Fifth Month of 281 A.L.: Trident
Ser Gerold Hightower
Ser Gerold Hightower, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard had seen plenty of battles in his time, he had earned his spurs during the fifth Blackfyre rebellion some thirty years ago and had fought against Maelys Blackfyre at the Stepstones, he had fought against the remenants of the band of nine and he had fought outlaws a plenty. He had never thought that he would live long enough to see yet another civil war engulf Westeros, and yet it had and he felt remorse for that fact everyday he lived. He should have done more to stop Aerys and his madness but he had not, he had allowed his vows to get in the way of one another and now Westeros was paying the price for that. Aerys was a mad man and needed to be stopped, his son though was little better, an usurper and a fool as well who had decided to rely on the sweet words of Tywin Lannister and Rickard Stark and their men to claim his throne when a council would have done the same job. The boy was too foolish to even realise that when the ascended the throne he would be beholden to the whims of the lords who had put him there, the Targaryens would weaken.
A war council had been called, they were situated on the southern bank of the trident with their forces spread out, loyalists from the riverlands, the Vale and the Stormlands were gathered and Gerold looked at them all and saw a beaten and broken host. Still he needed to do his duty and so he would. His voice deep he spoke. "We all know what the situation is. Riverrun has fallen to the Ironborn, the Ironborn control most of the riverlands now, but they are arguing with the westermen over what is and what is not theirs. Prince Rhaegar sits on the northern bank of the trident with some 20,000 Reachmen and some 10,000 Westermen. The north has entered a peace with the Vale and is marching home. We have 20,000 crownlanders here as well as what is left of those who are loyal to the King. We have experience in battle and fighting, Rhaegar has numbers."
"And you suggest we go and march to our deaths with smiles on our faces knowing we did our duty to a mad king?" Lord Eldon Estermont said. "Pah I would rather rot and burn than do that. I want to live and I want to taste the sweet summer wine, I want nothing to do with Targaryens and their latent folly."
Gerold let the man speak and then he said quite calmly. "You are welcome to leave Lord Estermont, and once this war is done and dusted I shall come for you and put you and yours to the sword for disobeying your king. Your nephew fought honourably and bravely for King Aerys, would you dishonour his sacrifice by retreating back to Greenstone like some whipped cur?"
Estermont grumbled something then and was silent. Lord Celtigar spoke then. "How do we know we shall emerge victorious, our numbers took a big hit during the skirmishes towards the Trident, and the northmen might still turn around and hit us in the rear. We must prepare and we must act now, rather then waste time discussing manoeuvres."
Ser Gerold smiled at that and said. "Well then let us get to action then." And so it was that Gerold found himself saddled and ready, his white armour glistening in the sunlight as he prepared for battle. Once the horns were blow, he rode forward and began the charge. Crossing over the river they met a stream of arrows and swords and spears, men died instantly, Gerold pushed on using his strength to cut through the throng, hacking and slashing his way through cutting and ducking and dodging, hacking and hacking and hacking and slashing his way through cutting and ducking and dodging, hacking and hacking and hacking and slashing his way through cutting and ducking and dodging, hacking and hacking and hacking and slashing his way through cutting and ducking and dodging, hacking and hacking and hacking and slashing his way through cutting and ducking and dodging, hacking and hacking and hacking and slashing his way through cutting and ducking and dodging, hacking and hacking and hacking and slashing his way through cutting and ducking and dodging, hacking and hacking and hacking and slashing his way through cutting and ducking and dodging, hacking and hacking and hacking and slashing his way through cutting and ducking and dodging, hacking and hacking and hacking and slashing his way through cutting and ducking and dodging, hacking and hacking and hacking and slashing his way through cutting and ducking and dodging, hacking and hacking and hacking and slashing his way through cutting and ducking and dodging, hacking and hacking and hacking and slashing his way through cutting and ducking and dodging, hacking and hacking and hacking and slashing his way through cutting and ducking and dodging, hacking and hacking and hacking and slashing his way through cutting and ducking and dodging, hacking and hacking and hacking and slashing his way through cutting and ducking and dodging, hacking and hacking and hacking and slashing his way through cutting and ducking and dodging, hacking and hacking and hacking and slashing his way through cutting and ducking and dodging, hacking and hacking and hacking and slashing his way through cutting and ducking and dodging, hacking and hacking and ducking and dodging. It became a mantra to him and he pushed on.
He took a fair few blows and noticed his fellow sworn brother Ser Jonothor lying face down in the river blood pooling around him. He pushed on swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking swinging and hacking and then he felt cold steel push through his ribs and he saw red and then he was dead.