CHAPTER 186
One hour earlier.
Garon Glover's flotilla finally reached the Trident crossings.
His expression was solemn.
Before the boats had even secured themselves to the shore, Garon leaped onto the riverbank.
Long before arriving, he had already noticed that something was terribly wrong.
The usually busy crossing had become strangely chaotic.
Standing on the shore while the fleet docked in orderly fashion, Garon carefully studied every detail around him.
The more he observed...
The darker his expression became.
"So many footprints..."
"Thousands of men have passed through here."
"What happened to Robb?"
His uneasiness reached its peak.
At that moment Sparta, Ron, Ser Tallad Rogers, and the other officers gathered around him.
"Ron."
"Take several scouts."
"Ride toward the Inn at the Crossroads."
"Investigate everything."
"Be careful."
Ron immediately understood the seriousness of the order.
Without wasting a moment, he personally led several riders toward the crossroads.
Watching them depart, Garon immediately turned toward the remaining officers.
"Everyone stays alert."
"No one relaxes."
He then looked toward Ser Tallad Rogers.
"Ser Tallad."
"Secure every vessel."
"Don't unload any supplies yet."
Tallad Rogers, captain of Riverrun's household guard, nodded firmly before relaying the order.
Only afterward did he look back toward Garon.
"My lord..."
"Has something happened to King Robb?"
"Have the Lannisters attacked?"
Garon slowly nodded.
"I fear the same."
Then he looked directly at Tallad.
"I have one request."
"If battle comes..."
"I need your men to obey my commands completely."
Tallad answered without hesitation.
"Before we left Riverrun, Ser Brynden ordered me to follow your command throughout this journey."
"If battle awaits us..."
"My three hundred men are yours."
Garon gave a slight nod.
Just as he was about to continue, Ron unexpectedly returned.
The speed of his return immediately caused everyone's expressions to tighten.
Ron dismounted before reporting quietly.
"My lord."
"Everyone inside the Inn at the Crossroads is dead."
"The innkeeper's body hangs above the entrance."
"The buildings are empty."
"But nearby..."
"There are dozens of abandoned cooking fires."
"They belonged to a massive army."
"Judging from the ashes..."
"They departed no more than four hours ago."
The report immediately caused Garon's heart to sink.
Sparta and Tallad exchanged uneasy looks.
"Four hours..."
"They can't be far ahead."
Garon lowered his gaze toward the countless footprints covering the riverbank.
Following their direction, he quickly understood everything.
Their destination matched his own.
The Trident camp.
"Damn it."
"Robb's in danger."
His expression immediately hardened.
"Sound the assembly."
Within only a few minutes, more than twelve hundred soldiers gathered.
Included among them were Tallad Rogers and his Riverrun men.
"Ser Tallad."
"Leave only enough men to guard the ships."
"Everyone else..."
"March with me."
"Battle may begin at any moment."
Without another word, Garon immediately led the column north.
The march quickly became a relentless forced advance.
An hour later...
The sounds of battle finally reached them.
By then, the Northern alliance had already begun collapsing.
Taking advantage of the Lannisters' complete focus upon the front, Garon climbed a low rise before raising his bronze spyglass.
One glance was enough.
"Damn."
"Who's commanding this army?"
"This isn't battle."
"It's slaughter."
"Where's Robb?"
Still unaware of Robb's death, Garon felt both fury and disbelief.
From the countless banners upon the field, he could immediately tell that nearly every major Northern house had already committed its strength.
If the battle continued this way...
The North would lose nearly everything.
That outcome was completely unacceptable.
"No."
"I won't allow the North to die here."
Lowering the spyglass, he quickly searched the enemy lines.
Soon he found what he wanted.
Far behind the battle stood Kevan Lannister beneath the great golden lion banner.
Garon immediately made his decision.
"I have only one choice."
"I'll gamble."
He lowered the spyglass before turning toward his assembled soldiers.
His calm voice carried clearly across the ranks.
"Men."
"You've all seen the battlefield."
"The Lannisters are crushing our allies."
"As a lord of the North..."
"I'll never stand aside."
He paused.
Then his voice steadily rose.
"You've marched beside me."
"You've earned glory beside me."
"And today..."
"You'll earn even greater glory."
"Do not fear."
"Do not hesitate."
"Follow my banner."
"So long as that banner still flies..."
"So long as your hands can still hold a weapon..."
"We continue advancing."
"Until victory."
"Or death."
He slowly drew Icebreaker.
The massive greatsword gleamed beneath the morning sun.
"For the North!"
"For House Glover!"
"Charge!"
With a violent pull upon the reins, Garon immediately led the attack.
More than twelve hundred soldiers thundered after him.
The earth shook beneath the pounding hooves.
Like the sharpest spear upon the battlefield, the Glover host drove directly toward the rear of the Lannister army.
Just as the Northern alliance stood upon the edge of complete collapse...
Garon arrived.
Kevan Lannister finally noticed the approaching force.
Turning sharply, he stared in disbelief.
"Glover?"
"How..."
"How are they behind us?"
His expression changed instantly.
Realizing that Garon was charging directly toward him, Kevan instinctively considered retreat.
Almost immediately he abandoned the thought.
The Brave Companions held the advantage.
The cavalry continued routing the Riverlords.
Retreating now would throw away victory.
Instead...
Kevan made another decision.
"They're too few."
"My center can stop them."
"Once the front collapses..."
"Glover dies."
His confidence briefly returned.
Immediately he ordered his remaining reserve forward.
Unfortunately...
He was already too late.
Garon reached the rear guard first.
With a single swing of Icebreaker, one Lannister soldier fell lifeless to the ground.
"For the North!"
"For Riverrun!"
"Capture Kevan Lannister alive!"
The Glover soldiers immediately echoed him.
Their thunderous cries spread across the battlefield.
"It's reinforcements!"
"House Glover!"
"Riverrun has come!"
One Northern soldier shouted wildly.
"We're saved!"
"Hold the line!"
Rickard Karstark immediately rallied his remaining horsemen.
Lady Maege Mormont gathered her warriors.
House Cerwyn.
House Tallhart.
House Hornwood.
Every loyal Northern house immediately launched a desperate counterattack.
Even the divided Riverlords realized retreat now meant certain death.
For the first time that day...
The Northern line finally stabilized.
Meanwhile, Garon completely ignored the ordinary Lannister soldiers before him.
His eyes remained fixed upon only one man.
Kevan Lannister.
Wearing his Valyrian scale armour, Garon became an unstoppable force.
Weapons struck harmlessly against the enchanted armour.
Every counterattack from Icebreaker claimed another life.
Sparta and the Skagosi guarded his left flank with axes and war hammers.
Ron led the Glover veterans protecting his right.
Tallad Rogers and the Riverrun guards followed close behind, widening every breach.
Together they carved a bloody road through the Lannister reserves.
"Faster!"
"Don't stop!"
"Kevan is ours!"
From beginning to end, Garon sought only one target.
Capture the commander.
Win the battle.
His heartbeat thundered.
"I must win."
"There is no other choice."
Like a charging bull, he smashed directly into Kevan's final defensive ring.
Icebreaker rose and fell.
Lannister soldiers died one after another.
Soon...
Only the great golden lion banner remained between him and Kevan.
Watching Garon approach, Kevan finally lost his composure.
"How..."
"Can such a warrior exist?"
He watched the distance shrink.
Fifty paces.
Thirty.
Twenty.
Ten.
Retreat!
"Fall back!"
"Quickly!"
For the first time in the battle...
Fear appeared within Kevan Lannister's heart.
"Signal Vargo Hoat!"
"Signal Ser Amory!"
"Bring everyone back!"
"Stop him!"
It was already impossible.
The Brave Companions remained locked in battle.
The Westerlands cavalry were equally committed elsewhere.
No reinforcements could reach him.
Helplessly, Kevan watched Garon close the remaining distance.
Five paces.
Only a handful of Glover soldiers remained beside their lord.
Standing before Kevan, Garon smiled beneath blood-covered armour.
"Ser Kevan."
"I've long wished to meet you."
"Surrender."
"I guarantee your safety."
Kevan answered with a cold laugh.
"House Lannister..."
"Always pays its debts."
"Lord Glover."
"Surrender instead."
"Your family will remain safe."
Garon slowly shook his head.
"Then we'll speak after I've taken you prisoner."
He charged.
Icebreaker flashed.
One guard lost his sword hand.
Another immediately fell.
Sparta and the remaining Skagosi desperately held back attacks from both flanks.
At last...
Garon reached Kevan himself.
Their swords collided.
Clang!
The tremendous impact instantly sent Kevan's sword flying.
His arms became numb.
He stumbled backward.
Before he could recover...
Icebreaker reversed.
Instead of cutting...
Its flat struck Kevan squarely across the helm.
Bang!
Kevan collapsed unconscious.
Without another glance, Garon immediately seized the golden lion banner.
With one tremendous swing...
The standard crashed to the earth.
"Kevan Lannister has fallen!"
Garon's roar echoed across the battlefield.
Every Glover soldier repeated it.
"Kevan Lannister has fallen!"
"Kevan Lannister has fallen!"
Across the field, countless Lannister soldiers turned toward the fallen banner.
The sight shattered what remained of their courage.
"No..."
"Lord Kevan..."
"It can't be..."
Panic immediately spread through the Lannister rear.
Men began running.
None cared that their comrades still fought desperately ahead.
"We've won!"
"Glover defeated Kevan!"
"Counterattack!"
The Northern alliance exploded with renewed strength.
Men who moments earlier had nearly broken now fought like wolves.
Vargo Hoat was the first among the Brave Companions to realize disaster had struck.
Barely avoiding another axe blow, he glanced behind him.
His heart immediately froze.
"Damn it."
"Kevan's fallen."
"My gold..."
Without another thought, he fled.
The moment their captain ran...
The Brave Companions completely disintegrated.
Every sellsword abandoned the battlefield.
No one intended dying for House Lannister.
"For the North!"
Greatjon Umber.
Lady Maege Mormont.
Rickard Karstark.
Every surviving Northern lord immediately led the pursuit.
The battle reversed completely in less than a minute.
The Westerlands cavalry withdrew first.
Karstark's horsemen chased them south toward Harrenhal.
The remaining Westerlands infantry fared far worse.
Many died where they stood.
Others threw themselves into the swift waters of the Green Fork.
Whether they lived or drowned, no one could say.
Finally, seeing all hope lost, Ser Amory Lorch threw down his sword.
The remaining Lannister soldiers surrendered.
The battle was over.
Standing upon a battlefield carpeted with the dead, Garon surveyed the scene.
Like an ancient weirwood standing unshaken through countless storms, he towered above the exhausted survivors.
One by one, the Northern and Riverlords gathered beneath the crimson banner bearing House Glover's silver mailed fist.
Their eyes no longer held only gratitude.
There was awe.
Respect.
And something close to reverence.
Garon understood.
From this day forward...
This army would never forget his name.
Garon Glover.
{🥳 Loving the story so far? Craving more chapters? 🥰
If you're enjoying the journey, don't forget to vote with your Power Stones! Every Power Stone helps the novel reach more readers and motivates me to keep the updates coming. 💙
Support me on Patreon and unlock 80+ advance chapters right now, plus 3 fresh chapters every two days to keep you hooked! 🎉
✨ Subscribe or grab lifetime access with a one-time purchase... your choice, no pressure!
👉 /mythborne }