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Chapter 19

Battle of Reach: Part 1

Robb found himself addressing the burial ceremonies respectively of his men who had fallen while taking the Castle of Crakehall. He had said a few words to honor their deaths and had even bestowed upon them medals Jon had came up with in the form of Winter Cross and Wolf Cross alongwith reserving some gold for their bereaved families back home.

It had made many common soldiers look upto him with deep gratitude, while the nobles lords had frowned upon the decision of distributing the looted wealth of the Westerlands among their fallen, a practice not carried out often in Westeros.

Thinking of his brother made Robb look at the White Wolf who always used to be by his side, but was now standing at a far distance and not looking at him after his decision to send Bran to the Wall to defend the North.

Jon was angry with him, and it showed when he silently marched off again once the ceremony was done to make preparations for their advance into the Reach to face the Tyrell reserves assembling near Highgarden.

It made Robb feel even more sadder as his thoughts drifted towards his siblings.

One sister had already fallen and now lived as a Direwolf, another sister had undergone untold trauma in the Capital and would never be the same once she reached Winterfell's safety, a brother he was sending off to War from which he may never return, another brother who stood beside him yet was estranged now more than ever, and his youngest brother who seemed nothing but a distant memory.

As the eldest among them all, it had been his duty to watch over them, protect them from the cruelty of their world.

A duty in which he found himself failing each day.

Many a man would envy the crown upon his head, but it was crushing him under its weight every moment.

He was so lost within his thoughts that he had already walked outside the Castle's Walls to reach the harbor where his forces had stormed through earlier, in silence he took up position at the beach and observed the vast sea in front of him.

Many of the lords especially the Northerners had been outraged upon hearing of the Wildling's impending attack on the Wall, what had shocked them more was Robb's plan to counter the threat. The Greatjon had insisted they march back North to deal with the threat, but Lord Bolton had rejected that boisterous idea as folly and insisted they had to deal with the enemies in the South first. Arguments had went back and forth until Robb had to forcefully step in and assume command making his decision clear and silencing any further squabbles.

Discontent and fear was growing within the army after hearing of the new threats, their campaign already being in a difficult position now more than ever.

His thoughts drifted towards his new wife- Roslin who was currently staying at Riverrun with Edmure. He had written her a letter as promised and hoped it would reach her soon enough to calm her worries. Would he ever see her again?

"Your Grace"

Robb looked to his right as Ser Barristan arrived beside him with a compassionate look in his eyes.

"Was I lost too much?" asked Robb with a small smile, making the veteran knight nod kindly.

"You looked a world away. What troubles you?" asked Barristan sincerely,

"You have served Kings and Princes before, Ser. There are many including Jon who disagree with my recent decisions, I promised my father I would look after our family, lands and people. Sending Bran to War was the last thing I ever wanted to do...if only I knew the price of Kingship was this...I am ready to die for my family and people anytime, but to send them off to war and death while I stay alive is something that burdens my heart greatly" confessed Robb sadly,

"A King isn't just born or declared, Your Grace. A true King is made by steel and suffering, this is your trial by fire and for all those who follow you including your family. The crown is not just a right, but a solemn duty to do right by your people, no matter how hard the decisions you have to make" advised Barristan solemnly,

Robb pondered over those fateful words as Grey Wind arrived by his side and nudged him with a soft whine making him smile.

Watching that boyish smile upon the King's face only reminded Barristan how young his monarch truly was. One who wanted to Win the Universe itself if what the Kingsguard had heard between Jon and Robb was true.

All of Robb's actions and victories only made Barristan compare him to Daeron Targaryen- The Young Dragon, a boy who became King at similar age and one who conquered Dorne to unite the Seven Kingdoms under the Dragon banner for the first time.

A reign that lasted just four years.

Daeron didn't have a dragon by his side, but Barristan watched determination arrive within Robb's eyes through his direwolf's support.

"Yes, I shall see this war through till the bitter end. When I think of all that I have lost and done, if I can't achieve victory then all those who died for me will have sacrificed themselves in vain. We march into hell and beyond, Ser Barristan. Get the men ready" ordered Robb with determination,

"At once, Your Grace" agreed Barristan with a firm nod, and marched beside his King back towards the castle.

Dacey found Jon working alongside her mother in organizing the supplies the army would need for its next offensive. It only made her frown since he was the leader of the Vanguard and was supposed to be with his own men, but had instead marched towards Maege Mormont when the King arrived to take a stock of their readiness to march.

Thankfully, the Greatjon who was next in command had taken over for Jon and addressed the King's questions while his brother sulked away from his mere presence.

She had a wild guess behind Jon's discontent probably being due to the King's decision to have Prince Bran Stark march alongside a good portion of Northern Reserves to the Wall to aid the Night's Watch against the Wildling invasion which was imminent.

Being an older sibling herself, Dacey could understand Jon's worries over this decision out of his love for Prince Bran...but this petulance was unbecoming of him, certainly not after what he had became for the King alongside the army now.

It was why she marched in his direction making her mother look at her with a raised eyebrow.

"I need a moment with Jon. Now" she all but commanded, earning a frown from Jon himself.

"Dacey?" he asked hesitantly,

"A moment alone" she said with gritted teeth, and was further frustrated when Jon dug in against that request.

"Whatever you have to say, you can say it in front of your mother" replied Jon calmly, which only made Dacey snarl angrily.

"Fine. Get your head out of your ass"

Of all the things he had expected her to say, this had not been one of them as he looked at her in shock.

"You are Commander of the Vanguard! Your place is with your men and by the King's side! We are about to embark on a dangerous campaign from which many may never return. King Robb needs you now more than ever and you have been running away from him at every instance" she scolded harshly, as her mother watched in grim silence adding further to Jon's shock.

"I am not hiding!" he denied vehemently,

"Do not lie to yourself, Jon! You can disagree with the King's decision, may even consider it a mistake for all it's worth because you have the luxury of not being responsible for our entire cause and all these men and women under the Stark banner! But Robb cannot run away from that burden! You grew up with the King, do you think he would hesitate in laying down his own life if it meant saving his lands and people?" asked Dacey furiously,

Maege Mormont watched as some of Jon's bitterness finally started to subside as he lowered his gaze from her daughter's furious stare. The lad was a stubborn and too honorable like her former deceased liege Eddard Stark.

"No, he would not" agreed Jon reluctantly,

"I have younger siblings like you up North. I wanted them safe and away from this war, but our lands are in danger. It is why two of them will march to War alongside Prince Bran. Do you think their lives are less important than your brother's? Do you think I and my mother do not fear for their fate like you do for Prince Bran's? Do my mother and I not want to march back North to protect our kin?" questioned Dacey fiercely,

Jon could not meet her gaze and continued looking at his feet until a firm hand was placed upon his shoulder by Lady Maege herself gently.

"Loyalty is easy to pledge but most difficult to follow through upon in trying times. We have our own worries for our kin and lands, but the truth is Prince Bran is the only capable Stark left back home who can address the threat in time before we ever could. It's not ideal or what even King Robb or any of us ever wanted, but this is War and there are no easy choices against the number of enemies we face at all fronts. Our King has never failed us once and we shall follow him till the bitter end. But you are the only family he has here, he needs you now more than ever or all of us are lost including your family back home" advised Maege sincerely,

"If you truly want to save your family and our lands from the Wildlings, then stand by the King's side to defeat the enemies in the South by any means necessary. That is the only we can save the North!" said Dacey with honesty,

Maege pressed on upon seeing the doubt still lingering in the young boy's eyes.

"I know it's hard to accept, but this is a temporary situation which all of us will help resolve to the best of our abilities. Don't lose hope and do not underestimate Prince Bran, he may just surprise us all. You Starks have a way of doing that" said Maege encouragingly with a reassuring smile,

"Mother, I do remember a young lad who came to us sometime ago with no battlefield experience with a desire to face the Mountain himself and for us to follow him into that suicide? What happened to the balsy lad?" asked Dacey with a smirk,

For the first time since his argument with Robb, there was a faint smile which arrived upon Jon's lips as he looked at the two Mormont women who had given him advice. They were brutal in their words and perhaps that was exactly what he needed to make peace with Robb's decision even if he disagreed.

"He's still here" he reaffirmed with a determined nod, earning a proud pat on his back from Lady Maege and a smile from Dacey.

"Never lose hope or succumb to fear, Jon. The odds will be against us always, but we will beat them together" promised Dacey,

"Coming from you, I might just believe it" whispered Jon with a gentle smile,

"You better" added Dacey with a faint blush,

Maege gave a light cough making the young warriors look at her nervously as Jon quickly made an excuse to seek out Robb and went off, nor did the leader of House Mormont saw the proud smile upon her eldest daughter's lips as she saw Jon march back with purpose.

"Are you fond of him, my daughter? Tell me truly" asked Maege frankly, making Dacey blush even more, but to her credit- Maege's eldest child didn't cower away from her probing gaze.

"I think so. He's a good man and a fine warrior, he saved my life and is honorable. But he's bound to the Night's Watch" confessed Dacey with great sadness,

"He is a good man and a fine warrior, I agree. Our King made him a true Stark and intends to seek his release from the Night's Watch and has written to Jeor at the Wall for it, if this is truly what you desire then I can write to my brother as well. It has been a long time since our House was truly tied to the Starks by marriage. But see if he feels the same for you my daughter, while you are my heir and are aware of your responsibilities including marriage to elevate our House's standing- I want you to be happy too" answered Maege with a brief smile,

Dacey was shocked and could only gape at her mother which made the older She-bear chuckle gruffly at her daughter's embarrassment, but it also ignited a blossom of hope within her heart.

Jon found his brother in his solar going over the battlemap to plan out their next move to the minute detail. Upon seeing his arrival, Robb looked at him with hope and some caution after how their last conversation had ended.

"Jon" he said simply,

"I still disagree with your decision of sending Bran to the Wall and think it's a mistake that puts his life in jeopardy" replied Jon frankly,

"I am not changing my decision, Jon" answered Robb with equal determination,

"I know, but I also understand now as to where you're coming from. It's not what we wanted, but this is War. Dacey and Lady Maege Mormont were quite blunt in explaining that to me" confessed Jon wryly, making a thin smirk arrived upon Robb's face.

"The Bear clubbed the Wolf, I see" jested Robb,

"Don't push it" warned Jon with a smirk of his own, as Robb came forward to stand before him and placed a hand upon his shoulder comfortingly.

"Help me crush our enemies in the South and I will find a way to help Bran more quickly once our forces are freed" promised Robb, making Jon nod tiredly.

Together they marched towards the map as Jon asked his King the plan to make such a miracle happen. To his credit, Robb had come up with some moves.

"Ser Lyn Corbray and his Scouts have brought in some interesting news. The Lannister-Tyrell alliance knows Highgarden cannot be allowed to fall or it will put their entire war effort in jeopardy. Willas Tyrell has already amassed a good number of reserves near his home, but they are pulling in more reserve forces from Old Oak, Red Lake, even Cornfield who are sworn to the Lannisters have sent men to Highgarden, so are men from seats of Goldengrave, Cider Hall, OldTown, Horn Hill and minor knightly houses nearby" reported Robb,

"They are leaving the seats of their bannermen nearly defenseless" exclaimed Jon in shock,

"It's a trap for us, Jon. Tywin wants us to waste time, men and resources in conquering those weakened seats which will allow Willas and his commanders to consolidate all their forces and whip them in shape as these are not the best fighting men of the Reach. The fall of Crakehall bought enough time for these seats to start sending their levies towards Highgarden and while the Houses near Highgarden have assembled their forces already under Willas- the men sent by Cornfield, Old Oak, Red Lake and Goldengrave are yet to reach Highgarden and are still on the march" explained Robb in detail, as he placed figures on the map basis the reports from their Scouts.

"They are spread out" realized Jon with an eagerness that made Robb smile,

"Exactly, together these scattered forces are made up of nearly 7,000 men. That puts our estimate of nearly 8,000 forces having already assembled at Highgarden already. Our first objective will be to fall upon these four scattered forces to destroy or route them.

Lord Templeton will be provided 2,000 men to fall upon the host marching from Goldengrove, while the rest of our 14,000 forces will descend upon the individual hosts that have marched from Old Oak, Cornfield and Red Lake. Once that is done, we will confront the forces at Highgarden before Randyll Tarly arrives with his 20,000 reinforcements. We need to capture Willas alive as he is the key to Highgarden and truly knock out the Tyrell's from this war leaving the Lannister's as our next enemy"

"There is also some good news for us. The Crag has swiftly fallen to a fine assault led by Ser Harrold Hardyng with limited casualties, our gallant young commander and his nearly 2000 men are eager for more action and I have asked him to link up with Lord Templeton's force as soon as possible. Once the levies from Goldengrove are routed, they are to raid nearby lands for supplies and destroy logistic centers. This 4,000 strong Strike force of ours will implement a scorched earth policy to deny Randyll and his reinforcements supplies and a clear path to reach Highgarden swiftly, while also acting as a screen for our main force. This crucial time will allow us to force a decisive battle at Highgarden, should we capture its heir and that seat- Randyll will have to lay down arms, retreat back to Tywin or risk a battle that could lead to death of their Kingdom's heir and I doubt Mace Tyrell would want that to happen" explained Robb in detail,

Jon looked at his brother for a long moment before giving his advice.

"It's a good strategy, but there are too many things that can go wrong. The odds are severely against us" cautioned Jon,

"When are they not? If we lose in Reach, the war is lost. We either win here or face annihilation- those are the choices. And I intend to Win"

Jon was stunned for a moment when he saw the unwavering resolve in his brother's eyes, which only served to harden his own determination as he placed a firm hand upon Robb's shoulder.

"Then let's get this done"

As the army was about to start its march in an hour, Robb and Jon found themselves catching sight of a small group approaching towards Crakehall. The new arrivals were a group of some fifty men, most carrying the Bolton banners alongside a handful from House Umber.

Jon squinted his gaze and saw a giant of a man, as fierce and tall as the Greatjon himself leading the party.

"Smalljon has arrived it seems, just in time" said Robb with a pleased smile, upon recognizing the most fiercest of his personal guard galloping towards them with the Boltons following his lead.

"He was never one to miss a good fight" replied Dacey with an amused smirk, making the King nod heartily.

"The one beside him is my baseborn son- Ramsey Snow, Your Grace. He has arrived just as you ordered to prove himself worthy of becoming my heir with your blessing" reminded Lord Bolton calmly, as he stood beside members of Robb's personal battle guard and other prominent lords.

"That he has, Lord Bolton" was all the Stark King said in reply with caution,

"That's the Hound! What the hell is he doing here?" asked Jon in shock, and similar questions were visible upon everyone's faces as they saw Sandor Clegane as one of the men in the approaching group.

Robb didn't answer right away and instead marched towards the edge of their camp making the others follow after him quickly, the new arrivals reached their location soon and swiftly dismounted to kneel in front of Robb respectfully.

The Greatjon himself watched his usually boisterous heir having a somber expression upon his face as he looked at their King.

"Your Grace, I am here to seek your forgiveness. While we managed to rescue Princess Sansa from King's Landing, I lost most of my force including loyal members of your personal battle guard. If not for Sandor Clegane, our mission would have failed completely. Whatever punishment you deem fit, I shall accept" said Smalljon truthfully,

Even if they had known about the casualties from the letter Smalljon had sent to Robb sometime ago, Jon saw the personal confession from the man himself reopen old wounds, as for a moment he saw Robb's sad gaze searching for the friends and companions who never returned from that doomed rescue mission.

"Owen Norrey and Theon Greyjoy rescued the Princess and Theon personally killed Ser Ilyn Payne in the process- the Royal executioner who murdered Lord Eddard Stark on Jofferey's orders. Owen and Theon alongside few others stayed behind to buy us time to escape with Princess Sansa, they sent Payne's head as a final tribute of their service to you alongside the Princess's rescue" reported Smalljon somberly, as one of the Umber men behind him showed the rotting head of the former Royal Executioner as proof which Ser Barristan confirmed once belonged to the mute Stormlander.

"Greyjoy did that?" asked Jon in surprise and respect, and saw his brother clenching his fist bitterly.

"Theon was a Greyjoy...and he was a Stark. My father raised him like a son, the fact that he rescued our sister and got justice for our father proves they were all true heroes. Smalljon...did they die well?" asked Robb sadly,

"To the last man, Your Grace" replied Smalljon with an earnest nod,

Many of the lords and soldiers nearby watched in silence as the King walked forward and gently grasped Smalljon by his shoulders to make him stand back on his feet much to the younger Umber's surprise.

The heir of House Umber went on to explain in detail of what exactly happened in the suicidal mission as their King and supporters listened in stunned silence. Many looked at Sandor Clegane who stood off to the side gruffly not kneeling with mild acceptance when Smalljon revealed the role he had played in Sansa's rescue and how he had abandoned the Lannister's.

Jon himself was left speechless upon hearing in detail how Theon had personally volunteered without hesitastion alongside Owen Norrey and other Stark men as rearguard to cover Sansa's escape alongside Smalljon and the Hound among few others.

The selfless act from a Greyjoy of all people was enough to stun nearly everyone and make Robb desperately fight back a lump in his throat. Overcoming his grief, the King squeezed Smalljon's shoulder reassuringly.

"They will be remembered, my friend. Their deaths were not in vain and not your fault. Honor them the only way any of us can- with this against our enemies" said Robb as he pointed at Smalljon's sword earning a vengeful nod from the giant Umber.

"I will, Your Grace" promised Smalljon fiercely,

"Your service and those of our fallen will be rewarded, Smalljon. Same goes for you, Sandor Clegane" said Robb decisively, as he looked at the Hound who stepped before him without any fear or hesitation and looked straight into his eyes making many tense up.

"Theon was my friend and I will honor the reward he promised you for saving my sister from the Lannister's. I do not know why you abandoned your masters, but your help is nonetheless much appreciated. See to it he is given the gold promised right away" ordered Robb without hesitation, earning a firm nod from Maege Mormont much to Sandor's surprise.

"This Stupid giant kept on saying you Starks honor your promises, glad to see he was not full of shit" admitted Sandor grudgingly, earning a knowing smirk from Smalljon.

"That we do" replied Robb simply,

"Who killed my brother?"

Just like that, the tension was back again as nearly everyone was aware of the legendary enmity between the Clegane brothers. Jon felt a voice within his heart demanding him to step up, so he did just that.

"I did"

Jon didn't flinch when Sandor's dark glare landed straight upon him, alongside shock there was also anger and maybe a bit respect in those merciless eyes.

"You took down Gregor?" asked Sandor in disbelief,

"I had help" replied Jon, as he patted Ghost who was standing beside him earning a menacing stare from the wolf right back at the Hound who to his credit didn't flinch away.

"He was mine to kill" he growled angrily,

"It's done"

Robb and many others were impressed by the steel they heard in Jon's stern reply as he looked at Sandor Clegane without a flinch as Nymeria and Greywind arrived beside Ghost and its master to glare coldly at the giant of a man who finally got the message.

Whatever bitter words Sandor wanted to say further were silenced when he saw the three menacing direwolves standing protectively around the boy who killed his brother. Perhaps, he could kill one of the beasts but was sure to get mauled to death brutally by its remaining packmates.

If the thousands of Stark forces didn't butcher him first for trying anything on the King's brother.

"Gregor was mine to kill, since you stole that from me- I want something else apart from the reward" said Sandor bitterly,

Nymeria growled furiously and took a few menacing steps towards the Hound making him reach for his sword only to stop when Jon grabbed the wild beast's fur in a restraining manner.

There was a clash of will between the beast and the Stark which the boy eventually won by levelling an equally fierce glare at the wolf who much to everyone's shock reluctantly backed down.

"What is it?" asked Robb cautiously, while trying to ignore what Nymeria was about to do.

Why did Arya have such enmity for this man apart from the obvious reasons?

"I've had enough of the Lannister's and their stupidity. They kept me from seeking vengeance against my brother for what he did to me, if they win this war then I'll meet a face worse than death at the hands of that little shit of a King of theirs. Before they kill me, I want to kill them. It's the only thing I'm really good at" said Sandor with great reluctance, as he gestured to his sword.

"You want to join forces with us since it's the only way left for you" said Lord Bolton calmly,

"He could be a spy, Your Grace. Get into our ranks and relay critical information of our plans to his real masters or betray us at the right time" warned Dacey, earning a hateful glare from the Hound.

Much to her surprise, Robb disagreed.

"He's a brute but also a warrior, not a trickster or a spy. I will accept your request to join our ranks against the Lannister's, but only if you swear loyalty to me. I don't feel you believe in the old gods or the new, or honor, so make your oath on something you truly care about, Sandor Clegane" said Robb seriously,

The King ignored the ripple of shock that passed through his supporters including Jon, but his keen gaze was fixated solely on the Hound who looked at him strangely for a long moment.

Finally, the Hound nodded and reluctantly knelt before the King and laid his sword at Robb's feet.

"Vengeance and Survival. The Lannister's stole my life's purpose by forever keeping me away from ending Gregor's miserable life, so I wish to get my revenge on them for that mistake and ensure my own life gets spared in the process. If you can give me that- then my sword is yours, King Robb Stark" said Sandor Clegane frankly, earning a firm nod from Robb in return.

"That is a vow I can respect and accept for it matches with atleast two things I am fighting for myself. Arise and be welcome, Sandor Clegane. Together we shall deal with the Lannister's the only fate they deserve" promised Robb earnestly, making the giant warrior offer a brief nod as he got back up on his feet.

Robb's attention lingered on the new warrior in his ranks for a brief moment before he heard another minor commotion making him look back towards the front.

A group of Bolton men were kneeling in front of him, with the one in the front being an ugly young man.

"Ramsay Snow at your service, Your Grace. I came to offer you my service as commanded alongside few of my companions" said Ramsay with a smile,

Despite the decent armor on his self, the bastard of House Bolton gave Robb a very strange feeling. He was big boned and slope shouldered, with a disturbing fleshiness on his body. His skin was pink and blotchy, nose too broad and hair long and dirty from his travel. His wormy looking lips only made the smile he was offering more disturbing than comforting.

But it were the eyes that truly proved he was indeed Roose Bolton's son for Robb could never forget the small pale eyes that were so cold.

He could feel Roose Bolton's stare from behind, both at himself and his bastard son which only made him decide not to draw out his reply anymore.

"That you did, Ramsay Snow. Lord Bolton has requested me to consider legitimizing you and make you House Bolton's heir. I wish to see the kind of man and warrior you are before making my decision. Prove you are worthy of this title by fighting for me in the next campaign and then we shall see. You and your men will be placed under Lord Roose Bolton's command, I trust that will be acceptable- Lord Bolton?" asked Robb seriously,

Roose Bolton nodded in satisfaction making Ramsay's smile grow even more wider.

"I swear to make your enemies regret standing against you, Your Grace" promised Ramsay eagerly,

Robb merely nodded and gestured for the bastard and his men to join their liege lord before turning towards the rest of the army.

"We march into battle once again!"

(One Day Later)

Under the cover of darkness, Jon hid amongst the vast treeline dotting the Ocean Road. Behind him were nearly 3000 cavalry from their Vanguard. Lord Umber, Dacey and Ser Wendel were seated upon their horses nearby him.

"This reminds me of Oxcross" commented Ser Wendel with a smirk,

Jon couldn't disagree for their entire army had made a forced march from Crakehall and completely bypassed the seats of Old Oak, Red Lake and Cider Hall. Few in their ranks wanted to attack and plunder the nearly defenseless seats of their enemies, but the King had been stern with his command to be focused on their real target.

By nightfall and several miles later, they had reached the part of Ocean Road leading towards Highgarden which was still several miles away.

Their target were the 4,000 strong levies sent by Old Oak, Red Lake and Cider Hall to aid their enemy's defense.

The Stark army was tired from their forced march, but so was the enemy who had marched even harder and faster to escape from the clutches of the approaching Stark forces.

But men on foot who were just levies mostly, pulled out of farms and other walks of civilian life were not trained soldiers who could endure such hardships of war. It reflected in the way their makeshift camp for the night was so poorly defended, even their sentries posted on overwatch looked ready to collapse from exhaustion instead of keeping watch out for any enemy attack.

Whoever was the enemy commander had made another critical blunder as his forces had setup camp nearing a lake which left little room to manevoure or escape in the face of a decisive night assault.

The Stark forces were waiting to deliver exactly that.

"THE KING IN THE NORTH!"

The Greatjon beamed with pride when his heir's fearsome battlecry echoed through the entire area followed by the sound of thousands of horses galloping forward straight towards the enemy camp's front entrance itself. Leading the charge was Robb himself with the Smalljon loyally riding beside him.

"Charge!" commanded Jon with determination, as the Vanguard cavalry emerged from the right flank with equal ferocity.

Their foot under Lord Bolton also emerged at the same time on the left flank with a small flotilla of boats full of archers led by Lady Maege approaching from the other side of the lake.

The pincer move was executed perfectly at all fronts.

Unlike Oxcross where the Lannister reserves outnumbered the Stark forces, the scenario here was the exact opposite as 14,000 Stark men descended upon the 4,000 Reach and Western levies with vengeance.

Before the cold steel of men could cut down the enemies, they were set upon by a large pack of wolves led by three fearsome Direwolves that ripped their sentries and the men in the frontal barracks to pieces.

Fire arrows rained down upon the poorly constructed camp under the command of Lady Maege from the Lake.

Whatever resistance the enemy wanted to offer was shattered before it ever could be formed when Robb led thousands of Vale cavalrymen headfirst through the front of the camp. Dozens were crushed under the onslaught mercilessly, the unlucky ones were then given the cold edge of steel to end their short lives.

When Jon and Lord Bolton descended upon the flanks with all their might, the massacre was nearly complete.

Young and untrained levies dropped their weapons or shit their pants as they were killed where they stood, hundreds more tried to run and jumped into the lake to swim to the other shore for safety- only to meet an unfortunate end when Lady Maege and her fleet of boats skewered them with arrows.

In less than half an hour- the 4,000 reinforcements heading towards Highgarden were nothing but corpses.

No quarter had been provided to a single enemy fighter as the Stark forces efficiently and coldly completed the massacre.

The horrors of War must have hardened Jon's heart for he only had a grim look upon his face as he saw the thousands of dead young men all around him. Many had expressions of horror and despair etched upon their faces, hundreds more had shit themselves before dying.

Whatever glory he had once imagined to be sought in War had by now completely vanished.

The only solace within his heart was the fact that all this bloodshed was necessary to protect his family and people.

He saw similar expression present on Robb's face when he finally reached his brother's side. The King was silently watching their men now collecting the dead for quick burials or funerals, while looting their supplies and gold with eagerness.

"It's done, Your Grace" reported Jon somberly, making Robb nod heavily.

"Our next battle won't be this easy and may just decide the fate of our entire War. Either we win there or what happened here tonight will be our fate as well" said Robb seriously, making Jon grip the reins of his horse even more tightly.

"Highgarden"

Author's Notes: End of Chapter.

Hope you guys liked it.

Really sorry for the long wait, I was caught up in relocating to a different city for work which took up most of my time instead of writing. Next chapter is probably going to be the biggest update of the story yet in terms of size and the various War fronts which I intend to cover in detail.

In all the fics I have read in this fandom so far, I have never seen a Battle of Highgarden between the Starks and their enemies. It makes me excited to write it.

There are a few more characters I will cover next chapter, the foundation of their own actions had been laid out earlier which will now come into action.

Let me know your thoughts! Review, please?

Until Next Time,

Blackwolf501

PS: Next update will be released within this month, have already started working on it!