14 Chapter 14

(A/N: It came to my attention that I mixed up Renly and Stannis Baratheon. I fixed it in previous chapters.)

Ravens informed Richard about Renly Baratheon's moves, with him calling banners Richard had another few months of peaceful conquering until they get together and march on his territory. Thankfully Lords of Rainwood didn't manage to mount any serious defense, with surprise attacks and ambushes of their army he was able to quite comfortably take over most of the Rainwood, the only remaining houses that survived his expansion are House Wagstaff, Horpe, and Swann.

He was planning to take them over before the Renly army could even approach his area. After that, he started thinking about how to deal with the army that will soon be approaching. He did not have enough beasts to simply swarm them so he needed to be a little sneaky. He gave a command to Nydus Root Network to dig north, he wanted to have an easy access point to most of the northern houses of Stormland.

Renly Baratheon could mount offensive action with 25 000 men consisting of infantry and cavalry without counting on mercenaries.

The cavalry will be a lesser problem, Richard would not fight on the open field or any of the positions where cavalry would be effective, his strategy consisted entirely of luring enemies into the forest, which expanded massively since it came under his domain, for ambushes and traps and to attack them when they are encamped. Instill as much chaos as he could possibly do with his beasts and treants in a short amount of time that by the time they even recognize what is happening most of Renly Baratheon's will be dead or deserted.

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A few months later, newly 25-year-old Richard stood over the map of Raiwood, the map was created with help of Amara. It connected to his domain a showed all life signs. He still could not tell enemy from allies simply from them but he could see an enormous gathering of roughly 25 000 humans plus animals entering from the north.

The map was mainly for benefit of Arthur who stood with him as his general for human armies. They have evacuated the area around Crow's Nest down south so civilians are not caught in the crossfire and brought down keeps so that Renly's forces do not have a defensible position once they enter Rainwood.

Beasts and Treants were positioned all over the northern border of Rainwood, in burrows, bushes, or simply out of the way of Renly's army.

Waiting for them to enter. Just as a precaution Richard had Arthur send some of his soldiers with the support of few beasts to Nydus Network and try to sneak unto the keeps of Lords that are coming south and take their families when they could not defend themself. If somehow Renly managed to take down Richards's army or he lost and Richard needed to make lords comply until his reign solidified he would hold them hostage.

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The day of the attack arrived quickly and Renly forces acted as predicted, upon seeing Arthurs forces fleeing they followed. They almost managed to catch up when they were ambushed by beasts and treants, from one minute to another they were swarmed. Body parts and blood were flying everywhere as predators of the forest emerged from burrows in the middle of the marching army. So far unnoticed tall trees started moving, stomping the infantry and throwing lone soldiers all over their comrades.

Velka and their flight targeted the most well-armed of the soldiers, trying to take out commanders.

Richard not to be left out of the fun transformed into the bear and joined the fray. He charged front lines that by now collapsed into chaos and started ripping and tearing every human target he could see.

The resulting chaos was enough for Renly forces to sound retreat, Which was easier said than done when retreating soldiers and horses kept tripping over roots that were not there before. Before the army could get out of the forest they already lost a quarter and then some of their forces.

That wasn't the end of their trouble, however. In the following weeks their camp was attacked every night causing causalities and after a few day's desertions. Their supplies did not arrive, only a few caravans with food managed to get to the army with the rest being ambushed at night by Richards beasts. The last nail to the coffin was Richards sending them conditions of surrender and names of families in his care after Arthur managed to kidnap them.

After confirming his claims they simply did not have another choice, their soldiers were exhausted, hungry, and terrified of another attack by forest demons, as they started to call them. The morale was all-time low and with their families as a hostage, they accepted. The remaining of Stormlands army withdraw from Rainwood which consisted of only a half with which they come and without a single significant victory or even getting deeper into the territory of Rainwood left with the promise of their family returning to them after appropriate ransom was paid.

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In the main hall of keep that they took over one could find Richard and all of his family celebrating. The victory that Richard achieved would be forever written in history as the first of many that Richard Trant the Nature Keeper achieved.

They knew it was not over, far from it but now they had needed time to stabilize his rule over Rainwood. Build infrastructure and level of living and technology/magic as is on Trant Island and rebuild losses Renly's army inflicted upon his forest population.

The main focus for Richard in this short-lived peace will be on building defenses around all of the Rainwood while Arthur with the help of Amara stabilizes his rule.

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