Fifth Month of 231 A.L. Last River

Lord Harmond Umber

The north was in a shambles that was what three years of fighting and winter did to a land and its people. Harmond knew from seeing with his own eyes that the people of the north were growing weary of war and the deaths and destruction that it caused. Hells Harmond, the Drunken Giant himself was growing weary of war and yet he was determined to remain loyal to King Donnor to his last breath, the man was their king and he would make a fine king. The thought of taking orders from Brandon Stark the black dragon's puppet made him choke inside and the thought of doing anything with that man, who had had his son Jon killed angered him more than he could say. No he would deal with the treacherous Hornwoods and Karstarks and then he would return to his king's side and they would deal with Brandon Stark once and for all.

Of course now with Jon dead, Harmond's third son Hoarfrost was now his heir, what with his elder brother Beron on the wall. The lad was tall and thickly built like most men from their house, but unlike Jon he had a greater cunning to him than most Umbers had, a similar cunning that King Donnor had, and as such Harmond wondered if perhaps his son might have had something to do with Jon's death but he often pushed such thoughts aside. The other lords who joined him during this war council were Lord Brandon Mormont a fierce and proud man, Artos Burley and Lord Dickon Ashwood. Harmond spoke then his voice harsh and to the point. "We all know why we are here. Lords Devon Hornwood and Hothar Karstark have forgotten their allegiances to the one true king of the North, and have joined together to begin causing problems for the Boltons. And as much as I never thought to say this, as Bolton has sworn himself to King Donnor's cause we must go in and aid him. We shall need to discuss how their troops are positioned. Lord Dickon if you would."

Dickon Ashwood was a quiet man who said little unless asked and this was one of those times. "Aye, well we know from the scouts reports that Lord Hornwood has positioned his troops to the southern gates of the Dreadfort, the place where the castle has become weakest following three years of war and snow. Lord Karstark has sent men to attack the eastern and southern gates as well."

"So the man himself has not yet marched forth from Karhold?" Hoarfrost asked.

Ashwood shook his head. "No, he remains in Karhold according to what the scouts have been able to work out. It is his brother Arthor who commands the men from Karhold and they are not assaulting the Dreadfort from the north as one might expect. I do believe that there might be something a foot there though."

"Like what?" Brandon Mormont asked. "What could possibly be about to occur. This is Lords Karstark and Hornwood, not the most cunning of men. Men who until recently never thought they would be lords of their respective houses. What cunning could they have planned out that could outfox us now?"

Hoarfrost looked to Harmond then and Harmond nodded and his son spoke more confidently. "Well my lords, we all know that Hothar Karstark has more battle experience than almost any other man in the north other than Donnor Stark. And as such he will be using that experience and his knowledge of the north to plot something that could possibly benefit his house and his cause whatever that might be, to the most maximum point. Hence I say we must tread carefully and attack from the south and take on Hornwood's men and then lead Karstark's men to us."

"How do you suggest we do that then? I doubt Karstark will fall for the trap as easily as Hornwood would." Lord Ashwood says.

Burley seems to have caught on to what his son is suggesting and asks. "Lord Ashwood, when your scouts came back to report on the movements of the Hornwood troops did they leave a trail as they were instructed to do?"

Ashwood seemed very angry to have had his methods questioned and said. "Of course they did."

Hoarfrost speaks then. "Well then, that is how we bring the Karstarks to the fold and have them fall for the trap. Hornwood and his men will be marching towards as we speak and we must be ready for them and drown them in the river."

Sure enough some time later, Harmond found himself armoured and mounted and fighting men with the moose of House Hornwood on their armour. He swung his greatsword, hacking and slashing away at the men who came before him, cutting them down one at a time, sometimes two at a time. His sword grew red with blood and though he started growing weary and tired he kept on fighting, swinging his sword left and right, hacking and slashing, cutting men down as they came. He continued swinging his sword as the Hornwood men began to fade down into nothingness, his sword and armour were caked in blood and still he kept fighting.

Eventually, the Karstarks appeared their sunburst sending anger rippling down Harmond's already tired body. He roared and charged forward slashing and hacking as he went, cutting down more of their men, on and on he went, hacking and slashing, the Karstark men seemed almost to melt before him. They were almost too easy to kill something was up, but what it was he was not sure. Eventually he cottoned on and saw that he was completely separated from the rest of his men, and was surrounded by archers and spearmen, who at the command of one of the men who was mounted began firing and attacking him. Arrows pierced his armour, and four of the arrows brought down his horse. He roared and rushed at the spearmen bringing two of them down before the arrows began to weigh him down. He eventually fell down into the snow, not dead but barely alive.

When he came too he found himself looking at Hothar Karstark who grinned at him and said. "The Drunken Giant felled by the sun of Winter, how nice a change. Your part in this war is done my lord of Umber."

7th Month of 231 A.L. King's Landing

Prince Aegon Targaryen

There were times where Aegon Targaryen prince of Summerhall wondered whether his family had always been this chaotic and infuriating. When he had been growing up, Aegon had spent much of his time travelling with Dunk, a hedge knight who was now a member of the Kingsguard. Aegon, had therefore missed a lot of the drama and the internal politicking that Rhae had since filled him in on. He barely remembered his grandfather and his uncle Baelor, simply remembering them with faded mental images, as good men who were taken before their time. King Aerys was even more faded in his memory, a bookish man who failed to do his duty to the kingdom and get an heir on Aunt Aelinor who herself was lovely and everything Aegon had thought was good about their family. Valarr and Matarys were people Aegon had never known and people he had never wished to know. Daeron a drunkard and Aerion a bastard who should have been killed at childbirth, Daella, gods his thoughts were plagued with Daella, her body lying crumpled and broken, her son gone with the Blackfyre scum. It was during such times that he often took hold of Rhae and their children and held them close, as close as could be and he prayed Aemon was safe on Dragonstone. His children, Duncan who had just turned fifteen was as good a warrior as Aegon had been at seventeen and was even more the charmer, Jaehaerys was frail but incredibly smart, Rhaelle was fierce and proud, and little Aelix was smart and kind and doted upon. Aegon was very happy that his family was safe and sound and that they would hopefully not know the pain that might come once King Maekar died.

Of course there were those who wished to end the peace that Aegon had found in his life, the north was still rife with war and the Reacher lords were causing havoc. Lord Beesbury the master of coin spoke with a sense of urgency. "The Lords Peake, Appleton, Costayne and Rowan have all defaulted on paying their taxes to the Iron Throne for the past seven months Your Grace. And all letters sent to Highgarden demanding that Lord Otto Tyrell find out what the cause of this all is, have gone either unanswered or have been given very vague responses and promises to find out the root cause."

Aegon speaks then. "Is there any cause for us to believe that Lord Otto is actually working with these rebels and as such is not being as honest with us as we would like to believe?"

Lord Beesbury is silent for a moment and then says. "I do not believe so my prince. After all the man has always stood by the throne, as has his family, during the Dance and the Blackfyre rebellion they stood firmly behind the rightful claimants to the throne. I do not think that Lord Otto would forget such a thing for some of his more minor and troublesome bannermen."

Lord Osgrey the master of whispers speaks then and says. "You forget my lord, that Lord Otto is not his father nor is he is grandfather. The man is more ambitious and wants to see his blood on the throne. That his brother Ser Malcolm was present at a meeting between the lords mentioned in the letter, and given that all of these lords are Blackfyre loyalists suggests to me that perhaps there might be more to it than we all think."

"What do you mean by that my lord?" Aegon asks. "Do you think the Tyrells are colluding with the Blackfyres to put them on the throne?"

Lord Osgrey is silent a moment and then says. "I am merely suggesting that we should not rule it out. After all the Tyrell words are Growing Strong for a reason, and perhaps Lord Otto believes that they have grown as far as they can under the Targaryens, and wish to see a new royal family installed on the throne so that they can develop their ambitions further."

Aegon looked at his father then, but King Maekar was still very, very silent. And so he turned to his cousin Daeron Velaryon and asked him. "What word does the ship captains bring of what is happening in the Reach my lord? What news has Lord Redwyne given you?"

Lord Daeron was silent for a moment before he said. "Lord Redwyne tells me that his cousin has been very cryptic with him as well as to what he intends to do about all the fuss being created by Lord Peake and Lord Costayne. Trade between Starpike and the Arbor has been encouraged though, as has trade between the Arbor and Tyrosh where we all know who resides. It seems that the man's claws are in this plot and perhaps a more refined rebellion could be coming."

Maekar speaks then and Aegon is so relieved to hear his father's voice he nearly sighs. "Then it is a case of Bittersteel trying to get more of a foothold in Westeros than what he had had last time he invaded." His father's jaw clenches and Aegon knows he is thinking of Daella, lying there crumpled and bloody... "If Tyrell truly is working with these men then Bittersteel will have a much bigger support base than he did last time. The fact that Rowan is also a part of this group suggests to me that something is going on. Whatever it is, it has gone on for long enough."

"What do you suggest we do then Your Grace?" Lord Osgrey asked.

"Lord Peake is the main man behind this whole resistance correct?" Osgrey nods. "Then we call our men together and we prepare to march on Starpike and we show House Peake the sort of justice that they should have been shown a long, long time ago. Peake wants a fight and he shall get it. The Iron Throne will end him and his, as we should have done when they rebelled the first time." The king said his tone like iron.