CHAPTER 191
Night gradually fell over the Riverlands.
After the bloody battle, the Northern alliance could finally rest. Garon walked through the camp, personally inspecting the forces of every Northern and Riverlands house. Over the next several hours, he comforted the lords who had suffered grievous losses, visited the wounded, mourned the fallen nobles, and dealt with countless other matters that demanded the attention of a commander. Only after completing everything did Garon, accompanied by Ron and Sparta, return to his own tent.
Garon lifted the tent flap and stepped inside. Ron and Sparta followed close behind. After Sparta lowered the entrance flap, the night's chill, together with the noise and tension of the day, was shut completely outside. Only the quiet flicker of candlelight remained within the tent.
Ron and Sparta exchanged glances. Neither stepped forward. Instead, they quietly stood on either side of the entrance, observing Garon while waiting for whatever orders he might give.
Garon paid them no attention. He walked to the wooden table beside his camp bed, sat down, and unfolded the map he had brought back from the command tent. His slender fingers traced the rough parchment while his eyes remained fixed upon the territories of the Seven Kingdoms.
"After today's fierce battle, the Riverlands suffered devastating losses. Many lesser lords were killed, and only a small number of their soldiers survived. Houses such as House Smallwood and House Harroway were nearly wiped out."
Recalling everything he had seen during his inspection, Garon felt as though a heavy stone had settled upon his chest.
The situation was even worse than he had expected.
After the Battle of the Green Fork, the loyal armies of the North and the Riverlands had suffered enormous losses. Because of Kevan Lannister's decision to concentrate his attacks on the Riverlords during the battle, many smaller houses were almost annihilated. The several thousand levies Lord Edmure Tully had hastily gathered before departing Riverrun had been nearly wiped out. Even mighty houses such as Blackwood and Bracken had lost almost half their strength. Although both lords survived, each now commanded only a few hundred men.
The North had fared somewhat better.
Aside from House Umber, which had charged at the forefront and suffered terrible casualties, most Northern houses had managed to preserve much of their remaining strength.
However, the infantry Robb Stark had originally brought south had already been heavily depleted while serving under Roose Bolton's command. Nearly half had already been lost, and many of those still alive belonged to House Bolton itself. Bolton had also departed for the Twins with another sizeable force.
As a result, the army currently under Garon's command numbered only a little over seven thousand men.
That figure already included the soldiers he had personally brought south.
After today's desperate battle, House Glover had fewer than four hundred soldiers still fit to fight, while the Skagosi warriors numbered only a little over two hundred.
If another Lannister army marched against them now, Garon would have no choice except to withdraw.
"Seven thousand..."
Garon silently calculated every remaining piece on the board before him, his expression becoming increasingly solemn.
Even if he successfully seized the Twins and incorporated the roughly four thousand Frey soldiers stationed there, his total military strength would only rise to a little over ten thousand.
That was also the most optimistic outcome.
Capturing the Twins without bloodshed was simply unrealistic.
Meanwhile, his enemies still possessed overwhelming strength.
His gaze shifted southward across the map until his finger rested upon Sunspear.
Earlier that day, Kevan had confidently declared that Myrcella Baratheon's marriage into House Martell meant Dorne had already returned to the Iron Throne.
Garon knew better.
House Martell had never abandoned its loyalty to House Targaryen.
"Daenerys Targaryen should have nearly completed the conquest of Meereen by now. Once that news reaches Sunspear, Prince Doran will almost certainly send Prince Quentyn across the Narrow Sea to seek a marriage alliance."
Recalling the original course of history, Garon knew Quentyn's mission was doomed from the beginning.
Daenerys would never choose him.
Instead, Quentyn's death would only deepen Dorne's hatred.
"That's actually good."
"Dorne won't immediately become involved in the war."
"I still have time."
His thoughts shifted once again.
This time, his gaze settled upon King's Landing.
There, the crimson lion of House Lannister stood alongside the golden rose of House Tyrell, forming the strongest alliance in Westeros.
Even after the Battle of the Blackwater, Lord Tywin still commanded at least twenty thousand Westerlands soldiers, while House Tyrell could field more than fifty thousand men from the Reach.
Seventy thousand against barely ten thousand.
Such a disparity was enough to make even the greatest commander despair.
Meeting them in open battle would be suicide.
Garon slowly tapped Riverrun on the map.
"Once Lord Edmure is rescued, House Tully should still be capable of raising another seven or eight thousand men throughout the Riverlands."
"If Winterfell calls the banners throughout the North, another twenty thousand soldiers could eventually be assembled."
"Together with the Iron Fleet, I could command close to fifty thousand men."
"But..."
He slowly shook his head.
That plan was impossible.
The North still needed soldiers to defend against raiders and the growing threat beyond the Wall.
Those men could not simply march south.
Judging by the timeline, the Others had already begun forcing the Free Folk steadily toward the Wall.
Mance Rayder, the King Beyond the Wall, was likely already gathering his people for the great crossing.
Garon stared silently toward the lands Beyond the Wall before shifting his gaze back toward Winterfell.
Then another difficult problem suddenly surfaced.
"No..."
"Even if I solve the problem of soldiers..."
"What banner will they actually fight beneath?"
King Robb's reign had ended with his death.
The bond that united the North and the Riverlands had disappeared with him.
Although Robb had named Lady Sansa Stark as his heir, that succession only applied to the North.
The Riverlords remained loyal to House Tully.
They would never willingly continue fighting beneath Lady Sansa alone.
Even Lord Edmure and Ser Brynden Tully would struggle to convince them.
Garon frowned deeply.
Although the Northern lords had acclaimed him as the King's Protector, the legitimacy of that title still rested upon House Stark.
Without Lady Sansa, many Northern houses would eventually leave him.
The Riverlands were even more complicated.
Their current cooperation existed only because the Lannisters remained a common enemy and Lord Edmure was still imprisoned.
Once that crisis passed, the Riverlords would likely return to Riverrun's leadership or seek peace with the Iron Throne.
After all, King Robb was dead.
Few Riverlords would willingly continue fighting for a Stark maiden they had scarcely met.
"Without legitimate authority..."
"Words carry no weight."
"And if words carry no weight..."
"Nothing can truly be accomplished."
"What banner should I raise?"
Annoyance flashed across Garon's face.
He had underestimated just how essential a crowned king was for maintaining the unity of the alliance.
Had Robb survived long enough to utterly defeat the Lannisters before dying, none of these problems would exist.
Unfortunately...
There were no second chances.
"Build strong walls."
"Store abundant grain."
"Claim a crown only when the time is right."
"My strength is still too small."
"I cannot proclaim myself king."
"Until my wings have fully grown..."
"I need another royal banner."
His expression gradually calmed.
The cry of avenging King Robb could inspire men for a time.
But not forever.
Without a new source of legitimacy, everything he had painstakingly built would eventually collapse.
"But..."
"Who?"
His thoughts passed through every remaining claimant.
One after another...
He rejected them.
Joffrey and Stannis were enemies who had to die.
Although Asha Greyjoy had become his ally, the culture of the Iron Islands made it impossible to rally Westeros beneath her banner.
Then came Lady Sansa Stark.
On the surface, she appeared to be the perfect choice.
In reality, she was not.
Even if the Riverlords accepted her, Garon himself would merely become the consort of a ruling queen.
His descendants would bear the Stark name.
Everything he built would strengthen House Stark rather than House Glover.
He could never accept such an outcome.
"Originally, King Robert's acknowledged bastards would have been ideal."
"Unfortunately, one has almost certainly been killed."
"The other's whereabouts remain unknown."
"Among Robert's lawful heirs, only Princess Shireen Baratheon remains."
"Could she become my banner?"
His eyes lingered upon Dragonstone.
After careful consideration, he slowly shook his head.
The hatred between himself and Stannis ran too deep.
Then another possibility entered his thoughts.
"The Targaryens..."
Yet the moment he remembered Daenerys, her Unsullied, her growing armies, and above all her dragons, Garon sighed softly.
She represented an even greater threat than the Lannisters.
"If Daenerys returns now..."
"I stand no chance."
"It seems..."
"For now..."
"Lady Sansa remains my only option."
"As for everything afterward..."
"I'll solve those problems later."
A bitter smile briefly crossed his lips.
To the north waited the Others and the Free Folk.
To the south stood House Lannister and House Tyrell.
Across the Narrow Sea, Daenerys Targaryen continued gathering strength with three dragons.
Around him stood an alliance that could collapse at any moment.
For the first time in many days, even Garon allowed a trace of exhaustion to appear in his eyes.
Only for a moment.
"My great undertaking is far from complete."
"I cannot stop now."
His eyes gradually sharpened again.
"My original plan was to use the War of the Five Kings to accumulate strength, then seize control of the North and the Riverlands after King Robb's death."
"When the Free Folk crossed the Wall, I would defeat them, recruit them as King Stannis later intended, greatly increasing my military strength."
"Then, by obtaining the dragon horn, controlling Daenerys's dragons, uniting the remaining kingdoms, and destroying the Others, I could claim unmatched glory."
"With such merit, ascending the Iron Throne would become completely justified."
Garon silently adjusted every step of his strategy.
"But Euron Greyjoy's sudden appearance disrupted everything."
"Every choice I've made has pushed history further away from its original course."
"The situation keeps forcing me forward."
"I'm already riding a tiger."
"I cannot climb down."
His gaze remained fixed upon the map.
"I need another ally."
"A force capable of changing the balance of the entire war."
His finger slowly moved eastward beyond the Mountains of the Moon until it stopped upon the untouched lands of the Vale.
The Vale.
The Eyrie.
House Arryn.
And the untouched strength of the Knights of the Vale.
"If I can gain the support of the Vale, I can stabilize both the North and the Riverlands."
"Then I will possess enough strength to challenge King's Landing."
"And even if I still fail..."
"I can withdraw north, recruit the Free Folk, secure greater strength, and wait for another opportunity."
His eyes grew steadily brighter.
This...
Was the move that could determine everything.
"But how do I persuade the Vale?"
Almost immediately, Lady Catelyn Stark's worried face appeared in his mind.
Then another thought followed.
"Lady Catelyn should already be at the Eyrie."
"But persuading Lady Lysa..."
"...is impossible."
Lysa Arryn's heart belonged only to her son.
And to Petyr Baelish.
Once Littlefinger arrived, Lady Catelyn's efforts would inevitably fail.
"According to Kevan, Lord Tywin has already sent Petyr Baelish to the Vale."
"Judging by the timing..."
"He should already be there."
A faint smile appeared.
"The Vale is about to become very lively."
"I should make matters even more interesting."
The complicated relationship between Lady Catelyn, Lady Lysa, and Petyr Baelish quickly formed into a complete plan.
He would expose Jon Arryn's murder.
He would drag every hidden secret into the light.
And he would force the great lords of the Vale into the struggle.
"Just to be safe..."
"I should also write to Bronze Yohn Royce."
"Lord Yohn Royce commands enormous respect throughout the Vale."
"If he stands with me..."
"The Vale may yet become my ally."
Garon immediately picked up parchment and quill.
After careful thought, he wrote two letters.
One was addressed to Lady Catelyn Stark.
The other to Lord Yohn Royce.
Both warned that Petyr Baelish and Lady Lysa Arryn had conspired to murder Lord Jon Arryn with the Tears of Lys and urged extreme caution.
After finishing both letters, Garon looked toward Ron.
"Ron."
"Find several trustworthy men."
"They must be completely reliable."
Ron's eyes brightened.
"Yes, my lord."
He immediately left the tent.
After Ron departed, Garon looked toward Sparta.
"Next we must inform Riverrun and Winterfell of King Robb's death and the conspiracy involving House Bolton and House Frey."
"Riverrun is simple."
"But Winterfell..."
"I must warn Jon Snow and Lady Sansa about Ramsay Snow."
Considering Roose Bolton's nature, Garon suspected Ramsay had probably already been sent toward Winterfell.
"With Jon there..."
"Winterfell should endure."
"But just in case..."
"I'll have Maester Luwin summon my uncle and the remaining Glover men."
"Together..."
"They should be able to hold Winterfell until I return."
After finishing those two letters, Garon handed them to Sparta.
"One raven goes to Riverrun."
"The other goes to Winterfell."
"Don't confuse them."
Sparta nodded seriously before departing for the rookery.
Only after Sparta had left did Ron return with five trusted Glover retainers.
"My lord."
"They're here."
"John, Jon, Ryan, Bobby, and Rickon."
"They've served House Glover faithfully for years."
Garon carefully examined each of them.
The five immediately straightened.
They already sensed they were about to receive an important assignment.
"I need you to divide into two groups."
"Ride to the Vale."
"One group will travel to the Eyrie."
"The other will ride to Runestone."
"You will personally deliver these letters."
Then he lowered his voice.
"Along the way..."
"Spread one rumor."
"Tell everyone that Lady Lysa Arryn and Petyr Baelish murdered Lord Jon Arryn together."
The five widened their eyes in disbelief.
Yet none questioned him.
They simply accepted the letters.
"We understand, my lord."
"We won't fail."
Garon nodded.
Turning toward Ron, he instructed, "Prepare fresh horses and provisions. They leave tonight."
Ron acknowledged the order before leading them away.
Soon afterward, several riders disappeared into the darkness along the High Road toward the Vale, while two ravens soared into the night sky carrying messages toward Riverrun and Winterfell.
Only then did Garon extinguish the candle.
Exhausted in both body and mind, he lay down to rest.
The following morning, Garon rose early, refreshed and full of determination.
Under his command, half the army remained on guard while the other half hunted down scattered Lannister survivors and members of the Brave Companions who had turned to banditry after the battle.
As for Garon himself, he rode with Lord Rickard Karstark and the Karstark cavalry toward Saltpans in an attempt to discover the whereabouts of the defeated King Stannis.
Unfortunately, they found nothing.
According to several captains of merchant vessels anchored at Saltpans, the royal fleet from Dragonstone had already departed two days earlier and was believed to be anchored near the Quiet Isle.
When Lord Rickard learned this, he immediately wanted to charter ships to pursue Stannis.
Garon stopped him.
Their highest priority remained the Twins.
As for Stannis...
There would be plenty of opportunities to deal with him later.
Thus, Garon led the Northern alliance to remain at the Ferry Camp for another two days before marching north along the Kingsroad toward the Twins according to the plan already laid out.
As they advanced toward the Twins, news of the Battle of the Green Fork gradually spread across the Riverlands and beyond.
By the time Garon's army approached the crossing of the Green Fork near the Twins, his name had finally reached the highest players upon the board of Westeros.
Garon Glover.
His fame had been forged in a single battle.