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Sorry for the late updates guys I had a seizure, so had to like take it easy.
"Captain Gors was killed, so was Michel, Ronnel, Rickard, five lieutenants, and fifteen other sergeants" Steel shanks reported to his lord.
"Harlon and Ben were injured gravely, and the healers state that they might have to have Ser Harlon's right hand removed at the wrist."
'Poor Ser Harlon', if the healers who were amongst the best on this side of the world had stated so then there were perhaps nothing else he could do save the arm. Among his many maester's who else could he say he could've called upon to perform such a miracle ,none.
The lack of precision tools and technology had limited medical care here, no antibiotics, no antidotes, no serum, no refined painkillers.
Just rough imitations of medical hardware that I had created. We had anti bacterial liquids and powders, alcohol for example and then there was a crude refined anesthetics to which we refined through milk of the poppy. A well known drug.
But through it all we were still lacking when it came to the medical ground, a head of many but still lacking.
"We have riders still arriving in from the east but little more can be assumed to have survived the battle." Commander Percy , an older man of Roose's old guard that was compliant with Domeric's rule.
"We'll be here at Riverrun for as long as Robb needs be, so we'd have enough time for any escaped remnants to retreat back to this fortress." Domeric says.
"Have the scouts continue their mission, any other movement by Tywin's forces I need to be informed in good order, and have them continue their harassment, and increase the riders by another fifty we'll make them bleed and drag their feet every step of the way, and as usual have them bring the stark heraldry instead of ours."
"As you wish my lord," Percy replies back still unmoving as the meeting had not been over as yet.
I mentally sighed.
How frustrating war was, how resource demanding. There was not much profit in this for many of these northern lords yet they had been chasing skirt tails of glory and perhaps lands that they'd never properly rule.
Deep down I wanted this to end quickly but to end it was to see Robb's life concluded and that time was not here as yet.
Deals needed to be made, pacts signed especially with the lannister lord.
Who was of no doubt well informed now of our deception. He would have known now that it was a bolton that met him on the field and mot a stark.He'd no doubt hold a grudge especially as he'd been misled to believe that he was fighting robb when in truth he was him.
Tywin might hold a grudge but nevertheless he had won the battle there and then, but the true battle won by Robb a the siege of Riverrun
Tywin Lannister had found out about the battle of the whispering woods as it was now called and the battle of the camps where the lannister host sieging the castle of House Tully was destroyed.
And so Tywin see no other better option was retreating south towards Harrenhal, an easily defended fortress of immense proportions despite its burnt down state.
Tywin would of course no doubt reassess his forces and strategy, however, I'd not allow him to do so without paying back for the lives of my men that had died by his hand.
If I could also remember, the brotherhood without banners would've been doing the same as they retreated south as well. Indeed.
They had been tasked by Robert when he was alive to bring back Jaime Lannister when injured Ned in the capital before fleeing.
But seeing as a hunting force was no match for an army and they had lost a couple times against the lion's forces, they had now resorted to guerrilla tactics.
The lannister forces and their logistics train would be harassed as long as they could do it and retreat away in the forest before any riders could pin the them down.
His scouts and harassing riders did the same but instead they fled away quickly before the mounted contingent could get chance to retaliate. They did their jobs absolutely well.
But besides these news and reports, more news had also arrived by raven within the camps, that the Baratheon brothers Stannis and Renly, had raised their own respective forces and were set on to claim their eldest brother's throne for themselves.
Things were proceeding as well as it could he mentally rubbed his palms together but it goes to show how chaotic and treacherous the journey for that crooked throne could be.
Stannis was by all rights and customs, the legitimate successor to Robert due to his seniority but also due to the infidelity of Cersei . The man was of course one of the most capable commanders in Westeros but he was lacking in charisma and was rumored to be too stern. Or he was too stern.
Not his worse trait if spies along the trade routes to dragon stone could be believed.
And Stannis, though older and more experienced had rule and dominion of only Dragonstone, and so the loyalty of the majority of the storm lords belonged to Renly as he was the lord of Storms end.
If I was Stannis, I'd perhaps still have renly shanked by a shadow demon. Cause why would you of all people, my brother usurp my throne? Renly deserved his fate, they both did for all the crooked things they did.
Kin slaying was a topic I would not comment on ,mas I did my fair share. And roose bolton in his grave could attest to that.
But to the main topic the plan of my rise to power was still coming together, events were moving along the seems not drifting far from my manipulation.
And Robb's fate was also coming together, the boy lord soon to be king was perhaps the most celebrated and controversial of any lords on the continent right now. He was in an outfit of power and extraordinary favor by the masses and for now he was untouchable by myself.
And for this he would wait for his glass enclosure to crack if not pushing events in place for it to do so.
Ned Stark would be executed within the coming days or within the week and he supposed that after which we can say the war of the five Kings would have officially begun.
Balon Greyjoy would also join the frey. Though he always thought he should've assassinated that man a few years ago. His ships had been a nuisance along the eastern hemisphere far from king's landing's reach and jurisdiction.
"Walton", he called to his commander removing himself from long thought.
"Send word to the Dreadfort, march another legion south and and have them encamp 15 miles south of Moat Cailin, along the king's road. Things are going as they need to and Lord Rob would need reinforcements going forward. We had lost a few thousand in battle afterall", He says to the man while giving him a letter with his seal.
Well Robb had lost a few thousand soldiers, many of which he sacrificed willing to lessen the stark loyal forces.
Walton understood the very meaning of his order, and very few amongst knew about his plans. The man knew that this wasn't an attempt to reinforce Robbs army this was an attempt to reinforce his own for the future, and for the purpose of war with his fellows.
The letter itself would be presented to the base commander and from there he would be the one to muster and release another two thousand soldiers to march south on his behalf.
"Xillan ready some of your warrior friends. I have a mission for them",
"Many of them are serving as scouts but I can gather around 36 for you", The summer islander replies.
'I nodded that was okay.
" I'll be sending you and them back north. My sources have informed me of tension brewing on the Iron islands. The western coast undefended as it is might be under threat from forces sailing in from the west. You'll take charge of the Garrison of Goldrook and await my signal I have a particular task for you that only you perhaps could achieve."
They'll be heading to Barrowtown.
He needed to take advantage if the chaos that the Iron born might bring. If Asha Greyjoy was to capture Deepwood motte as in otl . Then he'd have the means to not only capture her but also lord Glovers family and hold them hostage, by said time Robb's banner men would've been losing faith in his rule.
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North Beyond the Wall
"Burn it all, burn the bodies and the huts. We'll be leaving here at once." The ship Captain ordered his men
'Women and children, by the orders of lord Drako they needed wildling women and children.' Mathias reminisced.
'The reason for this he'd only been given vague answers, but from what he could put together it was due to the fact that the bolton lord was continuing to build up his army in secret. Many northern Lords had been under the impression that Domeric Had took most of his men if not three quarters of that South in Robb Starks war, but in truth Domeric Bolton hadn't even taken half.' He was conserving his forces for some reasons that were beyond him and only known to his superiors.
Most of the men that hadn't gained a skill, or worked in some form of sort in service of their liege lords infrastructural and industrial developments, were placed in the army by paid conscription.
And that issue also posed a problem cause he couldn't pull away the backbone of his thriving industry to field an army where they would more than likely die down the line killing skilled hands.
And for this he needed to take labor from elsewhere, elsewhere besides essos that still caused political and social strife . A people that could fit in, that were of this continent and people, if who had gone missing no one would complain or care of their absence.
There was little rule or law beyond the wall and it was perfect.
"What are you doing!? We don't have time to waste, hurry up and load them on to the boats and get them to the ship. There's over three hundred of them here . The quicker we get done with this the quicker we get to leave this cold forsaken place."
The western coast of the lands beyond the wall was in no doubt far worse than its eastern counterpart and for this they would take as much as they needed but resistance also came in much more brutal forms of interaction with the natives.
Humans, furs and lumber. They had been taking these free from the western coast for six months now. They'd make no stops to bear Island on their returns instead they'd sail directly to the saltspear and sail up river to barrowtown and offload all the their cargo to processing facilities as they called them. To tame the wildlings if they could and also nurture the children into a loyal community to be used.
Lady Dustin the aunt of Lord Domeric had also known of this and she had been working in league with the Bolton lord through it all. Anything the man had asked of the woman and she did it.
'What a family they had', he snorted.
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