Chapter 6. War in the north

Victor Brace was six feet five inches tall a muscular man with black hair, tan skin, and a clean shaven face. His father was a northmen his mother a woman of the summer islands. He met Justin at the age of sixteen, Justin was seventeen and the two had been friends ever since. Both men had saved each other's lives on countless occasions and they were brothers in all things but blood.

From White Harbor Victor marched his forces against Moat Cailin. They spied on the fortress for two days before making a bold midnight attack climbing the wall with ropes. Once Victor's men controlled the wall they were able to fight their way down into the courtyard and open the gates for the rest of his army, which is made up of 8,000 Karstarks and 12,000 sworn swords. By noon the next day Moat Cailin is flying the sigil of House stark.

"My name is Victor Brace!" He yells to the Iron Born captives on their knees, "I am an ally of the Starks by Justin Stark!" He points to a man, "You tell me how many Iron Born hold the Flint's Finger?"

"Fuck off…"

Victor raises his eyebrows, "Okay…Drop his pants and remove his cock!"

"No wait!" The man screams as two easterners wrestle him to the floor and remove his pants. As they place the blade to his private he begs.

Victor raises his hand, "I thought you wanted me to fuck off?"

"Um…3…no 4,000 Iron Born…"

"You're not lying to me are you?"

"No milord!"

"Alright…Next question…How many men hold stony shore?"

He keeps his eyes on the blade at his private, "10,000 under the command of Baelor Blacktyde…"

"Deepwood Moat?" He starts to eat an apple.

"Yara Greyjoy…Heir to the Iron Isles…She commands a force of 15,000 at Deepwood Moat…"

"What about Bear Island?"

"Lord Harlaw is charged with taking the Island…we lost 4,000 Iron Born trying to take the Island…At last report Lord Balon was sending reinforcements of 8,000…"

Victor stands up, "Take them all to the dungeons…I'll decide what to do with them later…" He meets with his commanders.

"That is not the way we do things in the North…" Sir Harke Bale of Karhold said.

"Its how I do things…" He replied looking at the man, "We should march on Deepwood Moat try to capture Yara Greyjoy…Then those shits will have to leave the North…"

Rou shook his head, "I don't know…" He slid his finger across the map, 'We'd have to cross all this territory to reach the castle…Maybe Blacktyde has scouts as far as the mountain watching Torrhen's Square…It's a huge risk…They will definitely have scouts watching the major roads…"

"The two largest forces are at Stony Shore and Deepwood…"

"Why not send 5,000 men to Flint's Finger…" He places a wolf head marker by the cracken marker on Flint's Finger, "…and the rest to Deepwood…That way we trap these men here on Stony Shore…and we can use their own ships against them…"

Victor nods in agreement, "Alright…Sir Harke will lead the assault against Flint's Finger…Give us four days before you march and then hit them…I will send a raven when we have taken Deepwood…" When the plan is agreed upon Victor immediately leaves for Deepwood Moat. When they arrive in the wolf's wood scouts are sent out in bands of fifty to kill enemy scouts. Two thousand of Victor's men are wearing Iron Born armor and march toward the castle. When they are allowed inside Victor shoots down a man and runs for the gate killing three men. A bloody battle breaks out as he tries to keep the gates open.

Victor and twenty of his men manage to jam the counter weights of the gates and the rest of the army enters Deepwood. Victor and fifty of his men cut a bloody path into the main hold. He spots Yara from the descriptions given to him and shoots an arrow in her leg. They capture her just as several men drag the Glover family by knife into the main hold.

"Let them go…"

"No you let them go…You have more to lose…" The man says holding Sybelle Glover.

"Rou!" Rou and several others are aiming their bows at the men holding the captives.

"We got them…"

"Kill'em!" They shoot and all Yara's men die, but they lose Gawen Glover the heir of House Glover. Sybelle runs to her dead son and weeps over his body. Victor closes his eyes in regret that he could save the boy. By high noon the next day the castle has been freed from the Iron Born.

"A few escaped and the bastards managed to get several ravens off before we killed them…" Rou said reporting.

"Shit! Send a raven to Sir Harke tell him to return to Moat Cailin…And bring that bitch Yara to me…"

As they carried out his orders Sybelle Glover entered the hall, "I want them all dead…All the Iron Born and that bitch Yara Greyjoy!"

He sighs, "Milady I regret not being able to rescue your son…I will satisfy you I will order the deaths of the prisoners, but Yara Greyjoy is too valuable…I have sent word to her father to withdraw all his forces or lose her…"

She sneers, "That will be acceptable…"

"Ah Yara Greyjoy…" He shoves her into a chair, "I am sending your father a letter I just need a lock of hair…"

"Fuck you…"

Castle Pyke

To the Lord of the Iron Isles

My name is Victor Brace…I am a warlord and friend of Justin Stark…We fight for his house…House Stark…I have your daughter…Yara Greyjoy…You have three days to recall all Iron Born from the North…Or I start sending you boy parts…Her fingers will follow her lock of hair…Then her forearm, and then upper arms…Then her feet…and so on…You have lost again do not test me…

Sincerely Victor Brace

After reading the leader Balon Greyjoy overturned the table in his main hall. "My lord we will get her back…" Lord Harlaw said as he was raising more forces for another assault on Bear Island.

"No! Send the ravens to all Iron Born…Tell them to return to the Iron Isles…Immediately…"