Chapter 15. War Games

Ashemark

Robb is in the main hall feasting with his loyal banners, the banners of Riverrun, and the Lords of the Vale. Talisa is at his side as usual, Sansa sits with her husband and Catelyn is there as well. A few days ago they received word that Osha and Rickon had arrived at Deepwood Moat. He is under the care of Lady Glover. The next day they gather around the map to plan strategy.

"Scouts report that Tywin has left the capital heading for Cornfield…" Umber says. "The Martells and the Tyrells are summoning their banners to join them…"

Robb takes a sun marker, a flower marker and a lion and place them over Cornfeild. "It will probably take them several days to reach the castle…"

Justin is studying the map and takes a wolf marker and places it on the mountain passes near Clegane's Keep. "We send our Calvary here…allow them to march their armies to here…" He places a lion's marker just north of Casterly Rock, "Then we attack them head on while they are on the march…Our Calvary can flank their rear…"

Robb sighs and looks at his Uncle the Blackfish, "We need scouts to cover the mountains and hunt down Lannister Scouts if we are to move our Calvary…"

"What if they divide their forces?" Sandor asks.

Justin looks at Sandor, "He has a point…" He points to the lion markers on Silverhill and Deep Den. "They still control a lot of territory…And if I were the lord of Dorne I would insist that someone else lead the campaign…Tywin has lost three major battles against you already…"

Robb nods in agreement, "I will lead our forces up the main road to Casterly Rock…Justin can lead the Calvary towards Hornvale and feint towards Deep Den…Your real target is to flank the Lannisters or find their other forces…" With an agreed upon strategy Robb's forces march out of Ashemark that day.

Cornfeild

Banners of House Martell and Tyrell converge on Cornfeild to aid their allies. Prince Oberyn has been chosen to lead the allied forces. Tywin and Loras serve as advisors to Prince Oberyn. They all stand around a table in the command tent. The Lannister army with the Tyrells and Martells number 120,000 strong. Oberyn takes a Sun Spear marker and places it by the mountains near Deep Den.

"Sir Loras can lead half our forces up through these passes and retake Ashemark…"

"Dividing our forces is fool hearty!" Gregor Clegane says, "We should meet them head on…"

Oberyn sighs, "When I want the advice of a rapist and child murderer I will ask for it…"

Gregor roars and overturns the map table then he draws his sword and rushes Oberyn. Oberyn ducks drawing a short sword and slashes Gregor on the hip. That is when men for House Martell draw their swords. Gregor's men draw their blades as well.

"ENOUGH!" Tywin screams, "We are allies…"

Loras shakes his head as the men slowly put away their swords. "Go!" Tywin says looking at Gregor, "I said go!" Gregor sneers at Oberyn and walks toward the exit but he stumbles grabbing the spot where Oberyn cut him.

"Call the Maester he's been poisoned…"

"He won't make it…I have never seen anything like this before in my life…"

Tywin sneers, "Put him out of his misery…" He leaves the room and walks toward Prince Oberyn's suit, "Leave us!" He orders to Oberyn's servants, Ellaria is there as usual.

"Lord Tywin shouldn't you be getting ready? We march in one hour…" He says as Ellaria tightens the straps on his breastplate.

"What did you give the Mountain?"

"A concoction of my own design…He raped and killed my sister…He killed her children…Justice has been served…"

"The Mountain was a force of nature…Who instilled fear into our enemies…The Hound has betrayed us…Your vendetta may have just caust us the war…"

"The Mountain was all brawn and no brains…His own brother already burned his Keep and is now the Lord of the Twins…"

"The Lannisters always pay their debts…"

Oberyn looks at Tywin, "Don't threaten me Lord Tywin…I could take all my father's Banners and walk away…You need me I do not need you or the Crown…" Tywin couldn't say anything so he just left.

Justin's Forces

Robb had 35,000 mounted lances, so Justin took 20,000 horsemen and made his way towards Deep Den. When Night came he rode towards the Castle and threw lighted torches and bottles of oil at the castle. Then they fled into the forest. Nine days later Tywin was marching his forces towards Deep Den on his way to Ashemark with half the Wild Fire. Lewys Lydden rides out with a hundred men to speak with Lord Tywin about the raids against his family castle.

As they speak Justin is on his black horse watching the Lannister forces pass by. His scouts had successfully hunted all Lannister Scouts and replaced them. So Tywin was unaware that a massive Stark force was still in the area as Lewys believed they had returned back north towards Hornvale.

"Do we attack now?" Lord Edmure asked from his side.

"We wait until sunset…" He looks at Jyre, "Pass the word along no horns…"

When the last drags of light vanished in the distance Justin leads the charge against 60,000 troops. They smash through the middle ranks of ten lines firing arrows and throwing spears. Then divide left and right and attack again. By the third pass Tywin's forces are in disarray. "Rally to me!" Justin shouts. They gat ein lines for another attack. The catapults they brought were on fire and the men and horse with the wagons of Wild Fire had been taken.

"CHARGE!" Justin shouts brandishing both swords.

Prince Oberyn's Forces

Oberyn's scouts had spotted Robb's forces a mile away, but instead of facing them Robb's men withdrew back north towards Ashemark. He pauses his horse, "HOLD!"

"Why are we stopping?" Loras asks.

"Because the Young Wolf is leading us farther and farther away…He has archers in those mountains…" he shakes his head, "Return to Cornfeild!" He looks at his squire, "Send word to Lord Tywin that we withdraw to Cornfeild…"

Robb's Forces

"They are retreating…" The Blackfish says sitting beside Robb on Horseback.

Robb grunts, "Maybe! Tell the archers to hold for now…We camp here!" Robb was in between two mountains with the river on the other side of the smaller mountain.

The next day a scout rides into camp, "My King word from Lord Justin…Tywin's forces have been routed the enemy lost 45,000 men…Lord Justin lost 1,200 men…"

"Send word to meet us at the ruins of Lannisport…" 10 days later Justin meets up with Robb at Lannisport. "We march on Cornfeild…If they defend the castle we attack with all our forces…"

"And if not?" Justin asks.

"We burn Silverhill and Deep Den to the ground with the Wild Fire we took…"

Cornfeild

Tywin rides into camp with the remainder of his downtrodden forces. "What is happening?" He asks to Kevin his brother.

"We are to retreat to Crakehall…"

Disgusted Tywin storms across the courtyard the main hall and shoves the guard down opening the doors, "Why are we retreating?"

"You lost most of the men I sent with you…Robb Stark refused to face us in battle the more we advanced the farther he withdrew…I thought it best to keep the army we have in tack…"

"You thought…And while you withdraw the Young Wolf can sack Silverhill and Deep Den…"

"I know…That is why I sent scouts to poison the water in the wells of both castles…"

Justin marched his men towards Deep Den while Robb marched on Silverhill. The Castle was open and abandoned. "Looks like they are retreating again…" Edmure says to Justin.

"Maester Tarson!"

"Yes Milord!"

"Test the water for poison…"

As the old Maester walks off Edmure nudges his horse closer, "You think the water is poisoned?"

Justin looks at him, "They don't call him the Red Viper for nothing…" Justin sends ravens towards Silverhill to warn Robb, but it was too late. 300 men died of poison along with 30 horses.

"Who uses poisons in battle?" Richard demands.

"Desperate people…" Robb says.

"Maybe we can use this against him…" Justin says in a mischievous tone of voice.

Oberyn's scouts watch from a distance as horses run wild and men moan in pain and fall out. Then they watch as the rest of Robb's men bury the dead in mass graves. A few weeks later Oberyn leads his forces to Silverhill. And as they approach men burst up out of the massive graves and fire arrows at Oberyn's men. Oberyn himself is shot in the shoulder. Then Robb and Justin lead a massive force from out of the forest near Silverhill.

Lannister Camp

"I am sorry Lord Tywin…But my father said one battle and we have engaged the wolves twice…I am taking what is left of y men home…"

Tywin sits on his horse while Loras leads his Banners back towards the Reach and a wounded Oberyn leads his men back to Dorne. The Martells had lost 15,000 men, the Tyrells lost 21,697, and the Lannisters lost over 30,000 troops. "Now what?" Kevan asks sitting on a horse beside his brother.

Tywin looks at him, "Now we sue and give them what they want!" He coldly says and rides off, leaving Kevan to stare in disbelief