Chapter 37: The defense of the North

300 AC

Jon

It was the second day of the new year. On the horizon he could see the towers of Harrenhal high in the sky. Finally, he would rejoin the army again. The last five days had been a nightmare. Twice he had to change direction to avoid the Reach forces and their scouts.

First, he had wanted to go straight west to the army, but soon it was clear that they might be intercepted if they did so. In response, he had marched the force north to Saltpans, but even here scouts stalked his force and his outriders continually clashed with those of Lord Tarly. As a way to throw off the enemy, he had changed direction once again and marched on Castle Darry.

He had reached the castle without any more problems and had received a very generous welcome. He had let the army rest for a day, as he talked a lot with Darry's castellan. The lord was with Robb, while its heir was safely away in Riverrun. He vaguely remembered him to be some kind of friend of Bran.

Now their march would soon be over. His men would be safe. The fact no enemy had come across here in a while, could even be seen in the landscape. Fields were becoming green again and the last autumn fruits hang from the trees.

It was a beautiful morning. It was somewhat cold for Riverland standards, but in Winterfell this would still have been a beautiful summer day. His men's morale was high after their rest and the fact he had managed to convince them that they had accomplished their tasks. He had also promised them a small celebration for their victory and this went a long way.

He tugged at the feeling at the back of his head and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he saw the army camp next to Harrenhal. He smelled the fields and the animals on it and heard their sounds. He wanted to run around and look for prey, but he had to remind himself he was in Ghost. He struggled for control for a few seconds, before he looked around and saw the coast was clear. Then he left Ghost and went back to himself.

He had sent Ghost out to scout in front of them and it seemed no danger was between them and their objective. He could slip into his mind with ease now, although taking control was still difficult at times. This was even more so when he was further away.

The last part of the ride went off without a hitch, as Ghost's scouting proved invaluable. Soon he was riding through one of the monstrous gates of Harrenhal and his brother was there waiting for him.

They embraced fiercely and he reported on his mission. Robb thanked him and promised to send scouts to Maidenpool to discover if the Reach took it or not.

Afterwards he went to clean himself up, while his Winterfell men were guided towards their barracks. The Riverlanders were brought towards the army site, where they could put their tents up next to their countrymen.

(Two days later)

Robb

He had received worth from White Harbor and he expected it to be about Moat Cailin. He had gathered his most trusted commanders around him, and he looked at them before breaking the merman seal.

Dear King Robb

I have the joy to notify you that Moat Cailin has fallen. The united force took the castle from the northside, while Robett Glover engaged the ironborn from the south. Lord Reed's help proved invaluable, as he managed to bring men right under the fortress' walls at the southwestern point without being seen.

Around four hundred men were lost in the fighting. Most wounded and not dead, but they'll take weeks to recover back to fighting strength, if they do so at all. This leaves just over three thousand men for you to command at Moat Cailin.

I have other good news as well. Our fleet has finished building. Fifty-two warships are yours to command. As asked, I have assessed the strength of House Sunderland and I think we can take them on the seas. If you give me the command, I will recall my cousin and his almost five hundred men and start preparing for an attack on Sisterton.

Your loyal vassal,

Wyman Manderly,

Lord of White harbor and Warden of the White Knife

A huge weight fell of his shoulders reading that letter. Moat Cailin, the gate of the North, was theirs again. On top of that, they had their first fleet again since Brandon the Burner. He looked around the room and saw that his advisors looked pleased as well.

"Moat Cailin is finally ours. The ironborn are thrown back in the sea where they belong. This is very good news." Lord Karstark summarized the first part of the news.

"Aye, although I'm more interested in the news of the fleet. We all knew the Moat was going to fall sooner rather than later. The fact that the fleet is ready now, just after the Vale asked for help, means something." Jon responded.

"Why? We can sink the Sunderlands naval strength but the Manderlys won't have enough troops to attack Sisterton. Even if they do, that means we need to peel of some of the strength we can send down." Lord Rickard asked.

"Aye, it does. However, I think it is necessary that we help the Vale. Especially now that Lady Lysa and Littlefinger have aligned themselves with the Lannisters." Jon explained.

His father-in-law wouldn't give in so easily. "Before the coming of the ironborn we had five thousand extra men we could send down. The fact we now opened Moat Cailin means we can finally send these reinforcements down, albeit with some losses. At last we can send over four thousand Northmen, hardened by battles against the ironborn, south. Together with Robett's men, this will will prove a real boon against the Reachmen. That's six thousand veterans joining our force. That could easily decide the coming battles for us."

"Yes, it could, but it could also be our downfall." Ser Brynden joined in.

"How so?" Lord Rickard asked.

"Well, we could end up with a few thousand Vale knights in the back if we don't do something. Let's say we manage to win a battle against the Reach, without it being decisive enough to win the war. We slowly start turning the war and then we confront the Lannisters in battle only to get jumped by eight thousand Vale riders in the back. Another possibility is that we win the war, capture King's Landing and then get invaded by the Vale. This would mean we had to fight another conflict with all our forces exhausted. They could even cut us off from our supply lines in Riverrun and the North if we are at the capital."

Alys' father grunted at that, but he could see in his facial expressions that even he was convinced they had to do something.

"We also have another possible problem, my lords. We have beaten back the ironborn and made them bleed for their invasion. However, most of their strength in the form of the Iron Fleet, still escaped. They took many losses taking the Moat and left a rearguard that is now gone, but they are still of considerable strength. If they choose to invade the North a second time, we will be hard pressed once more." He added to the conversation.

"Aye, but they won't have the benefit of surprise. That will mean a lot. It would be stupid of them to try it again. Any gains they make will be paid in blood ten times over now." Jon said.

"Aye, but the ironborn are notoriously stupid, aren't they?" Lord Rickard summarized the problem with that statement.

"So, what do we do?" Jon asked.

"In the long term, many things need to change. Our west coast is simply too exposed. Too many lands lay bare and are depopulated. I have been toying with the plan to strengthen those again after the war, but for now we can't do much. I have sent worth to the Flints, Dustins, Ryswells, Mormonts, Tallharts and Glovers to reinforce their keeps and lands. They are also ordered to frequently scout their entire coasts. If the ironbron come, we will know."

At this, his advisors nodded. "Lord Hornwood will take command of Moat Cailin with his men and some others, he has free reign to organize its defense." He finished.

"What will make sure the same thing won't happen again? Halys had put many of his men in Moat Cailin before and looked to its defense and it was still taken." Lord Karstark asked.

"They weren't expecting an attack from the north and west then. Even so, the enemy still lost a lot of men. Now, our troops will be awaiting them. If they manage to take the fortress at all, it will cost them many thousands of soldiers. This would de facto mean the destruction of half the Iron Fleet on land." He summarized the difference.

Jon, who was bent over a map of the area, suddenly proposed. "Can we implement a system of watch towers along the Saltspear? We can make it well fortified and thought out after the war, wooden towers with firewood beacons will do for now. It could signal both to the Moat and to Barrowton when the ironborn come back. It will be reasonably quick to implement and won't come at a big cost of either men or materials. We have wood aplenty in the North so that shouldn't matter."

He thought over the proposal and came to the conclusion he liked it. "I will send letters to House Dustin, House Stout and Lord Halys to start on the construction immediately."

Jon nodded happily at that, glad that he could contribute to the defense of their homeland.

"Now, what to do with the forces up north and the fleet?" He asked his advisors.

"Well, I think it has been established that the Manderlys need to attack Sisterton. They'll need men to do so." Lord Karstark said.

"Haven't we discussed this before?" Jon asked. "Weren't we of a mind to send the Locke and Flint recruits with them do so, before the Reach started moving north? If I'm right, we even discussed sending the Widow's Watch veterans with them."

"Aye, we were. We have discussed that before." He responded. "Everybody still in favor of this plan?" He asked his advisors, and all agreed.

"The force, under the command of Ser Marlon Manderly will sink House Sunderland's ships, take Sisterton and the rest of the Three Sisters. After this, they will start harassing the smaller island lords to free our allies from their interference. At that stage we can look towards helping on the Vale mainland against Houses Lynderly and Corbray, but I don't think we should decide that now." None of his trusted men objected, good.

"If I remember correctly, I also proposed augmenting Robett's force with the Cerwyn and Cassel recruits so we could at least send those back south." His father-in-law brought the issue of reinforcements up again.

"That would leave Lord Halys with around six hundred men, mostly his own troops and those of the Flints of Flint's Finger. That should be enough if they are warned. I intend to send the Dustin troops back to Barrowton, the town is too juicy a target for the ironborn and I don't intend to leave it undefended." He explained.

"You would send the other two thousand men south?" The Blackfish asked, and he nodded in response. "We need at least some reinforcements. This will give it to us."

"What about the clans? They field close to three thousand men." Jon asked.

"I want to leave them in the North. House Glover is really weak, and they are busy reinforcing Deepwood Motte. They can also serve as a kind of task force. Anywhere the ironborn attack, they can march to expel them quickly. This way, the Northern lords don't need to fear for their holdings too much while we still keep their men with us in the Riverlands."

This idea seemed to be well received and he finished the meeting there.

Ser Brynden and Lord Rickard quickly left the room, while Jon stayed. They had arranged to talk about their warging right now. He wanted to be up to date on his brother's skills because he might be able to use them for the coming battles. He also wanted to learn as much as possible in the limited time available to him. He knew he had a special connection to Grey Wind, but he just didn't have enough time to explore it just yet.

(Four days later)

Ever since the last meeting with his advisors, he had spent every minute of his free time thinking about improving the defenses of the North. After studying many maps and documents, he had even gone so far as interviewing Rickard Ryswell, Ser Helman Tallhart and Lord Galbart Glover. He had also had a less official conversation with Roderick Dustin, who knew parts of the area well.

His conclusions were damning. The western side of his kingdom was underpopulated, underdeveloped and lacked basic infrastructure. It had not enough defenses or even nobles to properly protect the area. Notable areas were this was less the case were the more inland areas of the Rills, the Barrowlands and deeper inside the Wolfswood. Bear Island was a notable exception, the warrior culture of the island having enabled them to keep up reasonable population numbers even though fishing villages were either rare or heavily defended.

The other coastal areas, from Cape Kraken to the Bay of Ice, were all underpopulated. Especially if you compared it to the area around the White Knife, but even further up along the eastern coast the Flint, Hornwood, Bolton and Karstark lands were much better off than them. This couldn't be able to continue.

The lack of leadership in the area was also shocking. On the eastside, you had the Manderlys who controlled much of the territory with a number of smaller but independent lords like the Lockes and Flints around them. Further up you had the Boltons and then the Karstarks, all strong houses ready to take the lead if anything happened in their region.

On the westside, the hold of the Flints over Flint's Finger was always tedious when ironborn showed up. The only force of stability were the Dustins and Ryswells, although the latter had no naval capability to speak off. It was no surprise that these houses allied together as much as they did, combined they controlled the whole southwestern region. Further north you had the Glovers, although their power was more directed towards their inland areas in the Wolfwood. They were also not as strong as the aforementioned houses, so they couldn't afford to focus both on the woods and the sea.

In between them, from the Stony Shore up until Sea Dragon Point, no house really ruled. There were a few very minor houses in the region who collected taxes in peacetime, but they weren't strong enough to defend the territory except for maybe one or two villages and their own holdfast. Some of those were even easily burned down by the ironborn when they had arrived. In times like these, the smallfolk were all forced to fend for themselves or flee until a neighboring lord arrived. There were no clear places for them to take shelter at either without a sturdy keep and this left them completely exposed.

It soon became clear that he would need to raise additional lords in the region. These lords could build castles and in turn small harbors could be constructed next to it. This would in time take care of the infrastructure problems, as those would need to be connected towards the other villages in the area. The added defenses of castles and a few ships in the petty harbors would also serve to deter smaller raids on the coasts. If all of this could be achieved, it might be able to keep a much larger population along the coast.

How it looked now, he was surprised there were even still people living there. For centuries the area had been raided by the ironborn. In the northern parts along the lands of the Mormonts and the mountain clans, the wildlings were even known to raid the coasts as well. The former had quieted down for a while with the coming of the Targaryens. However, at the first sign of weakness from the North or internal trouble in the kingdoms the ironborn had always restarted their century old raids.

This had depopulated much of the coastal areas. The Stoney Shore had switched hands over a dozen times in its history, so much so that its people were whispered to have as much ironborn as Northmen in their blood.

If he could establish two or three petty harbors along the area, just bigger than the average fishing village, he might even be able to force some economic activity to take shape. This might in turn feed and sustain some more people in the long run.

At first, he had been happy with this solution, but then he realized that his problems had only begun now. Who would he raise as lords? Where would he divide the lands? How would he compensate the de facto loss of influence for the Ryswells and Glovers? How would he create a new power balance with these new lords? He needed to create vassals that wouldn't become overpowered up jump houses, as that could create resentment and even rebellion in the area. However, he couldn't make them pushovers either as that would defeat their purpose from the start.

Many hours he had spent over maps the last few days trying to answer these questions. He had decided that he would raise two new lordships. One encompassing the entirety of the Stoney Shore, the other focused on Sea Dragon Point and including the area from there towards the former lordship. He had thought about splitting the latter lordship in two but decided against it as they would be too weak like that. It could become a problem in the future if the area got a sizeable population, but that was still very far off.

He hadn't thought about raising any nobles to the lordships, it was far too early for that. Many possible candidates might still die in battle, while newer candidates could still rise up in prominence during the upcoming campaigns. He would also have to think about the perception of Houses Glover and Ryswell and that was food for thought for another day.

This left him with where to build the keeps. He vaguely encircled an area in the middle of the Stony Shore and on the west side of the Point. The exact locations would be for the new lords to decide. Harbors and fishing villages would be constructed next to the keeps, while roads would connect those to each other and their neighbors in Deepwood Motte and Ryswell Hall. These roads would be both payed for and organized by House Stark.

This left the only big issue, the population. Where would he get enough people from to give the area a kickstart? Especially after its recent devastation this would be crucial. The recent destruction on the westside, combined with the devastation in the Wolfwood and along the Hornwood made this very difficult. He at last came to the conclusion that people would need to be brought in from the Manderly, Bolton, Karstark, Dustin and Stark lands. The exact quantities would need to be calculated by Maesters, but he expected it to be in the thousands, maybe even tens of thousands combined with his next plans.

As it stood now, he also had plans for Moat Cailin. His father had already wanted to restore the fortress and the area around it, but he had lacked the resources or the time. The former he had plenty of after his raids in the Westerlands, the latter he hoped would be aplenty after the war. He knew most of his father's plans for the region from memory as he had helped implement them in Winterfell.

He had already written to Lord Halys that he would need to rebuild the inn and the stables on the northside of the fortress. These would be given back to the former owners, or if they were dead to some of their relatives. The farming village that had just started to grow had been abandoned and would be restarted after the war. It wouldn't be alone though, as he would establish another ten to fifteen villages along with it.

These villages would serve as an initial tax and labor base for the fortress. He knew it had been his father's intention to rebuild it, albeit smaller than it had historically been, and give it to Bran or Rickon. He would respect this wish and would start the reconstruction from the moment he came home. He had enough gold to fund the first stages of the operation and hopefully the gathered labor force could bring about a boost in the local population.

This, in combination with the construction of two small keeps on the western coast, would completely absorb his newfound riches but it would be worth it. The North would be far better defended because of it. Hopefully the newly cultivated lands could drive some small population boosts in the area. These would generate a bigger tax revenue for both the local lords and House Stark. If so, that would in turn pay back his investments over a few generations. He wouldn't benefit from it, but House Stark and his descendants would.

He felt tired, but really pleased with himself because of all the hard work he had done. A small voice in his head told him that everything he planned now would give him more time with his daughter in the years to come. He hoped from the bottom of his heart that this would be true.

After having the feeling that he had done everything he could do about this issue for the moment, he shelved his calculations for later and went for a walk around the castle.

After having spoken with some his men for the past hour, he was recalled to his solar by the local Maester. It seemed more news had come in. He immediately called for his advisors, who had by now become something of a make-shift Small Council to him. He knew the group would need to be enlarged by the time the war was done, but the small group suited him for now.

Once his extended family members, because that was really what this council was made up from, had gathered, he started reading his letters aloud. Two more skirmishes between them and Tarlys force had happened. The first smaller one had come to pass between two groups of outriders around Briarwhite to the south. His men had had to retreat after sustaining some casualties.

The more important of the clashes had taken place between Harrion and his two hundred men and approximately the same number under a knight named Ser Leo Blackbar. Harrion had managed to surprise the force between Sog's Horn and Antlers. Half the Reachmen contingent had been captured or killed. Harry was bringing Ser Leo back to Harrenhal in shackles with him. The remainder of the Reachmen had retreated east towards Antlers.

This thought him two things. First of all, from the first clash he realized the enemy was looking for possible ways into the Riverlands to the south of the God's Eye. Secondly, the small battle thought him that Tarly was still contesting his hold on the region without wanting to do battle. Although this suited him, he would be forced to do something soon. The major enemy army wasn't moving, and he couldn't stay passive here forever.

He made a mental note to start organizing defenses at Lychester and Riverrun. If the Lannister were planning to encircle him at Harrenhal, he would need a safe place to retreat to.

The following news was much more surprising. It seemed the mad boy-king Joffrey had been murdered at his own wedding and that the Dornish were being blamed for it. The latter seem to have fled the capital with Cersei accusing them of murder. Prince Oberyn had left with all his noble retinue, although half his spears had stayed behind in the capital. They had been slaughtered to the last man the very same day he left, all done on the orders of the queen. A notable companion of the Martells was the young Lord Dayne, who had helped his father against the Lannisters after King Robert's death.

"This changes everything, doesn't it?" Jon asked.

The older men looked sceptically towards his brother. "No, I don't think it does. The Dornish troops were never going to join the Lannisters in the Riverlands and Joffrey has an equally incestuous younger brother who can take his place on that damned chair." Ser Brynden stated matter-of-factly.

"Yes, but the Tyrell alliance will fall apart, will it not?" Jon pushed once more. "Without the marriage and his daughter becoming queen, I don't see Mace Tyrell joining the Lannisters."

"I'm not so sure, lad. The Tyrells have received much and more from their alliance to the Lannisters. Most likely they'll just betroth Margaery to Tommen and be done with it." Lord Rickard responded. "They might even like this, that boy Tommen sounds a lot more agreeable to a women's influence than the mad dog that was Joffrey."

"So, nothing has changed?" His brother asked, clearly annoyed. It was clear why. The information that he had perceived as good news, was actually not that consequential in the end.

"Well there are two important things. One, the killer of your father is dead. It was Joffrey who ordered his death, not Tywin Lannister. The second is the breaking of the Martell and Lannister alliance and most notably, the blood that was spilled during it. Dorne will not forget the death of their men. Most of the culprits would have been Reachmen if you look at the composition of the forces in the capital. The Dornish might be open to be persuaded to attack their century old enemies because of this." His father-in-law explained, remarkably improving Jon's mood, before he turned dark.

"Aye, I almost forgot it was the little shit that killed father with those months of fighting Tywin Lannister. It's just sad that Ice couldn't take his head, but his mother and grandfather will do I suppose." He responded grimly. Out of habit he looked towards the sword that ceremoniously hang behind his desk. He only carried the weapon in battle or specific training sessions, for daily use he had a much more practical arming sword.

"Before this war is over, it will feel Cersei's neck. You can be sure of that." He responded, equally as grim. Every time he thought about what happened to father, his blood boiled. His wolfsblood, father would have called it.

All men around the table nodded. All had loved his father and were keen to revenge him. After a few seconds, he calmed himself and went back to state business.

"Except for the letters, there is another issue I wanted your council on. We need allies. The recent break between the Lannisters and Martells could be a huge boon. My first instinct now is to send the Martells a letter about a possible alliance. If the Dornish attack the Reach in the rear, whilst the Florents and some of their minor allies are still in open rebellion, it could turn the Reach into a bloody battlefield and deprive the Lannisters of their support."

"Aye, it is a good idea, but what do we have to offer the Dornish? Their forces won't come out of their mountain passes for nothing." Lord Karstark implored.

He smiled at his father-in-law. "Revenge, due to your actions we have killed Ser Armory Lorch. Who, if the rumors are true, killed Princess Rhaenys. You also killed Ser Gregor Clegane in battle, who we all know raped Princess Elia and killed her son. His bones had been returned with the Lannister army, but they had to abandon them at the battle of the Fords and are in our possession. I ask myself how they will react if we give them the bones of the killers of Princess Elia and her children and promise them the same for the instigator."

"The instigator?" Jon asked.

"Aye, we promise them the head of Tywin Lannister. That should get them thinking." He responded.

Now, both Lord Rickard and Ser Brynden smiled. "That could work." The latter said. "It's worth a shot."

"Everybody in favor?" He asked and they all nodded. "Good, are there any other possible allies?"

They all looked at each other. "Well, you have the Florents, as you mentioned, but I don't think they can offer any war changing support. They are allied to both the Tarlys and the Hightowers, but none of those seem to support them." His uncle said and he had to agree with the assessment.

"What about Cracklaw point?" Jon asked.

"What about them?" He responded.

"Well, all we know is that they refused the call to arms by the Lannisters. Most of those houses there fought under Rhaegar's banner at the Trident. They have no love for the Lannisters. maybe we could get them on our side. We could promise them revenge for their dragon prince, as well as a lot of the bounty of the war for their impoverished lands." Jon explained.

Before he could respond, Ser Brynden joined in. "That could actually work, Your Grace. Another boon to us is the fact that those houses have been stalked by task collectors of the Celtigars ever since the coming of the Dragon. Promise them independence from their taxes and they might flock to your banner."

He picked up the map of the northern Crownlands that was always present on his desk these days and looked at it. They were isolated and could take his enemies in the back at the right time. "How many men can they field?"

"Together? Some two to three thousand I believe. However, their fighters are fierce. Many a friend I lost to their ilk on the banks of the Trident." The Blackfish responded sadly.

"Aye, so did I. Greatjon lost a cousin to one of them as well." Lord Karstark agreed.

"Won't that be cause for strife between our forces?" He asked, not wanting resentment to seep into his army.

"No, I don't think so. All those men are dead now, as they went down with their prince. It has also been a generation since and it wasn't personal, they just fought for their dragons while we fought against them." The Blackfish explained.

"Good, then I'll make up a letter to send it to each of their houses." He summarized. "I see there is one more letter that I have put aside for this meeting." He said, knowing full well the damning content it contained. He had received and read the letter only minutes before the meeting.

He gave it to Jon to read and pass it through, as he started telling of its content. "News has come from the Night's Watch that a massive wildling army is coming down on the Wall. They speak of thirty to forty thousand warriors. It seems Lord Commander Mormont had gone behind the Wall to scout out the rumors, but he never returned. His force was ambushed by the wildlings and only a few dozen returned to the Wall. The Night's Watch lost many of its commanders, as well as over two hundred and fifty men."

"It seems the institution is now weaker than it has ever been before. The arrival of our captives will help now that Moat Cailin is open, but the situation is dire. By now the army will be close to, if not already upon the Wall. Our ironborn prisoners may reach the wall in time, while the Bolton bastard's men have already sworn their oaths but that won't be enough. The men we have been holding in the Riverlands and have scheduled to go North will never reach it in time." He summarized their predicament.

"Thirty thousand wildlings?" Lord Rickard asked in shock. "The Night's Watch won't be able to withstand that, not even without their recent losses. This could threaten all our lands."

From his years at Karhold, he knew how important stability along the Wall was for those houses. As such, they would have to move quickly. He nodded in understanding. "How many men can Cregan still raise, Lord Karstark?"

His former foster-father stroked his beard. "Three, maybe four hundred if he takes the greybeards and green boys. I raised most of my men to come south with you." He nodded, in response, having expected this answer. "What other troops do we have in the region?"

"We have the mountain clans at Deepwood Motte." Jon said helpfully.

"Yes, good! That's almost three thousand men. The Umbers should be able to raise the same as the Karstarks as well. That might be enough to help defend the Wall." He responded hopefully.

Lord Rickard nodded at that, but he added some more to the conversation. "We could raise the clans on Skagos. If it is to defend the Wall, they will come. There is only one thing they hate more than 'Southerners' and that's wildlings. Besides, if the Wall falls their lands will be prospected to many more raids than they already are. They won't take the risk."

"Can we trust the Skagosi?" He asked with doubt in his voice.

"To obey your orders, no. To fight wildlings, yes." His father-in-law shrugged. "My House has the most dealings with them, apart from the Umbers and the Night's Watch. Those people respect strength most of all. They didn't know you and were too far away, so they didn't march south. However, by now they will have heard of your exploits to the south. They will respect that and because of this they will listen to your message. As I said, the thing that'll most likely take them over the edge will be their hatred of the wildlings and nothing else."

He thought about it and looked at Jon and the Blackfish. Both shrugged, Lord Karstark having far more information about the Skagosi than they did.

"Fine, I'll make up the letter. That'll be all for now."

His uncle and brother immediately made preparations to leave, but Lord Rickard still had some advice. "When addressing the Skagosi, wright to all the Magnars as equals. They aren't by a longshot, but otherwise you will never get their respect. They are a proud people. They will follow you because of the strength of House Stark and your person, not because of your lineage."

He looked deep into his mentor's eyes and nodded. He doubted the Skagosi would actually respond, but he had nothing to lose by doing so. "I'll send the letters to the Skagosi. I'll send others to Deepwood Motte, and Moat Cailin. I propose you send the letter to Karhold yourself for maximum effect, Lord Rickard. I will ask the Greatjon to do the same for Last Hearth."

His father-in-law nodded, bowed and left the room. The others directly behind him. Really? A wildling army? Was there no moment he could have any rest? Did he really need to fight a two front war the whole time?

This is all for this chapter! A very eventful one.

Jon escapes Lord Tarly's attempts to attack him and is back at the main force. He is slowly honing his skills as a warg in the campaign.

Moat Cailin has fallen and the Manderly fleet is ready. The latter will be sent to help the Vale, together with over a thousand men from Houses Manderly, Locke and Flint of Widow's Watch.

Robb starts planning the future defense of the North, so this never happens again. He takes his father's plans as blueprints and expands on it. Rebuilding Moat Cailin, establishing a road network along the western coast, … He also has new ideas, for example to raise new houses and keeps along the Stony Shore and Sea Dragon Point. All of this will take decades and hundreds of thousands of dragons though, so most of these are plans for peacetime. It is very important for Robb to plan this, as it reinforces his believe that he will survive this war and that he will actually help the people's futures by fighting in the South now.

Skirmishes between Stark and Tarly continue back and forth, with a very minor loss and a minor victory for Robb here.

The Purple Wedding becomes known and Robb starts looking for allies in the Martells and the Houses of Cracklaw Point.

Finally, a Wildling army marches on the Wall under Mance Rayder. I have chosen to discard the White Walker plot, as it wouldn't bring anything to the story. It would add 100k words without actually changing anything except for some major characters dying and their children living happily ever after. It would also force a cooperation with Daenerys, which happens in almost every White Walker fanfiction. Having a Jon x Dany, with Robb and Jon bending the knee just seems tiresome and unrewarding at this point, so I'll try something completely different.

Mance Rayder is just another very successful King-Beyond-the-Wall. He has managed to gather 30-40k warriors (same as in canon but there they had another 60k women, children and elderly to their number). His composition is entirely different though. Without the wildling losses to the Others, many of the clans he united are more numerous. Because of this, he manages to raise the same amount of men from less clans as he isn't able to unite all of them without the threat of the dead coming back to life. Most notably: no Thenns and no giants. They have no reason to leave their fertile lands and so they won't. Expect none of them and a lot more Ygrittes, "Rattleshirts", "Sixskins" and Tormunds in the army.

I will gladly answer any more questions about the Wildlings in pm or during the reviews on the next chapter.

Thank you for your continued support.

Fannic

Reviews:

- TheNiemand: Yes, the fate of King's Landing is getting dire. Tywin is still trying to plot, yes. That will be clear further on.

Yes, it has! Eddara is over 3 months old now. Btw there is a reason that armies often camp at rivers, so they can wash themselves. ;-)

- Force Smuggler: It is! I wonder about that too, but yes she wanted to get rid of Tyrion, I think.

- Anja Quickert9: :-)

- George Christian810: Jon's story will be more unique than in most fanfics, I won't spoil more about that.

- Sammy-1000: Thank you so much!

- Kuman: Yeah, he's side questing right now haha! They could have been, although I don't know if Tywin would have her marry a second son, prince or not. Elia to Jaime would be far more logical.

- WarBerserk: They have affected their plans. Vary had to go out and safe Oberyn, whilst Littlefinger is fighting a war in the Vale. Their POV's won't be seen, just like in canon. It would spoil too much.

- Wolf'sPizza: Yes, a lot has changed. The thing is, none of the orchestrators have died so far and Joffrey's parentage is more in doubt. This in connection to his sanity forces Olenna to kill him.

It will be hard, yes. Tywin really only has one solution if you think about it. ;-)

He will probably have multiple monikers. Now, he's known as the White Wolf, but that'll change. No, it won't be a simple change to "King Jon", but I can't say more on the matter. I'm glad it feels more earned here, that's part of the reason for fleshing him out like this.

Yes, it is. Skirmishing can indeed take weeks or even months. It can even force an army to retreat, if they don't want to risk their entire force in one battle. The cat and mouse game will continue for a while. Tarly might be the only commander on par/better than Robb on the other side.

Yeah, the Ryswell envoy is a beast. I'll be sure to mention him at least once more in the future. Tywin will have hated the situation.

- Wolflord456: Varys' reasoning will be explained.

- Kingmaneana: Thank you!

- Javi30: Thank you so much!

- Angeluszuko-z: The city won't see much more chaos, except people leaving. I hinted at a new city watch being built around part of the Reach force. Besides, most of the men have died or fled, a lot of the remaining population are women and children (a lot of them orphans). Those men that remain can't fight the Reach forces and are mostly not of the rebellious kind.

If Tywin had had his way, the Dornish might not have left. Cersei forced them to do so.

Young Griff will appear, but it will take some more time. For him, I'm following the canon timeline. It'll take him multiple months to reach Westeros. I don't think Tyrion made such a huge impact on his character.

- Greatazuredragon: Tyrion died in the battle of the Blackwater. All options on that front will be explored.

- Carza: Thank you so much! No, please keep nitpicking! It's very hard to see all those small mistakes in a 10k chapter and if you point them out, I can easily fix them.

- Amanda Ray Book: No, you're right he wouldn't have met Bronn. He has almost certainly died because of Cersei as well. I always intended this, but it doesn't matter as no one can tell the tale.

You were one chapter to quick with your (very good) analysis. I had always planned to have them search for allies now.

- Osterreicher97: Thank you!

- Guest1: wow!

- Guest2: It was my pleasure, if you have any more questions just ask. Thank you! Young Griff will come, but it'll take a while longer.

- Guest3: Thank you! Mance Rayder has moved south, as you can see.

- Guest4: Yes, but I agree Tommen is the safer choice. Joffrey chose to challenge Tywin's rule openly, so he won't mind too much to be rid of him. I think he'll hate the loss of the Martells more. I agree with the poisoning, but it will have happened during the trials, as such Tywin is safe here (for now).