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Chapter 60: Aftermath and Edmure.
🕑 Added 2024-09-16 17:11:24 +0000 UTCRiverrun.
Robb Stark.
“What are our losses?” I asked Torrhen Karstark, who had finished tallying our forces and the newly acquired prisoners.
“It was a resounding victory, Your Grace,” he replied with a wide smile, before frowning. “But even so, we suffered losses… Over five hundred dead, and a thousand injured.”
“What kind of injuries, Torrhen?” I asked.
“Of the thousand injured, six hundred won’t be able to continue with our war effort,” he shook his head. “At least not without the help of Lord Sylvyrn and his people.”
I nodded with a deep frown on my face. War was a costly effort, and it hurt me knowing so many of my people died, even if they did so for a good cause. I quietly observed the battlefield from the top of the castle, the bodies littering the expanse, and I felt bile rise in my throat. I was the one who caused most of the deaths, and that sickened me.
But I couldn’t waste time with my angst; I had two kingdoms to take care of and a bunch of enemies surrounding me. I didn’t know much about the moves the rest of the kings were making, and I needed to be in top shape for that.
“What about our prisoners?” I asked, even though I knew the answer. I had been using my swarm to make sure nothing dishonorable was happening on the grounds since I knew tensions were high. But thankfully, I didn’t need to intervene, at least for now. Since the army here consisted mostly of Northerners, they weren’t as angry as the Riverlanders.
“They are behaving themselves,” Torrhen snorted. “I’m not sure if it’s because of the guards or the damn insects buzzing around them.”
I huffed. “I need to make sure everyone knows what would happen. I’m doing it for all our sakes.”
“If they are to fight alongside us in the future, they need to know I’m not a bad king,” I shook my head. “There are more important things for us than some bloodthirsty Riverlanders.”
“Aye,” he replied. “I understand, Robb. But there will be a moment when you won’t be able to stop them. The Riverlands have been burning for weeks; there’s no way to control them all.”
“I know that,” I snapped. “But that doesn’t mean I won’t try to stop it.”
Sighing, I turned my back to him, once again looking at the battlefield. Thankfully, the fires had been controlled, so I didn’t need to worry about that, but I still needed to go down there and pick out the important corpses before burning the rest.
I knew it was customary in Westeros to retrieve the bodies of the defeated, but I would only do so for the lords and knights.
I didn’t know what my next moves would be at the moment, so I needed to consult the council after we dealt with the Lannisters here. For now, we would rest before marching tomorrow to help Edmure. I wouldn’t take the whole army, as we needed to protect the capital.
“What about the Lannisters?” I asked Torrhen. “What have they been doing?”
Torrhen snorted. “Nothing at all, as far as Tywin is concerned. He knows he’s too important to harm, so he’s been relaxing in his cell.”
I shook my head. To be honest, I was impressed with him. He had lost completely, and he had seen my power in action. I would bet my kingdom he was already coming up with countermeasures, and if he couldn’t, he was surely thinking of ways to save his family.
He deserved my respect, even if he was a complete ass. I knew the most important thing to him was his family; his own life wasn’t worth much compared to that.
“And Kevan?” I asked.
“He’s been more vocal,” Torrhen shook his head. “But, as I said, they’re behaving.”
“Bring Kevan to me,” I ordered. “There are some things I want to discuss.”
“At once, Your Grace,” Torrhen nodded, and with a shallow bow, he left my side.
As soon as he left, the next guard took his place, and I shook my head. My friends—best friends, really—were very protective of me. Even though I kept saying nothing would happen to me without me finding out beforehand, all of them rebuked me, their king, insisting I couldn’t stay alone for even a minute. I didn’t know where they got the gall to say something like that to me, but I couldn’t deny it felt good to have such loyal friends, even if it pissed me off sometimes.
“How are you doing, Dacey?” I asked with a smile. She had been such a wonderful friend during this war, giving it her hundred and twenty percent in everything she did.
Before saying anything, she walked next to me and gave me such a tight hug that I felt my ribs crack. “Thank you for saving me, Robb,” she smiled. “I didn’t see that bastard sneaking behind me. I truly thought I was dead for a moment.”
Returning the hug with equal force, I patted her head. Even though she was older than me, she saw me as a dependable big brother. “You know I would never let anything happen to any of you in my sight, Dacey. Before being my guards, you are my friends—my family.”
I felt her shaking a bit, probably remembering the Lannister soldier brandishing his sword at her, and I could see her eyes starting to mist. “I am your king, Dacey. Trust me, I’ll do my best to keep you all safe.”
“Thank you,” she smiled prettily. “Really, thank you, Robb. I don’t know how my mother would react if I didn’t make it back home.”
“But even knowing it would hurt her, I would give my life to keep you safe, Your Grace,” she smiled again. “We really need a name for the guard,” she frowned before pouting. “I wouldn’t like being called a Kingsguard. You’re better than the last kings and deserve something more imposing.”
“Bah, you can think of one while you're alone, I don’t care much about that,” I snorted. I didn’t see the need to focus on that while we were in the middle of a conflict. For now, I needed to wrap up things here in Riverrun. We captured Tywin's entire army during the battle, but that didn’t mean much since we were blind to the situation south of Riverrun. We didn’t know if more soldiers were marching to join the main host through the Golden Tooth or anything like that.
That was why I was waiting for Kevan before making more plans. I needed to have a serious talk with him and also have him check the dead before we started disposing of the bodies. If there were any high-ranking persons among the dead, we needed to make sure we did the right thing. As for the rest? Individual burials for our people, and burning the dead from the Westerlands.
As we talked, I saw Kevan being led toward my position by Brynden. My great-uncle had been busy with the aftermath of the battle, and I should have been too, but honestly, I didn’t care much. That’s the importance of delegating things to trusted people. If I tried to be involved in everything, I was sure I’d end up mad.
My great-uncle had done a wonderful job during the battle. His men cut through the Lannisters and delivered a devastating blow to their morale. Finding out they were outclassed and in the middle of a pincer attack was what broke the camel’s back. Besides that, from what I’ve heard, he was the one who decimated the commanders, having killed the Strongboar in single combat. Even if that wasn’t that impressive, thanks to Strongboar’s missing arm, he also killed Emmon Frey and defeated Tywin.
They weren’t great fighters, but the importance of their names wasn’t insignificant. He’d earned a lot of praise, and I could see the bards writing songs or poems about the Blackfish.
Looking toward the door that was opening, I smiled at the new arrivals.
“Congratulations, great-uncle. You’ve brought justice to the Riverlands,” I nodded.
“Justice will be served when these pigs end up dead,” he grunted in reply, pushing Kevan inside the room.
I took the moment to inspect the Lannister lord as they entered. He was disheveled, and his attire was in disarray. But what caught my attention was that he wasn’t afraid. He hadn’t been killed during the battle, and he either thought he was worth more alive, or that my honor, instilled by my family, wouldn’t permit me to harm him now that the battle was over.
It wouldn’t stop me, of course. If I ever saw the need for him to die, my "honor" would be the last thing I’d think about before cutting off his head. But to be honest, Kevan Lannister deserved to live. He was one of the few people with that last name I respected, and I knew he could be useful in the future.
“Is there a reason our guest is wearing different clothes than before?” I asked with a frown, even though I already knew the answer. I couldn’t let them learn more about my abilities than necessary, so I had to keep hiding certain things, like my range.
The Blackfish snorted, “He needed to change his small clothes. I think he had quite a fright during the battle.”
I shook my head, trying to rid myself of the image. That wasn’t something I wanted to picture.
“How have the Riverlands been treating you, Lord Kevan?” I asked him in a mild tone. I wouldn’t start this conversation with threats.
“They’ve been surprisingly polite,” he replied just as mildly, watching me like a hawk, trying to see through me.
“It’s good that my men follow orders,” I smiled, showing my teeth. “Could you imagine what would happen if my men acted the same as the Mountain and Ser Amory Lorch?”
He visibly slumped his shoulders. “No… my lord… I don’t want to imagine that.”
“Good, good,” I replied. “It’s better this way. We can avoid so many difficulties when our men listen to orders.”
“Now…” I continued, “You know what to expect as my prisoner?”
“Aye,” he replied. “I won’t make things difficult for your guards, Robb Stark. I don’t want to see a repeat of that battlefield.”
“I’m sure all your men will be just as tame,” I snorted. “But yes, you’ll be taken care of, and your men will go north and join the Wall.”
“But before we determine your fate, I need you to do a simple task for me,” I continued with a calm face, showing that I wasn’t going to ask for anything unreasonable. “I need you to follow a retinue of my men and gather the bodies of the important people in your army so we can return their remains.”
Kevan opened his mouth to ask something but thought better of it and nodded. “When you return, I’ll ask some more questions before you can go back to your cozy little cell, Kevan Lannister. I give you my word if you behave, nothing untoward will happen to you. Make sure you tell your brother that.”
“Thank you,” he replied firmly, and with as much dignity as he could feign, he walked outside where another guard started leading him to the battlefield along with some soldiers.
“It’s been a busy day,” I sighed, taking a seat in one of the chairs my men had set up while I was here.
I signaled Dacey and my great-uncle to take a seat as well and uncorked a wine bottle I had on hand, serving three cups for all of us.
“For victory,” I deadpanned and raised my cup languidly.
Dacey snorted and downed her cup in one gulp, while the Blackfish sipped his slowly.
“We lost a lot of people,” I muttered, feeling a small amount of shame, “but we won in the end.”
My great-uncle chuckled, swirling his cup of wine. “People die in a war, who would have thought? But yes, we won, and it was a fine victory under your name, Robb. But never forget, Tywin Lannister is a snake, and I’m sure he’s plotting from his cell how he can move next.”
“Aye, I know, great uncle… But there’s not much we can do to him right now. He’s far too valuable to kill, and I cannot lie and say he wouldn’t be useful in the fight against the Others,” I nodded.
“And I bet he knows that,” grunted Dacey, already on her third cup of wine. I was beginning to worry about what she might do. I didn’t know what it was like to come so close to death, but I needed to take care of her in any way I could. For now, though, I’d let her drink—maybe that would help her sleep tonight.
“But that doesn’t matter much,” grunted the Blackfish. “We won, and he’s our prisoner. After we’re done with Jaime’s host, we’ll start your campaign for the Iron Throne.”
“Oh?” I smiled. “Will you follow me?”
The Blackfish grunted. “It’s a moot point, nephew. You brought the Riverlands back to victory after so many defeats. The Riverlords will support you. I will support you.”
I just sipped my wine. “I would have done the same even if I needed to fight alone for the throne. The Riverlands are family, and there’s no way in the Seven Hells I would leave them burning.”
“That’s why you’re a better pick for the throne, lad.” He smiled genuinely. “The past and current kings don’t care for the people of the realm, but you do. You helped us, and even if we didn’t help you in the future, you wouldn’t turn your army against us. That’s something they’re missing.”
“Before you leave, I need to ask something,” I continued. “What’s the best course of action after defeating Jaime’s host?”
“You have some options, but before I tell you, I want to hear your plans. I aim to be a counselor for you, nephew, and I want you to grow as a ruler.” The Blackfish shrugged.
“The first thing to do after returning is either to take the Golden Tooth and secure it, or simply arm a strong enough force to keep the Westerlands alienated from King’s Landing,” I started. “After that, I’d need to march to Harrenhal. Since the castle is close to the Isle of Faces, we can send our wounded there to be treated by the rest of the Green Men. Afterward, we’ll take Duskendale to be closer to the capital.”
Ser Brynden nodded. “Aye, you’re on the right path, nephew. But you forgot something.”
Raising my eyebrow, I motioned for him to continue.
“There are multiple participants in this war. You cannot overcommit to some of them while leaving the rest unobserved,” he snorted. “The Reach, for all their posh and flimsy loyalty, are supporting Renly, and they have the biggest army in Westeros.”
“Aye, I know that, but since their army is so big, they cannot move swiftly. We have time to plan against them,” I replied. “But that’s beside the point. I’m pretty sure Stannis and Renly will fight before going for the throne. They’ll gain the most from that battle, and whoever wins could gain the allegiance of the families supporting the losers.”
The Blackfish nodded in acceptance. “Aye, that’s true. What about the Targaryen?”
“He has no support besides the Golden Company for now, and the houses still loyal to the Targaryens wouldn’t dare act in the open while they’re sworn to a king. He’ll need time to consolidate the Golden Company under him—time I’ll use to infiltrate the Vale,” I smirked. “Aunt Lysa has to pay for her crimes, and I’m sure her madness has been spotted by her men. So while my army is settling in Harrenhal and Duskendale, I’ll enter the Vale and test the waters. If I can get their support, I’ll have three kingdoms under me. I’m sure the Royces, the Waynwoods, and the Corbrays would be happy with my assistance.”
“Good,” the Blackfish grunted. “I’m happy you have a good head on your shoulders. It’ll serve you well in the future.”
“What do you think?” I asked him. “Is there anything we could change?”
“Aye…”
The next day
Robb Stark
The castle was bustling with activity. In the courtyard, the small group of Green Men that stayed by my side were working hard to treat the wounded. Having lost over a thousand soldiers for the foreseeable future was something I needed to change, since for now, this was all I had.
I had no way to ally myself with anyone, and my trip to the Vale would take a while. So for now, the five Green Men and multiple maesters were hard at work trying to save as many as they could.
Thankfully, magic and my insects were capable of speeding up the process, but not everything was right.
“How many Lannister men do we have here?” I asked aloud, hoping that some of my commanders knew the answer since I didn’t want to waste time counting them myself.
“There are over ten thousand Lannister soldiers in the camp, Robb. This cannot continue. Besides the risk we’re taking by keeping them grouped up, we don’t have enough food to keep them fed,” replied Jon with a frown. “We need to move them as soon as we can, but we can’t send them all to the Wall at once. I don’t think we can risk arming so many enemies there—the Night’s Watch would get overrun.”
I frowned deeply at that. Jon was right, and as much as I hated it, I needed to act soon. That meant losing some of my forces before marching, and I also needed to support my uncle Edmure to gain the respect of the lords that followed him.
There were so many things to do and so many places to be, but I couldn’t do everything myself.
“Torrhen, I need you to do something for me,” I grunted. “Jon is right, we can’t allow so many Lannister men to stay here. We risk them doing something foolish, forcing my hand to act, or the Riverlanders taking advantage of them. I need at least half of them gone.”
“What do you need, your grace?” he nodded, “I’m pretty sure I know, but I’d prefer for you to tell me.”
“You need to make a detour home,” I sighed. “I know none of you want to leave my sight, but there are no more trusted men than you.”
“Aye,” he grunted. “I don’t want to leave, but I understand.”
“Good,” I nodded. “Take ten thousand men with you. I’ll speak to the Blackfish later. I want you to do some things for me before going to the Wall. I want you to take the men to Harrenhall. I’ll have Grandfather pen a message for Lord Whent. There, you will leave five thousand men, under Ser Brynden.”
“After leaving the men there, you will travel north. I want you and the ten thousand men to support the Wall for a while. After that’s done, you can come back here. I know it will be a long journey, but I trust you,” I continued, looking at him with a smile. While he wasn’t the best fighter, he was damn intelligent and loyal to both.
“Understood, your grace. I’ll leave at dawn,” he nodded, and I could see he was mad because he had to leave my side, but he also understood it was for the best.
“Good,” I smiled. “I’m sure you will do a wonderful job. Remember to send me a raven with news from that side of Westeros.”
“Now for the rest of us, I will leave the rest of the army here, and we will leave today to help my uncle against Jaime. After we defeat his host, we will march to Duskendale and take the castle. I want to have the three kingdoms on my back; that way we can increase our numbers before battling the rest,” I smiled. “Before we leave, is there something we need to talk about?”
“Aye, what of the Mountain?” asked Jon with surprising vitriol, but I somewhat understood where he was coming from. He was raised by my father, and what the Mountain had done during the Sack of King’s Landing and this war was atrocious. Jon wanted blood, and I wasn’t about to deprive him of that.
“I already thought about that. He will be a gift for Dorne, but you can rough him up a bit before we send him,” I replied, looking at him with understanding. “Just be careful. He will wake up soon, and I want him mostly sedated, but awake. Make him feel pain.”
“It would be my honor,” Jon bowed dramatically, and I snorted. “Anything else?”
There were shakes of their heads in answer, and I stood up, satisfied. “Then get moving, we leave in three hours.”
The Riverlands
Edmure Tully
I rode at the head of my host, the banner of House Tully moving along with the wind. Behind me, an honestly impressive gathering of brave men followed me as far as the eye could see—twenty thousand strong, all marching to bring peace back to the Riverlands, to finish the root of everything evil in these lands.
The Lannisters had damaged so much since before they had an in with the throne, since as much as Tywin tried, the Mad King would not give him access. But the old lion was finally capable of grazing the throne thanks to the dumb Robert Baratheon.
I was too young to participate in Robert’s Rebellion, but I remember vividly, and I honestly thought he was a bad choice as a king even back then.
Shaking my head, I focused on the problem at hand. Robert, as bad a king as he was, couldn’t do any more damage now that he was dead, and he didn’t even leave a legitimate heir for the throne if what Ned discovered was the truth. Not that I didn’t believe him; the character of my brother-in-law was known in the Seven Kingdoms, and I was sure he wouldn’t lie about something this big.
If I knew him as well as I believed, I was pretty sure he was feeling pretty bad about having started this conflict, even if it wasn’t his fault. Hopefully, being along with Cat would help him feel better.
Having seen how Robb was raised, I couldn’t help but smile. He wasn’t even a man by our standards, and he was already named king by his people, even knowing his father was still alive. Being capable of that was something to be proud of.
Smiling at the thought of my nephew sitting on the Iron Throne, I looked at my side, focusing on something else entirely.
The Green Men.
They had appeared just as Robb had sent me on this mission. The mysterious figures, rumored to be older than even the First Men, had pledged themselves to follow me just because my nephew asked. Hearing about him being the champion of the gods he revered was something that I couldn’t stomach easily. I was a firm follower of the Seven, and while not as pious as some of the Riverlanders, I was proud of my faith, even when I hadn’t seen anything to show of their existence.
But hearing from Robb that he communicated directly with his gods was hard to believe, even with the proof of his gifts.
The Green Men, led by Lord Sylvyrn—who just grunted when he heard someone call him a lord—were cloaked in robes of dark green and brown, their faces hidden behind carved wooden masks. They traveled at my side, silent.
At first, I had been suspicious of them. They were no more than legends, and people even doubted they existed in the first place. What could they offer besides healing in a battle against the likes of Jaime Lannister?
Yet their powers had become evident early during our travels. The land itself seemed to bend to their will. Roads that had been perilous and muddy now firmed underfoot. Streams of water that should have slowed our march flowed in narrower, more manageable paths. Food seemed to last longer than it should, and every night, campfires burned brighter, giving comfort to the soldiers.
I turned my saddle, glancing at Sylvyrn, who was watching me with a smile that unsettled me. He knew I was watching and thinking about him; he always seemed to know things in his surroundings.
Some of my soldiers whispered in fear, others in awe—mostly the men from the North who were following the Green Men under Robb’s orders. I wasn’t sure what to make of them. Magic wasn’t something I put much stock in, but Robb had spoken of them with respect, and the Green Men followed him as the champion of their gods. If my nephew trusted them, so would I.
"Edmure," a voice called from the side. Ser Vance, the newly appointed Lord of his house after his father's death under my uncle, had ridden up beside me.
He was frowning more than usual, which had become his default expression since his father’s death, but now there was something else—a hint of concern in his tone. “The men are talking. Some are saying it’s unnatural, the way the weather favors us.”
I nodded, having already heard the rumors. I couldn’t help but feel a surge of irritation. “I’ve heard the talk. Let them gossip—it’s not our concern.”
“And yet, it could be,” Lord Vance replied, his eyes narrowing. “Superstition can turn a man’s heart cold faster than steel. You need to address this before it becomes a problem.”
I sighed, glancing back at Sylvyrn, who was watching me with that small, unsettling smile of his—maybe enjoying the fact that I was in a difficult spot. I didn’t doubt their loyalty as much as I probably should. They had traveled far from their home to join this war, and they hadn’t asked for anything in return. But the whispers of my men were growing louder, and fear had a way of spreading like wildfire.
“I’ll speak with them,” I said after a moment of thought. “But I won’t have my men turning their backs on help when we need every advantage we can get.”
Lord Vance grunted. “I hope you can talk some sense into them. I’d hate to see good men falter because of a few ill-timed rumors. Yes, it’s unnatural, but they’re helping us and don’t deserve this treatment from the Riverlanders. I’m beginning to understand why they stayed hidden if this is how we treat them after all they’ve done.”
“Aye,” I nodded, and with that, Lord Vance rode back to check on the rear of the formation.
The march, which should have been slow and arduous, had been swift and easy thanks to the Green Men. My men were in good spirits, and we were making better time than I had hoped. Every now and then, I caught sight of one of the Green Men raising a hand or whispering something under their breath, and the world would shift in response—a tree bending aside to clear a path, a gust of wind parting the mist. Unbelievable things happened with just a small gesture.
“Magic,” I snorted to myself. “I never thought I’d see the day.”
Even with our speed, it would still take time to reach Mummer’s Ford. And despite my earlier bravado, I couldn’t deny the fear gnawing at my confidence. Jaime was a knight of unparalleled skill, a man with a reputation as golden as his hair. I, on the other hand, had never proven myself in battle. The Riverlords followed me because of my name, not because of any deeds.
I clenched my fists until they turned white. This was my chance—my chance to prove to everyone that I was worthy of leading the Riverlands.
“Lord Edmure,” a soft voice called from behind. One of the Green Men, Lady Elyndra, if I remember correctly. Her mask was shaped like a snarling wolf. “We are nearing a place where the earth is old. There is power here. We can use it to hide our approach from the enemy.”
I frowned, glancing at her. “What do you mean by that?”
Lady Elyndra tilted her head. “There are places in the world where magic still lingers, where the weirwood roots run deep. We can draw on that power to cloak your men, so Jaime will never see you coming until it’s too late.”
“Do it,” I replied after a moment of hesitation. “Just make sure my men aren’t harmed by whatever you do.”
Lady Elyndra nodded once. “I would never harm the army of our champion if I can avoid it.” With that, she turned and disappeared into the ranks.
If magic could give me the edge I needed against someone of Jaime’s caliber, then so be it. My pride wasn’t big enough to refuse the help I desperately needed.
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Albara Alkharusi
Man you are legend 🫡
