Version 2.0
As the winter settled and the bitter cold gnawed at the people, the anxiety that had been brewing among the kingdoms began to boil over. Supplies of food were running dangerously low, and the once bountiful land was now a frozen wasteland. People across the North were starting to starve, and no clear end to the winter in sight, so the kings began to ready themselves for war. The Ryder King was the first to make his move.
Food was needed and his trading with the Trident kings had not brought in enough goods as trade was low and slow. Eamon began to rally his banners. Word of his movements and preparations spread quickly, and the coalition of Western kings moved in return. The Warg, Fisher, and Glover Kings began to gather their forces and assemble their men into a single force whilst the Greenwood and Barrow Kings agreed to raid into Ryder Lands to apply the pressure.
The combined forces of the Fisher, Warg, and Glover Kings marched southward, their banners snapping in the cold wind as they made their way into the Ryder King's lands. The snow-covered terrain was treacherous, but the hardened north men pressed on. They travelled and camped in the cold with the Warg and Glover kings always camped close together, whilst keeping the Fisher King was much further away from them, always keeping a certain distance in camps and when marching.
As they crossed into enemy territory, the first signs of resistance came quickly as they were harassed by cavalry men, charging into their marching lines for quick scuffles before backing off, only for another group to appear and charge again either into chasing men or disorganised lines.
Tensions within the army were already high. The Fisher King, whose kingdom was smaller and whose forces were fewer, had been pressured by the Warg and Glover Kings to take the vanguard. His men were ill-prepared for this kind of relentless skirmishing as they had nothing to counter the cavalry with other than some spears, they had but often were ineffective and accurate. The marching was slow, but they continued forward.
After days of skirmishes and mounting losses, the coalition army finally reached a more open stretch of land. The terrain opened into a broad, snow-covered plain, bordered by forests and hills. The Warg and Glover Kings, who had been holding back their forces, now began to bring their men to the front, eager for a decisive engagement and glory whilst they then placed the Fisher King to the side as a flaking army.
Spread out across the snow-covered ground, was the camp of the Ryder King. His forces, numbering around 2,300 strong had set up a sprawling encampment, with tents clustered tightly together, smoke rising from built fires, and banners fluttering in the cold breeze.
The coalition army assembled their camps quickly resting for the night and preparing for battle the next day. From the Glover King's forces, about 1,500 men stood on the right flank next to the Glover men, the Warg King's forces gathered in equal strength, of another 1,500 men clad in thick furs, stood in the centre. At the far-left flank, the Fisher King's men, around 1,000 warriors stood ready, their men a bit more haggard and tired after the brutal skirmishes they had endured during the march.
The coalition's total force numbered around 4,000 men, against the Ryder King's 2,300. From their vantage point, the kings surveyed the enemy army as it gathered in the morning for their battle. The kings of the coalition did not want to wait and wanted to battle sooner rather than later, eager to get their new lands. The cold was already taking its toll, and the men were eager for battle.
As the wind howled across the battlefield, carrying the distant sound of the Ryder King's soldiers readying themselves for war, the coalition army began to prepare for the coming fight. Spears were sharpened, shields were raised, and the armies marched against one another.
For hours, the battle raged. Clashes of shields and bronze, and shouting war cries and as the lines battered against one another. The Warg King's men, drove forward ferocity, as their king atop his bear battle at the front having finally gotten enough bronze to armour it. The Glover King's forces used their larger numbers to flank attempting to break the Ryder King's formations. Meanwhile, the Fisher Kings moved around the other side enveloping that side only to be charged down by the cavalry and sent packing.
As the day wore on, the Ryder King's forces began to waver under the more numerical enemy. Despite their initial resistance, they were outnumbered, and their line began to crumble. The Glover King's flanking manoeuvre finally broke through, surrounding the Ryder King's right-wing and causing a full collapse. Sensing defeat, the Ryder King ordered a retreat. His men, bloodied and exhausted, fled back toward the forests, leaving the coalition victorious on the plain.
In the aftermath of the battle, the victorious kings gathered to discuss their next move. The battlefield, still littered with the dead and dying lay behind them as they gathered in a tent, but before they could even begin, they could feel the tensions between the groups. The Warg and Glover Kings began to press their claims seeing how they won the battle for them and their men did most of the fighting.
The Fisher King, weary and resentful from the losses his men had suffered, pushed back. His smaller force had taken the most casualties, and he believed he deserved compensation in land for the sacrifices his soldiers had made. But the Warg and Glover Kings, tried to dismiss his claims, pushing him to the side but the fisher King held strong despite his still weakened men. Arguments turned to threats, and within a few days, the alliance had begun to unravel.
The situation then escalated quickly when the Barrow King rocked up unannounced, well at least to Brand and Ealdred. With fresh reinforcements of 1,800 men, the Barrow King immediately sided with the Fisher King, pushing their demands before with fresh troops ordered them to attack the Old Gods Kings, calling them dogs as he did so.
The Barrow King's forces, well-rested and numerous, charged into the ranks of the Warg and Glover Kings' men. The Old Gods' forces fought back fiercely, but they were unprepared for the quick escalation by the Barrow King and so left them open.
The fighting was brutal, as the coalition force tore itself apart. Blood soaked the snow as men fell on all sides. The Fisher King, desperate to avenge his earlier losses, fought with fury and anger, his men pushing the Glover forces back. The Warg King, realizing that the tide of battle was turning against him, rallied his remaining soldiers, but even their fierce resolve couldn't hold back the fresh soldiers of the Barrow King.
Soon, it became obvious the Barrow and Fisher Kings would win. As the Warg and Glover forces retreated, the Barrow King's men pushed forward, as they mopped up the men they could and began to collect all the loot they wanted before they marched to claim the lands they wanted from the Ryder King.
But just as the Fisher and Barrow Kings were about to celebrate their hard-fought victory, a sound started in the distance. They heard pattering and then galloping as soon from the plain they spotted galloping cavalry men. The Ryder King had come back after happening to still be in the area trying to gather all of his dispersed men so he would have enough men to defend his castle. But he happened to hear and then spot the coalition army battling one another.
The exhausted forces of the Fisher and Barrow Kings, still reeling from their internal battle, were caught completely off guard. The Ryder King's men, rejuvenated and eager for revenge, crashed into their lines with ferocity. The Fisher King's forces, already weakened from both battles, crumbled quickly under the sudden onslaught, and when one ran another joined. The Barrow King, though he fought valiantly, could not rally his men fast enough. The surprise attack had shattered their ranks, and soon, the Ryder King's army was sweeping across the battlefield, cutting down the exhausted soldiers.
The victory that had seemed so close was torn away. And to top it off for the Ryder King he managed to snag the fleeing Fisher King while the Barrow King, managed to escape.