章 23: Chapter 23 (Revamped)
(Randyll Tarly, Prince's Pass)
Randyll stared at the figures bound in front of him.
Franklyn Fowler, Dagos Manwoody, and Larra Blackmont.
The heads of their respective Houses and the fools who decided to make true to his claims about a Dornish incursion. Something he and Titus had initially used, so that they didn't get involved with the civil war that was presently plaguing the Reach.
For whatever reason the Dornish had decided to confirm it for themselves and had attacked the March, forcing him to rally the Marcher Lords to drive them back.
Whilst House Tarly and Peake were the most influential and well-known Marcher Lords from the Reach. There were various petty Lords and petty knights who also could be considered Marcher Lords, with House Hunt being the most prominent of these petty Houses, they also happened to be his principal bannermen.
As such an attack on them, meant an attack on him.
"It was foolish of you to attack us when your numbers were still so depleted from the rebellion," Randyll sneered at them.
Dagos the leader of three merely glanced up at Randyll, disgust in his eyes. "Men who would still be alive, had you not bandied about in a fool's siege!" he spat.
Franklyn and Larra for their parts remained silent, Larra in silent fury and Franklyn in grief.
While his expression remained stern, inwardly the Tarly lord couldn't help but agree with the Dornish. That didn't mean he would admit it to them anyway.
For the past few weeks he, Ser Marwen Hunt, and Lord Titus Peake had been harrying the Dornish back to the Prince's pass.
Their smaller numbers while allowing them to disperse and harass the Reachmen, made them vulnerable if attacked properly. Just a few days ago, Randyll and Titus had managed to force the Dornish into a proper field battle using Marwen as bait.
Taking the bait, the Dornish quickly found themselves surrounded at all sides, leading to the slaughter of a significant portion of their men. The survivors barely made a breakthrough and managed to escape, which included these two Lords and Lady.
While Randyll chased after the fleeing Dornish Leaders, having finally caught up to them, Titus and Marwen were put in charge of the defensive lines at the entrance of Prince's Pass, in case House Wyl or Yronwood decided to join in and make their offensives.
It worked well enough and he'd managed to capture the trio.
Around them were the vultures who were feasting on the dead, while more flew in circles waiting for the men below them to leave so they may begin their feast, making for a rather grim sight. Randyll wasn't pleased as it reminded him of the many villages that were sacked and the number of men he'd lost to this utter stupidity.
A pair of his men approached, bringing with them a body wrapped with the Fowler banner. Even wrapped, one could see the blood seeping through, staining the once gray banner to crimson red.
It wasn't difficult for Randyll to realize who the dead man might have been. The grief-stricken cry coming from Franklyn was proof enough.
There was some pity to be felt for the man, it was his brother's body after all. However, that didn't change the fact that he felt it was justice from the gods for the atrocities committed by them during their incursion.
They had wiped out whole villages located within his Lands, killed the men, and raped their women and daughters while they forced their sons and brothers to watch. It was beyond monstrous and Randyll sought to rectify their actions.
Sure enough, these bastards had yet to change their ways, repeating what their ancestors had infamously done in the past.
"Let the vultures have it," He ordered. The men bowed their heads and swiftly dragged the body to put it with the rest of the corpses. There would be no need to show respect to this corpse.
"What shall be done with the prisoners, my lord?" A Young Knight asked one of Marwen's cousins if he remembered correctly.
The man looked ready to hurl at the sight but had the sense to keep himself steady in front of the enemy. For a few moments Randyll merely stared at the leaders of the incursion, he could now see pure loathing and hatred in the eyes of the Folwer Head.
Dagos looked resigned while Larra remained expressionless.
"I want their heads on a spike and planted on the ground ahead of us, that should serve as a warning for the next Dornishmen foolish enough to make the same mistake," He said.
Showing no hesitation, the men surrounding the Dornishmen quickly began executing his orders. No one was spared, be it man or woman.
Randyll could only hope that the rest of the blasted sand dwellers heeded his warnings.
…
(Mathias Rowan, Goldengrove)
"What is the situation at hand?" He asked his Master-at-arms.
"Caswell and Meadows had fallen," Roger reported. "Apparently the two had just finished battling each other when the Banners fell upon them and captured their Lords."
His face fell at that, Meadows had been the only ally close enough to provide him with support, with both of them being surrounded at all sides by Florent loyalists. The rest of Mace's supporters could be found southwards and busy besieging any of the fox's supporters there.
The only good news he'd had so far was the fact that Footly had effectively shot himself and the Florents in the foot by attacking the Riverlands. Unfortunately, this was somewhat ruined by the fact that Olenna, the so-called 'Queen of Thorns' had spread rumors of a potential Mudd-Tyrell alliance which caused this whole mess in the first place.
Now both Florents and Tyrells were facing the wrath of House Mudd and neither was willing to work with the other to push this threat out.
He didn't have many options at the moment, any move he made held immense risks to not only his own safety but that of his family.
"What of the neutral lords in the North," Mathis asked.
"Osgrey, Graceford, and Westbrook have declared their allegiance to Lord Erlend, my Lord," Roger answered.
Mathis paled at that, while individually Those three Houses were rather minor in the grand schemes of things, combined they posed a genuine threat to his territories.
It wasn't just him, the Oakhearts and Cranes were also at risk, especially if his other vassal the Webbers also decided to join in the fun. However, that was unlikely seeing the dispute that had existed between both Houses since Eustace and Rohanne's deaths.
With his ancestor's support, Rohanne's and Eustace's son was forcefully removed from his position as Lord of Coldmoat and was given Standfast as recompense. Whilst Wendell Webber's children were granted Coldmoat, this has effectively started a blood feud between the two.
Mathis like the rest of his predecessors continued to place his support on House Webber, as it was far easier to control compared to the proud Osgrey's.
A revitalized Osgrey had always represented a threat against the dominance his house had enjoyed since their fall from grace. Something that was looking more likely by the minute.
Most of the Florent forces were currently positioned in Merrywheather's seat Longtable, the disgraced House having regained their lands and wealth with Florent's support after the burning of Kings Landing.
It wasn't like anyone was bothered to continue with the charade of obeying the Mad King nonsense now that he was Dead. Mathis sincerely hoped the lion cub had managed to stab King Scab, before burning with the old lion.
The greatest casualty of this war so far had been Lord Footly. Though, Mathis heavily doubted that there was anyone from either side who grieved his death, considering what his stupidity had brought down on them.
The tides were turning and it wasn't to the Fox or Flowers advantage.
The Osgrey's wanted their lands back, and their fellow minor lords were following suit.
Erlend Mudd now held nearly half of the northern Reach in his grasp and it wouldn't be long before he took the rest. He had the most experienced men, some of the best commanders Westeros had to offer, and an ambition to match both.
Letting out an exhausted sight "Send for the Maester, we have ravens that need to be sent." He ordered.
Mathis decided to make the only decision he could afford, he just hoped Mace was smart enough to do the same.
Sitting within his solar, Mathis simply waited.
…
(Desmond Osgrey, On the March)
Desmond wouldn't call himself the most ambitious of men.
Yes, he wanted to regain his House's status as Lords of Coldmoat, to right the grave injustice that had been inflicted on his House since the fall of their lieges the Gardeners, may they rest in peace.
But that was something practically all his predecessors wished for, and should have been resolved by the marriage of Ser Eustace and Lady Rohanne, yet those scheming Rowans refused to let right be done.
The good Lord Erlend had promised to restore House Osgrey to their rightful position, should they bend the knee and manage to convince House Graceford and Vryrnel.
By the Seven, he'd managed to do it.
Oh, Desmond would've loved to look at Mathis's face when heard of it, those damn golden trees can only wither at the sight of the proud Osgrey lion, as they should.
Mark his words, House Osgrey would be able to fly their banners proudly again, and if he had to trample on House Webber and Rowan to do so, then that's fine by him.
'Let Right be Done.'
…
(Battle of Coldmoat)
The first battle in what many would call the 'Conquest of the Reach' occurred between House Webber and House Osgrey.
Many would argue that it couldn't be considered a 'true' battle, Lord Rowan most prominently; due to its minor size and impact on the conquest. Still, there could be no denying that it laid the foundations that would see the rise of the formerly disgraced House Osgrey.
The feud between both Houses could be traced back to the latter years of King Daeron II's reign when the reigning Lord Rowan supported a son of Wendell Webber to oust his cousin the son of Ser Eustace and Lady Rohanne.
This would culminate in a blood feud between both Houses, with many battles occurring between them, lasting nearly a century and a half. House Osgrey, despite finding much success in curtailing Webber influence, would always be forced to retreat largely due to the support House Rowans provided to the Webbers.
Instead of remaining on the defensive and fortifying within Coldmoat, Lord Webber chose to sally his forces to meet House Osgreys army in open battle.
Historians widely debate the cause of this, a common assumption was that he was urged to do so by his hot-headed brother, a well-known philandrist and glory seeker. Some claim it was on the advice of his wife, who would later remarry his foe at the end of the war.
Regardless of his reasoning, Lord Webber would meet up with Ser Desmond Osgrey in parlay, in hopes of a peaceful conciliation. This was partly due to the fact that many would come to find out that Lord Mathis Rowan had declared his allegiance towards Lord Erlend Mudd only a few hours ago.
It's well known that during the parlay a heated exchange occurred between the two lords, not helped by Lord Webber's brother who only served to inflame both tempers by bringing up the late Ser Osgrey's infamous failed contracts with the Iron Bank that nearly bankrupted the Osgrey's.
On the field, the two forces would meet where it became clear that the Webber men outnumbered those mustered by the chequy lion.
Knowing that this would be a likely issue, Ser Desmond placed his best men at the center. Whilst spreading out the rest of the levies on both sides, keeping the Webber forces at bay.
These brave men led by none other than Ser Desmond would end up penetrating the Webber lines. Subsequently attacking the vulnerable Webber flanks and forced them to flee.
Lord Webber and his brother were both reportedly killed by Ser Desmond and his trusted master-at-arms, leading to the end of the Webber line. It has to be said that due to a miscarriage, Lord Webber's only child had passed away with his wife only barely surviving the ordeal.
Ser Desmond's men would continue to chase down the retreating Webber forces, where many would end up surrendering, while a few stubbornly held out and ended in their demise.
Shortly after the end of the Battle, Ser Desmond would be welcomed into Coldmoat by the then-widowed Lady Webber who surrendered the castle on the promise that its inhabitants be spared and treated with respect.
…
(Battle of Longtable)
Since Osgrey's victory over House Webber, House Mudd supporters would see significant gains in the Northmarch.
Lord Mathis Rowan to show sincerity to Lord Erlend would rally the Mudd Supporters within the north which included House Graceford, Vryrnel, and Osgrey to besiege and capture Red Lake and Old Oak.
These victories and successful captures would demotivate the Florent loyalists significantly and would be a key reason why they weren't as effective in subsequent battles, something many would claim after the war.
Lord Erlend himself wasn't idle, the seats of House Meadows and Caswel, Grassfield Keep and Bitterbridge respectively promptly surrendered after word of their lords' captures became known.
Lord Alyn Ashford would soon thereafter declare his support for the Mudd cause, linking up with the Banners. While some of the minor Lords and knightly Houses chose to resist and were promptly defeated with some being wiped out, most chose to submit to Lord Mudd with many either being assimilated or left alone.
The Florents in a bid to end the tidal wave of victories that the Mudds had been enjoying chose to attack the Banners head-on. No doubt egged on by the furious Lord Armen Oakheart and Lord Ellard Crane who both lost their seats and kin to Mathis Rowan and Desmond Osgrey.
Anticipating the attack, Lord Erlend's Banners built a series of field obstacles that denied the Reach knights a chance to charge.
The Florent vanguard led by Axell Florent and Ellard Crane was destroyed by the prepared Banners. The fox's flanks did not fare any better as Lord Lorimas Mudd and Duncan Strong would successfully push back both sides in a devastating charge.
With morale at an all-time low, Lord Alester Florent would signal for a retreat in an attempt to salvage the situation, much of the center of the Florent forces would successfully retreat into Longtable.
The flanks on the other hand would be unable to do so and would either be killed or forced to surrender to the Banners.
Among those captured would be Lord Armen Oakheart, Lord Ellard Crane, Ser Hosman Norcross, Ser Colin Florent, and Ser Axell Florent.
Ser Colin and Axell would be placed under household arrest within Tumbleton alongside the rest of the Florents there due to the pleas of Ser Colin's son-in-law Duncan Strong. Whilst the rest of the Lords were moved to Grassfield Keep, a previously Tyrell loyalist keep.
It's interesting to note that Ser Hosman's presence greatly amused Lord Erlend, especially when he and Lt. General Duncan Strong were in the same room. Though Lord Erlend had never given a reason as to why he did so.
Ser Hosman for his part had distinguished himself in the battle, and despite being from the opposing side, was offered a position within the Banners shortly after the end of the war.
…
(Siege of Longtable)
Only days after his victory over the Florent forces in the 'Battle of Longtable'. Lord Erlend would begin besieging Merrywheather's seat of Longtable where a significant portion of the leaders of the Florent faction could be found, chief among them was Lord Alester Florent himself.
The first assault by Lord Erlend was met with failure as Lord Merrywheather was able to convince a small portion of the remaining knights to lead a sneak attack at the hour of the wolf and burn down the catapults and trebuchets that had been set up.
The knights would end up paying for this with their lives, as Lord Lorimas who had been placed in charge of the night shift, had them impaled and their bodies put on display in front of the keep for its defenders to see.
New siege engines would eventually be rebuilt and the assaults would finally be able to begin. Siege towers, rams, and siege ladders would be put to use in the assaults, whilst catapults would send large boulders down on the walls and towers of the keep.
Archers would send arrows raining down on the defenders, giving the attackers room to climb up the walls using the towers and ladders. Eventually, one of the catapults would successfully end up creating a breach large enough for the Banners to move through.
The consistent flood of men, arrows, and bombardments quickly forced the Florent forces to surrender, though Lord Alester Florent would end up killed in the siege. Due to conflicting claims between various parties, it remains a mystery who exactly succeeded in killing the fox lord.
With the death of Lord Alester and the capture of a significant portion of its high command. The Florent faction quickly submitted itself to House Mudd, while there were a few scatterings of resistant cells, most of them would end up being beaten by either the Banners or the Tyrells soon after.
Lord Erlend for his part changed his focus to the pressing issue that was the Tyrells as word would soon come of the capture of Brightwater keep.
…
(Siege of Brightwater Keep)
At the beginning of the civil war between House Florent and Tyrell, Lord Mace Tyrell rallied his men to put his foe's ancestral seat to siege.
Wisely, House Florent had chosen to move all its main branch members northwards where most of their supporters could be found. This move ensured that House Tyrell's inability to put a swift end to the war was due to the lack of credible hostages that could've been used and Mace Tyrell's insistence on starving them out.
The siege would last only a few weeks, but those weeks gave Lord Erlend Mudd's forces enough time to vanquish a significant portion of Tyrell's loyalists and Florent faction within the Northmarch, either through diplomacy or force. Something that Lord Rowan and Osgrey played a large part in.
Lord Mace's refusal to end the siege and march northwards to meet this new hostile army would destroy much of his credibility among his supporters. It did not help that he chose to do nothing when a Dornish Incursion spearheaded by House Manwoody began.
While the fears of the Reachmen subsided due to Randyll Tarly's decisive victory over the Dornish and the execution of its Leaders, the Tyrell lord would find his forces diminished as some of his Lord chose to abandon his cause and return to their keeps.
The most prominent of these Houses that retracted their support would be Costayne and Fossoway. Both branches of Fossoway would end up pulling back their support, their Vassals as well as neighboring minor lords and knightly houses would quickly follow suit.
Despite the decrease in size, the Tyrell Forces still gravely outnumbered the garrison within Brightwater Keep. Perhaps to rectify his already tarnished reputation, both due to the Dornish Incursion and his failure to take Storm's End, Lord Tyrell could no longer stand outside Brightwater and hope to starve its garrison out.
Instead, the Tyrell forces were divided into three separate armies, each approaching the keep in a separate direction.
Lord Mace would lead from the south, his brother-in-law Ser Baelor 'Brightsmile' would lead from the west, and Lord Jon Bulwer from the east.
With the keep surrounded, the Tyrell forces would entrench themselves around the keep.
Once secure, catapults began to pound the walls, while Tyrell's men advanced under wooden covers, with archers sending arrows over the walls.
This continuous bombardment and waves of Tyrell men throwing themselves at the walls of the ancient keep would last for weeks, inevitably leading to the collapse of its walls and towers.
Once the Tyrell men managed to get over the walls, the Garrison commander, a distant cousin to Lord Alester chose to surrender to Lord Mace.
He and the rest of the distant members of House Florent were put under house arrest, whilst the keep was placed under the command of a trusted Tyrell.
This would be the first major victory attained by House Tyrell since the beginning of the Civil War. Unfortunately for them, House Florent would not fall to them, but rather to the lord who the Tyrells unintentionally provoked thanks to the actions of their matriarch.
======
Note: These aren't the only battles that have occurred in the war, they are just the most important ones, there are countless other battles and sieges that have occurred, but writing them will only drag out this arc and become somewhat repetitive.
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