Eighth Month of 230 A.L. Outskirts of Torrhen's Square

Lord Rodwell Wull

The civil war within the north had been raging for some two years now, one Stark brother was dead and one had fled south. The two that remained were locked in combat with one another and both were refusing to give up. Whilst Rodwell viewed the war that had erupted as a tragedy for the north, it was also a tragic necessity to ensure a strong and independent northern kingdom, that was free from the bickering of the south and the wars of the south. His believe had remained through all the carnage he had seen, he supposed simply due to the fact that his belief in Donnor Stark had never wavered. Rodwell viewed Donnor as his brother in all but blood, and saw him as a good and just man and the best hope the north had at surviving independently of the Iron Throne. And that despite Donnor not being all that well liked, he was a good and capable ruler, whose extreme actions were only done in very extreme circumstances.

Though the war had taken Rodwell away from his home inside Wull Hill, his two sons Eddard and Donnor had come with him on the campaign and had grown from boys into men. Eddard his eldest son and heir, was a strong lad, a good fighter with an axe or hammer, he would be a good chieftain when his time came. Donnor, his second son was decent with a sword, but was much better in planning a battle, much like his namesake, and as such was able to inspire loyalty with their men. All in all Rodwell was proud of his two sons and he knew that they would make fine lords and men when their time came, he simply hoped that he could be around to hold his own grandchildren in his arms, as his father had not been able to do.

Of course before such a thing could be considered there was the issue of Torrhen's Square to be considered. After the battle of the Wolfswood, Roose Tallhart had retreated into his castle and had sealed the gates shut, he had also taken whatever supplies of food and other such necessities inside with him before completely closing his gates. Helman Glover had been laying siege to the square for the better part of a year now and to little luck. It was why Rodwell was here, to end the siege and make Roose see sense. Of course before that could be done he needed to get an exact understanding of the situation hence why he had called a war council. Helman Glover was the first one to speak. "My lord, I am telling you peaceful negotiations with Roose Tallhart shall not work. The man is too bloody stupid to realise when he is beat, and as such the only way we can get him to surrender his to threaten what little of his family is left."

Rodwell looked at the man and asked. "And which members of Roose's family do we have then Helman? As far as I can recall, his two sons died during the battle of the Wolfswood, his daughter is safely tucked away in Oldcastle and his wife is dead. There is just him left is there not?"

Helman is silent at that and Rodwell worries that this siege will not end soon, that is until Eddard Fowl speaks up. "There is the bastard my lords." At a look from Rodwell, the man elaborates. "Roose's brother Benjen had a bastard by one of his cousin's when he was a lad, Roose kept it a secret from almost everyone, but the bastard has grown up relatively happy and safe in Torrhen's Square until recently where she left the castle and was caught by our men. I am sure if we were to threaten her life Roose would surrender."

Rodwell was silent for a moment before he asked. "And how sure are you that Roose would give up his freedom for a girl whom is not even directly blood related to him?"

"Very my lord." Fowl said. "Roose and Benjen Tallhart were very close growing up, and when Benjen died during the last Blackfyre rebellion Roose was very torn up. He swore to protect his brother's bastard daughter with his life if it came down to it. And so I say that is our ticket to ending this damnable siege and giving Lord Donnor one more foot on the north."

Rodwell is silent a moment as he thinks about it and then sighing he says. "Very well bring the girl. We shall ride for the gates of the square and demand to speak to Roose, and see what the man has to say himself."

That done, later that afternoon they ride through the snow and the dirt to the gates of Torrhen's Square where the banners of both House Tallhart and the Black Wolf of Brandon Stark fly high. "Roose Tallhart!" Rodwell bellows. "We have your niece Roose. Come out and surrender and offer fealty to Donnor Stark Lord of Winterfell and King in the North and your niece shall be spared. Do this or she shall die."

There was silence for a long moment and then the gates of the square opened and Roose Tallhart and a man Rodwell recognised as Lonnel Cassel rode out. Roose looked at his niece and then turned to look at Rodwell. "I had thought you a man of greater honour than this Wull. I had thought you would at least engage in battle. But not, you are just as despicable as your lord. Using a girl to threaten me, a girl who has done nothing wrong. Tell me why should I believe you that you will spare her should I surrender. Your Lord and King is nothing but a tyrant."

Rodwell is silent for a moment and then drawing his dagger, pulls the girl towards him and presses the blade to her throat. "Surrender my lord, otherwise the girl will die right now. And your castle will be set a fire. It is not what I wish to do, nor is it what the King wishes to happen. But if you refuse to see that Brandon Stark is done, then you shall perish with him."

Tallhart's eyes go wide, and he looks hopelessly at his bastard niece before saying resignedly. "Very well, I surrender." He gets of his horse and gets to one knee before Rodwell. "If you let my niece go, I shall pledge whatever oaths you would have of me, and give you whatever men you want from me. Just let my niece go."

Rodwell dismounts as well and helps the man to his feet once more and says. "That is all King Donnor asks of you."

10th Month of 230 A.L. Moat Cailin

Ser Rodrik Stout

The war in the north was still going strong, Brandon and Donnor Stark were waging battles with their men as the pawns and them as the players. Brandon had gone and smashed the Valemen who had landed at White Harbour, killing Rodrik Arryn, and his own nephew and namesake Brandon Stark. Jonos Royce and Benjen Stark had retreated with the battered remains of the Vale host to the Sisters and were plotting more invasions no doubt. Whilst his friend had been in White Harbour, Rodrik had been given command of the garrison at Moat Cailin and had had to deal with the Riverlander force that had come marching up the causeway. Without the cranongmen there to aid them, Rodrik had been forced to rely on the swamps and natural terrain of the neck to cause hindrances to the Riverlanders. As such their force had been much less intimidating than what it had originally been numbered to be, and when they came smashing into the walls of the Moat, Rodrik had simply had to let his archers and the walls of the Moat do most of the hard work. Of course when it looked like the Riverlands would break, he had ridden out and cut down many of their most powerful lords in a mad dash, Lord Brynden Tully was dead as was Lord Ronald Blackwood and Lord Desmond Piper. The rest had retreated and were not likely to be plotting another invasion anytime soon.

With the riverlander forces done, Rodrik had had time to think about the war and his own association with the Golden Company. He believed the war a tragedy but the only way for the north to truly benefit from any sort of dealings with the south was to have Brandon as Lord of Winterfell and sitting on the winter throne, so that when the Blackfyres finally did sit the Iron Throne, they could get the best of the situation. As for the Golden Company he viewed the mercenary company as family, real band of brothers that had each other's backs through thick and thin, a feeling that had been reinforced by the fact that it had been Aegor Rivers who had aided him during his early days in Essos, and as such Rodrik did feel a certain sense of loyalty towards the man.

Of course his true loyalty was to Brandon, the man who was sitting next to him in the smoky hall of the Children's tower, looking forlorn. Various other lords were present as well, Lord Dustin, Lord Manderly, Lord Locke, both Lord Flints and finally Rodrik's own father Cregan Stout. "Tell the lords what you told me some time ago Beric." His father said to the boy standing before them.

Beric nodded and said. "Lord Ryswell's host was smashed at Castle Cerwyn my lords. Donnor Stark himself was there and saw to Lord Ryswell himself. His men were broken and slaughtered and Cerwyn Castle remains in the hands of Donnor Stark and his men."

"How did you manage to escape then Beric? If Lord Ryswell's host was completely destroyed?" Lord Dustin asked.

The boy looked sheepish then and said simply. "I was with the rearguard my lords. I managed to get away with some of the other men before the true carnage began. And I was told to come back here and report of the defeat to you."

"Who by?" Was what Lord Locke asked.

"By Lord Cerwyn himself my lord. He came and found me before the rout truly began and told me to head south back here." Beric said.

Rodrik looked at his friend and saw that he was deep in thought, but he did not seem to be truly there with them, and so Rodrik nodded at the boy and said. "Thank you Beric, you may go now." The boy bowed and left. Once he was gone Rodrik turned to the assembled lords and said. "And so Donnor Stark now has won victories at the White Knife, Cerwyn and he has taken Torrhen's Square without having to shed blood. The man's hold on the north is growing stronger, and our own numbers are shirking."

Lord Dustin spoke then. "Bolton and Karstark used unhonourable methods to win at White Knife, using the sun and fake ploys that any decent man would fall for to win is not how we should be. If those are the lords Donnor Stark surrounds himself with he shall not last long."

"And yet he holds most of the north now. We might hold the richer parts of the north, but he holds the parts with the most men to offer and the hardest earned loyalty. It will take time before we can finally wean him away from Winterfell. For the man is too cautious by half." Rodrik countered

Brandon spoke then his voice soft. "There is only one way to beat Donnor and that is to play the game that he is currently playing. We wait, and sooner or later one of his lords will get impatient and they will make a rash move and that is when we shall pounce."

"But who would do that? After all we all know what Donnor is like my lord, and the man terrifies most of his allies, and they will not wish to disturb the momentum he has gotten going with their own rashness surely." Rodrik's father said.

Brandon is silent for a moment before he says simply. "Harmond Umber would not fight against Donnor's orders, but Glover and Norrey might and they are the ones that will need working on. Karstark and Bolton too have their own ambitions and it is time we played on them."

"How though? They are the ones pushing for northern independence, and they are not likely to get that with you my lord." Lord Dustin said.

Brandon merely smiled and said softly. "We wait, and their alliance shall crumble. And then, then we move out and we crush Donnor like the bug he is."