Chapter 34: The silence before the storm
299 AC
Rickard Karstark
It was a sunny autumn day, as he rode through the fields around Riverrun. At his back were eleven thousand sturdy Northmen and Freys. Veterans of the battle of the Green Fork and some from Maidenpool and Harrenhall as well.
On the way here, they had picked up five thousand Riverlanders as well. The banners of Houses Roote, Goodbrook, Ryger and Lychester blowing behind him in the column. A small contingent of scattered men from House Mooton had also joined him. With their lord dead and their town and castle put to the sword by the Lannisters, they wished to act out their revenge by joining the king's army. Their new lord, a boy of around ten, was staying at Riverrun so that enticed them as well.
The march had been slow, but uneventful. Most of his Northmen consisted of infantry and archers, while rainfall had been a common occurrence. He had sent out his scouts far and wide, but they had found no sign of the enemy. His men had gone beyond Duskendale and into the Reach, but it seemed the Lannisters and Tyrells were still sitting fat on their victory at King's Landing.
Maybe the victory had been as brutal as people said, or maybe they just weren't up for another campaign. Whatever the case, he and his men were. Except for his personal campaign to Maidenpool and the march towards Harrenhall, his men had barely done anything.
No that wasn't right, they had also rid the world of the so-called 'Brave Companions'. A vicious mercenary company from Essos that had raided, burned and pillaged its way through large swaths of the Riverlands on Tywin Lannister's orders. Their foolish leader had come to him and had promised to turn his cloak in return for the lordship of Harrenhall. He had accepted, although he had never even considered holding his word.
Rickard Karstark doesn't deal with oathbreakers and they should know that by know. He had seen how keen their leader 'Vargo Hoat' had been to turn his cloak. No man like that was ever to be trusted. If you combined that with the atrocities he committed to the smallfolk, the decision had always been clear. The man had delivered him Harrenhall and he had captured him and his men for their crimes in the Riverlands.
Any who had resisted had been outright killed. He himself had taken the heads of Hoat and his most trusted companions two days later. A thing which earned him the support of much of the remaining Whent household. The Westerosi among their company were offered a place at the Wall, which they all took. The others were hung from the trees in the woods around Harrenhall at the places of their worst crimes.
Not long after, the people that lived around the God's Eye came to see him as their liberator. They told him how Tywin had forced their sons and brothers unto arms. Some five hundred Riverlanders were forced under arms by the Lannisters. He had used them as cannon fodder at the Fords and most survivors deserted and found their way back home since then.
Hundreds had volunteered to serve in his army. Some had been survivors from the Lannister's forced levy, most others family members from those that didn't return. While being stuck in Harrenhall, he had armed and trained a company of three hundred men to the best of his abilities.
He had thought about having them help guard Harrenhall but decided against it. It wasn't out of the question one or two Lannister spies had made it into his company. As such, they marched together with his personal men from House Karstark now. He had dressed them in the colors of House Whent and would either have them fight under his command or entrust them to Ser Edmure Tully. His mother had been a Whent after all, so they might follow him willingly.
He had left Ser Wylis Manderly with one thousand men in command of Harrenhall, as Robb didn't want him to abandon the fortress completely. Those men were all Manderly men, so no problems in command would arise. Ser Wylis was a capable man. He would do as ordered and hold Harrenhall, no more and no less.
He had considered giving the command to Lord Bolton as the highest ranking noble, but he just couldn't trust him with what happened in the North with his bastard. He had brought the lord with him. Since his wound at the Green Fork he hadn't been the same. He had been even more silent and brooding than usual and whenever the North was mentioned he had been evasive. No more problems had arisen there, but he couldn't shake the feeling something was off.
Roose Bolton rode just behind him, together with Harmond Umber, Ser Donnel Locke and nobles from Houses Roote, Lychester and Goodbrook. Rickard Ryswell had command of the cavalry rear guard while Osric Umber and Lord Ryger had the center. In that manner they rode through the hills around Riverrun.
He had been really glad when they had managed to free Donnel and Rickard from Harrenhall. Both of them were pretty decent commanders and he could use them as he couldn't do everything himself. Other lower nobles had also rejoined their ranks and it made his army much more stable. The sad thing was that they had also managed to free multiple Freys, but you couldn't win it all.
As he rode closer and closer to the castle, he saw how an army camp had already established itself to the west of it. He easily noticed how it was much bigger than the force that had gone with Robb to the south. Sure enough, the banners of Riverland houses that hadn't been joined could be seen clearly. The banners of Houses Piper, Blackwood, Bracken and others flew proudly in the wind besides those of House Tully and House Stark.
He rode on silently, until he finally rode under the red sandstone gatehouse. He had never seen the castle before, but he had to agree it looked formidable. Formidable, but not that big. Another example of the weak hold the Tullys had over the Riverlands, multiple of their vassals keeps were bigger than their own. He thought as he rode under the raised portcullis.
A group of people stood in front of him behind the gate. He saw his king, the boy he had raised for years stood in the middle of the group in the courtyard to greet him. He looked both healthy and strong. The campaign had seemingly put some extra muscle on him. He wore a crown now and to his surprise he wore it with ease and authority. It seemed that the boy had finally grown into his role and had become a man and he was proud of him.
What made him even more proud, was to see both his sons standing right next to the king on his left side. His bastard brother stood as his effective right hand which was not so surprising. Still, his family had come far, and he was glad for it.
He jumped off his horse and strode towards his king. He went to one knee and bowed deeply. "I bring you back your army, Your Grace." He said with much decorum. It was the first time he saw Robb since he was crowned, and he needed to show all nobles he obeyed him just as much as the others.
He looked up and Robb smiled at him. "You do and you bring even more of them, considering the extra banners I see. Thank you, Lord Karstark."
He smiled back and nodded respectively, before getting up and walking over to his sons to hug them. It was a relief to see them both so healthy. He did note that his eldest son had a small scar on his left arm. He studied it for a quick second and came to the conclusion that it was nothing. it was the first time he saw his two remaining sons, since the news of Ed's death. He still mourned about his son daily but thanked the gods he hadn't also lost Torr that day.
Looking around, he noticed he couldn't see Osric anywhere. He knew he was close to his boys and he asked after him. He didn't want to have to explain to his cousin Arthor how he also lost a son.
"No, Os is fine father. He has been governing Ashemark ever since Robb left to take the Crag. He's doing a fine job and keeping parts of the Westerlands under control. I gave him part of our men to do so, while some Stark men also joined him." His heir told him, and he nodded. Os was fine and he was making a name for himself, that was good. It wasn't a duty that would get him fame, but it could still bring far. If he did it well, he would entice himself to Robb and maybe even parts of the Northern nobility.
Speaking of the fact, Robb joined in at that. "I might add that he's doing a damn fine job. I don't think we would be able to transport all the loot we got in the west without his organizational skills. Even after his wound, he has proven himself most useful. He has thrown himself upon stewardship and logistics and he seems to have a natural talent for it. He has a sizeable garrison with him and the Lannisters aren't making any moves yet so he's perfectly safe."
He was glad to hear that. He could even think of employing him at Karhold after the war or maybe Robb could do so at Winterfell.
He greeted the other lords, taking special care with his neighbors. House Karstark may have risen high, that didn't mean that they could become sloppy. After exchanging pleasantries with Lord Umber and his heir, Lady Mormont and her heir and Lords Glover and Flint, he signed Robb he was ready to go inside.
His king ended his own rounds, as he himself struck up some small conversation with the Greatjon and his two eldest sons together with the Manderly brothers. After a while, he was brought inside by his former foster son.
The two of them immediately went up the stairs towards the Tully solar, which Robb had apparently made his own. "I will have Harry and Torr brought in soon so we can really celebrate our reunion, but we have to talk first."
He nodded in understanding. He knew how hard it could be to rule over Karhold and its forces, ruling over not one but two Kingdoms and their forces and squabbling lords would be exhausting. Of course, state business came first.
They entered the solar and he was given a very comfortable seat opposite Robb's desk. He looked at him, as he prepared to speak. He noticed how that massive wolf laid itself lazily along the fireplace. It had grown much since he had last seen it at the Twins.
"It's very good to see you, Lord Rickard." Ned's son smiled at him.
"It's great to see you too, my boy. It pleases me greatly to see you have come this far." He responded and he meant it. The man before him looked like the boy he had raised for years, all Tully coloring as usual. However, for the first time when he looked at him all he saw was Stark. The way that he sat, spoke or gazed at you looked so much like Ned it was frightening. He also noticed one or two of his own quirks in there, but that might be wishful thinking.
"I have thought about you many times, my lord. All your lessons were remembered and applied multiple times throughout my time in Riverrun and the west. One especially struck through … sometimes you have to do thinks you don't want to, to keep your people and your family safe. Sometimes you have to make the ugly choices." His king spoke.
"Aye, … that lesson. You never liked that one, did yah?" He responded and Robb nodded. You could see in his face that it still ate at him, but he had done the things anyway. Good, a leader that didn't care about others suffering or, Gods help us, enjoyed it wouldn't do.
"Well, it's an ugly one but a very important one nonetheless." Now his former foster son agreed, albeit with some reluctance.
"Well, before we get on with the heavy stuff, I would like to ask you how my sons did in the west. I got letters from you, of course, but it isn't the same. I trust your judgement and I want to know what the future of my house looks like. Maybe I can still clean up some of the rough edges while I'm still here." He asked, smirking at the last sentence.
Now those blue eyes laughed honestly. "I already told you about your cousin Os. Now Harry was phenomenal. He is a great commander. First, he attacked one of the camps around Riverrun. He did so with great maturity and skill. He managed to keep both the Freys, Boltons and Ryswells in check while doing so which is no easy feat."
He nodded. "Aye, but he let some of the troops go, didn't he?"
"Aye, he did but he had by far the least amount of men in his attacking force. At first, we had wanted to leave the camp alone, but Harry refused. He demanded command if no one else was going to do it. You have to remember this was right after the Whispering Wood … Torr was completely consumed by his emotions but Harry, … Harry was different. Oh, he raged and raged but he channeled his anger towards the battlefield."
"He had the least amount of men, no back-up and the most awkward position to attack from. His attack on the camp took part in different stages and I saw the last one from across the river myself. The reason only so few were able to flee was due to Harry. That in turn helped us win Oxcross and later capture the Golden Tooth." The Stark in front of him finished.
He thanked his king for the generous words about his heir. "What of his campaigns in the west?"
"He led a raiding force along the coast. Did everything perfectly and there were no major problems. Later on, he and Torr aided Jon with capturing Sarsfield. Both served in a capable and dutiful way, he told me. His cooperation with the heirs of Houses Bolton, Mormont and Umber was exceptionally good, as well as with me and Jon." Robb responded.
He smiled back. "That's great news to hear, Robb." He said out of habit. He cursed himself internally. "I meant to say Your Grace, of course, apologies." He quickly added.
"Really, Lord Rickard? You too, of all people? You raised me for years and if that wasn't enough, I married your daughter too which makes us family. I won't be insulted if you call me by my own name." His son-in-law scoffed.
He smiled at that. It seems that his king had stayed humble. "I have to follow protocol, Your Grace. House Karstark has already received much, it wouldn't do for us to seem like stand above royal protocol." He replied evenly. He had to think of his house's reputation.
"As you wish." Robb waved him off. "To business it is then, my lord. How many men did you bring with you?"
"Some ten thousand Northerners and just over six thousand five hundred Riverlanders, Your Grace. Among those are just over a thousand Freys who fought at the Green Fork as well. On our march we were joined by Houses Roote, Goodbrook, Ryger and Lychester who make up most of the other Riverlanders. We were also joined by over a hundred men from Maidenpool who wish to join their young new lord here. Besides that, there are 300 men I voluntarily levied from around Harrenhall. I managed to arm them and give them basic training. I propose they either join my personal men or the men of House Tully as Lord Edmure's mother was a Whent and most will appreciate that."
His son-in-law nodded. "I'll take it up with my uncle. Any problems on the road?"
He shook his head. "No, none. I sent scouts dozens, some even hundreds, of miles south and east and none reported anything of note. The occasional band of broken men, but nothing else. Speaking of broken men, I have taken care of a few groups around Harrenhall. Hanged up the worst of them and offered the others the choice to take the black. Did the same with Vargo Hoat and his band of mercenaries. It gave us some goodwill with the local smallfolk, restored peace and hopefully strengthens the Wall some as well."
"You did well, Lord Rickard. The Riverlands and I thank you for it." His king smiled. "I heard you left some men at the Twins?"
"Yes, Your Grace. I left two thousand men from Houses Cerwyn, Glover and Flint of Widow's Watch at the Twins. I gave command to Robett Glover. The man is loyal and capable, and he will do what is needed." He responded.
"What is it that you think is needed, Lord Karstark?" Robb responded.
"First of all, the troops will help attack Moat Cailin from the south when the time is ripe. It is time we take back the gate to our home and sooner or later a possibility will present itself. Robett has been commanded to wait for it and take it when it comes along." He looked towards his son-in-law and he seemed to agree, so he just continued.
"The second reason is to keep House Frey in check. I don't trust them at all. Lord Walder is getting greedier by the day. He's also clearly annoyed on top of that. The dead of Daryn Hornwood and Edd has had him pushing for marriages to all our nobles, as he feels the terms aren't met anymore." He scoffed.
"He has been pushing me to betroth Harry, but I refused half a dozen times. I offered him Torr instead, but he greedily wants my heir. He has also been bothering Harmond Umber for a marriage and Ser Wylis Manderly and Osric Umber for betrothals for their daughters. When all of them refused he grew quite wroth. Even with the betrothal to your brother and heir he still demands more. Two thousand men on his doorstep will do him some good." He finished, quite satisfied as he thought at the old man's useless screaming.
"Hmmn, thank you for telling me, Lord Karstark. You did well to leave those men. I will monitor the situation but Master Robett was a good choice for command." His king replied. "How many did you leave in Harrenhall?"
"Thank you, Your Grace. I left a thousand under Ser Wyllis Manderly. All are men from his own levy, so I expect no problems there."
"Good, very well done." His king responded.
He nodded in thanks. "How did the Westerlands campaign go?" He asked.
"It went very well. As you probably know we captured, in order, Ashemark, The Crag, Sarsfield, Stackspear and The Golden Tooth. My brother Jon performed very well, personally taking Sarsfield and giving Lords Glover and Umber the possibility to take Stackspear. My uncle Brynden invented a plan to catch most of the Golden Tooth's garrison outside after which I managed to flip some Western nobles, most notably House Prester, until they opened the gates of the castle. After I might have managed to gain Lady Lefford's friendship, not sure." His former foster-son explained.
He mused over what he had heard. It was all good news in truth. The last part intrigued him. "How did you manage to gain her loyalty?"
"She has a few cousins who are vying for her titles. Two of them died in the battle were the garrison was drawn out. The others are being brought to the Twins as captives, far away from the most powerful western nobles while Lady Lefford stays here in Riverrun with some important countrymen. We have managed to capture hundreds of nobles, most of them women and children of smaller noble houses but some bigger fish as well. I am spreading them out across the northern and central Riverlands as we speak."
That was good. Maybe Robb's plan for the Westerlanders to start abandoning Tywin would be possible with Houses Prester and Lefford already walking the line. "What are your following plans?" He asked.
"I am in the middle of raising the levy of the entire Riverlands. I will scout out the border to the Reach while we march together to Harrenhall once everyone has been gathered. I will fortify the castle, but we have found a suitable place for battle not far away from it where we could repel a much larger army. If the Tyrells march, we could do something there. If they stay at King's Landing, I might send incursions into the Crownlands and the Reach to bait parts of their army.
"Back to Harrenhall, Your Grace? We just came from there?" He asked in surprise.
"Yes, back to Harrenhall, my lord. I planned this as a ruse to see how well the Lannisters and Tyrells will respond. Will they immediately sent reinforcements to the Westerlands and the North of the Reach when they hear me gather at Riverrun? Will they march on me with their force? Or will they remain in the capital? I want to see how fast they'll react and in what numbers and capacity." His king explained and he couldn't fault the idea.
"If I return to the raiding incursions, the Crownlands especially have been forcefully emptied by Lord Tywin and is ripe for the taking. If they haven't marched before that point, Mace Tyrell's pride will force him to come after us to protect his daughter's new kingdom. We will be able to force them to do battle then. The only thing that gives me pause is the presence of Lords Tarly and Rowan."
"Both renowned and experienced commanders …" He mused.
After which he continued. "Aye, no easy feat to defeat them. However, their morale is low. Especially the Westerlanders have been hit heavily. The Reach has suffered many casualties as well. The death of Ser Garlan and many of its nobles will have hit heavily. Many of their levy won't have been able to fight in the city yet and will be nothing more than flowery Southrons with fat bellies. If we force them on a tough campaign around the Riverlands, many will break or desert."
"Hmmn, they might. I'll think about it. All depends on what the enemy will do now. We'll establish our position, fortify some castles to possibly retreat to and strengthen our supply lines. Once they make their move we will respond in kind. I have been making the first moves in all my campaigns, they will not expect this." Robb replied.
"They won't." He agreed. It was a risk, but what wasn't? They could still adept their strategy once back in Harrenhall. "Any other news I should know about?"
"Yes, actually. We just received news from the Vale this morning. The other lords don't know yet, but I'll tell them tonight."
"And?" He asked.
"The fighting is escalating. House Waxley's forces have been defeated by the combined army of House Redfort and part of House Royce's forces under Lord Yohn's heir Ser Albar. Ser Edmund Waxley died in the fighting and much of his force was destroyed. His heir is a young boy, so the house is probably completely out of the war." His king started explaining.
That was great news to hear, not only was it one less enemy, it also was one less avenue of attack for the Vale enemies to attack. It would free many of the forces there. Just as he thought, his son-in-law continued. "After the battle, the Redforts joined the siege of the Eyrie. Together with these reinforcements, House Templeton, Hunter and Waynwood are preparing to attack the Arryn and Egen army at the Bloody Gate but no news has come from that battle yet."
"Ser Albar joined his father after the battle and he and his men have been turning the tides in the battles between Houses Royce and Grafton. Still no major battle has been fought but the houses are continually having minor clashes all over the border. There isn't too much else of note to tell except maybe that the Belmores are still being delayed by the Corbrays. Lord Yohn is starting to think they are secretly supporting the Arryns but he has no prove as of that yet." Robb finished.
"Well, that's still good news. House Waxley out of the war and House's Arryn, Egen and Grafton severely on the backfoot. If it continues like this the war may be decided soon." He summarized.
"Let us hope so. Some detachments of the knights of the Vale could greatly help our war effort. We'll see. As long as they win, I'll be happy. That'll be one less region for the Lannisters to try to corrupt."
"Aye," he replied, "we just have to focus on defeating those fuckers now."
Alys' husband looked at him and there was a hidden strength in his eyes, but also doubt. "Yes, we will have to do just that Lord Rickard, just that indeed."
"Aye, my boy, and we will." He responded. "Now, that all of that is out of the way, we can finally talk about what is important."
Robb lifted his eyebrow. "What is important?"
"Aye, my new granddaughter Princess Eddara." He smirked and the eyes of the man in front of him brightened as soon as he heard the name of his daughter.
"How do you feel about being a father?" He asked his son-in-law.
"It feels great but also strange. It feels somewhat unreal, as I have never even seen my daughter before. Alys writes me letters and tells me how she looks like, but it is not the same. I don't even know if I would be any good at being a father. Alys does everything now, when I come home my daughter will not even know me." Alys' husband replied honestly.
He walked around the desk until he stood in front of his son-in-law. He placed his hand on his right shoulder and looked into his eyes. "You're going to be a great father, Robb. I know this to be true. I have seen you with Alys and with your siblings, you will do a fantastic job of it. In the meantime, Alys will take care of everything together with your mother and your siblings. Alys writes me they adore their little niece, especially young Princess Arya and Prince Brandon. They will tell Eddara about you all the time. She might not know your face when you return, but she will know you." He said reassuringly.
The man in front of him, who was in fact almost still a boy when it came to things like fatherhood and marriage, looked at him intently. He nodded, but at the same time something gave way behind his eyes then. He slummed in his chair and started talking, the sadness and vulnerability clear in his voice. "Sometimes all I want to do is get on a horse and ride North, just leave all of this behind and go see my daughter. I never wanted this war, I still don't. I just wanted my family to be safe and to make father proud. Now father is dead, my family has been attacked at home and all the while I'm stuck here. At this rate, my daughter will be two or three years old when I return. She won't know who I am."
He then did something he had never done to Robb before and hugged him fiercely. His king was totally caught off guard, but soon answered it just the same. After a small while, he took a step back as he rested both his hands on his former foster-son's shoulders.
"Listen here, Robb. It's true you set out to keep your family safe and rescue your father. Well, your family is safe! I know what happened at Winterfell shook you, but the culprits are being hunted down as we speak. Winterfell has been reinforced and it will never happen again, your family is safe." He responded resolutely.
"It has even grown since you left, as you have a wife and daughter who joined the Stark family. You, and we all with you, also set out to rescue your father yes. He was a great lord and an even greater man. It was my privilege to serve him and an even greater one to call him my friend." He told the man in front of him, the last words said with a determination and sadness that even surprised himself.
"However, he isn't here anymore. All we can now do is avenge him and make sure everything he stood for is protected. He wanted the North strong, his family safe and honor and justice held up in a time of peace. The Lannisters threaten all of that. Do you think Tywin Lannister will rest before you, your siblings and daughter are dead? Maybe he'll even 'spare' one of your sisters to marry her off to some Lannister cousin or the other. He'll destroy the North, exterminate your family and issue in an era without honor and constant wars and rebellions."
He saw the man in front of him bristle at the mention of one his sisters married to a Lannister. Good, it didn't matter how it pained Robb to hear this or him to say this. Ned's son needed to hear this, because it was the sad and harsh truth. It was the world they would leave behind if they failed.
"If you give up now, the Lannisters won't have just killed the honorable and great Eddard Stark, they will have destroyed everything he ever stood for. They will try to destroy the Northern culture at its roots. Your father will be nothing more than one body in a pile of 'Tywin's great accomplishments'. Besides that, we will be more than likely be on top of that pile as well. The best thing you can do for your father, your daughter and your people is to fight this war and end it. No one will ever be safe as long as Tywin Lannister breathes. We will have to do battle and win, that's the only way to make sure your daughter will ever remember your name and that the people will ever remember your father's and all he ever stood for." He finished with a meaningful look.
He saw how slowly the embers of determination and spirit returned in the eyes of his son-in-law. Soon those embers seemed to erupt into a great campfire. Robb looked at him with what could only be described as a feral expression. All the while, Grey Wind had joined next to him and the similarities in their faces were even scaring him a bit, although he would never admit to it of course.
"I will, Lord Karstark. Thank you for telling me this, I needed this. I will end Tywin Lannister and all he ever stood for, like he wants to do with my father. I will do this for my father and the daughter we named after him. I will break his legacy to pieces while he is forced to watch. I will end his line and make sure they never rule anything, be it Casterly Rock or that damned chair in King's Landing. I will make his destruction so complete that no one will ever talk about the 'Rains of Castamere' anymore. Instead they'll only whisper about the silence on Tywin's unmarked grave." His king almost growled and for the first time he feared he had gone too far with the boy. That thought was quickly forgotten however, when he saw what happened next.
He saw how the man in front of him straightened his back and took a step back, so his own arms fell from his shoulders. He fixed the bronze crown on top of his head and those blue eyes looked into his own with determination, while he stroked his direwolf's head. "I'm sorry, Lord Rickard, but we'll have to postpone our reunion with Harry and Torr. I have work to do and a war to plan. If you would be so kind as to let the other lords know they are invited to a war council tonight? One hour before sunset will do it. You are of course also invited and bring Harry with you, if you will."
Stunned, he looked towards the transformation that had taken place in front of him. The man in front of him had gone from an insecure boy, to an enraged son and father until he became a king. Looking into those determined blue eyes, he was sure now that Robb would be the one who would give them their Northern independence back. Robb would restore their ways, who had slowly been snowed under by the Southron's influences since the coming of the dragons. Those eyes might be deep Tully blue, the look they gave him reminded him of the stories he had read of the 'Kings of Winter' of old.
He also knew another thing. He would do all he could to help him to make it happen. He would even give his own old life for it if need be. For at this moment, he truly believed Robb had it in him to give his children and grandchildren a better future than the one he and his father had had. A life where they needn't pay parts of their taxes to the south so they could organize flowery tourneys or squabble amongst each other. A life where the North took care of its own, a life wherein the Night's Watch would be strong and protect them from the wildlings and where all of them would be respected instead of being thought of as little more than savages by half the realm.
"Of course, Your Grace. If you have any need of me, you just have to call for me and I will be there." He said as he bowed his head slightly.
Robb nodded at him, before he stood up from the desk and walked over to the table with maps of the Riverlands, documents detailing troop numbers and scout reports spread all over it.
He lingered for a small moment, as he looked upon his king. After that he just turned around and left. All the while, he asked himself if he had given Robb the will to go on, or if it had been the other way around. Whatever the case, he knew he would follow that boy to the ends of the world and beyond.
That's it for this chapter!
This is more of a buildup chapter. The Northern/Riverlander army is gathering and you get a look into some of their troop numbers.
You also get the return of Rickard Karstark, completely from his own perspective. His interactions with Robb have long been anticipated, as the latter has greatly changed over the last 10-11 months. You see how Robb is going back and forth between an insecure boy of 16, a son wanting to do good by his father and the king he could one day become.
Lord Rickard will now be part of Robb's main (family) council together with Jon and the Blackfish. They are the men he trusts most.
Thank you so much for all your support, the amount of reviews on the last chapter was absolutely insane.
Fannic.
Reviews:
- Jon 'Fatjon' Umber: Thank you! What's the chance I make a future Umber child fat and have him called the "Fatjon"?
- Time Parad0x: This review is too long for here, so I have sent you a PM.
- Kuman: Thank you. As described in PM, it is Ser Garlan in canon. ;-)
- BlackWatcher1234: Yes, and definitely. The Reach has 4 main commanders now: Mace Tyrell (he's bad), Matthis Rowan, Randyll Tarly and Loras Tyrell (he's very proud). Their decisions will be very important.
I think Edmure has been adequately put in his place now. As it is now a direct order/with threat from his king, he won't dare to do so again. They will also start campaigning together soon, maybe that'll make a difference.
Dany her path is exactly the same. Canon wise she is now marching on Meereen from Yunkai. She lands at Dragonstone in the show, it's not certain she'll ever do so in the books or here. She might land in Dorne, the Stormlands or just the mainland Crownlands if she ever departs Essos with a sizeable enough force. Gulltown is even an option.
- Greatazuredragon: At the lowest point since Tywin broke the Reyne-Tarbeck rebellion at least. Olenna might have a lot of ideas, but I don't think she'll ever dare to hurt Tywin for fear of the whole war breaking down. She probably plans to off him when Margaery's reign is secure. Thank you!
- WarBerserk: I explained it in the comments of last chapter. Davos is still alive as the wildfire happens in the same way as in canon. He is presumed death, until he is found on some rock and brought back to Dragonstone. 100% canon. Davos entire story from there on will be told in full, but you'll have to wait a while for it.
- Osterreicher97: It is …
They have, but they still command an imposing 60k men in King's Landing and others in the Reach. Their demands with Tywin will have been higher at the initial negotiations though and may rise some more now. Tyrion's death will most likely please Olenna, as he is a formidable opponent.
No, they aren't completely out but she has no force left. In canon Salladhor Saan picks up many men (mostly Florents) and Stannis, Devan Seaworth (and presumably) Lord Alester Florent. Here they all die, which leads to more ripples. Shireen can't be beaten without the Redwyne fleet, but she is no threat on King's Landing or even smaller castles anymore for now.
Ships for the Velaryons will be the same and their lord dying on the Blackwater too. Celtigar remains to be seen as they'll lose the same amount of ships, but will its lord survive? The Lannisters will not be able to threaten Dragonstone for now that much is true.
- Wolflord456: Thank you for pointing that out. It was a mistake in chapter 30 and has been corrected. The Company of the Rose has been proposed before. I don't think it will make much of a difference. They will at most have 3-4k men and will be more Essosi than Northern by now. (Where do you think they would have found the women to create children with, so their company continues to exist?) I am still considering it, but it won't be a hail Mary like some think it would be.
- George Christian810: I actually loved Tyrion. He was super smart, not overly moral and he knew what the world was about. The quote "Never forget what you are. The rest of the world will not. Wear it like armor, and it can never be used to hurt you." is a classic.
Not much quarter was given as the Baratheons refused to surrender and they were supported by thousands of common people who don't know the honorable rules of combat, nor do they care for them. The Reach lost 10k men of their 70k. They still have 60k left. Besides their main commanders Lords Tarly and Rowan are still alive. They'll have to regroup and reorganize for a while but in time will be able to march again. By the time Robb hears this story the battle is many weeks old and they are already resting and reorganizing.
Loras never was the ghost of Renly in canon. He wanted to do so but didn't fit the armor, so his brother took the role in canon. It was the same here. Loras survived the fighting, as the sellsword would have known this death at least with his flashy armor.
- Mike3455: I have already planned out all the big lines of the story. I know exactly what'll happen, I just won't spoil things. No one is safe in the real world and I won't do major plot armor. He can survive, but he can also die just like in reality.
You're right about the Riverlands, but it is also a major boon in summer. They are very fertile and could feed the North through winters. He won't give up the Riverlands here. The North is already semi-secure, and he can still win against the Tyrells although he is outnumbered 2.5/1. The Freys haven't done anything here (yet?). ;-)
- Supremus85: HL? I suspect you mean canon? The Reach armies were the same as in canon, but they are weaker now. They lost a lot of men in the battle but are still very strong.
- Kingmaneana: The city is in complete disarray and has lost much of its population due to deaths or people fleeing away.
- Angeluszuko-z: Thank you! Who will be blamed? interesting question! Robb could try to hire them, but where would he send them to? He has no ports on the Narrow Sea under his control in the South. He could send them to White Harbor, but he wouldn't like mercenaries in his home.
- Jaimerey7000: Yes, he could but there are a lot of other possibilities as well. Rickard Karstark's taking of Harrenhall is explained here.
The Valyrian steel swords are interesting. I will keep an eye on it.
- Javi30: Thank you!
- Betmen123: Glorious death to all! Yes, they will, however the destruction is massive. Tens of thousands of men (maybe hundreds of thousands) have died or fled. It's not sure the city has the manpower to try this again. A lot of the city will consist of women, children, elderly and especially orphans now.
- Wolf's Pizza: I have answered you in PM, because my answer was too large for this.
- Force Smuggler: It will. It is now at the weakest point in centuries. Yes, no plot armor here. I hate it when good fics end with everyone alive. Yes, and problems among the Stormlords. They all only bent the knee to Stannis because he was Renly and Robert's heir after the former's death. With Renly alive, the Stormlords would have to obey him as their lord paramount and the confusion would be enough to shatter the line. He wouldn't ever join the Lannisters but confusion is enough.
- Max20.7: Thank you! I always try to do so. I'm glad it worked here!
- Iacopo Passerini: Thank you! Smelting the iron throne down into plows would be an amazing statement!
- Poly19hum: Thank you so much! I've really been trying to improve in that regard and I'm glad it is noticed. It does take a lot of work but it's worth it if I read the responses.
- DC01: Thank you! Troop numbers and location will be added the chapter after this one. However, you get a lot of the information in this chapter and the review section already.
- iMTheStormKing: Thank you so much!
- Robertthekingslayer: Exactly! I agree with your view on the North being conservative completely, although minor houses like Houses Wells and Whitehill probably also have Septs. Thank you so much for the compliment!
- Guest: Here is a magnificent timeline: spreadsheets/d/1ZsY3lcDDtTdBWp1Gx6mfkdtZT6-Gk0kdTGeSC_Dj7WM/edit#gid=8
We are now in the at the end of the 11th month of the year 299. I always mention the year with every chapter. Just know news doesn't always travel quickly.