Bluff
Davos POV
We were surrounded; about fifty thousand came from the Westerlands led by ser Garlan Tyrell and another fifty thousand from the Crownlands. When we heard of them coming, we had no choice but to do something. We had about seventy thousand men from the Vale, the Stormlands, and the Riverlands, yet the lords of different lands didn't get along much.
Biggering and shouting ensued as the war council commenced. King Stannis was silent for the most part and let his retainers do the talking. Ideas and plans were devised and thrown away. From what I understood, Golden Tooth needed to be reinforced. Otherwise, it would be overwhelmed and lost to ser Garlan.
Harrenhal had to be defended as well, as if Tyrells take it, it will be torn to our backs. Our army needed to be divided. Yet nobody could say how. Lord Edmure was adamant about not letting the Tyrells get deep into the Riverlands. While other lords wanted to use all our force and smash one army, leaving another to do as they wished.
"Enough, I will not stand for my lands to be burned," Lord Edmure was furious that King Stannis had not objected to some of the strategies.
"Then what do you propose, Lord Edmure?" Lord Waynwood from the Vale asked.
"I will hold Lord Tarly back," Lord Edmure said.
"With who's men?" King Stannis asked.
"With my own," Edmure replied. "I will use the Riverland men, so you can take the rest and strike at ser Garlan."
"You don't have enough men," I said.
"I can conscript more," He said. "I will put enough men to hold Harrenhal and draw lord Tarly to Ruby Ford. I will hold him there. Without Harrenhal, he won't be able to pass to the west, and his only path will be going through Ruby Ford."
"Don't be a fool. The difference in numbers is too big," Ser Brynden Tully yelled.
"Lord Tarly will not know the difference," Lord Edmure replied. "Harrenhal is a big castle. We can make it so that he might think the castle holds more men than it actually does."
"And if he sees through it?" Lord Royce asked.
"Then I might die," Lord Edmure replied without hesitation. "But lord Tarly is a cautious man. He will not leave his back to an unknown army. He will have no choice but to leave part of his forces at Harrenhal, giving me a chance to fight him on equal footing."
"It could work," Ser Brynden said. "I know few tricks to help sell the idea that Harrenhal is packed with tens of thousands of men."
"Even then, it will only buy us so much time until he uncovers the trick," I said, concerned for lord Edmure.
"That's why you must strike ser Garlan and defeat him, your grace," Lord Edmure said. "Then you can reinforce me."
"I will take forty-five thousand men," King Stannis said. "That shall be enough to defeat ser Garlan. If you are defeated, I will not return to help the Riverlands nor send any men to your aid but will march to the Reach."
"If you are defeated, your grace, I will bend my knee to the Lannisters," Lord Edmure said.
"You heard the plan. Prepare to move," King Stannis yelled out orders.
Without delay, men started moving, and lords directed their knights and men in arms. Nobody complained or questioned the plan. Even though lord Edmure's last words could be said to be petty, his will to fight a losing battle was commendable. Disagreeing with him will only dishonor others.
…
Seven thousand men rode together with ser Brynden and me. They were all conscripts from nearby castles and towns. Another two thousand were awaiting in Harrenhal. At the same time, Lord Edmure had twenty-five thousand men and had ridden to Ruby Ford to lay his defenses. The plan was as good as it could be. Nobody could think of another strategy.
"Thank you for coming with me, ser Davos," Ser Brynden said with a kind smile.
"All I did was listen to his grace command," I replied. "And there is nothing to be grateful for having me. I will not be of much help to you, ser Brynden."
"Don't sell yourself too short," Ser Brynden responded. "I had heard how you saved countless lives when you stopped Stannis' fleet from entering the deadly trap in King's Landing."
"I was lucky to notice something wasn't right," I said honestly.
"That means your observation was better than most. And the Hand of the King being in Harrenhal means that Lord Tarly can't ignore us."
"What if he decides to siege Harrenhal?" I asked, fearing the worst.
"That would be our win," He replied. "Nobody is thinking or hoping to win, but we can hold them long enough for aid to come to us. And if Theon fucking Greyjoy could hold Harrenhal with few hundred men, so will I."
"So, the worst would be if lord Tarly dismisses Harrenhal and rides with all the forces to Ruby Ford," I said.
"No, that would be the best outcome," Ser Brynden replied with a laugh. "Don't underestimate nine thousand men. If we could strike him from behind, he would receive too many casualties and have to retreat or be defeated. No, the worst outcome would be if he left only a small portion of his host. If he leaves too little, that means Edmure will have a hard time fighting, and we will not be able to help him."
"Does that mean he must leave half of his forces at Harrenhal for lord Edmure to have a chance to win?" I asked.
"It is too hopeful," Ser Brynden answered. "At best, I can hope him leaving twenty thousand, no more."
"Then lord Edmure will be outnumbered either way," I was worried.
"In warfare, numbers aren't the only thing one must worry about," Ser Brynden explained. "Ruby Ford is the only crossing through the Trident east of the Riverlands. The river will work as a moat. Edmure isn't a fool, even if he is a bit idealistic and too kind for his own good. He plans to erect a fence on his side, making crossing hard."
Understanding that lord Edmure's strategy was indeed doable took some time and more explaining. Yet it was still risky, and if lord Tarly left only a small portion of his host at Harrenhal, his numbers would be able to overrun lord Edmure's defenses. And if that happens, the Riverlands will be lost.
I had to do my part as best as I could. Otherwise, lord Edmure's life would be in danger. He was a good man. It would be a shame if he died so soon. King Stannis needed men like him by his side, as I feared he might forget what was truly important in his chase for the Iron Throne.
…
Lady Whent wasn't happy to receive us. I could tell that she silently would judge and curse us. Well, she didn't need to be silent with her words. Yet she didn't try to get in our way to prepare the defenses and agreed with all that ser Brynden proposed. As days passed, riders would inform us of lord Tarly nearing us.
"Don't worry, do much," Ser Brynden said as I looked around the castle grounds. "We are safe behind these walls. And it seems that after Theon Greyjoy was left, the castle was rebuilt and repaired well."
"How are your preparations going?" I asked.
"Well, enough," He said. "We managed to spread and fill the walls with our banners. We had to build many fires throughout the castle, and the straw dummies were mostly prepared. And we have enough men to rotate them through the walls so that anyone would think new men are coming to the walls."
"Isn't there anything else to do?" I asked.
"It will be enough to fool anyone," Ser Brynden replied. "But your performance will be the key to our deception. You need to speak when lord Tarly tries to parley. You have to sound confident and make it sound like we have the whole Stannis army behind us."
"What if he does not try to parley?"
"He will. Not only is it a sign of honor, but he will do it to get closer to the walls and check them before attacking," Ser Brynden explained.
It all sounded good, but so many things could go wrong. Yet I resolved to do my best no matter what. I had experience in fooling lords when I was a smuggler. I knew how most of them acted and were thinking. I will have to be careful with my words, but I knew I could do it, and I will do it.
…
Banners and men filled the field outside the walls of Harrenhal. Yet the number of our banners wasn't any less. Smoke filled the sky from all the fires burning inside. Men wore heavy boots with pieces of metal under them to create more sound. And most importantly, our men stood tall and proudly, waiting for an attack.
As ser Brynden had predicted, a messenger came to ask for a parley. Ser Brynden agreed to listen to lord Tarly's demands. I saw a group of knights armored with fancy and glistering plate armor riding their big stallions to the gate. I recognized lord Tarly as a knight near him held a banner of a hunter in a green field.
"In the name of King Joffrey Baratheon, surrender and pledge your loyalty to him. Otherwise, none of you will be spared," Lord Tarly spoke loudly and clearly.
"We shall stand our ground," It was my time to speak. "As the Hand of one and true King Stannis Baratheon, I stand with the Stormlands, the Vale, and the Riverlands. We shall defend these lands from savages and traitors and usurpers like you. Turn back and leave, or we shall not show you any mercy and will trample you beneath these walls."
My words could be heard far and wide. The castle was soon engulfed in cheering and clanging of steel. Of course, half of that sound came from women and children shouting and banging their pots and pans. I believed it was enough for lord Tarly to think the castle was full of soldiers prepared to die for the Riverlands.
"You did great," Ser Brynden said as lord Tarly returned to his men. "Mentioning the other kingdoms would instill in them that we are not standing alone. Now we only needed to wait for their actions."
And we did. We watched as their built their camps and surrounded the castle. The night fell without them making a move, and when the sun rose again, we saw that only part of the army was left in the field. My heart pounded in worry as ser Brynden counted the men outside as they started their siege.
"How many?" I asked as the morning went and the sun was at its highest.
"Fifteen thousand at least, probably more," Ser Brynden answered. "Not as many as we could hope, but still a good part of lord Tarly's army."
"Will lord Edmure be fine?" I asked as I felt the worry killing me.
"They will have ten thousand more. Edmure has predicted these numbers, but lord Tarly moved faster than we thought," Ser Brynden said. "I hoped to stall him for at least a week. We can only hope that Edmure had enough time to prepare."
Indeed, all we could do was hope. We did our best to hold at least that many men at Harrenhal. And as ser Brynden had told me, we were not only holding them down. We were holding down all the reinforcements that might come from King's Landing. I knew Stannis would win in his battle against ser Garlan Tyrell, and I also chose to believe in lord Edmure.
A.N. As always, If you want more, up to five advanced chapters, you can support me on pa treon. com \ ironwolf852