Game of Thrones: Winter's Fire

Bloodraven

Summer was slowly losing its battle with autumn. The days were getting shorter, the nights longer and colder, soon winter would be upon Westeros and whether or not they would be able to battle through it was something Brynden Rivers was not sure he truly wished to think about. There was much still to do in the capital, the Blackfyre Rebellion had placed a heavy strain on food supplies, the Reach was still recovering from the many fights and pillages that Daemon's men had done to its lands and crops. The Westerlands were also recovering, Damon Lannister was slowly coming out of his coma, and was slowly, very slowly trying to rebuild his land and reconnect with his sons. Sons whom had been kept in King's Landing to ensure his loyalty during the rebellion. Harvests were being brought in ready for the oncoming autumn, but Brynden was not sure these harvests would produce enough food to feed the growing population. Four years on from the failed Blackfyre rebellion and the lands still had not recovered, the once fertile Riverlands were now struggling to maintain their output of food and agriculture, and the whisperings of discontent were beginning to show.

The rebellion had brought up much inner turmoil and strife within Westeros, some of which had been buried from the time of the conquest; some from the Young Dragon's raiding of Dorne. Those nobles of the more martial variety who had sided with Daemon Blackfyre, had either been killed during the rebellion, or had fled across the narrow sea with Bittersteel to Tyrosh. Avoiding persecution, but leaving the seeds of their discontent and treachery in the arms of their families. These families had been pardoned by Brynden's brother Daeron, for that was how peace would be guaranteed with the north, at least for the time being. For so long as Daeron Stark sat on the throne of winter, there would be an uneasy peace in Westeros. Old hurts had been brought to the surface when Brynden and Maekar had gone north to Winterfell to make peace and bring the north back into the realm. Officially the north was still recognised by the small council as part of Westeros and the seven kingdoms, unofficially all knew that the north and the iron islands were one separate kingdom, and a permanent threat to peace and stability, unless something could be done to the Starks.

That was where Horras Bolton came in. Bolton had offered his services to the Targaryens to assist in any attempted removal of House Stark from power in the north. Brynden knew that House Bolton as well as being one of the Starks most powerful vassals, were also traditionally their most fiercest rivals, and so it was that Brynden had corresponded with Lord Horras for perhaps three moons after he had returned to King's Landing, ironing out the details of what would happen in the rebellion. Once it was decided that should the rebellion be successful, House Bolton would become Wardens of the North and one of Lord Bolton's sons would become Lord of Winterfell. At the same time there would also be a rebellion in Skagos, led by one Gorne Magnar, the head of the ruling house in Skagos, who would be given lands beyond the wall as part of his extended territory. Brynden had then tasked Lord Horras with the job of stirring up the minor house within the north, to get their leaders discontented with Daeron Stark and his kingship. Whilst this was being planned, Brynden brought the idea before the small council as well as his brother. Most of the small council members had been in favour of this idea, Baelor- who after Lord Hayford's death had been named Hand of the King- strictly opposed the idea, and argued that there were other ways in which they could get Daeron to see sense, but once again just as with the Blackfyre rebellion, Baelor was outvoted and shot down by his own father.

And so the plans were made, the next four years Brynden used his sources in the north as well as the promise of more gains for Lord Bolton, to spread discontent amongst the masterly houses of the north with their overlords and of course the Starks of Winterfell. In large parts his methods were successful, and when Lord Bolton wrote that Garen Tallhart, Devan Condon and Berrick Ryswell had all promised to support Lord Horras and bring with them their bannermen, the gears were set in motion for the rebellion to begin. The first sign that perhaps the rebellion would actually end well and give the Iron Throne its desired outcome, came on raven's wings, write in the slanting hand of Horras Bolton, describing the capturing of the port town Stony Shore, and the slaying of Derrick Glover, Lord of Deepwood Motte in the battle that led to the fall of the Shore. With the Ironborn chasing a false lead about Qarth being ripe for the taking, that Brynden had had his men in Quellon Greyjoy's court plant in the old man's ears, there was no chance of the Ironborn coming to aid the Starks. All Brynden needed to was sit back and relax and watch the north eat itself from the inside out.

There was still pressing issues to deal with in the capital after all. The small council, united on what to do with Daeron Stark, was divided over what was to be done with those nobles who had sided with Daemon Blackfyre during the rebellion. Those such as Robb Reyne had been pardoned albeit reluctantly and allowed to keep their lands and holdings, others such Lord Manfred Lothston, had sided with Daemon Blackfyre at the outset of the rebellion, and yet on the eve of Redgrass had switched back to fighting for the Targaryens. Some of the small council such as the master of ships, Lord Velaryon urged for Lothston to be executed and his lands confiscated and given to a more loyal house, a position which Maekar had favoured loudly. Others such as the new master of coin, Ser Stafford Tyrell (the uncle of the young Lord Tyrell) argued that it would be better to give the Lothstons a full pardon and keep a close eye on them, rather than penalise them completely. Eventually after much debate and argument, Daeron decided that the Lothstons would be pardoned but some of their lands would be taken from them and given to the Blackwoods, who had fought loyally for the Iron Throne.

The Brackens were a harder house to decide what to do with. Given that his own mother had been a Blackwood, and that the mother of Bittersteel had been Bracken, many on the small council and indeed within court had been curious to see what sort of line he would push for. Lord Joffrey Bracken had been sent to Myr by Daemon to bring crossbowmen to Redgrass, but had been unable to deliver due to storms delaying his progress. His sons had fought for Daemon though, three of the four that he had with his wife, all three had been slain on Redgrass, and the fourth was no older than a babe. Baelor argued for Bracken to be pardoned but to have much of his lands taken off of him, leaving the house in a reduced state of power. And so it was that the land from Crossbow Ridge to Honeytree would be taken from them and given to House Blackwood.

With Bittersteel across the narrow sea in Tyrosh with Daemon's other children, Brynden spent most of his time and effort focussed on what Aemon Blackfyre was doing in the north. According to his spies, the boy had become quite the warrior, good with all weapons just like his father and his uncle. Furthermore he did not seem to have inherited any of the madness that sometimes plagued the Targaryen family. When news had reached the court of Blackfyre's marriage to Daeron Stark's sister Barbery and that the girl was with child, there had been an audible sense of tension and worry within King's Landing. War would come to Westeros once more, especially now that the Stark girl was with child. Daeron would want his nephew to become king to increase Stark influence and power in the south as well as to get revenge for all the insults done to his family over the years. Bittersteel would more than likely have heard about the pregnancy by now as well and would more than likely be preparing for an invasion, sometime soon. That was why Brynden had written to Lord Bolton the day he had received word of the pregnancy, ordering the man to call his banners and begin the rebellion, and to send someone to deal with Barbery Stark, and Aemon Blackfyre if possible.

Daeron Stark though continued to be a point of contention within the royal family itself. Stark had spent a good bit of time in King's Landing, growing up with Brynden, Bittersteel, Shiera, and Daenaerys as well as Daeron's children, and as such had developed relationships with some of them. Brynden knew that Maekar was especially conflicted about the ongoing tensions with Stark; he knew that Maekar deeply respected and admired Stark, and that the two of them had been close when Stark had been in King's Landing and had kept in contact after he had left. He knew that Aelinor also felt some form of remorse for Daemon's death and the ongoing conflict with Stark, he knew that Aelinor had been close with Stark, the two of them had become like brother and sister in the time Stark had been in the capital, and Aelinor had attended along with Maekar, Stark's wedding to Arianne Yronwood. Aerys as such had no real remorse or feelings about the conflict with Stark, though he had said that Stark and his line would be important in the years to come, though what he meant by that Brynden knew not.

There were also other matters other than the northern headache that Brynden had to focus on. His spies within the city and in other places in Westeros had reported to him that the smallfolk seemed to have a very different interpretation of the Blackfyres and Starks then most of the southern nobility did. His spies reported that the smallfolk were viewing Daemon Blackfyre as some sort of martyr, a man who had died fighting for what was his and what was right, a man who had fought a war for the woman he loved and to right the wrongs that Daeron had done by allowing the Dornish 'snakes' so much influence. His spies told him of how in the potshops of the capital and elsewhere in the kingdom, singers sang songs of how Daeron Stark was the king of winter, a vassal of the old gods come down to bring justice to the Targaryens who had scorned his family and his home, who had betrayed the gods, old and new, and that he would not rest until his nephew Aemon Blackfyre sat on the Iron Throne and order was restored to the world. His spies also spoke to him in hushed tones, of the rumours that started the rebellion, of how King Daeron and his line were all usurpers, that Aemon Blackfyre was the rightful king, born of the warrior and the maiden, sent to rid the world of abominations and sin. These rumours and songs did not leave the potshops where they were spoke and sung, Brynden made sure of that, the singers were sent to the deepest pits of hell, the rumour mongerers had their tongues, their eyes cut off. The Targaryen dynasty would be secure; Brynden would make sure of it. He would not allow some rumour to destroy all that he had worked for.

As he finished his cup of wine Brynden Rivers looked at the un-open letter that he had placed on his table sometime ago. The fire was dying out in the hearth as he put his cup down and moved to open the letter, which bore the flayed man seal of House Bolton. He quickly glanced through the letter and then smiled - a rare thing these days- he had some good news to share with Daeron and the small council. The Starks were about to face their toughest challenge yet.

The Mad Bolton

The banners were gathered, the armies had been assembled and war had been declared in the north. Lord Horras Bolton, the Lord of the Dreadfort was the man leading the charge. He sensed an opportunity for further honours for his family, with the Targaryens and the Starks at odds over the Blackfyre issue, Bolton had offered his services to King Daeron II Targaryen, and had begun planning and plotting with permission from the King of course, to undermine and eventually end Daeron Stark, and the Starks in general, and their hold of the north. He was determined to right the wrongs that his family had suffered; he was determined to do what none of his ancestors had been able to do. He would make House Stark die out, and he would take Winterfell and the north. But he would not submit to Targaryen or southern control, oh no, the north was tasting freedom and would not submit as easily to a Lord who wished to bend the knee to the Iron Throne, especially when the Iron Throne did not have dragons to guard it. No he would crown himself King of Winter, taking House Bolton's rightful place as kings of the north, once the Targaryens were occupied with another Black Dragon.

Much planning had done into the rebellion, much co-ordination with Bloodraven and Lord Gorne Magnar had happened. Their rebellions had been planned to occur at the same time to divide the Stark forces, and the trap had worked perfectly. Artos and Beron Stark were sailing for Skagos now, but would more than likely be delayed due to the sellsails that Bloodraven had hired from Bravos to keep the Stark army under Artos Stark busy. Reports from that side, painted a rather favourable picture. Stark he had marched from Winterfell with some 10,000 men to fight Horras himself, though with the summer days dying and autumn and its rains becoming more and more frequent, Stark's army had not yet reached the Shepshead Hill. Horras knew that Stark was an impatient man at times, and when it came to fighting he would be itching to get into the thick of the action. During the Blackfyre rebellion it had usually fallen to Stark's uncles Artos or Beron to keep him in check. But they were both gone, and whether or not the man's brothers Cregan and Theon would be able to do the same job, was still to be seen.

For four years Horras had planned and plotted the rebellion. He knew that none of the great houses of the north would rebel alongside him, they were too fiercely loyal to the Starks, but the masterly and secondary bannermen to these great houses were often very, very ambitious, and were often likely to take up any chance at furthering their own gains. He also knew that many of the secondary houses were nervous or upset by Daeron Stark's decision to support the Blackfyres during the rebellion, there were those who thought it odd that the oh so honourable Starks would wage war to put a bastard on the throne, who would risk the safety of the north and its people for a man who looked nothing like the north, but was the product of those who had subdued and insulted the north throughout their time as rulers of Westeros. It had not taken too much persuading to get the northern masterly houses to call their men to arms. House Forrester, House Condon, House Tallhart, House Slate, House Stout, House Long, House Lake, House Flint of Flint's Finger and House Ryswell had all sworn themselves to him and his cause, and their plans had been drawn.

House Forrester, House Slate and House Long had all called their banners and had fought a battle at the Stony Shore with the forces of House Glover and their supporters. A fierce battle had ensued with Matthew Forrester- a fierce warrior who had fought alongside Willam Stark in Dorne and against Raymun Redbeard- leading the rebel forces. Forrester had been the one to slay Lord Glover; his head was sent back to his widow and his brother with a clear message, surrender or suffer the same fate. Ethan Glover, Derrick's brother had refused to surrender and so Deepwood Motte was under siege. Many small skirmishes had occurred since that battle at Stony Shore between the Forrester forces and the other Glover forces, many had died, and yet Ethan Glover held out. For how long though, Horras did not know, from what Matthew Forrester wrote, Glover's food supplies were running low, their hopes of getting food cut off, what with the Mormonts unable to send aid, and the Ironborn away in Qarth raiding due to false reports sent by Bloodraven and his spies.

Devan Condon and Garen Tallhart had led their men north and east to Castle Cerwyn- half a day's ride from Winterfell- and had fought a battle within the sight of the castle with Donnel Cerwyn's forces, easily defeating them and killing Donnel Cerwyn, his son and his brother. Cerwyn Castle was now under their control, but there was one small problem, Donnel Cerwyn's wife and young daughter had managed to flee north to Winterfell due to help from one of their men at arms. And as a result, Daeron Stark had dispatched some 500 men under the leadership of Steffon Cassel south toe Castle Cerwyn, and the young man had managed to kill both Devan Condon and Garen Tallhart and their heirs and had forced their forces to submit and had as a result freed Castle Cerwyn, and had then proceeded to march west to deal with the siege of Deepwood Motte.

Horras knew that Berrick Ryswell was marching north with his men and the men of House Stout to assist Matthew Forrester, Horras could only hope that they would be successful. Daeron Stark was marching- he was perhaps a day's ride away from the Dreadfort now- marching with some of the strength of Winterfell, Last Hearth, Hornwood, and Karhold behind him. Horras only had his own men and that of House Lake and House Flint of Widow's Watch with at the Dreadfort. A fierce battle or battles would be fought within the next few days he could feel it. It was just a case of waiting and watching.

Horras waited for five days, before with the rain slowing down and beginning to die the first sighting of the grey dragon and direwolf banner of House Stark of Winterfell was sighted. His hands shook with nerves, as he put his armour on and he mounted his horse. The Weeping Water was close to full, the rain and the dark sky seemed like a sign from the old gods of things to come. He looked around the field where he and his men and those of House Lake and House Flint of Widow's Watch were, and saw their banners floating by in the air, he saw his son and heir Jonor mounted his axe in hand, he saw his son Domeric mounted sword in hand, and he felt reassured. He drew his sword from his sheath and raised it high into the air, just as the Stark king blew his war horn. The fighting had begun.