Chapter 94
-POV Robb Stark-
'I nearly died,' I thought, emerging from my daze while silently thanking Grey Wind for saving me.
I looked at the body of the Ryswell rider, now identified as Roose Ryswell, a minor member of the Ryswell's main branch, then I dismounted, decapitated the traitor's corpse with a swift stroke, remounted quickly, and shouted, holding up his bloody head,
"ROOSE RYSWELL IS DEAD."
Upon hearing this, my soldiers rapidly spread the word while continuing to push back the enemy cavalry, which had half the men we did. Doubt and the disparity in numbers hit the remaining few dozen enemy riders so hard they retreated, giving us the perfect opportunity to penetrate their lines from the rear flank of their army.
I had given clear instructions beforehand; if we could destroy their cavalry and attack their flanks from the rear with a pincer movement, then we should reposition the archer unit to our opposite, leaving them only one evacuation route to the rear.
My plan arranged for my infantry unit to spread out in such a way that it formed a long wall that closes off where my cavalry would attack, blocking all exits while the archer unit would fill the gap and continue applying pressure from the other side, positioning themselves behind 3 lines of infantry to protect them from any potential attack.
This plan wasn't perfect, but it was the best I could come up with, and fortunately, I was not dealing with genius tacticians but with minor members of House Ryswell and thousands of peasant conscripts.
This trip to the capital, though it reawakened tensions between father and Jon, allowed me to observe the difference between a soldier and a peasant holding a weapon. Now, it was time for these traitors to also learn the difference between an elite army and a levy.
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-POV Eddard Stark-
"This battle has been going on for over two hours, and we still can't gain any ground," said Rodrik, removing his helmet and quickly drinking.
"We must attack with a heavy charge; continuing to tire our horses with feints will lead us nowhere," said Dacey Mormont, the new Lady of Bear Island, eager to see blood.
I shook my head and said, "They have separated from their men, but we still have all our forces intact. This gives us a significant advantage because, thanks to Robb, we must find a way to break this deadlock."
"I agree with you. We must all have faith in your son to handle the Ryswells and Dustins. He is a man now. But what we need to know now is whether we attack with all our forces at once or continue to watch the Boltons dodge the fight while maintaining their damned shield wall."
I frowned when suddenly a messenger ran into the makeshift command tent we had set up here to organize our offensive.
We all drew our weapons, thinking it was a possible Bolton assassin trying to take one of us to the grave, but he knelt down and cried out of breath:
"I come to report as my lord ordered me, the Young Wolf of Winterfell, Robb Stark. The Dustin-Ryswell Army has been annihilated, and as of now, my lord will soon reach the rear of the Bolton forces. He is only waiting for your signal to engage them and ensure House Stark's victory in this battle."
I closed my eyes, letting out a sigh of relief, and then energetically said, "This is the moment to launch an attack. We will launch a total attack on all fronts, occupying the Boltons until Robb intervenes, allowing us to break the deadlock and turn the enemy."
'We have annihilated between 2,000 to 3,000 Ryswell cavalrymen in the trap we set for them. Now, with the loss of the remaining troops estimated at about 5,000 men, we have reversed the power balance between us, coming back to a difference of plus or minus 2,000 men, whereas we had started with a difference of nearly 10,000 men,' I thought as I exited my tent and mounted my steed.
'We will emerge victorious from this war, I will make peace with Jon, and I will restore tranquility to the frozen plains of the North.'
'May the Old Gods guide us,' I thought before opening my eyes and yelling:
"TO THE ATTACK!"
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-POV Roose Bolton-
"The entire army of the silent wolf is barking like a pack of wild dogs," said the commander of the Golden Company, unafraid of our enemies.
I frowned and then said, "Order our men to sound the retreat."
"I beg your pardon?!" the commander said, unable to understand my decision.
"We are falling back," I said, staring at him coldly and indifferently.
"And why is that, if I may ask?" he said, frowning.
"The pup has dismantled the troops we sent; otherwise, why would we have no news from the battlefield since Lady Dustin joined us?" I explained.
"We can still win, even under these conditions," he confidently said.
I shook my head and responded, "Defeating them today would hold no value. Their men are buoyed by their minor victories, and the numerical gap between us has now definitively closed with the pup's victory."
"Hypothetical victory," he interjected.
I shrugged and continued, "Regardless of what you say, we have lost all our major advantages, whether in numbers or the element of surprise. Even though we are still slightly superior in numbers and even if your soldiers are as competent as they say, our agreement was clear. I am not obligated to die for your cause, only to keep the king away from the capital and the south by starting a revolt in the North. By pulling back now and keeping Moat Cailin and all the castles in the Northeast under our control, we will force him to confront the ironborn. Then, we will force him to come to the North himself. Once he realizes the extent of the conspiracy, it will be too late for him to react, and all his enemies will naturally point their spears at him."
Harry Strickland, the commander of the Golden Company, clenched his teeth and then nodded in understanding. So I said, "Lord Ryswell, I am counting on you and your men to properly stop Ned Stark's charge."
He clenched his teeth, but seeing everyone watching him, waiting for him to make a mistake so they could kill him, he composed himself and spat on the ground before saying, "Protect my daughter."
"I will make her the next Lady Bolton, rest assured," I said, looking at him without showing any emotion.
He nodded with an understanding look, then headed towards the last 1,000 men who remained and who would cover our retreat.
"Walton, also choose 2,000 of ours to join Lord Rodrik Ryswell so we can retreat properly. Don't forget to remind them that their families will live comfortably as long as they do what I have ordered them, but they must fight to the death if necessary to cover our retreat," I said to Walton, one of my most reliable captains.
He nodded, and then I spurred my horse to leave the place. We had already lost far too much time here.