We dive head first into a new POV. I tried skipping this chapter, but it felt wrong. I needed someone with this part of the army.

14. Savages - Randyll

Randyll Tarly was a soldier. He had been a soldier his entire life. And Casterly Rock had been a major disappointment. It was the Imp's fault, he knew. Despite their army being strong enough to take whatever forces the Lannisters could muster, the dwarf had made sure the castle would be deserted when they arrived.

Not completely deserted, he reflected bitterly. Cersei Lannister had left a small garrison, only strong enough to keep the siege from being short. It would have worked, were it not for the Imp's secret entrance. Randyll had a few of the Dornish soldiers sent ahead and they quickly opened the castle gates.

After that, it was a bloodbath. He had tried to keep the casualties to a minimum, as befit the usual rules of engagement. Hostages were far more valuable than corpses, and a wealthy family could afford a hefty ransom. But no, the horselords proved to be just as savage as he had imagined. By the time Randyll rode into the castle, there were only corpses.

The savages were busy searching the Lannister bodies for valuables when he heard the news. Disgusting.

"My lord." A maester came walking his way. Randyll wouldn't bother learning the man's name even if he planned to stay longer. Grey rats, forsaking their families for a chain. The world would be well rid of them. "A raven has arrived from King's Landing." The rat said, handing over the scrap of paper.

He read it quickly, cursing loudly at the words.

"Bad news?" The bastard girl asked, walking closer. What was her name again? ...Obara. Yes, that's it. For some strange reason, she had been given command of the Dornish army. Randyll cringed at the thought of having to follow a woman into battle, yet their soldiers hadn't questioned her at all.

He briefly considered keeping the information from her, but the word would get out eventually. And he wanted to see her reaction. He waved the paper in front of her eyes. "If this is to be believed, Queen Daenerys has suffered a major defeat at sea. Euron Greyjoy has destroyed the better part of her fleet."

"What?" The girl snatched the paper from his hands. "Does it say anything about Ellaria and my sisters?" She asked, before reading it through herself. It didn't. She finished and faced him with a determined look. "It could be a lie. We can't trust Lannisters."

Randyll shook his head. "Did you read that last bit at the end?" She nodded. "They claim that this Greyjoy has stolen a dragon. If that's a lie, it's quite bold." He had dealt with many liars and cheaters in his life, and the best liars knew enough to keep the lie believable.

"Father, what about the plan?" Dickon finally spoke up. For such a tall boy, he seemed to blend into the walls sometimes. He has much to learn before he can take my place, he thought, but at least he's not as useless as that fat little thief.

He sighed. "No plan survives first contact. Learn that lesson well." Clever men thought everything could be predicted, but war wasn't a game. "The Imp's strategy no longer applies. We'll have to adapt. I need a map."

He stood staring at the unfurled map for some time, considering his options. The Westerlands were left abandoned, and Casterly Rock itself had no food or resources an army this large needed. The Lannisters had made sure of that. And to make matters worse, he had been told that the golden mines were exhausted. This was a waste of time, he thought bitterly, and we can't stay here for long.

His eyes drifted to the Riverlands. They had fertile lands, yet the recent wars had ravaged most of it. Riverrun was a prime example. It had been besieged multiple times. Still better than staying here. Randyll knew the obvious choice would be to make for Riverrun. That's what everyone would expect him to do. That was the danger. Ser Jaime Lannister was an experienced warrior, unlike his dwarf brother. He might have left a surprise or two there. No, we can't go to Riverrun.

He set his sights on King's Landing. A frontal assault would be foolish, especially now that they've lost half their forces. And yet… They would have to attack eventually. Did the Targaryen girl reach Storm's End? He doubted it. If that letter was true, they had lost most of their forces. Storm's End would only be a staging area for their attack, and without a strong army that attack would fail.

It doesn't matter now. They could be at Dragonstone, for all he knew. No ravens had arrived from their allies, only from enemies. That didn't fill him with confidence. If the dragons were vulnerable, whatever advantage they had was quickly fading away. He had no intention of fighting for a lost cause.

"My lord?" That rat again. Randyll had left clear instructions to not be disturbed, and this vermin still had the nerve to enter the room.

"What could possibly be so important that you'd interrupt me?" He demanded, crossing his arms and fixing him with a glare.

The man looked visibly startled. "Forgive me, my lord, but another letter came." He reached into his sleeve to grab a piece of paper. "This one was directly addressed to you, with instructions to only hand it over when you were alone."

"Fine." Randyll took the paper and stared at the man until he left.

Reading the letter, he understood the secrecy. Ser Jaime Lannister was offering him the post of warden of the south. In exchange for betraying Lady Olenna. There were details of troop movements and what they expected him to do.

Harrenhal? He turned to the map and stared at the ancient castle at the northern tip of the God's Eye. He was to march his forces into Harrenhal and wait until Euron Greyjoy arrived with Ser Jaime and the Lannister army. Then he was to send the Dornish to meet them in the field, while keeping the savages inside the castle.

Randyll sighed, passing a gloved hand over his bald head. These are the moments that defined the course of wars. He remembered Robert's Rebellion, when he had defeated the young lord who would be king in the battle at Ashford. Robert had escaped while he fought and killed the traitor Lord Cafferen. I should have chased Robert. The Baratheon would later go on to humiliate Lord Jon Connington in the Battle of the Bells at Stony Sept. And much later, to kill Rhaegar Targaryen at the Trident.

Could I betray my word? He was a Tarly. Randyll had known Lady Olenna since he was a boy, and the woman had always been kind to him. More than to her own son, he admitted. Lord Mace Tyrell had never been a capable commander, nor was he especially gifted in any other way. And now that she had lost most of her family, would he dare to abandon the woman?

He shook his head. Sentimentality has no place in war. He needed to make a rational choice based on the information he had. He glanced at the map again. Harrenhal was rather close to King's Landing, close enough to serve as a staging area for a later assault. Yet it was also vulnerable.

Suddenly, an idea formed in his mind. I don't need to choose a side until the last moment. He went to find the maester.

Randyll was an interesting POV to inhabit. It was a bit jarring, though. He's not someone whose thoughts should be shared with anyone.

The date is 18/05/2019