Getting into the castle had been easy. The stolen Lannister armor had allowed the small host of men easy access into the castle. Lucas Blackwood, who was posing as the captain of the group of survivors, was immediately brought to Lady Lefford while the rest of the men were settled throughout the castle. The 'survivors' were given soup and bread, ale, and blankets. Because of the size of the false Lannister host, men were bedding down in the great hall, the servant's quarters and spare rooms were filled to the max. Lady Lefford had gone out of her way to ensure that the men she thought as her countrymen were made as comfortable as possible.
Fortunately, Jon had been placed in the same room as Lucas Blackwood, who returned to the room soon after the food had been brought. After receiving his portion of soup, bread, and ale, he sat on the ground and removed his helmet.
"Thank the gods that's over." He breathed, tearing into his food as soon as it was in his hands.
Jon raised an eyebrow. "What was Lady Lefford's response?" He asked, making sure to keep his voice down. He wasn't sure how soundproof the door or walls were and didn't want his voice being heard by unwanted ears.
Lucas held up a hand, taking a deep draft of his ale. When he was done, he answered. "She was sympathetic, understandably so. She had her maester send a raven to Tywin telling him of the attack."
"What else?" Another asked.
Lucas shrugged. "She's going to wait and see what the Old Lion says before she does anything. As of right now, she 'ordered' me to protect the castle." He said before a mischievous grin came across his face. "I told her that Robb Stark and his wolf wreaked havoc during the battle. I described in great detail how the King in the North had become a wolf himself, as big as a horse."
Jon frowned. "But Robb wasn't with us."
Lucas nodded. "Aye, but how would she know? If Tywin believes Robb is in the Westerlands, then that keeps his eyes off of what our king is doing in the Reach."
Jon nodded. "Good idea."
Lucas nodded. "Thank you, now, the plan for tonight is simple. We all have our extra set of armor. This group will make straight for the lord's chamber. If we capture Lady Lefford, we can force the fighting to stop and take the castle in a matter of minutes rather than hours."
Lucas had already spread the Blackfish's plan to the rest of the men. Wherever they were, at midnight, they would take off their Lannister armor and don tabards or leather armor, whatever they could to let it known that they were soldiers of the Riverlands. Once they had cast off the lannister armor and connected with others in the group, then they were free to attack any lannister soldier they saw.
The young Blackwood had also made it very clear that servants and other castle staff were not to be harmed. Both he and Jon knew that Robb wouldn't sanction the unnecessary death of innocents, let alone men and women who couldn't defend themselves.
"How many men are here?" Jon asked.
"About eight hundred men," Lucas said, taking a few more bites of his soup. "The Old Lion left a sizable force here to try and deter us from attacking the castle."
"That didn't work." One soldier chuckled darkly.
"What did you tell her about the rest of the host?" Jon asked curiously.
Lucas gestured for Jon to wait as he shoved the rest of the bread in his mouth. He took a moment to chew before answering.
"I told her I didn't know. Only that no one followed us this way." Lucas answered. "It makes our job easier if the guards aren't on edge tonight."
Lucas quickly finished the last of his ale, stacking his dishes and pushing them aside before he slumped a little more against the wall.
"That's enough talk for now. Rest, sharpen your swords, and make ready. We have a long night ahead of us."
Line Break
Jon and Lucas led the group through the castle, daggers drawn. They were no longer wearing the red and gold Lannister armor. Instead, Jon wore a stark tunic while Lucas wore a tabard with his family sigil on it. Others in their group wore tabards or leather armor. Still, the clothing did its part. It made it known that these men weren't friends of the Lannisters.
The first two lannisters they encountered were too shocked to even put up a fight. Three men instantly jumped on both men, grabbing them by the shoulders and arms while the third man slit the throat. It was not a clean or honorable kill by any means, but this is what the Blackfish had meant when he said that honor had to be set aside to make sure the mission was a success.
When they reached the room of Lady Lefford, the two men standing guard were quickly muffled and killed, their bodies gently put on the ground.
"Is this the right one?" Jon whispered.
Lucas nodded. The riverlander was breathing a little heavily as the adrenaline from the fighting coursed through him.
"This is where I met with her earlier," Lucas answered. "Now help me with this door."
Together, both Jon and Lucas threw themselves against the door, sending it flying back on its hinges as the lock was broken. As soon as the door was open, Jon and Lucas grabbed their weapons and stormed the room with the rest of their group at their back.
Lady Lefford sat up in her bed, her hair a mess of tangles as she scrambled to cover herself with her blankets. Her face was a mask of horror and confusion.
"What's happening?" She screamed.
Lucas gestured for his men to grab her. "Lady Lefford, we are taking the castle in the name of King Robb Stark, the King in the North."
It was then that Lady Lefford recognized who Lucas was. Her jaw went slack. "You're who I spoke with today. You said you were a captain!"
Lucas smiled grimly. "I am Lucas Blackwood, my lady. Second son of Lord Tytos Blackwood."
Lady Lefford was dragged from her bed and was brought before Lucas and Jon, the latter watching the interaction quietly. By now, the noblewoman was getting over the shock of what was happening and her anger quickly came to the fore.
"I brought you into my home. I gave you shelter! Food! This is how to repay my hospitality." She screeched.
Lefford's screaming seemed to get the attention of others, as three Lannister soldiers came rushing into the room, cutting down the first two men they saw. They looked as if they had dressed in a hurry before coming to the room. Their armor was mismatched and none of them wore helms.
Jon was the first to react. He threw himself at the enemy, slashing his blade through the neck of the first man before plunging Frost to the hilt in the second man. The first man dropped his sword and grabbed his throat as he tumbled to the ground, his friend falling over him, holding his stomach where his intestines were spilling out.
The third man watched his two companions be cut down with ease and was beginning to shuffle towards the door, but Lucas stopped him. The young Blackwood stepped forward, his sword taking the man in the side. He too soon joined the pile of bodies on the floor, their blood slowly spreading out over the floor.
"Thank you," Jon said, nodding to Lucas.
Blackwood smiled grimly. "Can't let you have all the fun," he said, turning his attention back to Lady Lefford, who had watched in horror as her would-be rescuers were cut down in a matter of moments by the two men.
"To answer you, my lady, I am repaying the hospitality the Lannisters have given to my countrymen," he said grimly. "Do not speak to me as if you are on the side of the angels. This is war."
He nodded to the two men on either side of the noblewoman. "Keep her contained to this room. I'll be back later."
The two men nodded as Lucas and Jon left the room. The fight wasn't done just yet.
Line Break
By the end of the night, the entire garrison had either been put to the sword or taken prisoner, stripped of armor, boots, and weapons before being roughly shoved into the dungeons. Of the eight hundred men that made up the garrison, only a hundred or so survived the night. Many were nursing wounds that had put them out of the fight initially.
The northern force did not get off without its own losses. Three hundred men were killed, along with two hundred more wounded to varying degrees. The option to go without armor had been a risk that had killed many, but not enough to turn the tide for the lannisters.
The servants, as per Lucas Blackwood's orders, had been spared and herded into the kitchens during the fighting. In the morning, Lucas had addressed them, warning them of the punishment he would bring down if any were found helping the prisoners. Jon wasn't sure if Lucas would actually go as far as killing any who tried to help the imprisoned soldiers, but if the servants thought he would, then that would keep them in line all the same.
Now, Jon and Lucas enjoyed a meal of meat and bread that they had scrounged from the kitchens. After they had captured Lady Lefford, who was now permanently contained to her chambers, the two young men had entered the courtyard to find a large number of scuffles happening, both on the ground and on the wall. The two warriors had jumped into the fight without hesitation. Jon had cut a swathe through the enemy while Lucas stayed at his back, the two working together to cut down or injure nearly fifty or more red-clad guardsmen.
After the battle and the aftermath of dealing with prisoners, Lucas and Jon had gotten their food and had retired to Lord Lefford's solar to eat and recover. Neither man had been seriously injured during the fight.
"Jon," Lucas said, wiping his hands on a towel. "Can I see your sword?"
Jon frowned but nodded. He put down his utensils and unsheathed his sword, placing it on the desk between him and Lucas. The dark blade had already been cleaned of blood and gore.
Blackwood raised an eyebrow. "Where in the blazes did you get valyrian steel?" He asked. The young noble had never actually seen the famed steel himself. No family in the Riverlands owned such a blade. But the appearance of the blade matched the descriptions his maester had taught him when he was a boy.
Jon grabbed the sword and put it back in its sheath. "I found it at the Wall," he said, lying easily. "Someone there gave it to me."
"How'd they get it?" Lucas asked, pushing the subject.
Jon shrugged. "I'm not sure. He said something about finding it in the far north. He gave it to me because he was old and didn't want it to fall into the hands of a dishonorable man."
Lucas nodded slowly. "Fair enough. You certainly can do some damage with it."
Jon smiled slightly. "I had a good teacher."
Their conversation was interrupted by a knock at the door.
"Come," Lucas called.
The maester, an older man with salt-and-pepper hair, entered, a scroll in his hands. His chain was not as large as Maester Luwins, but the man had all the common links. Iron, gold, black iron, silver, and a few others.
"Maester, what do you need?" Lucas asked curiously.
"A message from Riverrun, my lord." The man answered gruffly.
The maester had been treated well during the fight, contained to his room by a single guard. But, even though maesters were supposed to be impartial, the man was not happy that the castle had been taken.
"How did the rider know it was safe to enter the castle?" Jon asked.
"I had a stark banner set on the tallest tower and in front of the main gate," Lucas said. "It was Ser Brynden's idea."
Lucas took the message and dismissed the maester with a wave of his hand. When the man was gone, Lucas cracked the seal on the scroll and unrolled it, his eyes glancing over the parchment. After a moment, they widened and the young noble re-read what the scroll said before setting it down on the desk beside his food.
"Hoster Tully is dead." He said gravely.
Jon raised an eyebrow. "How'd it happen?"
"Went to bed one night, didn't wake up the next morning," Lucas answered, glancing once more at the message. "Can't say I'm too surprised. He was an old man."
Jon didn't speak. He had never met the man and didn't feel it was his place to comment about the late lord of Riverrun. He did feel sorry for Lady Stark, who now lost her father not long after losing her husband too. Not to mention the fact that neither Robb nor Ser Brynden nor Edmure were at the castle to console her.
"I'll send a rider out to Ser Brynden tonight." Lucas went on. "He will need to get back to Riverrun fast."
"Letters should be prepared for the other lords as well," Jon commented. "Bolton, the Greatjon, Karstark, they all fought with the man in both Rebellion's."
"Good idea. I'll have those prepared as well." Lucas said. "We'll both ride out in the morning and meet with Ser Brynden. While he, my father, and others head back to Riverrun, you and I could lead the cavalry back to Riverrun."
Jon nodded slightly. "Let's see what the Blackfish has to say." He offered. "When we return to Riverrun, I'll try to send a raven to Robb."
"Do you think he's still treating with Renly?" Lucas asked.
Jon shook his head. "I'm not sure." He admitted. "I'll send the raven to Highgarden. From there, it can be brought to him by rider. That's how I got him a message when he was at the Twins from the Last Hearth. I sent the raven to Moat Cailin and a messenger brought it the rest of the way."
"Is it wise to tell his grace that his grandfather died?" Lucas asked curiously.
"Robb should know," Jon said, shaking his head. "I'll add as well about the Battle of Oxcross."
"How do you feel now that your brother is king?" Lucas asked curiously, changing the subject.
"He's still Robb to me," Jon answered honestly. "The only change has been how I address him."
Lucas nodded. "You keep it simple. That's smart."
Jon chuckled. "Not sure about smart, but it's an easy way to live," he stated before the smile faded from his face. "Easy way to live in a hard reality."
Lucas sensed Jon's mood change. "We'll beat the Lannisters soon. If King Robb and Renly come to terms, then there's nothing and nobody who can stop us."
"I hope you're right," Jon said. "As long as Tywin lives, he's a threat."
"Threats can be beaten."
"The Reynes and Tarbecks thought like that." Jon countered.
"So did the Targaryens," Lucas replied easily. "So did the Targaryens."