King but maybe you shall succeed where your father didn't. House Waynwood proudly stands behind you, King Robb! Bring peace and justice to this realm once again" urged Lady Anya, as she too bent the knee.
Only Lord Royce remained now, the Lord of the castle currently hosting a King in making and all his supporters.
"Do you know the words of my house, Lord Robb?" questioned Lord Royce,
"We Remember" answered the Stark respectfully,
"That we do, Lord Stark. Not long ago, I called my banners and marched to support Lord Robert Arryn who had pledged us all to King Robert. We fought and won a terrible war but the realm was never truly at peace even after all the blood that was shed. If I am to support you, then I need you to set things right across the realm. Swear it by the Old Gods and New" demanded Lord Royce seriously,
A few lords frowned at those words, another few even asked Lord Royce to not ask for such things but Robb looked the man straight him in the eye.
"I cannot promise if I can truly bring the peace that you desire. But on my honor as a Stark, I promise you, that as long as there is breath in me I will fight and protect the people of this realm with all my heart and strength" promised Robb fiercely,
Lord Royce seemed to accept those honest words as he too smiled while unleashing his sword. Moments later, he joined every other person in the room by kneeling and his loud cry would once again change the future of the Seven Kingdoms.
"The Wolf King!"
"The Wolf King!"
"The Wolf King!"
It was dark.
The land was covered in an unending sea of white.
Cold waves of winter howled wildly in the skies as five shadows wrapped in thick black cloaks stormed through the forests on top of their screaming horses.
Their hearts threatened to explode as the entire forest around them was coming alive.
"Forward!'' commanded the lead Ranger,
His brothers in arms didn't need to be told twice as they made haste to obey that command, pushing their horses even more. Yet the beasts didn't complain for they too could feel what was in the air.
The Ranger heard bone chilling screams echo all around them in the forest and hesitantly stared at his remaining four companions who seemed equally terrified.
There were once twenty of them.
That thought alone drove the Ranger to push his horse even more, the beast whined but suddenly went silent as something whizzed past them both.
Another scream, the Ranger turned and saw one of his brothers pinned against a tall tree with an Ice spear lodged in his brain. The fallen brother's horse had crashed to the ground and already hundreds of shadows from the darkness were pouncing on the poor creature tearing it to shreds.
"RUN!"
Benjen snapped out of his daze and forced his panicked horse to regain its gallop. His remaining three black brothers were already gaining much lead over him and he shivered on hearing the screams of thousands of dead behind him and his horse.
The Hand of death was upon him.
He screamed in fury when a shadowcat and a monstrous bear with ice blue eyes leapt out of the shadows and tore apart two more of his brothers and their horses.
The air was turning extremely cold, to the point it was burning Benjen's exposed skin threatening to destroy it forever.
A few hundred feet ahead of them several shadows mounted atop dead horses appeared.
The one leading them glanced at him and Benjen felt his heart stop.
This was the end.
"BENJEN!"
The youngest child of Rickard Stark only had a moment to snap out of his daze and grab the vial his last black brother threw at him. He glanced at Daeron, a bastard of House Velayron as they both charged through the terrifying night even as the dead chased after them with its masters following them on their dead horses.
They saw a small cliff up ahead that separated the two mountains, it was impossible for a man to jump across but maybe a horse could.
However, they didn't have the time left to make that far.
"Get this through to the Stark at Winterfell!" yelled Daeron, as he unleashed his sword.
Benjen glanced at the fifteen year old boy, almost the same age as his eldest nephews. A boy forced to join the Night's Watch on the command of his father who didn't want a bastard staining his walls, but unlike most grown men this boy was one of the finest horse riders and a capable swordsman. One of the youngest Rangers in history of the Watch, Daeron had a lot to live for.
"Come with me! We can make it" urged Benjen desperately, even as he saw the dead swarming the fleeing rangers from their flanks. They barely had mere moments left.
Daeron gave him a bittersweet smile as he turned his horse around and strode through the ranks of the dead, his bloodthirsty sword and screaming horse butchering over dozens of the enemy mercilessly.
Benjen closed his eyes and urged his horse forward, he chanced a glance at the vial in his saddle and was relieved to note that it had not broken. He had to get it through to Winterfell, for the sake of all his brothers and for the sake of mankind.
His horse roared as charged forward and jumped across the cliff separating the two mountains, the dead tried to follow him but ended up falling into the dark valley between the mountains.
Benjen saw Daeron had already lost his horse and the young boy was still holding his sword as he was surrounded by pale white creatures made of Ice and snow.
"THE OLD, THE TRUE, THE BRAVE!''
Those were the boy's last words, the words of the House he came from as the White Walkers descended upon him.
"Now your watch has ended, Daeron of House Velaryon" whispered Benjen sadly,
He saw the dead were still trying to cross the cliff and maybe in time they would, but for now they were failing miserably and losing scores of their own in the attempt.
Benjen commanded his horse to charge down South, hoping against hope that he could atleast reach the Wall.
He had to get the Vial back to Winterfell at all costs, even if the price was his own life.
"Wings you shall carry and fly shall the boy"
Benjen still didn't understand what that old crippled fool meant and when he angrily confronted the man, all he was told was to take this Vial to Winterfell. At first Benjen had been hesitant, but after seeing the White Walkers and their army with his own eyes and seeing what the Old Man and his followers were capable of, he had no choice but to follow his orders.
He could only hope the sacrifice of Daeron and his other Black brothers didn't go in vain.
For that to happen, he had to reach Winterfell.
Eddard would know what to do, his big brother always knew what choices to make. This time too, Benjen would entrust this gift to his brother and obey whatever decision he chose to make.
He glanced at the roaring skies and the snow clad landscape around him.
He could still remember the laughter of Eddard when he last visited Winterfell and the words his brother had again reminded him of. The words of their house.
''You were right, brother"
Benjen smiled as he outstretched his hand and caught a few snow flakes falling from the skies.
"Winter is here"
Author's Note: End of chapter.
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Next Chapter: The Mountain and The Dragon
Until Next Time,
Blackwolf501