Night covered the land like a heavy cloak.
Under the dim light of torches and the pale glow of the moon, a newly assembled army slowly stretched across the road like a river of steel. Spears, shields, and armor reflected faint glimmers of light as thousands of soldiers marched forward in disciplined silence.
The Direwolf Army moved south.
The Crowned Stag marched east.
From Riverrun, the banners of many houses fluttered beneath the cold wind of the Riverlands.
The vanguard of the newly formed Direwolf Army numbered roughly three thousand men. Most of them were people who had little left to lose—homeless wanderers, unmarried men, second sons with no inheritance, aging veterans, and those who had lost their families in the war.
They were led by the Old Knight Rickard and Lady Maege Mormont.
Before their departure, Gendry had personally arranged equipment for them. He ordered the storerooms and armories of Riverrun to be emptied, distributing weapons and armor to the soldiers.
Among the supplies were large quantities of blue steel armor and several suits of black scale plate armor.
The newly armed soldiers looked far more formidable than before.
Still—
Everyone understood the truth.
From the moment the Direwolf Army set out, it had already become an army marching toward death.
The soldiers knew it.
Their commanders knew it.
Even Gendry himself knew it.
Yet the army marched on.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The deep sound of war drums echoed across the dark plains as the army departed from Riverrun.
"Raise the banners!" Lady Maege shouted.
Clad in full plate armor, she rode at the head of the formation atop a powerful warhorse.
Behind her, mounted commanders led the troops forward while standard-bearers raised the banners of their noble houses.
At the front of the formation were two particularly striking banners.
One was the white banner of House Stark, bearing the fierce grey direwolf that seemed ready to leap from the cloth itself.
The other was the newly created quartered banner of the storm.
The golden-backed banner displayed four symbols divided across its surface:
The black crowned stag wielding a warhammer
The three red dragons
The grey direwolf pack
The blue and white shackles breaking apart
Under the moonlight, the banners looked almost alive as they fluttered violently in the wind.
Around them flew many other banners:
The green bear of House Mormont.
The flayed man of House Bolton.
The moose of House Hornwood.
The sunburst of House Karstark.
The battle-axe banner of Earl Hunter.
And the armored fist of House Glover.
From afar, the army appeared like a grand alliance of the North and Riverlands.
Yet a seasoned commander like Tywin Lannister would immediately notice the problem.
The numbers were simply too small.
"Fight if you can. Retreat if you cannot," Gendry told Rickard and Lady Maege before their departure.
As the vanguard force, the Direwolf Army's true purpose was not to defeat Tywin's main army.
Instead, they were meant to distract and occupy the Lannister forces while Gendry launched a surprise attack on The Bloody Gate and seized control of the Vale.
Even sacrifice had to serve a purpose.
"Rest assured, Your Highness," Rickard replied solemnly.
Then his voice softened slightly.
"My family… please take care of them."
Gendry nodded quietly.
Family and bloodline were the foundation of every noble house.
Without them, nothing endured.
Nearby, Dacey Mormont said farewell to her mother.
Lady Maege looked at her daughter with pride.
Dacey had grown into a tall and powerful woman—a warrior worthy of Bear Island.
She had joined Gendry's knightly retinue, alongside another young man.
Jon Snow.
"If you ever get the chance," Lady Maege told her daughter quietly, "tell that scoundrel Jorah how difficult it is for us to sustain Bear Island."
Her voice hardened.
"If he's not a coward, he should at least return and visit his father."
Dacey nodded.
Lady Maege leaned closer and whispered something else in her ear.
Dacey listened carefully, then nodded again while glancing toward Gendry and his companions.
Soon afterward, the armies began moving.
Gendry's cavalry rode along both sides of the Direwolf Army like the massive pincers of a crab.
They served as scouts and mobile support.
Most of these cavalrymen came from the Vale, alongside soldiers who had once served the Crabfeeder.
Crossing the Mountains of the Moon would be impossible without them.
The Vale riders knew the mountain paths better than anyone.
"Anguy," Gendry called.
The famed archer turned his horse toward him.
"Yes, Your Highness?"
"Your horse archers must keep watch for Lannister scouts."
Gendry's voice grew serious.
"Not a single one must escape and report our movements."
Anguy nodded immediately.
"Yes, Your Highness."
At that moment, Ser Barristan Selmy spoke.
"From what I have observed, Tywin may have already withdrawn to Harrenhal."
He stroked his beard thoughtfully.
"That man is extremely cautious."
"If he sees Riverrun fall, he will fear a three-pronged attack and retreat to Harrenhal while waiting for reinforcements from the Westerlands."
Nearby, **Brynden Tully—the Blackfish—**smiled slightly.
"I suspect the she-bear still has feelings for Your Highness."
Gendry looked at him in confusion.
"Me?"
"Don't joke about such things."
He was not particularly interested in women.
At least not in the way Robert Baratheon had been.
Robert had been infamous for his debauchery.
When it came to beauty, of course, Daenerys Targaryen was unmatched.
But even the most beautiful wife did not prevent some men from seeking mistresses.
Bronze Yohn Royce frowned slightly.
"The late king… well, we all know his habits."
"He never distinguished between women."
"Beautiful ones, ordinary ones, prostitutes, farmers' daughters—he enjoyed them all."
"The late king could swear eternal love one moment and forget it by nightfall."
Gendry suspected Robert might have been a kind of addict.
He was similar to Aegon the Unworthy, the Targaryen king who fathered countless bastards.
Both men had been handsome and charismatic in their youth.
Both had only one fatal weakness.
They lacked discipline.
They allowed themselves to be ruled by lust, gluttony, and greed.
However, Aegon's mistresses had often been noblewomen.
He even acknowledged many of his bastards, which eventually led to the Blackfyre Rebellion.
Robert had been far less selective.
Ultimately, Gendry believed it was a matter of political power.
Robert's rule had always depended heavily on the Lannisters, which made his authority unstable.
"Enough," Barristan warned.
"If the Dragon Princess hears this conversation, it will cause unnecessary trouble."
Then he added,
"Not every Baratheon behaves like the late king. Stannis, for example, has always remained loyal to his marriage."
Anguy laughed softly.
"But do the women of Bear Island even need men?"
"I've heard they sleep with bears."
"That's nonsense!" Jon Snow immediately objected.
He spoke calmly.
"From what I understand, Lady Maege's husband may have been from a lesser noble house—or even a commoner."
"In such cases, it makes sense that Lady Maege would keep the Mormont name for herself and her daughters."
Jon's understanding of northern customs was excellent.
As a bastard, he had spent much of his life observing people carefully.
This made him far more perceptive than many noble-born youths.
Combined with his Stark-like features and reserved demeanor, it was not surprising that Lady Catelyn had always treated him coldly.
Barristan nodded.
"That is also common in Dorne."
"Prince Oberyn's daughters, for example. Few people know their father's name."
At that moment, Dacey Mormont rode up beside them.
The conversation gradually faded.
Gendry turned toward Jon and Barristan.
"As we travel, I hope to learn from both of you."
"When it comes to ruling a kingdom—or understanding the North—I still have much to learn."
Jon laughed.
"You're too modest."
Being surrounded by people his own age—and free from Catelyn's cold gaze—made him feel far more relaxed.
Gendry shrugged.
"It's not modesty."
"Of course, when it comes to blacksmithing, none of you can compete with me."
He grinned.
"Didn't Tywin and several governors call me The Boy Blacksmith?"
Everyone laughed.
Barristan smiled.
"There are many legends of blacksmiths becoming kings."
"After all, the Smith is one of the Seven."
For a brief moment, laughter filled the air.
It was as if the looming war had been pushed aside.
But as the army continued southward, reality soon returned.
The manors and farmland of the Riverlands lay burned and abandoned.
Fields were blackened.
Villages were empty.
It quickly became clear that supplies would become a serious problem.
"Lannister methods are truly ruthless," Gendry said grimly.
"They have ravaged the Riverlands repeatedly."
He paused before continuing.
"Our supplies are scarce—but Lannister's supply lines must also be struggling."
"We need Robb to intensify attacks on their logistics."
"Ser Marq has plenty of experience with that."
Later, when they reached the Crossroads Inn, the Direwolf Army's vanguard eliminated several mercenaries left behind by Tywin.
Tywin himself had indeed fortified Harrenhal.
Meanwhile, **Tyrion—the Imp—**had returned to King's Landing.
Several Lannister raiding units continued to spread destruction between Gods Eye and the Red Fork.
As they entered the inn courtyard, Gendry noticed something disturbing.
A gallows stood there.
A body hung from it.
"Take her down," Gendry ordered quietly.
The wind blew through the courtyard.
The innkeeper's body swayed slowly.
She looked thin and fragile.
Like many poor people of the Riverlands.
Barristan spoke solemnly.
"Tywin hanged her for failing to cooperate."
Anguy clenched his fists.
"Lannister always pays its debts."
He glanced toward the gallows.
"So will we."
He ordered the soldiers to bury the innkeeper respectfully beside the river.
Barristan studied the map again.
"If we continue south, Tywin will likely block the river crossing."
His army would certainly guard the southern entrance along the Kingsroad.
Tywin might believe this army intended to fight him directly.
But that was not Gendry's true plan.
"We are ready, Winter Sun," Rickard said.
Gendry nodded.
"Fight if you can."
"Retreat if you cannot."
"If you cross the river, do not attack Tywin's main camp."
"Instead, scatter across the Riverlands and wage guerrilla warfare."
"And if you cannot cross…"
"Return to Riverrun."
Rickard and Maege both nodded.
Soon after, the armies separated.
As night deepened, Gendry and his companions prepared to march east through the Mountains of the Moon.
The journey would be long and dangerous.
But if successful—
It would deliver a devastating surprise to the Eyrie.
And perhaps change the course of the war.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)