Lord Tywin Lannister

He could feel the aches and creaks in his bones; he was getting too old for this. Suiting up in armour and dealing with the din of battle, he was no longer a young man, really he should have left Jaime to do the leading of the men, but the king had asked him to call the banners and he would lead his men one final time before he hung up his sword and retired. He looked forward to that day, his sons had grown into adults, men to be proud of Jaime was everything and more that Tywin had expected of his son from the moment he had held him in his arms all those years ago, a fierce warrior and brilliant commander, a good lord in his own right. Tyrion, though short, was smart, if not smarter than a maester and though he had a like for drink that was not exactly to Tywin's taste he was shrewd and cunning and would make Jaime a fine right hand just as Kevan had done for Tywin for all these years.

His daughter, he knew little of since her wedding day he had not seen her nor heard from her. It seemed as if Cersei was trying to cut him out of her life, though for what he was not entirely sure. It certainly seemed as if she loved her husband and her children, and Tywin did deeply hope that she had become saner since being away from Casterly Rock and that she was not still so resentful of what had happened all those years ago. He knew Joanna kept in contact with Cersei and from the things she had told him, it seemed as if his daughter was enjoying the Vale and her husband, and that her children Joffrey, Artys and Myrcella were all very smart and bright children. Though whether they would measure up to Tygett and Lucion and Jaime's daughters was another matter entirely.

Tywin's eldest grandson Tygett reminded him a lot of Jaime when he had been a child, and more so of Gerion, the mischievous side to him was still present even now that he was a man grown and was wedded and with a child on the way himself. Still he also shared Jaime's skill of becoming very serious where battle was concerned and shared Jaime's skill for weapons and perhaps he might even have a shrewder mind than his father as well when it came to politics, Tywin certainly hoped so. Lucion, Jaime's other son was nothing of note, not book smart and not sword smart he seemed the typical second son able to follow orders and not much else. The girls Joanna and Cerenna were perfect ladies, and Tywin still felt some frustration at the fact that once more a Dayne had taken the spot of queen next to the prince of Dragonstone. He had tried to persuade the king to look at others besides Allyria Dayne but Aemon would not budge on the matter, when he set his mind to something he rarely let it go.

Still there were other sons and other lords and heirs to consider and plenty of time as well, this threat was only going to be a passing one Tywin knew, no one would take the Brightflames seriously now. They had fought a sea battle against the royal fleet that had proven to be a distraction to allow the main body of the invading army to land at different points. The Stormlords had fought a fierce battle against the Unsullied regiment of the army at Cape Wrath with the Stormlords led by Lord Stannis Baratheon managing to defeat the Unsullied just about through some method or the other. Another contingent of men from Tyrosh, Myr and Lys had landed in the Reach and had swept up the rose kingdom before fighting those forces that had not already been spent on the mander where Lord Garth Hightower had won Highgarden during the War of the Dragons. The impenetrable rock that was Greysteel once again won out against the foe, and smashed the force of men which were supposedly commanded by Maegor Brightflame's uncle Aegor, the man himself was slain his head sent to King's Landing.

Tywin had learnt about all of this whilst riding for the Rock, he was at the Golden Tooth when a rider arrived from Riverrun asking for help. Maegor Brightflame had landed the largest portion of his host in Maidenpool and after putting that town to the sword had marched through the Riverlands burning and pillaging as he went along. Some called that brutal and unnecessary, Tywin thought it clever the man was damaging the reputation of his men but was also filling his coffers at the same time. Regardless of that though, with Hoster Tully ailing, it was left to his inexperienced son Edmure to lead the men of the Riverlands, and at the battle of the Red Fork the forces met and the Riverlords were crushed, their host smashed and scattered Tully taken prisoner. Lord Blackwood had led those that had not fled back to Riverrun and had barred the gates. Maegor Brightflame had sent his best generals to Riverrun to lay siege to the place and take it if possible.

Tywin had called his banners and had fought a battle with a force sent by Maegor Brightflame meant to distract him from aiding Riverrun in the passageways underneath the Golden Tooth. The battle had been fierce and tense, many men had lost their life that day, but the battle had eventually been won. A pincer movement led by Jaime and Tygett the elder had crushed the Brightflame host underneath the mount of the Lion and so Riverrun was there for the freeing, or at least that was what they had thought then and there.

It seemed the commander of the siege had decided to revert course and march for their host and their position, Tywin had called for more men and as such was waiting for them to arrive, waiting in the pass on top of the Tooth, waiting and waiting whilst Winter began to settle in and his men grew weary. This might very well be the undoing of the Brightflame cause for good. This was why he had called a meeting of his bannermen to discuss their next move. The lords present were all seasoned warriors, veterans of many a battle. Lord Loren Reyne, Lord Lefford, Lord Damon Marbrand, Lord Crakehall, Lord Brax, Lord Sarsfield, Tygett the elder and Gerion and Jaime. All were good men and warriors and he would hear their views before he made a decision that could possibly influence the whole war.

Lord Lefford spoke first, his voice quavering with age. "Our scouts report that the army is but a day away my lords. Growing smaller and smaller with every passing day as they are picked off by angry peasants and stray riverlords."

"Do the scouts say if any of the lesser riverlords have joined them?" Jaime asked.

"Yes my lord. Lords Charlton, Roote and Terrick, have all aligned their banners and their men to the Brightflame cause and are marching with the man commanding the host." Lefford replied.

"All lesser lordlings the three of them. Together they could probably only muster around 500 men, what good will they do in the face of a 12,000 strong host?" Lord Crakehall asked his voice booming.

"Lambs to the slaughter." Lord Reyne replied. "Whoever commands their host will offer these men up as offerings for us to take and bend our men to. And then he will hit us from the sides as we gorge on them. We'll turn blind if we go after them."

"Do we know who is actually leading this godsforsaken host of men or not? Is it a Brightflame is it the red woman or is it some savage from across the narrow sea?" Tygett said impatiently.

"The scouts did not get a clear look at the face of the commander my lord. They only had time to see the banners before they rode back hard for our camp." Lord Lefford stammered.

Tygett scowled then but before he could say anything harsh Tywin spoke. "It matters not who leads their host. It will not be Maegor Brightflame himself, the king marches to face the pretender on the Trident. Our duty is to see this force dealt with and crushed, so that we can attack Maegor's host in the rear."

Silence and then Lord Marbrand asked. "What would you have us do my lord?"

Tywin was silent for a moment and the he spoke. "We shall assemble underneath the Lion's mouth and from there break up into four different factions. Lord Loren shall command the Van, Jaime shall command the right, Lord Crakehall the left, the centre shall be commanded by Ser Gregor and I shall lead the reserve. Lord Crakehall and Lord Loren shall march forth first from the mouth and give chase to the approaching army, fight them and scatter their men, Jaime you shall wheel in and attack from the side. The centre and the reserve will then come in and smash from the middle."

Later that day the host assembles and they ride for the Lion's Mouth, a deep cavernous rock face with good cover, from the distance Tywin can spy the enemy host riding towards the pass. Their banners a flaming dragon enclosed in a red heart flapping in the wind, no red woman insight, perhaps she is with the pretender and if so then Tywin sincerely hopes and prays she is killed soon enough. When the enemy host is close towards the passageway Tywin nods and the signal is given, and soon enough the van and the left ride out for the first movement of the battle. Then Jaime rides out with his men and Tywin feels the nerves begin to flutter in his stomach.

The battle rages down below the mouth, and Tywin sits stock still willing his heart to settle down, and then when he hears the sounding of the drums, and the rains beginning to call, he spurs his horse on and leads the charge of the reserve, time for war. On he rides, his horse galloping through mud, rain and blood, and when the first foe comes towards him he hacks at them and cuts them down, riding on and repeating the process over and over and over again. His sword is stained red before too long, and still he rides on hacking and slashing, hacking and slashing.

On it goes, hacking and slashing, men fall to their deaths like they are nothing more than body bags, sacks of meat, which they truly are when you stop to think about it. Still on he fights, his joints might be aching, and his body might be tiring quicker than it did seventeen years ago, but still he fights. Slashing, cutting and ducking, he takes a blow to the chest, and the offender is cut down with brutal simplicity. Around him the sounds of men fighting and dying are echoing around underneath the pass, the rock providing the echo. On they fight.

The battle rages on, Tywin keeps an eye out for Jaime but does not see him, he does not have too much time to think on that fact as the tide of battle brings him face to face with more men and the fighting continues. His sword, his armour and his mind are stained red with blood when he realises that no more men are coming towards him, no more men are fighting, no clashing of steel, nothing. Emptiness, the battle is won. Riverrun is free, and the Brightflames have one less force out on the field. "To the Trident." Tywin says once the men are done celebrating. The new year is celebrated in style.