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Chapter 59: A Clash of Wolves and Lions.
🕑 Added 2024-09-12 06:15:00 +0000 UTCRiverrun
Robb Stark
Two days later.
Providing cover to my great-uncle and ten thousand men was easy, thanks to my insects. We moved when the sun set two days ago, and no one was the wiser. With everything going on around Westeros, it was easy to do so.
Everyone had a lot on their minds. Even those who didn’t care who sat on the Iron Throne were paying attention to what would become a turning point in this war. With the news from Griffin's Roost and Stannis' defeat at the hands of the Golden Company, the smallfolk wondered who would be the eventual winner, and most of them hoped for someone better than the last three kings.
It wouldn’t even be that hard, since the predecessors were the Mad King, Robert, who left the realm in debt and filled with problems, and his “son,” whose legitimacy was still in question. People were already leaving King’s Landing in the wake of Joffrey’s rule. The capital of the Seven Kingdoms was already in a bad spot, with food scarce and Joffrey’s tyranny growing worse by the day.
Worst of all, they were surrounded by enemy forces, even if not directly. Their support was stopped in the Riverlands by House Tully, and now they needed to get past my superior army if they wanted to reach the capital. Renly was amassing his forces in Highgarden with the numerically superior army of the Reach. Stannis, even as weakened as he was, remained a threat with his cunning and superior war mindset. The Golden Company was near them, though they still had to fight through a couple of keeps in their way.
With my great-uncle's battalion already waiting for the conflict, we just needed to sell the scouts the information that Uncle Edmure was leading the biggest part of our combined army against Jaime’s. He and multiple lords of the Riverlands would lead the attack, followed by Sylvyrn and his people to add an extra oomph. The Green Men’s magic, while not army-destroying, could change the tide of a battle in a heartbeat. With over twenty wargs working as scouts, they could find out enemy movements even better than I could, since their range was greater.
Every time a new weirwood was planted in our path, the power of the Old Gods increased, and so did the Green Men’s magic. They were powerful wargs, and their healing abilities were some of the most potent I’ve seen in both lives, capable of healing someone on the verge of death. But that wasn’t all; the most impactful thing they could do was change the terrain and environment when they had sufficient prep time.
They couldn’t do something like the Children of the Forest did to destroy the Arm of Dorne, and even if the Old Gods returned to their full power, I doubted Sylvyrn and the rest would reach that level. However, they could control nature to some extent: making it rain, softening the land, creating pitfalls without burrowing in the dirt, summoning mist, and things like that.
Seeing what they were capable of scared me the most because if they could do things like that, I couldn’t even imagine what more evil sorcerers were capable of. I had no idea what Euron was doing at the moment, nor Melisandre, for that matter. They were the biggest threats I had in the present since I didn’t know much about them, and I was sure the show knowledge I had was completely wrong.
They needed to disappear as soon as I could manage it, for my peace of mind.
Shaking my head, I finished my morning rituals before checking the breeding pit I had in Riverrun. Thanks to my grandfather, I was gifted a large piece of land just outside the castle, and Sylvyrn and Elyndra were tasked with building a subterranean room for my insects. The important people in Riverrun knew about my powers, as I had explained them in the war council, but the rest of the inhabitants hadn’t seen me in action. This was done mostly because we still didn’t know if there were spies in the castle. I didn’t have time to focus on that at the moment, and I knew the lords were batshit scared of what I had shown them, so they wouldn’t be the ones to leak information.
But just in case, I didn’t give them all the details. They didn’t know my range limit, nor the extent of my creations.
Nodding in satisfaction, I observed millions upon millions of insects working on different tasks, from breeding to increase my numbers, to producing products that could be useful in the future. From chitin to make armor—better than the natural chitin thanks to my modifications. It was denser and thicker than normal chitin but didn’t become much heavier. It was particularly effective against slashing and blunt weapons but weak against piercing weapons like arrows. That’s why the first thing I needed to defeat were the archers in the approaching battle. Besides the chitin, I had asked my grandfather to get me as many containers as he could manage, which would be used to store various kinds of venom for the arrows. Those would only be used in the opening salvo, as they could be deadly for both sides.
I knew my request to leave some soldiers alive was not well received, but even with that order, I could only imagine the kind of bloodbath the Riverlands would become in the future.
Taking a deep breath, I left my room and headed to the courtyard, where Uncle Edmure was already waiting for me to leave. We would do this in the light of day since we needed Tywin to see it. Hopefully, he would buy it.
Arriving at the courtyard, I nodded to everyone I could recognize. Finally approaching my uncle, I cleared my throat to get his attention.
“Are you ready for this, Uncle?” I asked though I knew it wasn’t necessary. He had his game face on.
I had learned that if this was the book universe, or at least a crossover between both, the series completely butchered Edmure Tully’s character. He was rigid, a damn good commander, and just. He treated the smallfolk as they deserved, even inviting them inside Riverrun during this conflict to give them food and a safe place.
“I am ready, nephew.” He gave me a brief smile. “Is there anything you want to tell me before my departure?” he asked.
“Aye, as I said in the war council, Sylvyrn and the rest of the Green Men will follow your lead,” I said seriously. “I hope you understand the value they represent. I’m sure you’ve heard tales of their might—use them cautiously. Sylvyrn will give you some options for what they can do to your advantage, besides warging to scout great distances.”
“Aye, I think everyone in the Riverlands has at least heard how they repelled the Andals during their first invasion. According to the legend, that’s why they’re the only ones who pray to the Old Gods in the South,” he replied with a firm nod. “Do not worry, nephew. We will be victorious.”
“I trust you,” I smiled lightly. “When we finish the battle against Tywin, we will march to support you.”
“Understood. Do you know for sure when you’ll attack?” he asked. “It’s a shame I’ll miss it. I’d pay a king’s ransom to see his face when you use that little trick of yours.”
“Ha! I get happy just imagining it,” laughed Karyl Vance, who would go along with Edmure against Jaime. In these days he warmed up to me, understanding that the killings of the twins were necessary and that I didn't do it just to be cruel.
“I’m sure when you all come back, the jesters and bards will have multiple songs about it,” I laughed. “You’ll probably see him sitting in the cells.”
“I’ll be sure to pay him a visit,” nodded the new Lord Vance seriously. “The bastard ordered the death of my father at the Golden Tooth,” he said through gritted teeth.
“As long as you can control yourself,” I replied with a mild glare. “He’s more useful alive.”
He glared back but subsided when Edmure hit him in the back of the head. “I’ll make sure he knows how to act toward our prisoners,” Edmure said mildly, his face understanding.
“I know it’s hard to leave them alive after what they’ve done,” I replied, shaking my head calmly. “I know, believe me, I know. But you must understand that this is just the beginning. We need every advantage we can get.”
With that said, I bid farewell to my uncle and the lords accompanying him. It would take a few days for them to reach Mummer’s Ford, so there was a slim, really slim chance that we could arrive to support them before their battle was over. Most battles took weeks to conclude, but the one we’d have with Tywin was an exception, as it would be all or nothing.
I couldn’t deny that I was nervous about it, but I also felt excitement. This would be my first major battle, and I needed it to be perfect.
For now, I just needed to prepare my swarm and the terrain. One thing my grandfather asked me after the war council struck a chord. There were insects capable of destabilizing the terrain, making burrows underneath, so I would focus on that before the battle.
I would leave a thin film of dirt on top of the holes, using my insects to support it so that it didnt feel or be seen differently. I couldnt show my hand before the Lannister army committed to the attack, I needed to wait for the perfect moment.
Two days later.
Robb Stark.
Everything was ready. The sun was beginning to set on the horizon, and the seven thousand men behind me were ready to commit violence against Tywin and his ilk. Jon and the rest of the heirs were at my side, waiting for orders, prepared to delegate them to the troops. I didn’t want to risk them at the beginning of the fight, as it would be the most chaotic part.
I had four thousand infantry, and one thousand cavalry, and the rest were archers. The archers already had venoms to coat their arrows. Everything was ready, and everyone waited for my orders to begin.
Tywin Lannister had gathered his forces, as our scouts reported after hearing movement in the gates. His twenty-five thousand men were ready, waiting for me to make the first move. The Lannister banners flew proudly, and I couldn’t help but feel nervous seeing the many people who wanted me dead. It was one thing to know about them to see them in person.
It was different fighting from the shadows, as I had done before; there was no way to compare the two types of conflict.
“Remember the plan,” I said with a stoic face. “We need them to advance if we want them to fall into my traps.”
Jon and the rest nodded resolutely, grim faces all around. Some were exhilarated to be part of a great battle against one of the most famed lords in the realm, while others—the more sensible ones, in my opinion—were nervous but would do what was asked of them in the name of their king.
“Remember not to advance beyond the range of the arrows,” shouted Jon, having understood most of my plan.
There were holes in the ground capped by a thin layer of dirt. My insects had worked hard to make this happen before the battle, and while I hadn’t been able to do as much as I wanted, there were more than enough to cause disarray in their army.
“May the Old Gods take care of us,” murmured Dacey, nervous but with a feral smile on her face.
“Aye,” grunted Smalljon, gripping his battle axe hard until his knuckles turned white.
I nodded and said a small prayer for the battle. I knew the Old Gods were watching, and while I didn’t know if they would do anything, it wouldn’t hurt to ask.
“Give the signal,” I shouted.
War horns began to sound in the castle, and the infantry started advancing.
As my men moved forward, slowly but surely, I observed the Lannister army doing the same. Both sides had sent only part of their forces, saving men in case additional support was needed.
I began gathering my insects within the castle, and the faint sound of buzzing could be heard from outside. But now wasn’t the time to use them. I needed Tywin to send more soldiers first.
The battle would take place on flat terrain, thankfully, and I could barely sense the front of their camp. My range couldn’t reach inside the tents, but I could feel enough.
My four thousand men advanced, ready to fight to the death against the people who had burned their lands, or the lands of their allies. The bloodlust could be easily felt even from here, with shouts demanding vengeance.
Finally, the clash began, Lannister soldiers pushing against my men. With the first blood, everything started advancing faster.
Using my insects discreetly, I started pumping my soldiers with stimulants, giving them an edge against the Lannisters.
"Send the first volley!" I shouted. "Make the Lannisters pay for their sins!"
As my commanders began to relay the orders, the rest of us started moving. Thankfully, I could multitask enough to take care of my commanders while fighting an army.
Advancing slowly, I took Ice from its scarab, hoping that when Tywin saw us advancing, he would send a larger force, if not all of them.
I injected all of us with my usual stimulants. My vision became sharper, and my breathing steadied, making it easier to maintain my pace for some hours. My brain received the needed oxygen, which would keep me alert even if my body was tired. I could feel my body trembling with anticipation, and observing my commanders, I saw the same feral smiles on their faces.
The Lannisters wouldn’t expect what was coming.
Kevan Lannister
Lannister camp.
"It seems they are ready to start," I murmured, putting the Myrish glass on the table.
"It appears so," Tywin replied, a frown on his face. "But why does he have such a small army?"
"What did the scouts say about Edmure?" asked the Strongboar, also frowning.
"According to our reports, he was seen leaving for Mummer’s Ford with over twenty thousand soldiers," said Lord Marbrand.
"I don’t like this," I murmured. "Do you see his command? There are only green kids ordering the army."
"Aye," grunted the Strongboar. "The Riverlords followed Edmure. I just don’t understand why they trust him so much when he doesn’t have any victories under his name."
I shook my head. The battle was just starting, and I was already getting bad feelings about this.
"What do you want us to do, Lord Tywin?" asked Lord Marbrand, looking at the four thousand soldiers advancing.
I don’t know if Robb was plain inexperienced or stupid to think he could win with less than half of our army, being led by one of the most dangerous men in Westeros.
"Send five thousand infantry," replied my brother, his face set in a firm line. "Let’s see how he responds."
"You heard your lord, get to it!" I shouted, and Emmon Frey ran out of the tent to carry the orders.
Since the news of his family’s death, he had been praying to spill more northern blood than the rest. It’s a shame he would die before approaching the newly crowned king. As good a fighter as he thought he was, I was sure he wouldn’t be capable of approaching the enemy line and damaging Robb in any way.
"What do you think, brother?" I asked Tywin, who was silently calculating with cold eyes.
"He’s hiding something, I’m sure of it," he replied. "There’s no way he believes he can defeat us with such a small force."
"Could he be just a distraction while the rest of his army fights Jaime?" I asked. "I don’t see the Blackfish with him, and as we know, he’s missing a lot of men he should have."
"Our scouts would have seen them," Tywin shook his head.
"They know the land better than us, Tywin," I reminded him. "It’s possible they used some hidden way to reach Edmure’s army without our knowledge."
Tywin exhaled softly. "Ser Marbrand, take ten thousand soldiers and march toward his infantry. If he’s just a distraction, he’ll retreat to the castle against such a force."
I nodded—it was a good plan. If he had truly sent most of his army against my nephew, there was no way he could hope to defeat us. Seeing all these brave men running toward him would make him retreat.
"Aye," nodded Ser Marbrand. "I’ll take some cavalry to disrupt their first line of defense."
"See that you do so," nodded Tywin.
Taking back the Myrish glass, I pointed it toward the entrance of the castle and gasped in surprise.
"Brother, look at that," I said urgently, handing him the glass.
"He’s not retreating. In fact, he’s advancing with all his forces," I said quickly as Tywin snatched the glass from my hand.
"I don’t understand what he’s doing," I continued.
Tywin was using the glass to observe them, and I grabbed the one Ser Marbrand left in his seat.
"He’s truly a great warrior," I whistled, watching Robb cut through soldiers like he was the Warrior incarnate.
"He’s way too strong for his age," replied Tywin softly, with a tinge of respect.
“He’s better than Jaime was at his age, brother,” I murmured. “There’s no way in the seven hells he should be that good at four and ten name days.”
“Five and ten,” Tywin murmured back.
“It doesn’t matter, brother. He shouldn’t be that good,” I replied heatedly. “Just look at him!”
Tywin stayed silent, and I observed the rest of the commanders in the tent, all watching the scene with varying levels of awe.
“My lord, let me ride,” said Gregor Clegane.
“No,” snapped Tywin. “You will not fight right now. Your time will come.”
I placed the Myrish glass back on the table and rubbed my eyes. When I looked again, I still couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
“How are the rest of his fighters so fierce?” I asked aloud.
Tywin began pacing in the tent. “How the fuck are our men losing?” he demanded, his voice tight with anger. “If he doesn’t retreat when Ser Marbrand approaches, we’ll attack with everything we’ve got. We cannot allow him to live, he is a great danger to my grandson.”
Ser Marbrand was already advancing with the ten thousand soldiers, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. The northern army was stronger than we had anticipated, and the one who surprised me the most was Robb Stark. Watching him cut through Lannister's men like a hot knife through butter, never pausing as he continued his relentless advance—it was almost unreal.
“Ser Marbrand is approaching,” said the Strongboar, now standing, unable to sit still. He hadn’t been much help in battle since the Blackfish cut off his arm, but his insight remained valuable.
“Let’s see what the Young Wolf does,” I replied, bringing the glass back to my eyes and focusing on the young wolf.
As we watched Ser Marbrand approach Robb, I noticed something unsettling—a smile spread across Robb’s face. I wondered what he had planned since he showed no fear of the approaching force.
“He has something planned,” Tywin murmured, frowning.
“Aye,” I replied, feeling a bead of sweat trickle down my brow. The closer Ser Marbrand got, the more uneasy I felt.
“Fuck!” I shouted. There were hidden pits in the ground, likely uncovered by the weight of the cavalry, and at least forty percent of the horses fell into them. The northern soldiers wasted no time exploiting the chaos.
I couldn’t fathom when Robb had managed to prepare these traps, but now wasn’t the time for questions. Through the Myrish glass, I watched as Robb Stark decapitated Ser Marbrand with a single blow.
“What are we going to do?” I asked Tywin. “We either commit fully to the battle or order a retreat. We’ll lose too many soldiers if we don’t act now.”
Tywin shook his head in anger, his whole body trembling. “He’s making a fool out of me. This cannot stand. Send in the rest of the army—we’re going to fight.”
Nodding in grim acceptance, I began relaying orders to the soldiers and commanders. “Move! We need to save our men from Robb Stark’s hands.”
“Are you sure this is the best course of action?” I asked my brother.
“No,” he murmured, “but we have no choice. If we lose fifteen thousand men here, we won’t be able to face the Starks again.”
“Even if we manage to retreat to Jaime’s host, we’ll be at a disadvantage with half our numbers,” he continued.
Nodding in defeat, I prepared to follow my brother’s decision. It was my duty, and I would not fail my family.
“Is it time?” asked Gregor Clegane, a feral smile spreading across his face.
“Yes, Ser Gregor, bring me his head,” Tywin replied.
The horns of war blared, signaling our march. Every soldier in the camp knew what it meant—we were going to face Robb’s army head-on. There was no other option left. We had to commit if we wanted to save our men.
“I want his head on a spike!” Tywin shouted, standing tall. “Today, we defeat the pretender and bring peace to the realm.”
“Watch out for the pits in the ground!” I called. “It’s possible the cavalry didn’t uncover them all.”
This battle was going to be worse than I had imagined. I hadn’t expected Robb to be this cunning or be such a skilled swordsman. I hadn’t lied when I said he was better than Jaime at this age. Jaime, who had joined the Kingsguard in his youth, wasn’t even close to being this formidable at five and ten.
I didn’t know what they were feeding the people in the North, but almost all of Robb’s commanders were going toe-to-toe with our more experienced soldiers, despite their youth.
“This is a trap,” I said softly to Tywin. “And we’re walking straight into it.”
“We have no choice,” he replied grimly. “I just hope we can overwhelm him with our superior numbers.”
“When we manage to take our men back, we will retreat to Jaime,” he said firmly.
Galloping on my horse, I observed the battlefield. We were fast approaching Robb’s army, and I noticed something was wrong.
“Why is it getting darker?” I asked out loud. “What is that sound, for that matter?”
It was then that I started hearing the screams of fright in our lines. Looking up, I almost fainted.
The sun was covered with thick clouds of something, and the sound was all-encompassing.
“What the fuck is that?” the men shouted.
I didn’t have the faintest idea of what was going on, but I didn’t like it, not one bit.
“What do we do, brother?” I asked Tywin. “This is not a natural occurrence.”
Tywin was dumbstruck, looking at the sky with a perplexed face.
“What did the scouts say about Robb’s siege of the Twins?” asked the Strongboar, riding at my side. Even with only one arm, he was prepared to give his life for the Lannisters.
It suddenly struck me—the scouts had said something about the sky going dark during his siege at the Freys' ancestral home.
Robb Stark.
Riverrun.
It was time. The Lannisters needed to attack en masse if they hoped to save their men. With that in mind, I ordered my insects to make their first appearance in a public fight.
After I cut Ser Marbrand’s head off, I could see the rest of the Lannister army moving. With that in mind, I prepared my wildfire insects to be ready. I couldn’t risk my men with the fire, so I ordered a brief retreat.
“Retreat one mile!” I shouted at the top of my lungs.
Thankfully, everyone followed the order and started retreating.
I could see with my senses that every one of my commanders survived since I was taking care of them with my insects, just in case something happened.
Dacey had a close call when one Lannister soldier managed to get close to her back without anyone seeing, but I was able to incapacitate him before he could harm her.
Besides that, the rest of my commanders had fought bravely, and I couldn’t be more proud of them.
“You listen to your king!” shouted Jon, with the rest of my commanders relaying the order.
“It’s almost time,” I told them as we ran away. “When the wildfire spreads along the battlefield, the Blackfish will know it’s the moment to attack,” I said grimly. “Be ready to go back and defeat this army.”
Everyone nodded in understanding, trying to calm their erratic hearts.
As the Lannister army approached us, I waited for the moment to act. I needed to cut their army in half, or at least do what I could manage.
I ordered my insects to cover the sun, just as I did at the Twins. This was mostly to instill fear in the hearts of my enemies but also to cut their visibility of the terrain.
“Get ready,” I shouted. “It’s almost time.”
Using my senses to check my army, I nodded in satisfaction, seeing everyone gripping their weapons and shouting to raise morale. We had managed to defeat a big part of Tywin’s army during the brief skirmish, and right now, everyone was excited to be able to defeat one of the most feared men in Westeros.
Seeing that some of the cavalry fell into new holes, I thought it was the moment to strike.
Ordering my insects, I set the field ablaze, and with it, I sent the signal to the Blackfish that it was time to appear at the rear of the army.
“For the North and the Riverlands!” I shouted. “Earn your honor, bring the Lannisters down!”
With my shout, I signaled my people to begin their attack. The Lannister army was confused and scared by what was happening on the field, and I couldn’t fault them. I would be, too, if I were in their place.
Thankfully, my men were ready and knew the plan beforehand.
“Charge!” shouted Rickard Karstark. “Bring honor to the Starks!”
“For the King in the North!” shouted Smalljon with a loud laugh.
“Destroy the Lannisters!”
Smiling, I charged toward the soldiers in front of me and started cutting down everyone I could. I would have my breakdown later—right now wasn’t the time to think about the people I killed and the people who died for my cause.
I just hoped this would be worth it, and that I was doing the right thing.
“Remember your orders!” I shouted. “Do not become the animals the Lannisters are!”
Seeing the edge of my range, I smiled, spotting the Blackfish with his ten thousand men attacking from the rear, and hearing the panicked shouts from the army.
Advancing slowly but surely, we defeated every soldier that came across us, using a combination of insects, weapons, and horses to gain an advantage against the Lannisters.
Seeing something that surprised me, I called my guard. “Follow me, there’s a pest that needs to go down.”
My commanders, hearing my order, followed me with zeal, and together we advanced toward the soldier who had been killing our men.
“Today, we will bring down the Mountain!” I shouted. “We won’t fight with honor against such a beast—he doesn’t deserve it,” I said seriously.
Everyone nodded in understanding, and we approached our prey.
Shadow was behind us, his fur coated in blood, with even more blood dripping from his fangs. He was truly a killing machine, and I couldn’t be more proud of my familiar.
“I want him alive,” I said. “He will be useful as a bargaining chip with Dorne.”
I used my insects to inject him with multiple different poisons—not lethal, but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t hurt like a bitch.
Smiling, hearing his screams, we started raining blows against him with blunted weapons.
Seeing him crying brought a smile to my face. “Take him back to the castle,” I ordered, and Torrhen Karstark nodded, starting to tie him up to his horse, along with his eldest brother.
“I made sure to inject him with milk of the poppy, but make sure the maester keeps him alive,” I smiled. “It’s time to finish this battle.”
While I wasn’t watching, the Blackfish broke through the Lannister line and was just finishing his battle against Tywin. The Strongboar lay dead at his side, and Kevan was nursing his ribs from a particularly rough fall after a soldier dismounted him.
“Drop your weapons!” I shouted with all my might. “There’s no need for more bloodshed.”
The rest of my army started circling the remaining Lannister men, and they could see they were finished.
There was no way they could defeat us, so one by one, they started dropping their weapons.
Smiling, I watched as Jon and the rest of my friends celebrated the victory with the group. Even my great-uncle had a small smile while he manhandled Tywin and his brother to secure them.
“This is a victory for all of us!” I shouted. “The feared Tywin Lannister, brought to his knees by the very men of the lands he burned!”
“You have brought honor to the Riverlands, and it is time we start taking our land back from the invaders!”
“King in the North!”
“The Riverlands!”
“King Robb Stark!”
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Albara Alkharusi
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