"Let the Red Comet blaze across the heavens," Ser Brynden Tully declared solemnly, his voice firm and resolute. "And let the Lannisters tremble beneath the hooves of our horses."
The firelight danced across the war tent as the gathered lords listened.
Greatjon Umber slammed his fist onto the wooden table.
"Aye!" he roared. "That comet is a fiery banner raised by the old gods themselves, calling us to vengeance for Lord Eddard Stark!"
Many of the Northern lords murmured in agreement.
"The Red Comet hangs above us as a sign," the Greatjon continued loudly. "It tells us the time for war has come!"
"For the late king! For Lord Eddard! And for all the innocent people slain by Lannister cruelty—"
"We will have our vengeance!"
"War!"
"War!"
The cry echoed throughout the tent as the assembled warriors raised their voices together.
The air trembled with the Northern lords' fury.
Gendry Baratheon watched the scene calmly before speaking.
"My conditions for peace are simple," he said firmly.
"I want the heads of Tywin Lannister and the Queen Regent."
A cold silence filled the room.
"And the rest of that twisted lion family," he continued, "should be driven out of power entirely."
His eyes then shifted toward Robb Stark.
"What do you think, Robb?"
The young King in the North stood quietly for a moment before speaking.
"My terms are as follows."
He spoke slowly, carefully choosing his words.
"First—Cersei Lannister must return my sister Sansa safely."
"And the forced marriage between Sansa and the bastard Joffrey must be annulled immediately."
"Second—the bodies of the Northerners who died in the south must be returned to the North."
"Third—my father's greatsword, Ice, must be returned to House Stark."
"Fourth—every debt between House Stark and House Lannister is to be canceled."
The tent remained quiet as the terms settled over the gathering.
Gendry nodded slightly.
Robb's demands were firm, but reasonable.
As long as the question of the Iron Throne remained untouched, Robb's thinking seemed clear and rational.
"As a gesture of goodwill between House Baratheon and House Stark," Gendry added, "I will gift the North a shipment of new weapons and armor."
He continued calmly.
"And when the Long Winter arrives, I will also send grain and seeds north to help the people survive the famine."
Several Northern lords exchanged approving looks.
Robb then stood straighter.
"In that case," he said, "I will lead most of the Northern cavalry south."
"We will cross from the Green Fork to the Red Fork and join forces with my uncle, Ser Edmure Tully."
He pointed at the map spread across the table.
"Lord Rickard Karstark and Lady Maege Mormont will command the Direwolf army along the Green Fork."
"A smaller force will remain near the Twins, while another reserve will wait north of the crossing."
The Young Wolf's voice carried confidence.
The Northern lords nodded in approval.
"Leave the Green Fork to us," Lord Rickard Karstark declared proudly.
The Karstarks were a fearsome sight.
Tall and broad-shouldered, with thick beards and hair falling over their shoulders, they wore heavy cloaks made from the pelts of bears, wolves, and seals.
Their presence alone was intimidating.
Gendry leaned over the map.
"As long as we control the momentum of the battlefield," he explained, "Tywin Lannister will become a lion without teeth."
He tapped the map again.
"Robb's cavalry raid into the Westerlands will distract Tywin."
"Lord Rickard's army will draw his main force toward the Riverlands."
"These are only feints."
He then pointed east.
"My true objective… is the Vale."
Several lords leaned closer.
"I will personally cross the Mountains of the Moon and pass through the Bloody Gate."
The tent fell silent.
The Importance of Momentum
In warfare, momentum meant more than speed.
It meant initiative.
It meant creating favorable conditions before the enemy could react.
Robb had originally intended to split his army.
Roose Bolton's forces would delay Tywin's army while Robb's cavalry struck deep into enemy territory.
But Gendry's plan refined the strategy further.
Instead of relying only on the North and the Riverlands, he intended to bring the Vale of Arryn into the war.
The Northern lords slowly nodded.
Even the fiercest Northerners understood the truth.
Compared to the Lannisters, they were outnumbered.
Their equipment was inferior.
And their cavalry was limited.
Robb Stark was a gifted commander.
But he was young.
And the North had few experienced generals left.
Roose Bolton was calculating but untrustworthy.
Ser Brynden served mostly as a scout and vanguard.
Robb quietly repeated the word.
"Momentum…"
His mind raced with possibilities.
The Northern army had originally marched south simply to relieve the Riverlands.
They had not planned much beyond that.
But now…
The war was evolving.
Roose Bolton's Concern
Lord Roose Bolton finally spoke.
His pale skin reflected the flickering firelight.
"Your plan is… bold," he said softly.
"But sending the heir of the Seven Kingdoms into such danger is risky."
The Vale was extremely important.
If the alliance consisted only of the wolf and the trout, their strength would remain limited.
The Vale's army, however, was untouched by the war.
Its knights were famous throughout Westeros.
Roose Bolton's strange pale eyes studied Gendry carefully.
The man was known for using leeches to drain his blood regularly.
His face showed no age.
His voice remained calm and cold.
"We have no time to waste," Gendry replied.
"Tywin Lannister also lacks time."
"If we secure the Vale quickly, we can trap the Westerlands from both east and west."
He paused before adding another important detail.
"Across the Narrow Sea, I still have three legions and two fleets waiting."
The lords exchanged surprised glances.
"But those forces require time to mobilize," Gendry continued.
"If we win the Vale first, the war will turn in our favor."
Roose Bolton fell silent.
In Westeros, courage often mattered more than strategy.
But having both strength and intelligence was rare.
Bronze Yohn Royce stood up.
"A king should lead from the front," he said proudly.
"That is the proper way for a ruler to fight."
He nodded toward Gendry.
"Just as King Robert once did."
"When Jon Arryn attacked Gulltown, Robert was the first man to climb the walls."
"And he personally slew Lord Grafton."
Jason Mallister frowned.
"But crossing the Bloody Gate…"
"That sounds extremely dangerous."
The Mountains of the Moon were treacherous.
The passes were narrow.
And savage mountain clans roamed the region.
Even the Greatjon spoke up.
"The Bloody Gate is nearly impossible to attack."
"It's easy to defend and hard to conquer."
"And those mountain clans are worse than bandits."
But Bronze Yohn shook his head.
"There is still a chance."
"If we can reach the gate first."
He tapped the map.
"The current Knight of the Bloody Gate is someone Ser Brynden knows well."
Ser Brynden nodded.
"Ser Donnel Waynwood."
"He once served under my command."
Bronze Yohn continued.
"House Waynwood might be persuaded to support us."
"If we reach the gate first, we may gain the Vale without a battle."
Robb nodded slowly.
He disliked Lysa Arryn's stubborn isolation.
But the North lacked the influence needed to persuade the Vale.
Now the situation was different.
The Question of Robert Arryn
Catelyn Stark suddenly spoke.
"My sister Lysa may have made terrible decisions…"
"But Robert Arryn is still a child."
Her voice carried concern.
Ser Brynden answered gravely.
"No one intends to harm the young lord."
"But the Vale cannot remain paralyzed by Lysa's fear."
He hesitated before adding quietly.
"And… Lord Robert's health is fragile."
Catelyn remembered the boy clearly.
Small.
Pale.
With large frightened eyes.
He rarely left his mother's arms.
When Catelyn had last visited the Eyrie, she suggested letting the boy travel north and spend time with cousins.
Lysa had responded with furious anger.
Bronze Yohn spoke carefully.
"Lady Lysa suffered five miscarriages before Robert was born."
"That is why she protects him so fiercely."
"But the boy's health remains weak."
Many Vale lords privately believed Robert Arryn would not live long.
His condition caused frequent seizures.
The maesters constantly treated him with bloodletting and potions.
But those medicines often caused more harm than good.
The boy's growth had slowed.
He was still treated like an infant.
Rickard Karstark finally spoke bluntly.
"War is not a family matter, Lady Stark."
He crossed his arms.
"Our soldiers are dying."
"Many children will never see their fathers again."
Robb gently raised a hand.
"Mother…"
"I understand your feelings."
"But the Lannisters will not show mercy simply because we cry."
Catelyn fell silent.
War demanded harsh decisions.
The Final Plan
Gendry looked around the room.
"Then it is decided."
"Our forces will divide."
"The army on the Green Fork will act as bait to distract Tywin."
"Meanwhile, I will lead a smaller force across the Mountains of the Moon."
"I need soldiers who know the mountain paths and can endure hardship."
Bronze Yohn immediately stood.
"I will go with you."
"The knights of the Vale know those mountains well."
Ser Boros of the Claw Peninsula added,
"My men are skilled in both mountain and river travel."
The plan was set.
Only execution remained.
The eastern route was extremely dangerous.
Steep cliffs.
Dense forests.
And narrow mountain passes.
But if successful, it would lead directly into the Vale.
Winter Is Coming
Before the council ended, Gendry turned toward Lord Rickard and Lady Maege.
"If the Direwolf army marches south…"
"The risk of destruction will be high."
Rickard laughed loudly.
"Winter is coming."
"The pack survives."
"The lone wolf dies."
Robb repeated the words proudly.
"Winter is coming!"
The entire tent echoed the Stark motto.
Everyone knew the truth.
If the long summer was ending…
Then a cruel winter would soon arrive.
Rickard placed a hand on his chest.
"If winter truly comes…"
"Some old wolves must be willing to sacrifice themselves."
Among Northerners, sacrifice was a natural duty.
The harsh land had taught them that survival sometimes required loss.
Gendry nodded.
"In that case, I will provide your army with better equipment."
"Plate armor."
"And Myr multi-shot crossbows."
Rickard burst into laughter.
"Excellent!"
"Let Tywin see what happens when the Direwolves come armed!"
A New Problem
Just then, Roose Bolton spoke again.
"There is another matter."
He folded his hands.
"The conflict between Renly Baratheon and Stannis Baratheon."
"Have their negotiations produced any results?"
Gendry frowned slightly.
"You're right."
He looked around the room.
"We need an envoy."
"Someone must travel south and speak with them."
But there was a problem.
Nearly every experienced knight would accompany Gendry to the Vale.
The others were needed to lead armies.
Ser Barristan spoke softly.
"At the moment, we lack suitable candidates."
The room fell silent.
Then several people slowly turned their heads.
Their eyes rested on one person.
Catelyn Stark.
Robb looked at his mother.
"Mother…"
"You are a noble of high status."
"And both Renly and Stannis will listen to you."
Catelyn hesitated.
"My father is very ill at Riverrun."
"I should stay with him."
Ser Brynden sighed.
"I understand."
"But please visit him for me as well."
"I do this for the future of House Tully."
Robb nodded.
"You can rest at Riverrun first."
"Then continue south to the Stormlands."
Catelyn stared at them.
Only moments ago, she had been a mother worried about her children.
Now…
She had become a diplomatic envoy in a war that seemed to grow larger every day.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)