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Chapter 32 - marching on together

It was a well-made map, drawn from the maester's hands. It could have been a little more accurate but it was accurate enough to suit their needs for now. On the map itself, several pieces that reminded me a lot of chess pieces were located. 

Of course, this being Westeros, those chess pieces had to be made to suit the needs of the people. 

A leaping trout was located where we would be on the map, further south of us was where the combined Gardener/Lannister army was located, represented by a lion and a hand. Imaginative, these Westerosi. Just a little bit north of our position was another lion symbol that showed the other Lannister army that had gone through the Golden Tooth. 

The second Lannister army was located where the naked maiden of House Piper was located and where they had been held for the past couple of months.  

Around that map, that is where I stood along with my commanders. Ser Patrek reached forward and picked up the Mallister eagle and moved it just a hair's breath away from the Piper maiden and the Lannister lion. 

He looked at the new position intently, as much as I did as well before he turned to look at the messenger that had brought the news. "Are you sure of this?" The aged knight asked, his voice holding no time for any shenanigans. "The Mallisters are a day's journey away from Pinkmaiden?" 

The messenger gave a clear and firm nod. A nod that showed that he was undoubtedly serious about his claim. "Aye, ser. When we were dispatched, we were two days away. That was yesterday. I'm positive." 

Kyle Vance of Atranta, a commander underneath Ser Patrek grinned as he looked at the move. "If Lord Henryk attacks them from the north and the Pipers sally out to meet the foe, the lions won't know what hit them. Who commands them anyway?" 

Ser Lyman Vance of the other Vance House who had been placed in charge of communications was the one to answer that question. "One of the few messages that we received from Pinkmaiden said that a banner of a golden lion quartered with a hand was the most prominent. If I'm not wrong, that's the sigil of King Loren's second son, Prince Garth Lannister." 

Garth Lannister? Not a very Lannister name to be honest. I was somewhat surprised that most Lannister kings seemed to have an appeal towards alliteration with their names. Most of them seemed to have names that start with an 'L'.  

Garth was the first one to not follow the tradition. I'm guessing his Gardener mother had something to do with that. 

"A second prince?" Sour Gendry Butterwell replied as his brown eyes bore into the lion piece with a certain kind of intensity to it. "Not really much of a prize. It would be better if we had the crown prince." 

Kyle Vance indicated towards the larger army down in the south. "We have a king and his two princes and kin in the south for any significant prizes to capture, but still, if we capture the lion prince, that is still a worthy prize in itself. Enough to bring the Lannisters to the table, if so inclined." 

Looking around, I just noticed that Ser Patrek was vastly the oldest one here out of everyone by a good few decades. All the commanders underneath him were the vibrant second and third sons of Houses that wanted those second and third sons and fourth and so and so on to do something productive or further the interests of their own House. 

And more than likely keep a check on me that I don't do something that would go against them. 

Well, they did have that right. 

Axel Smallwood leaned forward as he spoke far too eagerly for my liking. "The Mallisters will take the lions to task. With the forces that the Pipers have on hand, they will outnumber them, not significantly, but more than enough to turn the tide of battle. We should take this opportunity to turn ourselves around and meet the Gardeners in battle, Your Grace." 

Oh, it seemed I was finally involving myself in this conversation. I had mostly kept quiet to let them talk amongst themselves and also the fact that I was about the most comprehensive definition of armchair military. 

Hearts of Iron, Victoria, Total War, Europa Universalis. I was good at those games, but they most certainly did not somehow turn you into a military genius overnight. 

Then again, they sort of did impart a few tricks here and there that could be applied to real life if you are careful enough. 

"Aggressive," I began getting the attention of the men in the room. "I like that, but for now, we know King Mern is taking his host move to join their own host with that of Prince Garth's own host." My hand went to the map and picked up the leaping trout that represented us and moved it north to where Prince Garth's forces were arrayed against the Pipers. "They already outnumber us as it is at the moment if we turn around to face them. But if we take our men and force a march, we would be able to bare our own forces with that of the Mallisters and Pipers. Surrounded them and well..." I finished by knocking over the lion piece to symbolise what I meant. 

What was this called again, defeat in detail? I think that was the term for it. Having two armies join together into one massive one had always been a pain and a nightmare to face when I played my games, especially if you couldn't make up for the new combined numbers. 

A situation that we were in one at the moment. 

In truth, I could more than likely raise numbers to meet and exceed the numbers of the Gardeners and Lannisters, but that would mean leaving some borders without the men to protect them. The Darklyns, Rosbys, Stokeworths and the other northern crownland lords had been left alone with a pointed reminder to keep an eye towards the stormlands. 

I don't think Argillac would even move to help the Reach because of the animosity between the two kingdoms, but I liked to be better safe than sorry and I really hoped that I didn't have to need to fight a battle on three fronts. 

That was about as smart as fighting a war on two fronts. 

Then the Vale meant I had left my eastern lords on high alert to watch the high road warily.  

Which meant the only available forces I had left where the central and western riverland levies. Levies that Lord Mallister was bringing down to bare against the lions. 

"Ser Garret is doing a wonderful enough job slowing down King Mern's advance." 

From the reports, he was going all out. It was a good thing that he knew these lands like the back of his hand. With the riders that I had given him, he had been killing their outriders, knocking down trees in their path and disrupting any foraging and supplies that King Mern was trying to do. 

In all honesty, he was making life hell as much as possible for the Gardeners.  

I couldn't help but give a thumbs up on the matter. 

"Prepare the men to march." I said. "We heard for Pinkmaiden to skin us some lions." 

*** 

This was not good. 

"They won't be able to hold." Garth spoke with defeat as he looked through the Myrish eye towards the battle that was happening to the north of his position. "The Mallisters are going to route them." 

As if he needed that. 

"Call them back, send a rider to tell them to retreat!" He ordered quickly to someone, anybody that would listen. 

Garth stood with the rest of his army atop a small hill that gave him a command view of everything around him. Not as commanding as the hill that Pinkmaiden was built upon, but it did a good enough job to serve as the centre of his command. 

He had done as everything he had been taught when it came to war. He had built his siege lines, trenches. He always and constantly sent out outriders to warn him of any relief forces that may come to aid the Pipers and bring relief.  

Yet, apparently that had not been enough to avert the disaster that was somehow coming to take him. 

Lord Harry Lefford could only shake his head as he looked on into the distance. "Their knights will run them down. The left of the vanguard is already breaking, look." He waved a hand in the direction he meant. 

And it was true. He could already see it happening and he didn't need his Myrish eye to see the breaking of men.  

The enemy had snuck up upon them with the coming of dawn and unlike dawn, their coming had been unbidden and unwelcome. A couple hundred riders that ranged from being well armoured in plate to mail and gambeson. The eagle of the Mallisters was held prominently for all to see. 

What he had been confused about was how they had been able to somehow sneak past the scores of outriders that he had posted. 

"This is their land." Lord Lefford had told him calmly. "They would know of its secrets better than we ever would. It is the same if an enemy invaded the Westerlands, we would know of its secrets better than them. They just used that to their advantage. Nothing can be done about it." 

Keeping the lines as it was, spread out around the entirety of Pinkmaiden meant that they would find themselves vulnerable. He had weakened the lines as he recalled men back to the main camp and it seemed as if the Mallisters had been more than willing to let him do that as he continued to strengthen his main camp. 

Though their presence was surely to give morale to the men that had held him at bay within Pinkmaiden's walls. An assault had been something on his mind, but he didn't wish to needlessly kill the men of his host when he knew that aid from the south was coming. 

It was then that one of his outriders from the south came with important news, a riverlander host coming up the southern road that would result in him nearly being surrounded. He had decided then and there that he had to retreat. 

Except that the knights that stood sentinel in the north seemed to be waiting for him to make that course of action, thus he had sent some of his own men, several hundred armoured knights as a rear guard of sorts to keep the Mallister mounted men busy whilst he retreated back into the mountain passes. 

He just didn't expect that the Mallisters also had infantry with them. 

"My prince!" A messenger rode his horse hard up the hill as he cried out. "My prince! Enemies! Enemies to the south! It's the trout of House Tully!" 

Why him? 

Father had said it would be an easy task. It was beginning to seem like it wasn't going to be any kind of easy task at all. 

He swung his head to the southern road and there it was, a glittering mass of men in armour and horseback. Behind them, sharp points of metal belonging to pikes glittered in the morning sun, a veritable porcupine of sharp objects that would give any man a bad day. 

He had to retreat, but how? If he were to take his men back to the Tooth, they would be rode down from behind. What could he do? 

What could he do? 

What could he do? 

What was he supposed to do? 

He had followed everything he had been taught when it came to matters of war! Father had said it would be an easy task! A task that would easily allow him to cover himself in glory! 

"You have to escape." Lord Lefford said, a grim certainty on his face. "This day is lost. Please escape my prince. I shall delay them for as long as possible, more than enough for you to make good time between us." 

His mind whirled. "But-." 

"No buts, my prince." Nobody apart from his family had ever cut him off before. "A prince of the blood being captured would be a stain on my honour. Something that I cannot allow. Your royal protectors will take you whilst I organise the men to hold them here." He looked towards his protector, Ser Vincent Vickery. "Make me this vow ser, that the prince shall be returned to the Tooth free of harm." 

The Knight of the Golden Lion gave a certain nod. "On my honour, my lord." 

Garth wished he felt as confident as them. 

*** 

The Lannisters had arrayed themselves around a hill that was well fortified with trenches and ditches at the base. Looking it over I couldn't help but notice that was going to be a pickle to pick.  

...Where pikes effective uphill though?  

I suppose this was the time to find out though I didn't like that I saw. Those trenches and ditches were going to mess something funny with the pike squares as they pushed upwards. 

Ser Patrek had given the order to surround the hill from the south to the west, whilst the arriving Mallisters took to surrounding the hill from the north and east. The Pipers that had been cosying up in their castle had started streaming out, sallying forward to attack any of the stragglers that had not been quick enough to join the rest of their host around the hill. 

"Their archers are going to be a pain in the ass." I noted as I noticed them notch their arrows to their bows. Oh, they also had crossbows. How nice.  

Ser Patrek spoke through gritted teeth as he squinted at the positions of the enemy. "I would say we starve them out, but with the green hands coming from the south, I dare not risk it. Today is going to be a red day, a bloody day, Your Grace." 

"Hopefully, more bloody for them than us." Looking to the side at the approach of a horse, Gendry Butterwell rode up, the two feathers that signified his rank as an officer fluttering in the gentle breeze. "Are they ready then?" 

Gendry Butterwell brought his horse to a stop just in front of us. "Aye, Your Grace. The artillery is ready, mangonels and ballistas." 

I felt the need to look at an imaginary watch. "That was quick. Well done, my lord." I lavished the young lordling with praise. 

He inclined his head in a polite bow. "All the thanks should go to my men, Your Grace. They trained for this." 

"Under your supervision, but I shall take your word for it. Now then, let's see how they would react to the bombardment that shall be fired upon them." I gave the nod to begin. "Right, let's get this over and done with." 

The bugler blasted out several sharp notes that was the command for the artillery to begin their initial assault. The hill was going to be a pickle alright to try and take, but I was going to make sure that our opponents were going to be softened up as much as possible. 

The command was replayed by several other buglers that were located around our lines before the first signs of the attack was let loose towards out enemy. Burning pitches of oil were fired towards the Lannister lines. Some of them smashed into the ground before they hit anybody, but with the force that they landed with, they scattered their burning oil onto unlucky bastards that let loose howls and screams of pain that could be heard from where we were. 

The ones that were actually able to find purchase with blocks of men were the nastiest as they erupted in flame and covered men in burning oil. Bit by bit, the part of the hill that we faced found itself continuously pounded by burning oil and that wasn't taking into account the bolts fired from the ballista. 

As the times passed, gaps with the enemy lines were beginning to show themselves. I smiled somewhat ruefully at that. If I hadn't given most of my cavalry to Ser Garret, I would have been willing to take advantage of that. But then again, the trenches and ditches and fortifications would have stunted whatever charge they would be able to bring about. 

At that point, the Lannisters started fighting back, loosing arrows in our direction. With the fact that they had a higher elevation than us meant that they could fire their bows further if it wasn't for the fact that we kept ourselves out of the range of said bows. It didn't seem any of them had longbows to use.  

That was good for us. 

Eventually, they realised they were just wasting arrows and stopped firing them. It seemed they had a commander who had a good head on his shoulders. 

"Send in the infantry." I said, taking a moment to survey the various lines that had been poked full of holes by the relentless assault by the artillery. In my mind's eyes, I figured that was the same that was happening in the north side, but I had left command of the forces of that line to someone else who had a better understanding of the situation than me. "Get the Blackwood archers to move up behind them as well, a few paces to put them in range of the Lannisters archers." 

"That would mean they would be far too close for my liking." Ser Patrek grunted as he eyed the Lannister ranged forces with rightful wariness.  

I nodded in agreement with him. "But our lads have more than a little cloth to protect themselves from the archers. The lions should lose more men than we will. Their archers are going to be a difficult pain in the ass though, so the faster we take them out of the reckoning the better." 

He nodded and made the order and the bugler made the right noises. 

My lips were somehow dry before I knew it as I found myself licking them a bit as my pikemen began to move forward four hundred men pushing up the hill with two held in reserve to reinforce any of the lines that seemed like it would have a hard time making a breakthrough or were in risk of being pushed back. 

I doubted it, but once more, I had no idea of the effectiveness of pike going up a hill. It also didn't hurt I could see parts of the ground having been churned something muddy by the footfall of thousands of men. 

I ordered for the artillery to stop their bombardment lest they hit our own men as they neared the point of contact with the enemy. I had to wince some as some of the companies had to break up to move around ditches that had been built to impede a cavalry charge up the hill, but I was more than proud that they took this in stride before reforming into one cohesive unit once more as they continued to make their way up the hill. 

The Blackwood archers with their longbows had finally made it to a nice enough location that they could reap a bloody toil on the lion archers located further back of the footmen. And I was right, the better armour of the Blackwood men meant little of them fell to the arrows that were falling upon them, whilst a quick look at the lions saw that the result was quite different for them. 

Then the first pike square met their opponent and I whistled as it broke through the hastily rebuilt shield wall. It was one thing seeing it in practice but a completely different thing seeing it in battle. 

Some of the men at the rear of the pike square had slid in the muddier patches of the hill, but not enough to truly affect the cohesion and momentum of the pike square. They avoided the areas of grasses that still burned with the lit oil. 

I even saw one pikeman swat away a burning man from the oil running towards him, screaming, a wicked looking sword held up high like a bug that wasn't worthy of his attention with a casual swing of his pike. The burning man rolled down the hill, his rolling helping to put out the fire on him.  

I was surprised he was still alive when he started getting back up, only for several arrows to strike him dead in the back. Man, those Blackwood boys showed no mercy as the body fell to the ground unmoving. 

The pike squares that had steamrolled their way through the shield wall immediately split of into two. At first, it had been four groups of a hundred men each. Now it was eight groups of fifty men each as they turned like a pinwheel to strike at the backs of the levies that were having trouble quickly adjusting to what had just happened. 

But I could see what had just happened. A path to the top of the hill had been opened. 

"Ser Patrek!"  

The grizzled old man didn't need to be called upon twice as he quickly gave the bugler the order for the calvary to make their way forward. The ditches might blunt their charge, but they weren't going to charge uphill until the very least moment. 

The Blackwood archers had reaped a bloody toll on their opposites to the point that many of them had thrown down their weapons to retreat to the top of the hill. In support of the cavalry that was going to be making its way up, one of the reserve pike squares was already making its way up the hill from the gaps that had been opened by the initial assault. 

"Your Grace!"  

I turned my head as I saw a messenger ride hard towards me upon a Dornish sand steed. Dornish sand steeds were rather useless for battle, but they were certainly useful when you wanted to send a messenger in the quickest time possible. 

"Yes?" I asked, an eyebrow raised when the messenger came to a halt in front of me. "What is it?" 

"Message from Ser Axel Smallwood, Your Grace! Cavalry is trying to make a break through his lines, Your Grace!" 

Cavalry were trying to break through. Now that I thought about it, he was located to the west of us and if cavalry was trying to break through him, it meant someone was trying to make a run for it. Someone probably important. 

"Tell him to either stop them or if they break through, pursue them immediately!" I said quickly, bringing my horse around. "And I'll join him as well!" 

No way in hell was I going to let a prince escape through my fingers like that.