A/N: What up invaders, Matthewstaffordlionsfan17! Before we begin, I'd like to tell y'all this is a long chapter. It's about 8k just for this chapter, so if the entire things seems unpolished it was such a large chapter that I didn't have enough time to apply the best polish ever. Also I tried my hardest to make characters act in character, but I wanted to get Stafford into a large battle after watching the first episode of Season 7 of Game of Thrones, and then afterwards rewatching the episode trying to find good ways to screenshot my laptop so I can photoshop Max Irons from the White Queen to add my OC in. I mean when you write fanfics you get attached to your own characters and you want to do a blood sacrifice just to add them to cannon. However, that can't happen, so I wrote one giant chapter so I can cope. The chapter takes place in the Riverlands in Stafford's campaign through the Riverlands and it is his first major battle in the Riverlands. He does battle with his grandfather, and while I may have slightly miscalculated Tywin's force, we're just going to say he had about thirty thousand five hundred to spare after he gets rekt by Robb, as if Tywin had less than that, this battle wouldn't be possible, and I really just wanted to write this chapter. This chapter takes place after Tywin has already retreated to Harrenhal, and takes place about a month after Pinkmaiden Hall has concluded. This is to speed up time a little to give Stafford (aka Max Irons) a chance to age to seventeen before the events of ACOK end. Please bear in mind that he also meets Catelyn this chapter, and while I tried my best to keep her in character when she interacts with Stafford, I thought I really didn't do a good job this time of accomplishing my goals. However, I do hope you all enjoy the chapter, and if y'all can leave your charming feedback, please do so. The next chapter will be a hybrid POV, as we will focus on some of the events that happened in Storm's End and then some of the Essos events. Also the iron fleet will arrive on schedule for this rendition.
DarkHarmony312: I can't reveal my intentions handling Robb's fate, but I'm glad you enjoy the fanfic. I mean Robb will have the next Westeros POV after the hybrid POV and the Essos POV, but I believe the war is coming along nicely. However it is still early and the Ironborn haven't even been factored in, so stick around. Thank you for your kind review.
(PS if you PM my please contact my email matthewstaffordfan69 if you want to get a quicker response. I barely check my PMs these days so just shoot an email if you want a quite response. Sorry for the long blurb)
Enjoy!
Stafford
Battle. The clashing of steel, the test of wills, and the baptism by fire. True warriors relished their chance to test their mettle in combat. Squires and lesser known knights aimed to prove themselves to others through the struggle. But Stafford didn't just fight for the glory and the prestige that comes with prowess in the battlefield. It was only part of it, but not all of it. He loved- No,cherished battle. Every time he heard the song of swords, his heart beat with excitement. When he is confronted with an opponent, he was driven by instinct to make sure his opponent falls. Though many called him brash for his actions on the battlefield, such as charging headlong into wall of shields, or riding his armored war horse into weak pike formations, Stafford felt that the battlefield was a place he was born for. He wasn't sharp in regards to books and intelligence, he wasn't the most well versed in the intrigue of the royal court, and he definitely wasn't prepared to manage an entire house. But one thing he did know how to do was fight, and it also helped that he at least had enough charisma to lead his men. Stafford knew however, that he had not seen the true nature of war. It was true everyone was in high spirits after winning a string of skirmishes as the secured the area of any remaining invaders as they retreated towards Harrenhal. Lord Eldon had suggested that they keep pressure on the Lannister forces as they fall back to Harrenhal. They had fought what seemed like raiding parties sent out by the Lannisters. Stafford recognized one of the raiding parties as being led by Vargo Hoat, who had managed to retreat when Lord Eldon had managed to lure his forging party into trying to plunder a village. Instead of a helpless village, Stafford had personally led a detachment of seven thousand against a small raiding party as a show of dominance in both numbers and strength. The cavalry that came to raid were all done in and massacred save Ser Lorch and a few survivors. These rousing victories like the victory in Pinkmaiden castle, and the ones against the raiding parties, were minor, but nonetheless instilled confidence in the men.
Stafford had participated in every engagement in the Riverlands and he was proud of that fact. In order to win a war, leaders had to participate. While he was younger than most if not all of the men under his leadership, he knew he had to demonstrate vigor and an unyielding bravery in combat lest his men not respect him. His father always told him that the most important thing a leader had to do was earn the respect of his men. Once you have their respect, they'll have a much easier time bleeding for your cause. Every day, Stafford still wished his father hadn't died the way he did. He had to admit he was probably only close to his father, because they were interested in the same things. Stannis even told him he acted like his father from during the war too. He was a presence in his life, even though he probably never meant to be. Stafford told himself every day as a young boy that he would be the same as his father. He heard the tales of an unbeatable Robert Baratheon on the battlefield, and in his heart he already admired all of the tales woven by bards about his accomplishments. When he grew older he saw his flaws, but he still admired his father. He was proud that he was his father and despite the many, and there were many shortcomings his father had, he knew that his father was a good person. While his father probably wouldn't like what was happening how he and his brother were fighting amongst one another, he knew that his father would think he was growing up to be a better man. Father, I will do the best I can to return this realm to peace as you once did long ago.
Stafford and his men had been camped sixty miles outside of Harrenhal, applying pressure on anything that got out of Harrenhal. They had been dispatching raiding parties that Lord Tywin had been dispatching to forage the Riverlands. The battles were minor, defeating these raiding parties put immense pressure on Lord Tywin to either retreat his armies, or risk an open battle with the large army. Sixty miles was a safe distance to where they couldn't be targeted by ranged machinery, or any hit and run raiding parties to try to weaken the force. When news reached the scouts that an unusually large amount of forces were approaching the campsite, led by Lord Tywin Lannister himself. Lord Tywin had quite a bit of manpower, most likely about twenty five thousand or thirty thousand men. He was probably trying to test how powerful his army was. Stafford doubted that Lord Tywin was sending all he had, his grandfather was far too smart to do that. Lord Tywin wanted a fight, a fight he shall have. It would be the first large battle, Stafford would be participating in, something that excited Stafford. He was an inexperienced young warrior, but he was eager to prove himself in a real battle. But before that, he had to undergo an almost mind numbing preparation. Something that he didn't quite like.
"Lord Tywin has decided to leave his seat in Harrenhal to confront our armies directly. The scouts state that a majority of Lord Tywin's remaining host will be participating in the battle," Ser Cortnay stated.
"How much?" Renly stated impatiently.
"About thirty thousand, according to some sources he probably has a minimum of five thousand held back in reserve, who are staying to garrison Harrenhal," Ser Cortnay replied.
"Why would he confront our armies? We have almost sixty thousand men at our disposal, do they not see the threat we pose?" Stafford knew that he wasn't the brightest, but an advantage like that was large, and debilitating to the opponent.
"Lord Tywin seems to underestimate our forces. He thinks we lack the experience his troops have already experienced in the war. Lord Tywin has fought in major battles and he probably also doubts the prowess of our commanders," His uncle Renly responded.
"Not to mention we must also hold back about an eighth of our forces in reserve, meaning that we might not have as large an advantage in terms of numbers," Lord Eldon stated while examining the map on the hastily placed war table, "But we're also on the defensive, which gives us numerous advantages." Now that his uncle, Renly and his grandfather had enlightened him with those variables, it seems the odds were even. Lord Tywin really was a master tactician. Even if he lost the battle, he could do a strategic retreat back to Harrenhal before enough pressure can be used to generate a full rout. At the same time, the advantage could be even, as Lord Tywin's men had been fighting longer than his men have been fighting. There was also no denying that Lord Tywin probably had better commanders than the short staffed army Stafford had.
"We'll show my grandfather that it is a mistake to test a charging stag in battle," Lord Eldon, Renly, and everyone present in the strategies tent all nodded confidently.
"Let's begin the technicalities of plan. First, we will split an eighth of our into two to form both of our reserve. One of those halves will stay here in camp to be our reserve, and the other half will hang back from our main force to serve as our main combat reserve," Lord Eldon explained.
"This means our main host will consist of about forty eight thousand men," Renly observed, "Stafford, you will lead the center, while Ser Cortnay will lead the front during the initial clash. If they try attacking from the sides, they'll have to face me on the flanks." Stafford also understood there were lesser nobles and other experienced commanders helping keep the men rallied while the main commanders fought to prevent disorder from hindering the battle.
"Sounds good to me, if you'll excuse me..." Stafford said hurriedly, trying his best to leave now, so he could get ready for battle. Tactics meetings were boring, and Stafford hardly contributed to any tactical knowledge, because if he did it might end up hindering the bottom line.
"Hold there, Stafford. We are not finished," Ser Barristan responded as he noticed him trying to leave. Looks like he was stuck here.
"Anyway, the plan is to make an impenetrable wall. The front flank will use pike and men at arms to form a defensive wall against all cavalry and infantry. The entire force will slowly advance on the enemy and maintain pressure. The center will gradually replace the fallen on the front and slowly, but surely we'll drive the Lannisters off the center of the battlefield," Lord Eldon started moving some figures on the map representing our armies.
"As long as my axe breaks enough bones and tastes the flesh of Lannister Men at arms, I'll do whatever plan you propose," Stafford grumbled.
"Just don't get yourself killed. You are the reason this army is fighting, you know," Renly reminded him.
"They won't touch him. As long as this Kingsguard stands, no one lays a finger on our king," Ser Barristan swore.
"If all goes well, we'll focus our reserve on the center and send them routing. That would be the best case scenario," Lord Eldon stated. Lord Eldon motioned what he just said on the board, "Although, I doubt the battle will be so one sided. We're on the defensive after all." It didn't matter if they were attacking, defending, seven hells even both at the same time, the Lannisters would be paying a brutal toll engaging his army. Stafford would be seeing to that personally, and he had no way of knowing what his actual reactions were until the battle began, he was confident he could hold his own during the stresses of this combat situation. The Lannisters would be leaving the battlefield battered and bruised. But there was an irony that stuck into Stafford's thoughts. Technically he was the leader of his forces and he was due to his mother also part of House Lannister. So it could be seen that the Baratheon host was commanded by a Lannister, which put a smile on his lips.
"When can we expect to bash steel with my dear grandfather?" Stafford asked enthusiastically. The sooner his axe tastes battle, the better.
"Since they began march according our scouts before dawn even broke, we will converge on the site of battle by mid afternoon," Renly stated. Stafford suspected as much. As soon as they dispatched the small scouting group, and they had spotted the host commanded by his grandfather, everyone in the camp knew that they had a fight on their hands on this day. This battle would be the first battle of this scale that this army would face. This would be their first test in combat.
"We've been talking strategy for awhile now. I think it best we stop for now and prepare ourselves for the battle to come," old Lord Estermont added. Lord Estermont, despite the fact that he was in his later years was going to be commanding the rear in the coming battle. Stafford however, felt that his grandfather was a valuable asset to his cause.
"Finally, I know it's has been such great entertainment exchanging battlefield tactics with you gentlemen, but I have other things to attend to."
"Like writing his dear Lady Stark. Honestly, that's all he does besides train. The messengers going back and forth from Storm's End never catch a break," Renly japed much to Stafford's slight embarrassment.
Before Stafford could respond, a soldier came into the tent, which Stafford recognized as the guard. He wondered why he would enter the tent.
"What is it?" Stafford demanded impatiently as he wanted to prepare for the battle as soon as possible.
"My Lord, there's someone outside, who wishes to speak to you," the guard stated.
"Whoever it is will have to wait until after my preparations. There is a battle that needs fighting," Stafford stated. These interruptions were interrupting all of the necessary preparations that needed to be made before a battle of this magnitude had to take place. While Stafford felt that sharpening his axe, oiling his armor, and doing all those repetitive tasks as droning chores, he knew that keeping the condition of his weapons and making sure his mind was as prepared as it could ever be before doing battle could mean the difference between life and death. Stafford wanted to make sure he didn't meet his end out there in the battlefield.
"My Lord, I beg you to reconsider. Robb Stark has sent his mother as an envoy for-" before the guard could speak Stafford interrupted him.
"Pardon me, but did you say Lady Catelyn Stark has arrived in camp as an envoy? Why wasn't this brought to my attention sooner?"
"My Lord, she had just arrived with her escorts an hour or two ago. You were hard at work strategizing, so we decided not to bother you."
"Alright, tell her I'm ready to see her with my dearest apologies that I have kept her waiting," The guard nodded. His advisors and officers within his army were waiting intently for the envoy to enter. Soon enough, she did. Lady Catelyn entered the strategies tent with no guards of her own. She wore simple, but formal clothing. Her dress wasn't the most fashionable, but it presented her in a respectable manner. Her face reminded him of Sansa, which quickly conjured images of her waiting for him in Storm's End to return from the war. It got even worse right before any battle he had partook in. He would always see flashes of her face right as the enemy approached them or when they were approaching the enemy. I'll come back, I promise.
"Lady Stark, I apologise for the wait," Stafford said courteously, "Gentlemen leave my uncle and I to speak with her." Everyone nodded and left the room. All except Ser Barristan and Ser Cortnay, who stood outside of the tent to keep watch. The only people left inside the strategic preparation were Renly, Stafford, and Lady Catelyn.
"It's been quite some time since I first saw you in Winterfell. You have indeed changed since then, everyone is. Why even my Robb seems to be riding off to war now."
"I wished we could have met on better circumstances. But enough with the pleasantries, you came here to speak to us and speak we shall," Stafford stated. Stafford pulled up some seats for them, and motioned for her to sit across from the table. However, she remained standing, which Stafford didn't really think much of and took a seat. Renly did the same.
"I understand your men are preparing for battle against Lord Tywin. I wish you luck in your endeavors," Lady Catelyn stated. Clearly she was well informed when she came here, or she could notice that every man in the camp was preparing for a the battle. All the sharpening of swords, axes or whatever weapons on the grindstone, and all the pounding of hammers all as they mended whatever imperfections their armor had could be seen and heard for miles. It was clear that the men were at least preparing for battle.
"Same to you and your son. We face the same enemy, and I think it would be most beneficial for us to come to agreement with one another," Stafford stated.
"We have many things we can offer to you, Lady Catelyn. We guarantee that our armies can place pressure on the Crownlands, withdraw and assault the Westerlands, and much more," Renly added. The lady took a breath and looked like she was contemplating to herself. There was a lot to think about. They planned to make the North and independent kingdom, and however nice that may seem, Stafford and Renly both knew that they would not allow them to separate from the kingdom. The kingdom would be united under one king, and this king was going to be Stafford. There will not be multiple kingdoms in Westeros like the time before the Conqueror.
"Indeed you do, but before we discuss agreements or alliances, I want some information," she stated eloquently. Her voice had a certain conviction behind it that resonated through the medium sized tent, "You stated in the letter you sent to my son that my daughter, Sansa Stark was in Storm's End. I want some answers as to why this is." Renly and Stafford looked at one another. Stafford knew that this would be quite a hard thing to explain to her. But they knew that they would eventually tell the truth about what transpired in King's Landing. How Stafford had no idea where Arya, the Stark he was originally betrothed to Stafford in Winterfell, the one he had broken that all important promise to. About what transpired during the escape during King's Landing.
"I won't hide anything from you. If I want to be your ally, I have to be honest about what happened and why your daughter ended up in Storm's End," Stafford began. Stafford began to elaborate on the events in King's Landing. He started from the very beginning, about when they arrived in King's Landing and how he spent time with both Arya and Sansa, who was being ignored by Joffrey most days. He told her of all the tournament and how the dynamic of his relationship with her changed, and confrontation that resulted in Stafford breaking his promise to Arya. He had trouble talking about that moment, because every waking moment in his life he always regretted having to hurt her like of Stafford even blamed himself mysterious disappearance from the Red Keep shortly after all those events went down. Afterwards, he talked about the execution, which the lady clearly intently listen to. He told of the partially failed plan of extracting Lord Eddard and Sansa from the unplanned execution, and of course what had happened to during the event. How Stafford failed to protect him after he almost tasted death or serious injury from Sandor Clegane if it weren't for Ser Barristan's timely arrival. Finally after all of that he discussed the voyage to Storm's End and eventually the beginning of his campaign in the of which led up to now, all of which led up to the battle against his grandfather Lord Tywin and the arrival of Robb's mother. Renly would even help fill in certain details along the way. Renly would give his insight while Lady Stark would sit there politely listening to what he and his uncle had to say.
"And that is all we have to say. I know it might be hard to understand right now, but I'll answer any questions you may have," Stafford stated. Renly shifted in his seat a little.
"So if I understand your story correctly, the reason why Sansa is in Storm's End is because you took her from Joffrey when my husband was murdered," Stafford nodded and so did Renly, "And you do not deny that you did this because you harbor a certain affection for her." Stafford paused for a second knowing full well that she would ask this after all that had happened.
"I don't deny that. In fact to tell you the truth, I will confirm these suspicions and rumors that have been spread throughout the realm. I would give anything to keep her safe and make her happy, until I meet my end or this world does," Stafford stated. He started to feel a little uneasy. Before Renly could back him up with more words, Lady Stark spoke.
"Are those the same words you said to the one you were originally betrothed to?" She responded coolly, her voice like steel. Stafford definitely felt that he deserved some of the reaction. He admitted it, he broke his promise to her other daughter Arya. Stafford knew that she had always been his friend, even when he had arrived in Winterfell and Sansa was still attached to his brother, Joffrey. He had hurt her, and he every moment he hated himself for it. Stafford knew that he had taken her for granted, and when he took a swift blow to the face from her when he literally turned his back to her, even with Sansa's comfort he knew that he would never break a vow again.
"Look, I know after all I have done, breaking betrothals, abandoning friends, and all the selfish things I've done, I know you wouldn't want to trust someone like me. I would be lying to say I'd never do something like that again. I admit it, I'm a selfish person, I don't do what I do to gain the approval of others, I do everything for myself. But from the time I spent with Sansa, I-I know that when you give care and time to others, you truly know how horrible it is to be selfish. Please, I know after all I've done to you and your family, how I fractured the relationship between our houses, and might have even caused Arya to go missing, give me a chance to make it up to you by being your ally," Stafford pleaded. He could notice that even Renly was moved by this rousing statement. Stafford didn't really even try to make himself sound like that. He just tried to be honest, because he knew in his heart that it was not up to him anymore. Stafford knew that even if he was honest with his feelings, he cannot guarantee that Lady Stark would understand or even forgive his actions. Stafford wouldn't blame her, he had hurt Arya, badly and although he tried his best not to.
"While I find your actions far less than agreeable, and I might never find it in my heart to forgive you for hurting someone in my family, we shall put that in the past. And we cannot change anything that happened in the past, something your father never really understood," Lady Catelyn stated with an unreadable expression on her face, "Whatever wrongs you have done to my family and all the actions you have must be laid aside. The primary threat to both of us are the Lannisters. They have both wronged us and it is true that an alliance between our causes would be most beneficial indeed."
"So does that mean you will support us then?" Renly asked with anticipation in his face.
"That is not for me to say. My son, King Robb Stark alone holds the power to make such decisions. I am simply an envoy, but the mere fact that I am here indicates that he has at least some interest in supporting your cause," She explained. An envoy was only a representative sent by a Lord or King in their stead. It was true that envoys rarely came to sign agreements or forge alliances, but if you manage to convince an envoy that your cause is worthy enough, they will be able to arrange an audience with their liege. Then the forging of alliances could truly begin.
"Regardless, Lady Stark, I thank the gods you gave my nephew and I, a chance to discuss the war," his uncle Renly stated.
"I wouldn't have come if I wasn't interested in forging an agreement with both our sides. In truth, I believe due to your manpower, you may be the key to my son's victory against the Lannisters. More importantly, you also hold the safety of my daughter, Sansa in your hands," Lady Catelyn explained, "You stated in your letters that you can take her to us."
"Of course, once we finish dealing with my grandfather, and providing your son allow us to meet our armies in parley in the Riverrun, we will make arrangements for Sansa to visit you and your son," Stafford stated trying to sound as polite as possible. Stafford knew that Sansa's family was worried about her. They haven't heard from her since their escape from King's Landing.
"Visit? I thought you would return us to her so that she may be reunited her family,"
"Ah, I should have probably told you this from the beginning-" Stafford stated but before then Renly interrupted. He didn't know why Renly had intervened, but as soon as he did Stafford felt as if he had been saved by the Gods.
"What my socially inept nephew is trying to tell you is that he and your daughter have both agreed to marry when the time is right," Renly stated. Something he was about to say, but it would have ended poorly with his lack of skill in these kinds of scenarios. However, Lady Catelyn remained hard to read at this moment. She had a solemn, almost composed look on her face. It seems she was truly remarkable at keeping her composure.
"Marriage? Neither of you have announced your intentions to her own family! And after what you have done to my other daughter, how can I trust that you will even stay true to her?" Lady Catelyn exclaimed, voice sharp as glass but calm. Stafford could tell she was upset, but she didn't screech her words, her tone just got more firm and slightly louder. But if someone didn't know the context of the conversation and just heard this, they would probably not understand what is going on. She was clearly addressing Stafford, and he knew that his past actions would not really help that much.
"No doubt you might be upset, my lady. But it would be better if you looked at this," Renly stated. Renly produced something and before long Stafford recognized at as a sealed letter. His uncle gave it to Lady Catelyn, who looked quite puzzled as she took it.
"What is this supposed to be?" she asked his uncle. Stafford was as puzzled as her, he certainly didn't know what it was.
"It's a sealed letter, addressed you. It was given to me by your daughter before we left for Storm's End," Renly stated.
"How come I didn't know about this?" Stafford asked quite confused that Renly had received this letter from Sansa.
"She gave it to me two evenings before we left to march to the Riverlands. She told me not to open it, tell you about it, and give it to either her mother or brother, whoever we meet first. I guess the gods have destined that we all find out its contents now," Renly stated. After some time, Lady Catelyn unsealed the letter, and rolled the parchment open. She began to scan through whatever was written, as soon as she could. Then as expected, she looked up at the both of them, who had been sitting there waiting for her response.
"This is her handwriting, and-it tells me all I need to know," She stated as she rolled the parchment back up.
"What do you mean by the that?" Stafford asked curious.
"From the way she wrote this, I can already tell that she loves you. But I have to speak to her as soon as I can," Lady Catelyn stated. Stafford didn't know what was written, but it seemed to have moved her slightly, "I will ponder a little bit in your camp. I will see you again after battle to discuss all this, before I leave to return to Riverrun." Lady Catelyn immediately got up, said her farewells to both Renly and Stafford and left the tent. Stafford and Renly looked at one another.
"So, do you think we'll ever get an audience with Robb?" Stafford asked Renly. Renly smiled.
"Of course, by the look on her face all we need is to prove that we are truly an asset in a battle. Whatever Sansa wrote to her mother swayed her, and now it is time for us to persuade the Starks on our side, through battle,"
"Finally, something lively. I was starting to bore of all this talk,"
"Then you better prepare, nephew, we have a war to fight," Renly said as he put his hand on Stafford shoulder. And so our fight begins.
The calm before the battle is always the most unnerving. The time after the conversation with Lady Stark passed faster than he had expected. He had to prepare himself mentally, as prepare his gear, making his last minute adjustments before the battle. As the host on the defense, all they had to do was wait. They were in formation, a rugged defensive formation formulated by their best tactician Lord Eldon, who was commanding the rear in this battle.
The battlefield they had selected to meet the Lannisters in was an level dry plain. This was hard to find in the Riverlands as many of the plains in the Riverlands were everglades. Stafford sat on his horse in half plate flanked by his Kingsguard consisting of Ser Barristan and Ser Bolling. He definitely needed more knights in his Kingsguard, which Ser Barristan had brought up. There were plenty of knights in his army qualified for that status, so Stafford would deal with the lack of Kingsguard after this battle ended. Not that it mattered. Stafford would gladly take Ser Barristan, Ser Bolling, and Ser Cortnay over all of Joffrey's current kingsguard. He was in the center of the army, not in the Frontline, which had their pikes and weapons at the ready to receive the challenge of the Lannister opposition. He even had the Bastard of Sunspear, Odyn Sand fighting with the infantry in his center, with a lugged spear in hand ready to fight. He had fought in all the battles, and Stafford really didn't know why he had decided to fight in his army and not go back to Dorne. The bastard really was quite odd, in Stafford's mind. The men were eager as the stood in their ranks and files waiting for their chance to meet their enemy. This army had not ever tasted defeat, and Stafford wanted to make sure they would not taste defeat on this day.
Soon, Stafford saw the Lannister men in the distance approach the men. As they got closer, the calm and quiet Stafford's men had experienced had been drowned out by noise of the clanging of boots on the opposition. Stafford saw Ser Cortnay on his horse riding back and forth to the men in the frontlines shouting words of encouragement to the his host. His army clad in the colors of black and yellow, with their banner of a black stag on a yellow background flying in the air, gave cheers as Ser Cortnay spoke.
"Men we stand at the threshold of the greatest battle of our lives. They say they fight like Lions on the battlefield, but even a lion will quiver in fear at the sight of charging stag! We will show them who is the true king of the battlefield, and we will show them the true meaning of what it means to battle!" Ser Cortnay roared. The cheers erupted not only from the front, but to the flanks as well. Lord Eldon had also selected a position where behind them there was an impassable ridges and hills. They were protected from getting flanked from behind, so they truly had to fight. They also had nowhere to run if they broke, so it gave the men the extra urgency to keep fighting, as their lives depended on the success of the battle.
The Lannisters continued to advance as their red-gold colors shimmered as they approached the Baratheons. As they advanced, Stafford could not get the images of what he was fighting for out of his mind. Every time a battle was to take place, his mind would always drift to his beloved. Not only her, but to his promise that he would return to her as a king and she shall be his queen. Stafford looked left and right and saw himself surrounded by the formation of the endless sea of men under his command. The clanging of armored footsteps grew louder, and Stafford knew it was only a matter of time before the first blows of the battle would be exchanged. They had waited on the side, and knew since they would be defending they would give up some ground to the Lannisters. At least that's what was said during the tactical meeting. The Lannisters were planning to put themselves on the aggression, as it was their best opportunity to fight the Baratheons. While it might seem counter intuitive to charge at a much larger force, a smaller force could not stand up to a charge of a larger more aggressive force. According to what his advisors told him, it would be a folly not to use the great mobility a smaller army had to assault them. Not to mention their fewer number makes them less susceptible to arrow volleys when they charged.
Almost at an instant, the Lannister host halted. They were close enough for Stafford to see the weapons of the frontline of the Lannister men. The men were armed with bows, and Stafford didn't have to be a genius to know what they were intending to do with those bows. The Lannister's were close now, and he could see the hosts armor gleaming in the late afternoon sun. Their banners waved behind them, as the mood and atmosphere turned much more serious. Stafford made sure to hang back, because once they arrows flew he had to make sure he was out of the way.
"Shield wall!" Ser Cortnay stated as he went behind the first few rows of his men to be out of the range of the incoming ranged attack. The men morphed into a wall of shields from the front, with spears or whatever weapons they had sticking out from behind. Then the sky was suddenly filled with darts from the above. They looked like small birds as they flew at them at a fast speed. Stafford put his shield up to make sure that he didn't case he got hit. He was far beyond the men in the frontline that were most likely to be hit by arrows, but he didn't want to be killed by a stray arrow ending any chance for him to ever sit on any throne. He couldn't fight if he was dead.
The sound of arrows hitting wood, metal, and even flesh could be heard as the first volley hit the Baratheon host. It was surprisingly effective, as Stafford had seen some men falter and some scream as they were hit by arrows. Another volley came, and then another volley came, but the men held strong as they received more arrow hits.
"Archers!" Stafford heard Ser Cortnay yell from the front. He was supposed to be in his Kingsguard, but the lack of competent commanders in the frontline forced him to command the frontline of the Baratheon host. Stafford could hear the simultaneous draw of the men as they prepared to fire back at the host. The sound of arrows being let loose invigorated Stafford for some reason. He couldn't use a bow even if his life had depended on the outcome of the shot, this meant the retaliation had begun. The Baratheon arrows flew through the air and hit their targets. Now it was their turn to fall, because of arrow fire. Stafford saw some of the Lannister men fall as they were hit by arrows. This was effective, as for some reason the Lannister archers did not respond quick enough to get behind their wall of shields when his host responded to the volleys of arrows. Each side continued to respond with arrows, and even Stafford could tell the Lannisters were being cautious about not over committing to the host by attacking them. The battle was relatively even when they fought like this, as this was the type of warfare Tywin Lannister was used to fighting. If they continued fighting like this, Stafford would lose men. This was where being a good tactician would be most auspicious for him, because he had a loud voice to order his troops to do things. However, if Stafford had given his tactical insight in this situation, his men would probably be slaughtered by the Lannisters. So he was reduced to giving his men words of encouragement as they traded arrows.
"Come on! Hold firm, were not letting these so called lions shoot us down from afar-" Stafford boomed as two members of the shield wall both took arrows to the face. At least they were brave enough to fight in the frontline. Stafford could see the flanks tense up as well when he looked to his left and right flank. There was no enemy charge coming for the flanks, Lord Tywin seems to be keeping his most of his offensive force back, which was a smart man. Lord Tywin wasn't stupid enough to blindly charge his army. He would whittle down Stafford's army as much as he possibly can, and then charge at him when he thought the time was right.
"We can't let Lord Tywin pin our men like this. This might be risky, but Stafford, order the men cautiously advance towards the Lannister line. If they're not going to attack, we'll give them a reason to," His uncle Renly stated on his horse, while observing the enemy lines with a pair of binoculars.
"Hear me! Advance towards the Lannister line! Take the fight to them," Stafford exclaimed. Stafford could even hear how his voice seemed to carry through the battlefield. Even Renly was startled a little bit when he gave the command. His army, with some hesitation, advanced. Ser Cortnay and the rest of the commanders repeated his commands as his army advanced. Slowly, but surely and taking a few casualties from the aggressive push, Stafford's line had come close to melee distance with the Lannister host. Stafford could now see where Lord Tywin was, as expected he was in the rear just observing the battle with his entourage. Renly didn't even need to use binoculars now to observe enemy formation. As expected, Lord Tywin's formation had wanted to stay back, and somehow they had caught him off guard with the command to advance. The host took more casualties as the field behind them was filled with men, who had been riddled with arrows. However, they turned the momentum of the battle and got close. Renly hadn't planned to use the tactic this early in the battle, but they had executed it well. They had somehow become the aggressors, and used Lord Tywin's cautious fighting style against him. It's time to see how well your army can fight Grandfather.
However like the springing of a trap, the Lannister men sprung into action. The archers immediately retreated to the back before, the Baratheon men at arms could swing their weapons at them or charge in at them. The Lannister men led an uncharacteristic counter charge with brutal efficiency as they slammed into the Baratheon frontline. Stafford saw them pour into the front line, as the archers kept on firing at them as well. The battle continued to escalate as they fought for control of the battlespace. Since it was a plain all that could be heard were the clashing of swords, shields, and the roaring of the men. The battle continued and the Baratheon men were being pushed out, and taking losses due to the ferocity of the Lannister men. Stafford knew that their aggressive advance had caused them to be a little vulnerable. However, the center where all Stafford's cavalry was would prove useful now. He himself led his personal guard, which numbered six hundred, as well as his kingsguard. Renly gave him a look and he knew what it meant.
"Stafford, let's do this! You know what to do," Renly stated as he prepared his flank. It was a formation that had never truly been tested in battle, but if might work.
"Cavalry, hear me! Full charge on the center! Commit to their front and center lines!" Stafford yelled as he put his horse into full gallop. Stafford would use shock tactics. They were in a loose formation in a shape of wedge given room by the amount of men in the frontline had been cut down by the Lannisters. The Lannisters might have expected the center to break as well, but they did not anticipate that their was cavalry ready to catch them off guard.
Stafford and his men collided with the front and the men at arms were not a match by the crashing wave of men that had slammed into their line. Stafford wasn't the best tournament rider, but the one thing he was good at is riding at a high speed while sweeping enemies with his axe. Stafford's fully armored war horse was untouched by the weak attempts of pikes to kill and dismount Stafford. The rest of his men followed behind him, as they struck down the Lannister infantry. Lord Tywin was smart, the only way to face a cavalry charge was to hold them off with infantry and then turn the tide when they had lost the momentum of the charge. However, Stafford and Renly had expected this. As Lord Tywin threw more troops at the cavalry hoping to score kills especially with pikes, he had left his troops mainly archers vulnerable. Not to mention their rear was also uncovered. So Renly's men, who were originally the right flank of the host slammed into the back of the troops that tried to hold off the cavalry. This gave a chance for the broken front line of the Baratheon host to reform. Stafford had seen this all in real time, while he was busy cutting down Lannisters from below. Stafford's axe had sung the greatest song it ever had today as Stafford swung it from his mounted position. Each time he downed an opponent, he got more invigorated. His Kingsguard responded to the call as well, just like the battle in Pinkmaiden Hall, except this time it was mounted. The fight for the center could have easily been placed in a ballad, but in the end, the Baratheon's were able to use their numbers to literally slaughter the ones that had been trapped in the small box by Stafford and Renly's maneuver.
Stafford continued to fight experiencing the thrill of having to fight against the Lannisters. Stafford took in all the sights in his battle. He took in every kill, every detail, even the arrows the narrowly zipped past him. The exhilaration he felt as he and his warhorse began to work simultaneously with one goal in mind to wreak havoc on whatever was in front of them. Each time his axe made contact with the armor or even the flesh of his opponent, and the sounds of the clashing swords and roars of soldiers. His weapon was his instrument and he was the bard. In battle it each opponent were like one more road that needed to be crossed, each decision felt like one more risk to take. Stafford lived his life like there was only one more move to make. Every fiber of his being was focused on anyone who stood in his way. Stafford knew to that in battle is was kill your opponent, or meet your end because of your opponent. And that made the game better in Stafford's mind. Everyone fought their hardest to prevent their opponents from having their way with them.
Stafford and his men continued to push the aggression. Their opponents had been driven back far from the center, and Stafford had taken most of the battlespace. However the peculiar thing was that the Lannister host seemed to have no intention of bending. So Stafford knowing this made a quick observation. He was stunned to find out that the backline of the force, Lord Tywin and his guard were nowhere to be found. Stafford could see their army well beyond the horizon line. Lord Tywin knew he could not retake the battlefield, so he retreated with a slight majority of his men to prevent full rout. Lord Tywin had pulled off another brilliant tactical maneuver. However, this left a leaderless host at mercy of a large army to cover their retreat.
"Full charge! Concentrate reserve, at the center!" Stafford roared. The reserve cavalry was the first to slam into the collapsing Lannister line. Stafford and his center line bashed straight into the line, as they took the full battlefield. The victory was as good as theirs, "Yes! GET IN THERE!"
Before long even the remnants of the what had met them in the battlefield had either died or surrendered. Stafford, Renly and all important commanders and their charges all reformed at the center. The reserve was put in charge of chasing down any stragglers they may have missed. After a bit and as the dusk set in, his commanders finished up their head count.
"So what are the damages?" Stafford asked Renly.
"We lost roughly seven thousand confirmed and another one thousand went missing. However, our friend Lord Tywin paid dearly for it. From their dead body count, which hasn't even finished yet they lost about half of their force," Renly stated. This was a victory indeed, a somewhat costly one which now put his host closer to forty five thousand, which was still large, but it will probably make his host more cautious. One things certain, Stafford's host would not be taken lightly now. They had just one their first major battle.
"We best head back to camp," Ser Barristan suggested, "Wouldn't want to be part of an ambush would we?" Stafford laughed, as he rallied his men to start the march back to camp. Dying in an ambush after such a rousing victory was not appetizing in the least bit to Stafford.