Hey guys! I had to take a pause from writing last couple of months as I needed a break and didn't have much time due to commitments in personal life, but I am back now and hoping to pick up from where we left.

Thank you for the support. Hope you continue it.

Chapter 20

Battle of Reach: Part 2


Beautiful and terrifying.

Jon could only think of those two feelings at once as he caught first sight of the mighty castle of Highgarden, standing tall in all its glory at a distance.

It had been three days since they had massacred nearly 4,000 enemy reinforcements on the Ocean Road that had been hoping to reach the seat of House Tyrell, even Lord Templeton whom Robb had commanded to strike an additional 3,000 enemy reinforcements marching from Goldengrove had managed to attack and inflict heavy casualties while scattering hundreds of enemy survivors effectively neutralizing the threat on that front.

If news were true, the Vale lord was soon set to receive additional reinforcements in the form of Ser Harold Hardyng and his 2,000 men who had successfully taken the Crag in the Westerlands earlier. Together, those 4,000 men would be raiding nearby lands, destroying logistics centers and implementing a scorched earth policy by stealing all available supplies and acting as a screen against the impending march of Randy Tarly and his 20,000 men from King's Landing coming to aid Highgarden's defense.

Jon had been invigorated after their last victory and understood the stakes of their next conflict with the rulers of Kingdom of Reach, which was why he had volunteered to join Ser Lyn Corbray and his Scouts in doing recon of what Willas Tyrell and his remaining 8,000 forces were doing at Highgarden now that their immediate reinforcements were disposed of.

Yet now as he looked at the seat of House Tyrell, he couldn't help but feel what awaited them was death.

"Willas has taken shelter in the castle itself with his 8,000 fighters. Either the news of the fate of his reinforcements has reached him or he has taken a calculated decision not to face our army in open battle" reported Ser Lyn bitterly,

"Coward! But what else can you expect from a flowery lordling!" spat the Greatjon in disgust,

"He's a smart man, Lord Umber! Look at the scale of his Castle, a thousand men can hold it easily and he has eight times the number defending it- not to mention supplies to last for months if not years of a siege. We do not have time or the resources to undertake such a siege, not with Randyll Tarly approaching from the Capital with 20,000 reinforcements" pointed Jon worriedly,

"Attacking this castle with our current fighting strength would be nothing but a one sided massacre! Neither do we have the men or enough supplies or siege equipment for such an endeavor" stated Ser Wendel Manderly with a heavy frown,

For once, even the Greatjon couldn't find a fitting rebuttal- not with their King's force having less than 14,000 men and another 4,000 under the command of Lord Templeton and Ser Harrold Hardyng near the Goldengrove.

Located on a broad verdant hill overlooking the vast but slow-moving Mander river, Highgarden was a seat Jon had only heard of in stories. None of them doing enough justice to its strength and sheer scale. Surrounded by three rings of solid white stone, each larger in height than the last- it was a nightmare for launching any kind of assault. Its numerous watch towers would murder hundreds if not thousands of their forces in a devasting volley of arrows easily, even if they somehow managed to capture the first wall by incurring heavy losses, it would cost them time and leave them in a terrible position.

Either they would perish while trying to breach the remaining two walls of the mighty castle, or worse be attacked from their rear by Randyll Tarly's reinforcements if it took too long and the veteran marcher lord arrived in time to deliver the final blow to the Starks.

"We must inform Robb at once" commanded Jon, earning grim nods from his comrades.


Chaos reigned supreme in the command tent with a dozen lords and commanders bickering amongst each other as Jon and the Scouts relayed the news. He had expected such a reaction which was why he stared at his brother whose face was set in stone, never betraying a single emotion even after hearing the dire news.

Jon could only wonder what was going on in Robb's mind at the moment, the Tyrell forces taking refuge inside their mighty castle had always been a credible possibility- but still somewhere they had hoped Willas Tyrell would take the more bolder option of confronting them instead of allowing them free passage to raid the lands of his bannermen.

"We must decide our next action wisely, my lords'' stated Jon loudly, drawing the attention of most of their lords and commanders towards their King.

"I say we attack the roses where they live! We have defied the odds before!" said Greatjon defiantly, but barely earned cheers or support from a handful men in the tent. Even his own son-Smalljon looked uncertain for once.

"That would be folly, Lord Umber. We are in no position for such an assault" replied Lord Bolton calmly,

"Then we raid the lands of their bannermen to secure crucial supplies and destroy their logistic centers before making a tactical retreat before Randyll arrives with his reinforcements. That was our original plan" reminded Harrion Karstark,

"Have we marched all this way to accomplish so little?" asked another Vale lord indignantly, earning roars of approval from few of his countrymen.

"Why can't we do both of what Lord Umber and Lord Harrion are suggesting?"

Many were surprised over hearing such a suggestion, but none more than Lord Roose Bolton who narrowed his gaze upon watching his bastard son- Ramsey Snow step forward with such a suggestion. The Lord of Dreadfort saw the first expression arrive on Robb Stark's stoic face as he looked at Ramsey with mild curiosity.

"Explain" commanded the King simply, earning a sly smile and eager nod from Ramsey.

"My father is right, launching a frontal assault on Highgarden would be folly and lead to a massacre of our forces. But there is another way which is less risky to bring the Tyrell's to heel" explained Ramsey eagerly, as he stepped forward towards the map of the region placed in the middle of the tent.

His twisted smile widened when Robb marched forward and took up position beside him and giving a nod to continue his explanation. Jon felt a twinge of worry in his heart over the icy stare being given by Roose Bolton to his baseborn son and to some extent even to the King himself.

"We cannot breach Highgarden's mighty walls and numerous defenses, but it has a weakness like every other Castle. Its sewers, Your Grace" said Ramsey, as he drew crude lines of the same from the castle that eventually connected with the Mander to discharge of the waste produced by the seat of House Tyrell.

Robb wasn't as convinced as the Bolton bastard and looked at the man with a heavy frown.

"You want our army-"

"Apologies , Your Grace. I do not suggest for our entire army to use this option for infiltration, it is practically impossible. But a small force of say a dozen men could sneak inside the Castle from here while you and a large portion of our forces take up position near the front of the Castle making the enemy believe we are preparing for a frontal assault and keep their attention focused upon you, allowing this small infiltration force to sneak inside to either kill or capture Willas Tyrell and members of his family like Lady Olenna and Margery Tyrell. A smaller detached force could meanwhile continue raiding nearby seats for supplies and destroy logistic centers as per your original objective" suggested Ramsey cunningly with a cold smirk,

"I appreciate the suggestion, Ramsey. But this infiltration force is doomed to perish in this attempt, the enemy will never fall for such an outlandish strategy. I will not send good men to die like this" dismissed Robb frankly, and yet saw the Bolton bastard was undeterred.

"I understand your reservation and the risks involved, Your Grace. It's a plan with high risks, but we have limited options and cannot hope to match the Lannister-Tyrell strength in totality. Many of your victories so far have been based on deception against a far superior enemy, I only urge you to continue that strategy and would be willing to lead this mission myself alongside volunteers who want to risk everything for our cause" said Ramsey smoothly,

From the corner of his eyes, Robb saw Roose Bolton stiffen and clench his fist upon hearing those words from his own son and if possible the Dreadfort lord's icy glare became even more sharp and cold.

"I admire your courage and cunning, Ramsey. Lord Bolton- what do you think of this suggestion?" asked Robb carefully, and Jon didn't miss how Ramsey's smile transformed into a cold glare as he looked at his own father who gave the bastard an equally cold glare.

"It's a bold idea, Your Grace. But one concocted by the folly of youth and severe underestimation of the enemy" chastised Lord Bolton sternly, making Ramsey clench his fists bitterly this time.

"I can make it work, Fat-"

"You will address me as Lord Bolton and stop this folly if you know better" said Roose softly but with a sharpness in his voice mightier than the most dangerous sword. His murderous gaze boring equally fiercely into Ramsey's angry eyes.

The tension in the tent was palpable, thankfully Robb decided to break it immediately by looking at everyone assembled.

"My lords, please allow me sometime to think on your suggestions and plan our next course of action soon" commanded Robb seriously,

One by one, the assembled lords and commanders nodded at their King's order and started departing even if most looked eager for a decision. Jon was also in the process of leaving when Robb stopped him alongside Lord Bolton adding further to Ramsey's ire who threw his father a cold glare before exiting alongside the others.

Ser Barristan stepped beside the King as Robb looked at Jon and Lord Bolton with a tired sigh.

"I apologize on my son's behalf, Your Grace. He has no battle experience and should know better than to open his mouth foolishly, I will see that he is made aware of his mistake" assured Roose curtly,

"No need to apologize, my lord. Ramsey's idea is unique, I will admit that much. It would have worked for a smaller and less defended castle, but not for something so enormous and well defended like Highgarden. I cannot risk your sole heir's life on such a misguided adventure alongside other soldiers" assured Robb honestly,

"Then Your Grace is far wiser and considerate than my own son. If you would permit, I would like to educate my son on war and his own conduct in such important discussions" replied Roose with a respectful nod, earning a similar gesture from Robb return.

As the Lord of Dreadfort silently walked away, Jon breathed a sigh of relief as he looked at his brother.

"What the hell was that?" he couldn't help but ask,

"It would seem all is not well between Father and son, Your Grace. Ramsey overstepped and I doubt a man like Lord Bolton would forgive such insubordination" cautioned Ser Barristan carefully,

"I agree. Father always told me to deal carefully with their family, but Ramsey seems very different from his Father. He is nothing like Roose and I couldn't help but sense something about him that doesn't sit well with me. Keep an eye on him from now onwards" ordered Robb, making Barristan and even Jon give firm nods.

A grim silence settled between the three warriors as they glanced somberly at the map in front of them. Their options had become quite limited on part of few smart moves made by their enemies.

"I think we should make a tactical retreat swiftly after plundering as much supplies from Old Oak, Red Lake, Goldengrove and lands nearby Highgarden. That will give our enemies pause as they would not be able to mount a counteroffensive into the Westerlands swiftly even if Randyll and Willas join forces soon. Even if they somehow manage to get ready quickly, we will have more than enough men to meet them in battle with our forces stationed already in the Westerlands" advised Ser Barristan,

"I agree, Robb. I want to meet Randyll Tarly in battle as much as you do, especially after what he did to Sam. But the odds are against us, we can't get pincered between his reinforcements and Willas alongside his men at our back" agreed Jon reluctantly,

The two men waited for their King's decision and watched as Robb grimly stared at the battle map for several long moments.

"Ramsey was right about one thing. Many of my victories so far were based on deception against stronger opponents, even if we raid nearby lands and steal supplies before making a tactical retreat- it still leaves a vast portion of Reach unscathed. It will take additional but not much time for Randyll and Willas to scrounge enough supplies to attack us in the Westerlands which is only partially under our control so far" pointed Robb,

"You're seriously not considering attacking Highgarden, Your Grace?" asked Barristan worriedly,

"No, we are in no position to do that either. We'll have to aim for a less riskier option but a dangerous one regardless. We will have to meet Randyll Tarly in battle" said Robb with determination,

"Robb!"

"I know, Jon. But we cannot allow Randyll and Willas to join forces, currently we only have slightly lesser men than Lord Tarly. From what I have heard of him, he is a stern and experienced commander who must have marched his troops like hell to come to Willas's aid at the earliest to defend Highgarden. His men will not be in the best of shape unlike ours, if we manage to defeat or atleast scatter his army that will either force Willas to march out of Highgarden or watch his Kingdom be razed to rubble" explained Robb carefully,

"It's a huge gamble, Your Grace. Do not underestimate Lord Tarly's military prowess" warned Ser Barristan,

"I am aware of his reputation and past victories, Ser Barristan. But there is no other option, I have asked Bran to hold the North against Wildlings, Uncle Edmure and Great-Uncle Bryden to hold the Riverlands against Tywin's renewed offensive that is bound to arrive after we executed the Kingslayer, and Lord Royce to hold and subdue the Westerlands. Those are all majorly defensive tactics and you don't win a War by only playing defense and let the enemy bring the fight to you. Somewhere, we must launch an offensive and take the initiative. I am not saying it will be easy or without risk and losses, but it must be done" concluded Robb with a heavy sigh,

A part of Jon's heart was worried over the risks, and another could understand Robb's dilemma considering their dire situation across multiple fronts.

"If you feel this is the best course of action, then I am with you" assured Jon, making Robb offer a grateful nod.

"As you command, Your Grace" agreed Ser Barristan dutifully,

"I will relay the battle plan soon to the lords, Jon in the meanwhile pass on the word to our commanders to get the men ready to march on the double" ordered Robb, and earned a firm nod from his brother who quickly rushed out to do exactly that.

Ser Barristan watched his King stare at the map with complete focus and decided to lend his opinion after watching the concern on Robb's face, which had only manifested after his brother had departed with his orders.

"Your Grace, we must plan for the possibility of being attacked from the rear by Willas's forces while we are engaging Lord Tarly's army on the front. Those reinforcements are his last hope of saving his Kingdom while their main army is held up with Lord Tywin, the men he has currently holed up in Highgarden may break ranks to save their homes if Lord Tarly is defeated and our army starts ravaging vast swathes of Reach itself" warned Ser Barristan with great caution,

Robb acknowledged the warning with a nod, the possibility was always there and it would be a mistake of colossal proportions that could be the death of him and his entire army.

Barristan watched curiously as Robb started picking up various pieces of allied forces across the board and placing them in various strategic locations across the map. To a less experienced war veteran, it would be difficult to understand the King's thoughts, but Barristan had fought more wars than any man in the Stark army.

The King quickly called for a guard who arrived mere moments later and bowed as Robb grabbed a parchment and quill in haste. Barristan could feel the excitement in the King's stance as he wrote his command before placing his seal and handed the scroll to the Guard.

"Send our fastest messengers to Hornvale where Lord Hunter and his men are currently located, and another to Lord Royce himself at the Golden Tooth with this command of mine. The orders are to be followed to the letter else the consequences will be dire for our entire army" ordered Robb seriously,

"We'll send two teams of four men each from our fastest riders, Your Grace. That way even if they have to run the horses to the ground or face any unexpected attack, this message goes through" replied the Guard confidently,

"Good man" praised Robb with a faint smile, earning a bow from the Guard before he rushed out to carry out his orders.

The King didn't lose his renewed momentum and marched back to the map to rearrange multiple positions of allied forces. He drew several lines across the board and Barristan couldn't help but be intrigued by the way this young boy's mind worked.

"Ramsey Snow was right about one thing, the odds had never been in my favor from the start. Deception has been my greatest ally in battle and it's time I employed it again" announced Robb seriously,

"The Lannister's fell for it considering Jaime's nature which you predicted well, you think a veteran like Lord Tarly and a cautious man like Willas will do the same?" questioned Barristan curiously,

"I will make them fall for it by making the prize and the risk equally irresistible" countered Robb,

Barristan's eyes widened in shock when he saw the King deciding the fateful battlefield where their fortunes would either arise or turn to ashes, and the crowned Direwolf was right in the middle of it.

The veteran Kingsguard also saw Robb placing another direwolf on the map, but this one on another battlefield.

"Jon will not like this" realized Ser Barristan, getting a sad smile from Robb in return.

"I know but as long as he lives, the hope for our cause and my family remains alive even if this strategy fails and I end up dying in battle or worse. More importantly, I can trust him to execute this half of the plan even if my defeat becomes certain; something which other lords may hesitate to do" answered Robb truthfully,

"I will not allow any harm to befall you, Your Grace. I gave you my word!" reminded Barristan earnestly, which made Robb offer a grateful nod in return.

"I have no doubt, Ser. But it's best we both entrust our hopes to Jon in case the worst happens and neither of us makes it back"


It was late afternoon and the army had already started preparing for their marching orders as per their King's command when Jon received a summon to meet his brother in his tent. It wouldn't have been unusual if Robb had also not asked him to bring their direwolves as well, especially Nymeria.

It only gave Jon a weird feeling in his gut, something which he didn't like.

As he entered the tent, he found Robb sitting on a chair with Greywind not far away. There were two winecups on the table in front of him alongside three sealed letters. The sight of it only made Jon's heart sink further in worry...

Upon seeing Jon's entrance alongside Nymeria and Ghost, a brief smile appeared on Robb's previously lost face as he got up from his seat and knelt in front of the direwolves. He scratched Ghost's ears affectionately earning him a few playful licks in return, but only when his eyes turned to Nymeria an even deeper affection arrived in the King's eyes.

As Robb caressed the top of Nymeria's head earning a soft whine and a lone lick from the direwolf, he spoke his first words.

"I have a mission for you, Jon and Arya. One of utmost importance and something I can only entrust you two with" said Robb honestly,

"What is it?" asked Jon hesitantly, and even Nymeria cocked her head quizzically.

The King got back on his feet and walked back towards the table where the map of Reach was laid out perfectly. Jon saw quite a few lines drawn across various locations, but what caught his attention was the crowned direwolf on one battlefield and another smaller but equally imposing direwolf on another.

His eyes met Robb's and Jon had a good idea as to what was about to be asked of him.

"I am giving you 2,000 men as reserves to be kept in hiding here; you will receive reinforcements of 4,000 men under Lord Hunter's command whom I am rerouting from his current siege of Hornvale in the Westerlands in the next few days. His men will be replaced by any troops Lord Royce can spare to continue the siege there" explained Robb patiently, and pointed towards the shifting placements on the battlemap.

"You are leaving us behind" deduced Jon acutely, which earned an angry growl from Nymeria making Greywind get up on all fours and come by Robb's side.

"I will take 12,000 men and link up with another 4,000 men under Lord Templeton and Ser Harrold Hardyng near the lands of Goldengrove. From there, we will march towards the Roseroad and force a battle with Lord Tarly near Widow's Hill here" continued Robb without hesitation, despite the growing ire of his brother and Nymeria.

"Why?" asked Jon stubbornly, making Robb sigh.

"Two reasons primarily- the first is to keep our supply and communication lines alongside way of retreat to the Westerlands open in the worst case scenario. We are too far inside enemy territory to allow such a mistake to happen" answered Robb truthfully,

"And the second?" questioned Jon with clenched fists,

"Is a part of a high risk deception that I plan to implement to draw Willas out of his stronghold or risk losing the only friendly reinforcements standing between us and the destruction of his Kingdom" confessed Robb frankly,

For his part, Jon kept his rising anger in check as Robb went on to explain his entire plan in minute detail. The more Nymeria heard, the more her ire increased which was only kept in check by the even larger Greywind who looked her straight in the eyes and a whining Ghost who looked at his packmates standoff with rising concern.

By the time he was finished with the explanation, much to his surprise- Robb saw neither Jon or Nymeria exploding in anger even though the feeling was clearly present in both of their eyes.

"I understand the strategy and its reasons, but the risk is too high! You are our King and will be outnumbered already against Lord Tarly by 4,000 men and nearly 12,000 if Willas attacks you from the rear" warned Jon with rising fury,

"That is exactly what I am aiming for"

The color drained from Jon's face as he heard that confession and the presence of those three sealed letters only signified the gravity of the situation. Nymeria marched forward to nearly tackle Robb until Greywind got in the way which also made Ghost jump in between his packmates.

While the direwolves were locked in their own standoff, a similar one was taking place between Robb and Jon which was only broken when Robb pointed at Highgarden on the map.

"Willas has 8,000 men inside Highgarden. If he decides to take my bait, he will still leave a thousand or two in its defense should the worst happen. I would do the same in his situation; that will leave him with 6,000 or slightly more to attack me from rear while I engage Lord Tarly's army from the front" explained Robb, if only to make his siblings understand he had thought of various possibilities before deciding on this plan.

"And you are giving me exactly 6,000 men to counter him. Pincer him from behind while he tries to do the same to you" realized Jon grimly,

"Yes that is exactly why I want your forces to remain in hiding to spring this trap if Willas takes the bait. If we capture him, the gates of Highgarden will be open to us. If it falls, the Tyrell's alliance with the Lannister's will be in inevitable peril as I doubt Mace Tyrell and his other sons would want us to execute Willas, Lady Olenna and Margery. We have already proven we are capable of executing high ranked hostages when we disposed of the Kingslayer himself whose importance to Tywin was known to everyone"

"Even if Willas doesn't take the bait and remains holed up inside his Castle, I will only be slightly outnumbered against Tarly which is why I have chosen the terrain of Widow's Hill which will negate his numerical superiority to some extent. If the worst happens and I am still defeated, you will keep my way of retreat secured by preventing Willas from blocking my way back into the Westerlands. And in the rare event of my death in battle against Tarly, I want you to take up command of our army and keep on fighting in Bran's name who shall succeed me in case I die without a male heir, with Rickon as next in line followed by yourself in the absolute worst case scenario" explained Robb with great patience, as he picked up the three letters and offered it to Jon.

"This is my decree authorizing you to lead our army in the event of my death or capture, and the line of succession of the Stark dynasty, this letter is for Roslin-my wife and this one for mother and all of our siblings"

As Jon heard those words and looked at each of the respective letters being pointed and offered by Robb, the sinking feeling in his heart turned into an abyss.

The Stark Dynasty.

Those words made him realize what Robb and ultimately everyone of them in the army were fighting for apart from justice for their slain loved ones. Unlike Aegon the Conqueror, they didn't have dragons to even the odds nor the larger resources possessed by their enemies in terms of armies, supplies and wider support.

They had to fight with what they had, take risks or give up on any hope of winning this war.

"I do not like this, but if I was in your shoes I probably would have done the same" confessed Jon sadly, much to Robb's surprise and relief as the King grasped his shoulder affectionately.

"You are the only one I can entrust all of this with, Brother. Besides, I have faced worst odds before and prevailed" encouraged Robb,

"I'll hold you to that, Stark" warned Jon, as Robb nodded fiercely.

Despite Jon's bitter acceptance, Robb saw Nymeria was far from convinced and was only being kept in check by an imposing Greywind and a concerned Ghost. It was why he stepped forward and knelt beside the she-wolf to look her in the eye.

"This has to be done, Arya. Whether we like it or not! The longer we are trapped in the South, the more Bran and our entire family's life remains in peril against the Wildling Hordes and worse. Bran will die if we don't help, so will Mother, Rickon and Sansa!" said Robb without hesitation, which finally made the she-wolf lower her head.

A soft whine escaped from the wolf's lips which was more of a gentle cry, one which Jon understood with a sad smile.

"She's only worried you might die, Robb" consoled Jon, and watched as Robb gently lifted the she-wolf's head back so he could look her in the eye fearlessly.

"The Boy you knew at Winterfell died the day he marched to War; what remains before you is your King who must fight this war against all odds" stated Robb fiercely,

Jon saw those words finally erasing the remaining defiance left inside of Nymeria and through her in Arya herself upon seeing Robb's determination. He couldn't recognize his own feelings when Robb got back up and the fire he saw in his brother's eyes touched something inside of Jon's very soul.

"We will win the Universe together regardless of the risks and who stands in our way. I will make sure of that"

The reminder of their shared childhood dream alongside the hand offered by Robb made Jon understand that it was time to repay the faith his brother had bestowed in him all this time.

"Then let's show them the fury of the Winter Wolves!" agreed Jon with equal determination, as he shook his brother's hand without hesitation.

Greywind's fierce howl that followed right after was soon matched with equal ferocity by Ghost and Nymeria herself. The very heavens seemed to split apart again and again as the brothers heard echoing howls following soon after from all across their camp by the large pack of wild wolves brought into their army by Nymeria.

With grim determination, they picked up the respective wine glasses and made a final toast.

"To Victory"


Author's Notes: End of Chapter.

Hope you guys liked it.

I know I had planned to make this chapter quite big and full of decisive battles, but that will be depicted in the next update. I have quite a few battles to cover so rest assured it's going to be interesting.

The gamble taken is quite risky and how it pans out remains to be seen.

I couldn't help but remember Tywin's words were from the show while writing this chapter:

"He'll risk anything at anytime, because he doesn't know enough to be afraid".

Let me know your thoughts in reviews please.

Until Next Time,

Blackwolf501