章 14: 14. The Goldroad Pt.2
There were about a dozen on horseback, bearing down on us from east along the roadway. They were dressed in heavy armor, the ones in the lead equipped with lances. 'Robber Knights', was my first thoughts when I saw them, hedge knights who had turned bandits.
As the arrows and crossbow bolts continuously pelted us, we knew we needed to act, but the only chance we will have, will be after the first clash. "I'll aim for the horses, as soon you see the first rider go down, break for the woods, you need to stop the archers in the woods." Garrand, quickly ordered us, and we were ready to follow without hesitation.
As the first rider was within 20 yards Garrand raised and let loose his arrow and it struck true. The lead horse took the arrow to the center of its face causing the animal to scream and veer into the path of the horse to the right. The resulting chaos had only slowed the charge.
We didn't wait to see him loose the 2nd arrow as me and Robar bolted for the carriage just in front of the one, we had been taking cover. Most of the gear had been stacked for ease of access when it was time to move again.
As we got there, another arrow flew by towards the ridders. Garrand showed his skill with the bow and struck another horse and this caused the charge to go into a disarray. There was only so much space they had to charge, they were 4 across and 3 deep.
We didn't stick around, we noticed that the archers in the woods had started concentrating more to the rare of the baggage train away from the riders at the front. Garrand's actions allowed Ser Jason and his men who were at the middle to start to push forward to try and defend against the incoming riders.
Robar was in the lead as both of us now equipped with shields and long swords, leapt across the ditch and made our way into the tree line. There we saw them; around 20 men were on top of a small mound that ran parallel the roadway. From where they were, they had the high ground and were able to shoot down on the baggage train, while being barely visible.
They were dressed in rough light armor and equipped with bows and some with crossbows. The closest to us turned and with a shocked look upon seeing us fired an arrow. Robar took the arrow to his shield and pushed forward.
The rest realizing that they had been found, started to change up their positions. Some moved to get a better shot at us while the rest, pushed up to continue to fire at the baggage train. We had closed the distance on the closest archer and Robar ran his sword trough the man who had been trying to draw a one-handed axe from on his hip.
I moved pass Robar as he finished the archer. It was a good thing that I had invested in my agility as I quickly caught 3 arrows and a bolt with my shield. I quickly closed in of the next closest archer, he tried to parry my sword thrust with his bow but it was too light. I drove the sword into his gut, his eyes now wide as he grabbed my arm.
He was a young man, maybe early 20's, my sword through his center. I didn't waste time on him as I pushed him back with my foot, sliding him off my blade. I could hear one of the other archers screaming a name, probably the person who I had just pulled my sword out of, but I didn't have time to pay attention. 2 more arrows impacted my shield as I raised it just in time.
Robar was now moving past me heading to the next archer and I followed his lead. 3 of them had dropped their bows and drew weapons. 2 charged Robar while the last charged at me. He raised his hand overhead with a mace in it, intending to cave my head in with one blow, but I didn't give him a chance. I was faster and swung high and cut across his eyes, as he screamed, I deflected him off my shield and quickly trusted into his ribs to finish him off.
As I looked across, I saw Robar pummeling a bandit with his shield as another lay dead with a sword stuck in him. Before I could turn to continue the attack, I had been knocked back as someone had tackle me from the side, knocking me off the side of the mound.
As we skid to a stop, the bandit was on top of me. He struck to the side of my head with a clenched fist and my ear was ringing, he followed up with a 2nd and it hit my head again. I quickly realized my position. My left arm with the shield was being pinned with his leg as he straddled me, I was in trouble. Thankful I had 'Breath Control' and it was keeping me from going into full on panic even with my adrenalin as high as it was.
The bandit had struck me in the face a few more time until a sword came through his chest from the back. Robar retracted his sword and pulled the bandit off me. "TAKE MY HAND." He shouted as he reached to pull me to my feet. He had saved me but as I took his hand and he pulled me to my feet, I heard the two impacts. Robar winched as he leaned forward to shield me.
The archers had turned their fire on us. Robar now had 2 arrows sticking out of his back, but that didn't stop him. He shielded me as he pulled me by the arm towards a tree to cover before he stumbled forward and fell on his knees. Arrows rained down on our position as now all the bandits were aiming at us.
The tree had offered good cover as the arrows that didn't hit the tree missed us all together. As I checked Robar's back, I could see that they had gone about 2-3 inches in, the arrow heads were bodkin point arrows, but between the chainman and the gambeson, it didn't appear to be life threatening.
"Don't worry about me my Lord, you need to draw the attention of as much of them as you can." I could just barely hear him say as I helped him brace against the tree.
He was right, from where I could see, some of bandits had again started targeting the baggage train again. I had lost my sword when I had been tackled but I still had my daggers. I drew the first one and darted wide from behind the tree, as I did another arrow struck my shield, this time the tip dug into my flesh as it pierced the shield and my glove.
A bandit had been moving to flank us and was barely 5 yards away, but he had fucked up as he found a dagger now buried in his skull. I didn't hesitate because at that range I was more than capable of throwing a dagger accurately thanks to Garrand.
A few more arrows struck my shield as I pushed my way back up the mound. My shield that now looked like a pincushion was starting to fall apart. As I did, I saw my sword and was able to scoop it up. As I had bent down one of the bandits had come charging at me with a short spear. I rolled my shield as I attempt to deflect but the damage was already too much and the tip of the spear caught on the shield, causing it to splinter.
Luck was on my side as an arrow had struck the bandit in his back. He had been hit with friendly fire and I didn't waste the opportunity as I buried my sword in his intestines and use his body as my shield. As he died, he had an indignant look as he looked right into my eyes. "What the fuck are you looking at?" I caught myself asking the soon to be dead man.
I felt the impact as a few more arrows hit his back. As I adjusted the bandit to see behind him, I saw that there were now fewer bandits returning fire. Suddenly I saw the remaining bandits turn and start running deeper into the woods. One of Ser Jason's knights, the one from house Turnberry came up the mound from the direction of the road, followed by a few House Lannister's men but they didn't give chase.
The knight surveyed the mound to make sure that none of the bandits had lingered. His eye fell on me and he came running over and inspected me. His eyes went wide as he saw my bloodied face and the blood and the dirt on my gear. "Are you alright Young Lord Tywin?" he asked as he tried to grab my shoulder.
I quickly slapped away his hand out of reflex and annoyance, 'Why was he not chasing after the bandits?' I though. "I'm fine, we need to give chase." But then I suddenly remembered Robar and his injuries.
"We can't, we've taken too many losses and we don't know how many of them are remaining." He responded and I knew he was right.
"Ok, follow me, I have a man hurt and we need to take him back to my maester."
He nodded and with the assistance of the Lannister men, we helped Robar back to the baggage train. I ordered them to take him to Brayan to start working on him.
"Tywin, are you alright?" Ser Jason asked with a worried look on his face.
"I'm alright Ser Jason, how are you and the rest?" I asked but he didn't seem convinced as he looked at the state of my face, also my shield and the blood dripping from my arm underneath it.
"You should go get that arm checked out soon."
"I will, how are our losses looking?" I asked as I looked around, I could see dead solider layed out in a row, I could also here the groans of a few who were injured. Ser Jason's face took a solemn look.
"We lost 11, the 6 crossbowmen, and 5 guards, Leon Swyft is also dead. But Tywin…follow me." I didn't like the way he said it. Something foreboding in his tone, it made me feel cold. It didn't take long for me to realize what he wanted to show me.
"He killed 3 of the riders, and gave us enough time to regroup and counter attack." Ser Jason said in a sorrowful voice.
Against the wagon where I had left him, sat Garrand. An arrow through his neck, drenched in his own blood. His face looked as if he was just resting his eyes, but his body was completely still. He and Robar had both sworn themselves to protect me and even though it had only been over a month, they had quickly become my friends.
I had even started to appreciate them more than the old Tywin had appreciated his brother Kevan. Now Garrand was dead and I felt my knees go weak as I dropped. I had lost the strenght that had kept me going through the entire attack, the adrenalin now draining from me. I adjusted and sat on the grown in front of Garrand's body.
'How the hell am I going to tell Robar this?' Garrand had been his mentor and they even viewed each other as siblings.
"He was one of the best men I have ever known, The Seven Kingdoms has lost a true knight on this day." I heard another knight say from the side of Ser Jason.
I looked around for my people. I saw Brayan and the girls working on a now unconscious Robar while my guards surrounded them, a couple of the guards had minor injuries.
"Your men did well, they stood their grounds against the riders, while Ser Garrand loosed arrows against them, however the archers in the woods got a lucky shot." Ser Jason said as he saw where I was looking.
Ser Forely Prester came up now, his eyes were red and watery as he looked at his cousin. "Garrand got 3, and the other 4 so that makes 7 and another 8 we found in the woods. That means we got around half of them. All of them are dead. I only recognized the face of one of them from a tourney at Stoney Sept from year before. I can't remember if he had a coat of arms.
No one else had anything to identify them, they all look like hedge knights. No one else recognized any of them. Guards said they saw one of Garrand's arrows hit and slice a rider's face, we might have a shot at finding them if we find him?" Forely said as he tighten his fist, his knuckles going white.
Both sides had taken a heavy loss. Chances were, they were on the run now. They would try to put as much distance since they had failed. They had come at House Lannister, even if they were from the Riverlands or the Reach, they wouldn't want to risk that kind of attention.
"We will rest and sort out the injured. We will also have to take the bodies with us. I will try to have them returned to the Westerlands on my way back. As soon as we make it to King's Landing I will send a raven to Lord Tytos and request reinforcements." Said Ser Jason.
"What are the chances that this was someone taking action against us?" I asked, not certain of the answer myself.
"I can't say Tywin. I doubt that this was someone taking action or they would have sent more men. Most likely this group spotted us since a couple of days ago and was lying in wait. They were depending or the ambush to offset their lack of numbers. They also didn't target you or me from the onset."
He was right, this may have been just bad luck, but it was a bitter pill to swallow. This wasn't a kind world, it was brutal and it punished both the weak and the strong. You had to be both strong and smart and even though we could have done better with our sentries. We were a party with over 30 armed men and yet we still fell prey to bandits. This was a testament this wasn't a friendly game, this was a game for blood and one day I would have to face one of the top players; 'The Great Other'.
Even if I had decades to get stronger, I would still need to push harder, because I could still trip and fall on a step, long before I made it to the top. Before I even faced my main objective.
......…..
Robar awoke the next day, Brayan had given him Milk of the Poppy to ease his pain and help him sleep. I chose to be the one to tell him, about Garrand when he woke. Robar broke down on receiving the news, I had Delia and Darcey comfort him as best as they could. Everyone had been shaken by the attack. For the rest of the trip, everyone's vigilance was high. We eventual made it to King's Landing 6 days later.
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Word from the Author
Greetings readers, thanks to all who have shown their support, whether it has been through comments, likes, especially power stones and suggestions. I appreciate each and every one. To the people who left fair reviews, a special thanks to you.
To the cunts who didn't bother to read and just dropped uninformed comments, you know who you are.
I would like to point out to those who claim system abuse, I am guilty at this, as this is a non-sentient system that is acting as a tool to increase the MCs power.
Also, the MC is not a 'beta male' or 'simp'. He is very vindictive but very calculating. He is also not trying to go against canon too drastically until he has secured a certain level of power and reached adulthood. That doesn't mean that he won't mind messing up canon to better suit himself. Also he will allow certain events to continue especially if it benefits him ultimately, as original Tywin was as Machiavellian as they came.
I have also listened to the suggestions and will make changes to the system in the next chapter. Also next will be a time skip, but fear not it won't be too much time, the MC will spend a lot of time in King's Landing. He will also increase his personal strength by quite a bit.
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R.I.P. to Ser Garrand Prester, my first OC. He was inspired by youtuber Garand Thumb for those who are interested. George R.R. Martin is brutal for killing off so many of his. I will however endure as no one including the MC is safe.
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