The Little Cub
Part 14 - Cold Steel
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Tommen sat on the back of his horse at the head of an army and looked over the field at the enemies. The intelligence had been right; the army that waited ahead was about twelve thousand men strong. The young king turned his steed around and looked at his men.
I have seventeen thousand men here who are well trained.. and hopefully well led. The odds are in our favor and hopefully the Gods too. Tommen turned in his saddle, facing the retinue beside him. Lord Gabriel Darkholme of Rollingford was there with him, along with the kingsguards Ser Loras Tyrell, Ser Osmund Kettleback, Ser Meryn Trant, Ser Robert Strong and the Lord Commander Jaime Lannister.
''Present the white flag, Ser Meryn. I wish to parley with the opposition.'' The Kingsguard did as he was bid, raising up a white flag. The King looked over the field and saw that the sign was answered to. He spurred his steed to a gallop, knowing that his retinue would follow him.
Over eighty thousand men had rode to war with him. Thirty-thousand Tyrell men and twenty thousand men from both the Westerlands and the Vale. Tommen had ordered Lord Tyrell to bring his forces to besiege Harrenhal, whereas Lord Lannister moved for Riverrun and Lord Arryn for Blackwood and Bracken lands. King Tommen had taken all the Crownland men and some from Stormlands with him, heading up towards the Twins, knowing that on the way to there he'd meet Littlefinger's army. Orders were clear: as long as the castles opened their gates and it's people surrendered without resistance, the people were to be kept from harm's way.
It's Littlefinger I want. Though the Riverlanders are now his folk, they are my people too. There's no need for excessive violence, as ruling over people who want to murder you may prove hard. That's why he'd brought Ryan Tully with him. The name of his house was well known in the Riverlands, and by granting the land back to it's old rulers Tommen would earn their loyalty.
Edmure's a wild card, and can't be trusted. But my squire.. he's but six years old and therefore easily controlled. I can teach him to be a better man than his father, and one day he may take his rightful place as the Lord Paramount of the Riverlands.. if everything goes well. To ensure nothing happened to the boy, Tommen had ordered his ward to remain at the camp for the battle.
Five men left the army on the other side of the field and rode towards King Tommen, one of them carrying a white flag. Tommen was wearing his black and golden plate armor - the colors of his house - and knew there was no doubt to the enemy who the king was. As they reached the middle of the field, Tommen stopped his steed and looked at the men riding towards him. Littlefinger had spent many years at the court in King's Landing, and Tommen knew what he looked like. Still, the king didn't see Lord Baelish among the five who were getting closer. Some hundred feet from Tommen and his kingsguards, the four riders stopped, and only one of them kept on approaching, now riding slower. The king looked at his men as a sign to stay put, and rode forth to meet the lone knight.
Tommen had the visor of his helmet already up.
''Who are you, Ser?'' The knight pulled up his own one, revealing his face to the king.
''Ser Lothor Brune, the commander of this army'', he answered.
The Apple Eater, he's called.. after the sigil of House Fossoway, Tommen remembered.
Ser Lothor was but a lowborn freerider in the service of Littlefinger, who was anointed a knight after the Battle of Blackwater for cutting through several men-at-arms of House Fossoway, and eventually slewing brothers Edwyn and Bryen Fossoway and capturing Lord Jon Fossoway. He's one of the best swordsmen in Littlefinger's service, and clearly not a man anyone wants to have on their wrong side.
''Well then, Ser Lothor Brune. Your men are to surrender immediately or it will come to a battle. The Riverlands are being taken back the moment we speak, and I do not wish for any more lives to end than is necessary'', Tommen began. The knight looked at him in silence, calculating his words before finally saying them:
''Nor do I, your Grace. There's only one life that needs to end.'' Tommen smirked and looked back at Ser Lothor:
''A battle it is, then.'' Ser Lothor turned his horse around and replied:
''Aye.. I'll look for you in the field.'' The Apple Eater galloped back to his army with the four other men. Tommen looked after them in disbelief, not understanding why they would want to fight.
Even if they somehow win, they'll still lose the war. Still, thinking of the upcoming battle was somehow a welcome thought to the king. It'd be his first battle, and a great opportunity to prove what he was capable of. Tommen turned his horse around, and returned to the rest of his army.
The King stopped a good distance before his army, and his retinue gathered around him.
''Ser Loras, you have the right flank. Lord Darkholme has the left. I will lead the vanguard personally, and make the first contact. We have superior numbers, so strike quickly and strike hard. One third of the cavalry will be with the vanguard, and the rest is divided between each flank. They are to stay defensive and ensure that no sudden attacks will take the light infantry from flanks. If some line seems to be breaking, the cavalry is to move to reinforce them. '' Tommen looked at his commanders, who each gave him a nod.
''Very good, my lords. Now, good luck and see you on the other side.''
Ser Loras and Lord Darkholme rode to opposite directions to assume the command of the flanks, whereas Ser Godry, Ser Meryn and Ser Jaime remained by Tommen's side. He turned his horse around and rode towards the line of his men.
''Here we are, men.. On the field of battle after three years of peace'', the Young King began his speech.
''Lord Baelish knows that the battle is already lost to him and is not present today. Still, he has ordered the Riverlanders to fight for his lost cause.'' The King sat on the back of his horse and held a moment of silence, looking at the four thousand infantry soldiers in front of him.
''They love him not, and will not die for this lord-who-fled. So fight well and fight hard, and I promise.. the enemies will rout before us, and we'll get to return to our families!'' When the men began shouting out their warcries, Tommen thought of Margaery, who he hadn't talked to after he'd confronted her about the affair she'd had with Moon Boy. Ser Balon Swann and Ser Boros Blount had remained in the capital by Tommen's orders to protect the royal family, but also to keep an eye on Lady Margaery.
The plot he'd created to capture Moon Boy in all silence had succeeded, and to the rest of the court it seemed as if the jester had simply vanished. The Moon Boy had first denied everything, but Ser Ilyn Payne had gotten him to talk.. When the king left the torturing chambers - the fourth and deepest floor of the Red Keep's dungeons - he wasn't the same person as before. Needless to say, the Moon Boy never did.
The kind boy I once was died down there, Tommen thought and bared his Valyrian steel sword, raising it in the air above his head.
''Infantry, forward!''
Tommen turned his horse around and slowly rode at the head of the army. He looked at Ser Osmund beside him, saying him:
''Bring word to the cavalry in the rearguard that the infantry will engage first. The horsemen are to charge after that from both sides of the vanguard before the left and right flank join the fight. The infantry will first punch a hole in their spearwall, and the cavalry will take it from there on.'' The Kingsguard nodded and galloped towards the main army. Then the king turned to his silent giant;
''Ser Robert, you'll join the infantry and represent the King in the frontline. That spearwall needs to break before the cavalry arrives. Make sure of that.'' Tommen turned his gaze to the front and looked over the field at the enemies who held their defensive position.
The mere sight of Ser Robert should be enough to encourage the men, Tommen thought hopefully and turned his horse around, riding to the middle of the heavily-armored vanguard as they were approaching the range of enemy's archers.
''You know what to do, men! Break their formation, and our cavalry will get to sweep through their whole army'', Tommen shouted to the men at the frontline of the vanguard when riding past them.
Arrows came whistling through the air, and the infantry raised their shields up.
''Keep on marching, men'', Tommen shouted. The king looked to his both sides, and saw the flanks were moving little bit behind the centre - as planned. The rearguard of the center was lined up with them, though it consisted mostly of cavalry. All the light infantry and archers were in the flanks, whereas most of the heavy infantry was placed in the center under Tommen's command. The enemy was lined up in a straight line with spearmen and at the front, heavy infantry behind them and archers at the rear. They only had little cavalry and it was placed in the flanks.
They're Lord Darkholme's and Ser Loras' problem. Tommen pulled his visor down as more arrows flew across the sky. The first casualties were sustained as arrows found their marks. Tommen held his shield up as well, and caught one arrow in it. The sudden shock coming from the arrow hitting the shield surprised the young king, and made his heart beat faster.
''Quick march! Keep the formation!''
''Your Grace, perhaps it would be the best if you led from the rear'', said Ser Meryn after an arrow hit his shield as well. Tommen looked at the kingsguard and shaked his head;
''I'll lead the attack from the front, but join the fighting personally only once the cavalry attacks.'' The King and his bodyguards - with the exception of Ser Robert who had dismounted and joined the frontline afoot - were all on horseback, whereas the vanguard consisted of only heavy infantry. As they were closing on the enemy lines, Tommen gave the command to charge. The four thousand men that the vanguard consisted of began running and shouting out their warcries. Tommen could hear a loud crash when the lines met. The Riverlanders had moved their own heavy infantry to meet the vanguard as it wasn't Tommen's cavalry who charged first. From horseback Tommen could see over the heads of the infantry how Ser Robert led the attack, hacking down enemies left and right and carving a path for the rest of the men. As the enemy archers from their left flank began to target the king and his retinue, Ser Jaime shouted;
''We need to move, now!'' It's either falling back and leaving the men to fight alone, or getting closer to action and danger, Tommen realized. The decision of abandoning his men was out of question, so Tommen galloped forward.
The center of the enemies was beginning to collapse. The sight of Ser Robert decimating their comrades was far too much for the Riverlanders, and they seemed to lose their courage. The men in the enemy frontline tried to get back, but were blocked by the men behind them. The King looked over his shoulder after hearing horses approach and saw Ser Osmund ride at the head of the five hundred heavy cavalry that had been placed in the rearguard. Tommen turned his horse around and rode towards Ser Osmund, joining the cavalry with the rest of the Kingsguards. Instead of riding over his own vanguard, Tommen's cavalry split in two and rode forth through the gaps that had been left in the enemy's spearwall with the center having been pushed back. The cavalry had gotten an entryway to ride down the enemy army, and Tommen knew his plan had succeeded. Some spearmen tried to block their way, but it was too late; though the first riders lost their horses, the cavalry coming after them rode down the spearmen and punched their way through.
Tommen went for the left, assuming the kingsguards followed him and raised Widow's Wail in the air, only to swing it down again, again and again while riding down the Riverlanders. The Valyrian steel felt light in his arms, yet it bit through steel and plate like no other sword. Tommen lost the sense of time and his surroundings, and all the sounds in his head fell quiet. There was only his sword and the next enemy to hack down with it.. until a Riverlander shoved a spear in Tommen's way. It went through the armoring of the horse, and next Tommen found himself lying on the ground next to a dying horse, trying desperately to get up. The same spearman who had lethally wounded the King's horse now approached Tommen with a short sword in his hands, but Tommen managed to move his shield on the way right in time. Widow's Wail cut the spearman's left knee, and as the man lost his balance, Tommen moved from behind his shield and landed a finishing blow in the man's neck.
The King looked around, realizing he was in the middle of the enemy army. A few cavalry men were fighting against the Riverlander infantry, yet Tommen realized he'd need to get back to his troops unless he wanted to end up dead, knowing that his armor attracted would-be-kingslayers like shit flies. His Kingsguards were nowhere to be seen. An enemy swordsman approached with his weapon held high, but Tommen leapt forward and thrusted Widow's Wail through the man's heart before he had a chance to land the blow. The King pulled his sword outside and let the man fall on the ground. That's when he saw him.
Ser Lothor Brune's armor was unmistakable.
''Leave him to me'', the knight shouted as if to make sure none else would get the honor of killing the king. Tommen and Ser Lothor began to circle each other, looking for weaknesses in each other's defences. The battle raged all around them now. The short moment Tommen had been allowed to catch breath ended abruptly when Ser Lothor leapt forth and utterly without mercy did his best to undermine Tommen's defences. The knight gave him no quarter and hacked at him all he could. Tommen blocked each strike and returned a few blows which however were to no good.
He's good.. and stronger than I am, Tommen realized.
The King was slow in his black-and-gold armor, and Ser Lothor was in surprisingly good shape considering he was in his late thirties. They fiercely exchanged blows, yet his opponent didn't get windy.
I can't tire him to death, Tommen realized and began a counterattack, forcing Ser Lothor to take a few steps back. The knight replied with a riposte, but the King countered it and pushed on harder, landing a few blows which hit Ser Lothor's armor, not penetrating it. Realizing how close his death had been, Ser Lothor seemed to get more strength and let out a warcry, followed by a fierce slash from above which Tommen dodged by stepping to the side.
It was as if a beast inside Ser Lothor had woken. He landed heavy but swift strikes, forcing Tommen to do his best to keep the blade away. When Ser Lothor's sword scraped Tommen's chestplate, the King felt a chill climb up his back. The knight kept pressing on, and with a shield bash sent the king staggering backwards. Stumbling on a corpse behind him, Tommen came staggering to the ground on his back and lost his helmet during the fall.
My sword.. The King had lost the grip of his Valyrian steel sword, and now looked desperately around, knowing he only had two seconds before Ser Lothor would be on him again.
Too late.
Ser Lothor swung his sword at Tommen, aiming for his unarmored face. Unlike out on the training yard of King's Landing, there were no rules in a true fight. You'd use every possible card you have unless you wanted to die. Tommen only had one. He let go of his shield and rolled to the side, attempting to dodge the incoming sword. Tommen felt warm liquid gush out from his cheek, and realized the hit had reached it's target.
I'm alive, Tommen realized, and found his hand accidentally touch the familiar grip of Widow's Wail. The King forced himself up on his feet and with the back of his swordhand brushed the hair away from his eyes.
Tommen met the eyes of Ser Lothor, who had pulled his visor up and stared at him in disbelief.
''My turn'', Tommen said defiantly and took a step forward, holding Widow's Wail with both hands. Ser Lothor pulled his visor down just in time to block Tommen's strike with a shield. The young king roared like a lion and forced his opponent to take a few steps back. To Ser Lothor's luck, there were no corpses on the way this time. For the second time in his life, Tommen felt like the Warrior himself, forcing his opponent to defensive approach and giving him no chance to return any strikes. With his helmet on and while hiding behind his shield, Tommen knew Ser Lothor could barely see anything. Using that as an advantage, the king leapt to the side, forcing his opponent to search for a moment where he'd gone.
When the knight turned, it was already too late for him. Widow's Wail sunk to Ser Lothor's leg, forcing him on his knees. He let out a moan from the pain, and Tommen kicked his shield, sending him on the ground on his back. The knight tried to rise, but his heavy armor made the effort hard. Tommen stepped on the knight's sword hand and with the other foot kicked Ser Lothor in the chest, forcing him again on his back against the ground. Without mercy, Tommen thrusted the blade of Widow's Wail through the knight's armor where he knew the man's heart would be. The Valyrian steel bit through the armor, and Ser Lothor took his last breath.
Ser Lothor was no more, and Tommen put his foot on the deceased knight's chest, pulling the sword out of the body. When he looked around, he met the eyes of Lord Gabriel Darkholme of Rollingford. The battle around them had already turned into a victory, and the only Riverlanders Tommen could see were either running away or being butchered. Lord Darkholme steered his mount next to King Tommen, who now cleaned the bloody blade of his sword to the shirt of the spearman he'd killed earlier. The Lord of Rollingford stared at him with a concerned look on his face.
''Your Grace.. you're wounded.'' Only now Tommen felt the pain, and remembered how Ser Lothor had opened his cheek. The king wiped the blood away with the back of his armored hand, asking
''How bad is it?'' Lord Darkholme grimaced before answering:
''Looks gruesome.. but you'll live.''
Ser Osmund arrived next to the scene on foot, and had just as serious look on his face as Ser Darkholme before once he noticed Tommen's blood-stained face. The young king walked back to the corpse he'd stumbled, sheathed Widow's Wail and picked up his helmet and shield from the ground. He handed them both to Ser Osmund, who apologised;
''I could not keep up with you with the battle raging and you pushing deeper, and soon lost the sight of you. I'm glad to see you're alive, even if not.. unharmed, your Grace.'' Tommen patted the kingsguard on the shoulder and replied:
''The timing with bringing in the cavalry was perfect. You did well.''
''Any word from the right flank? How did Ser Loras fare?'', Tommen asked from Gabriel Darkholme. The Lord of Rollingford gazed to the other side of the field from the horseback and then turned to look again at Tommen:
''From the looks it seems he did just as well as we did. Bringing in the cavalry through the center made the flanks all nervous, and breaking their lines was almost too easy. All I can see is routing Riverlanders and loads of corpses.'' Tommen nodded as an answer and then went on:
''Give the men order not to pursue the routing Riverlanders. We'll return to the camp and tend to the wounded. Tomorrow morning, we leave for Harrenhal.''
''But what about the Twins, your Grace?'', asked Ser Osmund and then went on:
''The plan was to head all the way to there and take it. Mace Tyrell is already besieging Harrenhal.'' Tommen gave a nod to Ser Meryn who joined their company on a horseback and then went on:
''It was Littlefinger I wanted, not the Twins. He was not with the army, though, so my guess is that he's either at his seat in Harrenhal or already across the Narrow Sea. Question the captives to find out the truth as soon as possible. Whatever the case may be, his army is now shattered, so our men may besiege the keeps in peace without having to worry how twelve thousand men may fall upon them at night.''
Tommen and Ser Osmund were brought new horses, and the king left the battlefield with his two kingsguards. The day was theirs, yet the King had received a harsh reminder in his first battle that war was no game.