Version 2.0
As the dust settled on the battlefield, Brandon had led his King's Guard in search of the Barrow King but amidst the chaos of combat, the king had slipped through their grasp, after he fled from their duel. It was only later, when weary soldiers returned from their pursuit, that Halvar's scouts came back telling of the Barrow King's resurgence as he gathered his fleeing men.
Gathering his forces once more, Brandon wasted no time in preparing for a clash. Yet as Brandon reorganises and from up the army, sending the wounded back to camp along with taken loot, a messenger arrives with a peace proposal. The Barrow King sought to end hostilities, offering land for the safe return of his men.
With the sight of the Barrow Kings reforming his army, Brandon weighed his response, thinking of adding that he must annul the deal with Ned, however, Halvar approached his brow creased.
"My King, another army approaches, from the rear of the Barrow King," Halvar said urgently to Brandon, his voice hushed to avoid alarming the soldiers. "I've spotted them from my eagle, it's a cavalry vanguard force led by the Ryder King," he added.
Brandon deliberated for just a moment. "The Ryder King would only return for one purpose: personal gain," he reasoned, surveying his fatigued and unprepared army, one not fit to fight another battle, especially against cavalry if the tales are to be believed. "Theon, order a retreat to camp, and send word to the Barrow King: the Ryder King advances upon him and that we accept the deal as long as he annuls the deal with Ned."
As the sun started to wane from high up, it cast shallow shadows over the rugged terrain, Brandon's weary soldiers hurriedly returned to their camp, practically dragging their bodies to camp. The air was thick as the winds started to whip up, as they carried their wounded and loot back.
The distant thunder of hooves echoed across the landscape. They slowly and calmly left the dense forest before reforming and gathering, then with lightning speed, they descended upon the battlefield, darting across open fields, first harassing the barley-reformed Barrow King's forces before charging into their force smashing them quickly.
The battle barely lasted a moment before the barrow king force broke and fled, the smart ones heading into the trees whilst the ones headed for the field were quickly rounded up as prisoners.
As the tumult of battle subsided and the dust began to settle, Brandon watched with a heavy heart as the remnants of the Barrow King's army retreated, their ranks broken, and their spirits crushed. The relentless pursuit of the Ryder King's cavalry left little room for escape, with only a scant few managing to evade capture.
With the sun casting long shadows across the battlefield, a lone rider emerged from the fray, bearing the banner of the Ryder King.
"Tomorrow the Ryder King will battle you Brandon Stark, and tomorrow you shall be defeated and leave these lands to the rightful ruler." He bellowed before riding back to his camp echoed by the shouting of insults by the Winter men.
As night descended upon the weary camp, Brandon tried to set up watchmen to guard against any potential assaults. But the men refused too exhausted to do anything and so Brandon used his loyal king's guard to guard the camp.
With the flicker of campfires across the silent encampment, the night wore on, the camp remained shrouded in an uneasy silence, broken only by the occasional murmur of exhausted soldiers finding solace in much-needed sleep. Whilst they slept Brandon convened with his commanders gathering beneath the pale light of torches.
"We will never catch the cavalry, my King," Theon shakes his head. "We can only put ourselves in a position to minimize their damage against us and then defeat their main line."
"We can defeat them!" Lyanna started. "It would be difficult to defeat his main force when we were fresh, but we are tired and we have no way to stop their harassing us, just like he did to the Barrow King. We have to remove the cavalry from the battle."
"That might be so, but all the previous kings would have thought the same as us, and yet they failed to defeat the cavalry. How are we going to?" Theon stated.
"Well, it is fortunate that we are not those Kings because we will defeat them," Lyanna said, her smile as bright as her eyes.
While they continue to argue and bicker, Edric and Brandon stand silent, deep in thought, working their minds to the maximum.
"We are in the worst position to fight these cavalries." Halvar starts. "We are in open planes with plenty of areas for them to move around in, we can' defeat them here." He says having seen the entire battle area through his eagle.
"Then we need to change the battlefield," Brandon said finally speaking. "The Ryder King is confident in his victory and is additament of battle. I do not doubt that he will fight and chase us as long as he gets his victory in the end."
"So, we draw him into a position where we can press an advantage against his cavalry." Edric smiles at them both having the same thought.
"Exactly if he is so intent on his victory, he might not see the entire battle," Brandon says as he starts to explain the battle plan in motion.