So Battles are again not my cup of tea. I tried to make it realistic but it might not turn out like that, So my apologies. If I did anything wrong, please let me know
"I am going to give you one chance Lannister, surrender now and you won't die painfully." Were the first words uttered by Lord Reyne during the parley.
There were five men in each group. With Roger Reyne were Lords Estren, Greenfield, Doggett, and Kyndall. Aubrey rode with Ser Tytos, Lords Lydden, Payne and Ser Harys Swyft.
Aubrey looked towards Ser Tytos who had his eyebrows arched in amusement as he said, "If it's all the same to you, I reject your humble proposal. I have no intention of dying today."
The Lord of Castamare looked furious. But before he could say anything Lord Estren interrupted him. "What have you done with my wife and children, you monster." He shouted.
"They are perfectly safe, and are being treated honorably, Lord Estren. I have no intention of harming helpless women or children." Ser Tytos replied calmly.
Lord Kyndall snorted as he said, " I really doubt that. Killing children is in your blood, boy. You Lannisters will butcher your own family for your greed." He snarled at the end.
Roderick Kyndall's hatred for Lannisters was Legendary. Even after more than 20 years the man still blamed Gerold Lannister for his niece's death. He had even petitioned the King to investigate twice. First,during the reign of King Aerys the First and again during King Maekar's reign. Both times there was no evidence found.
"Enough!" Roger Reyne shouted. "I gave you a chance Lannister, and you spat on it. So be it You will die today!"
With that, the man turned his horse about and rode away. Headed towards his army.
"Well, that was a waste of time." Ser Tytos declared as the other Lords too moved to take their respective commands.
He was going to stay with Ser Tytos, in order to provide him with protection. He again let his mind wander towards the enigma that was Tytos Lannister.
Aubrey knew people found him strange and mayhaps he was indeed strange. From a young age, he had trouble talking to other people. It was not that he could not speak, no had trouble finding something to talk about. So he stayed quiet most of the time.
Aubrey always prided himself as an observant person. He always noticed how boys his age would make fun of him. Of course, they made sure to do it away from him and his father.
With no friends at all, he spent all his free time in the training yard. It would be a lie if he said that he gained no pleasure in defeating all those who made fun. But back to Tytos Lannister, he was a strange man.
He was very different from the rumours around him. While he often put up a façade by casually smiling most of the time, it was his eyes that betrayed him.
Those emerald green orbs showed intelligence and wariness at the same time.
He had seen it when Ser Tytos interacted with Roger Reyne during the Rebellion. He was always on guard around him. Like he always knew Reynes would betray him.
But most of all he did not seem to mind Aubrey like others. He japed around him, talked with him and sparred with him. He was a friend.
So when he had received the letter from Lannisport, he had convinced his father to raise levies in Ser Tytos' name. When the raven had arrived from Deep den, he personally led men from House Serrett.
"You okay, there." Ser Tytos asked him,interrupting his thoughts.
He just nodded and looked at the field. The Lannister army number around four thousand five hundred men had positioned themselves on a small hill a few hours ride away from Wyndhall. They had already fortified the hill and an erected palisades on the ground.
While the Reyne army had nearly five hundred more men, the fortifications had rendered their cavalry useless. The same could not be said for their own cavalry which was commanded by Lord Lydden and Lord Payne. Whereas the center was personally commanded by Ser Tytos and Aubrey was entirely made up of pikemen and archers.
The battle began at midday when Lord Estren led the vanguard with a few hundred men towards the center. Nearly half of his men died from the rain of arrows before they reached the fortifications. The rest followed soon after.
The second wave was much stronger and had more men. It seemed that Lord Reyne wanted to win through sheer numbers. The enemy force reached the palisades despite taking losses. For a moment Aubrey was worried they might be able to overwhelm the defences. But before he could express it.
"I would not worry much," Ser Tytos said beside him, "They could indeed overwhelm us but for that Roger would have to stretch his forces thin giving Lord Roland a chance to attack their flank." And indeed the enemy forces retreated after a while.
"So we do nothing?" he asked.
Ser Tytos let out a short laugh and said, "No, we don't. Like I said I have no intention of dying today. The moment I lead men into battle, Roger Reyne would seek me out and I don't fancy my chances against the Red Lion."
"And he is desperate. The only chance of this little rebellion of being successful is if he can kill me."
"And last I heard the Leffords and Braxs were right at his heels. They will be here by dusk at most. All we have to do is sit comfortably and defend ourselves till they arrive. After they arrive we can easily finish this off." Ser Tytos was right, of course, the Reynes kept charging, again and again, failing every time.
It was nearing dusk when Knights bearing purple unicorn of house Brax and a golden inverted pile on sky blue, a sun left in the sky of House Lefford arrived. This was the last straw for the enemy army, they had marched hard and fast to reach here and were already tired from fighting. So most of them surrendered.
Aubrey put on his helmet and got ready knowing it was time to play his part.
"Are you sure about this. I have seen him fight, he is no slouch." Ser Tytos said with a hint of worry.
Aubrey nodded and said, "Aye, my lord. You have my word, the Red Lion won't live to see another day."
(SCENE BREAK)
Alyn Marbrand was a hard man. He had spent all his life devoted to his family and family name. Under him, the Marbrands rose from a middling house to one of the most powerful houses in the Westerlands. Funnily enough, all this was due to the Reynes.
He had been five and ten when his father had hosted Robert Reyne at Ashemark. His father had offered his elder sister to the man but the Lord of Castamare had not only rejected his sister but also insulted his house, at their own ancestral seat no less. His uncle Denys had nearly challenged the man to combat. It was this insult which made him want to increase House Marbrand's reputation.
With the help of his uncle who had travelled throughout the Seven Kingdoms, competing in tourneys and gaining coin, Alyn worked hard to get his house where it is today.
To be truthful he would have supported Tytos Lannister even if the man wasn't married to his daughter just to get back at Reynes. He remembers his anger when his daughter was forced to marry Lannister man. His daughter deserved better than a third son.
But the lad had proven him wrong. And Alyn was never so happy about being wrong. The lad had not only killed Bittersteel, a living legend, but now his grandchildren would rule the whole of the Westerlands after this whole Reyne mess.
At first, he had thought about giving the main Reyne force a chase. While the younger Reyne brother might try to attack his lands, he could easily leave a few men behind to defend. But he had given up on that idea because he knew by the time he would have caught up with Red Lion, the battle might well be over.
So he turned his eyes towards the Westerling's ancestral seat.
The Crag might once have been a prestigious castle but it was more ruins now. To think his beloved daughter might have been a lady of this ruin.
Reynard Reyne only had 500 men to hold the castle. With the combined strength of the Marbrands, Baneforts, Plumms, Brooms and Stackspears, retaking the Castle had been child's play. Now he stood in front of the younger brother of the Lord of Castamare who was on his knees and wrapped in chains.
"You will regret this, Marbrand" Reynard snarled at him.
Alyn just laughed and declared, "I don't think I will."
"My brother will kill Tytos Lannister." The man continued.
"We will see about that," Alyn replied hoping the man would shut up, as he was getting tired of the idiotic ranting.
"And maybe afterwards we will pass your daughter around our army after me and-" Before he could finish his head fell from his shoulders.
Alyn sheathed his bloody sword and said, "It is a pity that Reynard Reyne died during the taking of the Castle." He looked around the room challenging someone to say he was wrong.
His Good brother and Lord of the Banefort sighed beside him and said, "A pity indeed. He would have made a good hostage."
Afterwards, he was walking with his good brother.
"So what now? Do we head Lannisport or towards your good son?"
"Tytos can handle himself and I don't think we are needed at Lannisport."
While he did not like Gerold Lannister much and would be more than happy if the man died even he could not deny the man was a good lord. He had ruled the West wisely for so many years. Most of the houses would side with Lord of Casterly Rock,especially against the Reynes.
"No, we head somewhere else." Alyn grinned savagely ."We head for Castamare."
As much as I wanted a big showdown at the end of the day Reynes have very few supporters. I tried to do my best hopefully you all like it.
Next chapter, we will know what is going on Lannisport.
Also I need a beta, if anyone is free and can volunteer? I would be grateful.