Under the rain

Under the rain

Beric POV

Another body was hauled on the cart. By numbers, we didn't lose that many men. Lord Tarly received more casualties than us daily, but seeing as the dead men were carried away to be burned didn't put one in peace of mind. There was only so much death one man could see, but Lord Tully watched over all the dead as they were burned.

Not a single day went when Lord Tully wouldn't attend the mass funeral. He would say some words and recite some prayers at first. But now, he stayed quiet. He stood with the others, and in silence, he would watch the fires take the dead. Then he would leave and plan for another day's battle. I could only watch as the young man grew old before my eyes.

The Ruby Ford was now called Bloody Ford. Nobody couldn't disagree with the name, as the ground and river were now colored red from all the blood spilled on this battlefield. Bot Lord Tully and Lord Tarly were at a standstill, watching each other from different shores of Trident. Both of them were stubborn, and after all this bloodshed, neither would allow the other to win.

Lord Tarly's men were better armed and trained than the riverlanders, but they could never get an advantage over us. It was clear that even if the riverlanders weren't trained, they had experience of many wars. What they lacked in armor and weapons, they compensated with their willpower. They fought for their homes and would rather die than let foreigners take them.

Lord Tarly was a renowned commander, but he stood against his equal. Nobody would have believed before that a young lord like Edmure Tully could stand against the forces of the Reach's best. But there we are. The young lord would take it no matter what Lord Tarly threw at him. The young lord would stand his ground and repel the reachmen, no matter what tactics Lord Tarly used.

"My lord!" Edric ran to me as he shouted. "My lord! Lord Tarly have asked for a parley."

"Do not yell," I replied. "I am here. How did Lord Tully decline it? Sending the messengers to head back or telling them to fuck off?"

"He agreed," Edric replied.

"What did you say?" I slowly asked my faithful squire. "Did you say Lord Tully accepted to meet with Lord Tarly?"

"Yes, my lord."

I was getting a headache. I thought I started to understand the young lord. I thought Lord Tully burned with hatred toward Lord Tarly for all the bloodshed spilled on his lands. And what was there to talk about between them? Neither of them would back off. It was most likely a trap. If not, Lord Tarly wanted to see how Lord Tully's health was.

We had nothing to gain from this parley. What is Lord Tully thinking? I ignored everything and saw the young lord with my own eyes. I couldn't let him make such an obvious mistake. If Lord Tarly could see Edmure Tully's tiredness, he would try to push harder to break his will. Lord Tarly couldn't know how much Edmure Tully cared for his people.

"And where do you think you are going?" Ser Patrek Mallister stopped me before I could enter Lord Tully's tent.

"I want to see Lord Tully," I answered.

"For what?" Ser Patrek asked. "If you have nothing to report, I suggest you scram."

"Let him in, Patrek," I heard the tired voice of Lord Tully within the tent.

Ser Patrek took a moment before he let me go through. I entered the tent to see Lord Tully preparing himself. I could tell he was preparing to meet with Lord Tarly as he dressed in clean armor adorned with silver trout. But now silver or gold could hide the bloodshot eyes and the black bags under his eyes.

"What do you want, Lord Dondarrion?" Lord Tully asked.

"My Lord, I implore you to reconsider accepting the parley of Lord Tarly," I bowed my head. "There is no reason for you to accept it. Lord Tarly will try to test you. He will try to find your weakness and exploit them."

"I guessed that much," Lord Tully replied.

"Then why not refuse him? There is no reason to meet him."

"But there is," Lord Tully said. "It will stop the fighting, even if for a moment. And I will see the man who waged war on us. A man who wants to crush us and invade our lands. I want to see what kind of the man he is from close."

"He is evil," I said. "He is nothing but a dog of the Lannister that will do everything to win."

"Evil?" Lord Tully asked. "What is evil? Am I evil for letting so many of my people die? Am I evil because I refuse to surrender? Perhaps if I did so, the fighting would be over, and I could let my people return home to their families and farms rather than burn them daily. How many families have lost their fathers, husbands, sons, and brothers because I refuse to bend a knee to the Lannisters."

"You are fighting for the good of your people," I said.

"And how can I know what is for the good of my people, Lord Dondarrion?" He asked. "Only the future will tell it."

"Then what are you fighting for?" I asked.

"I see an enemy before me, so I will meet him. For I know that if I lose, my people will pay the price for what I have done," He said. "There is nothing as grand as you imagine. I can't know what is best for my lands. As Lord Tarly doesn't know what is the worst for my lands. I want to see if he fights for what he believes or simply because his king commands him."

"He fights for power," I told him. "His son is to marry Princess Myrcella. He wants the Lannisters to rule, for he will gain more power if they do."

"And for what are you fighting, lord Dondarrion?" He asked.

"I fight for my king and lord," I answered him.

"Yet there you are," He said. "Fighting with me for my lands and my people."

"Because you are fighting for my king," I replied.

"I do not fight for your king," He responded with a harsh tone. "I thought I made it clear. I fight for the Riverlands and nothing more."

"I see I couldn't change your mind," Lord Tully was stubborn, indeed. "But I implore you to take me with you to meet Lord Tarly."

"Very well, I give you that much," He agreed. "You have fought well with me and my men. I have no reason not to listen to your wishes."

Edmure Tully was supposed to be a young lord. Younger than me, but it didn't feel like it. I wasn't surprised by how mature he held himself. War change people. And I saw Lord Tully change every day in this accursed battlefield. Was it not the same for King Stannis? I wasn't here when he defended Storm's End from Tyrells, but he must have significantly changed after it.

It was surprising how similar Edmure Tully and Stannis Baratheon were. They came from different kingdoms and different families but are still so similar. So, it was hard to believe how they didn't seem to agree with each other. But with time, I think they could be close as brothers like Robert was with Eddard Stark. With them working together, they would bring peace and prosperity to the Seven Kingdoms.

…

It started to rain more frequently. Lords said that the autumn storms were coming. It wouldn't get as cold as in the North, but it would only get colder and colder as days passed. I rode with Edric next to Lord Tully to meet with Lord Tarly in the shallow waters of Trident. Droplets of water descended upon us as we neared the parley. I wonder if the upcoming rain will wash away the blood.

"Lord Tully," Randyll Tarly greeted us.

"Lord Tarly," Edmure nodded. "I came to listen to your demands, and as a rainstorm is coming, we better hurry."

"Very well," Lord Tarly agreed. "With King's Joffrey degree, I will present you the ultimatum."

"I am listening."

"If you bend your knee before me and pledge your services to King Joffrey Baratheon and make an oath to never point your sword at him and his, you shall be forgiven for all your crimes against the Iron Throne. You shall keep your titles and lands as they are," Lord Tarly proclaimed. "A most generous offer, if I must say. It would be foolish to ignore it as you shall not receive a better one."

"I could argue with you about what crimes I committed against the Iron Throne when all I did was protect my land and people, but it wouldn't matter, would it?" Lord Tully asked.

"Accept the offer, and we shall retreat from your lands, Lord Tully."

"Deny the offer, and you will continue terrorizing my people. Is that so?"

"You are in open rebellion against the King. I shall defeat you in the name of King Joffrey Baratheon, Lord Tully," Lord Tarly said. "Yet the King wants to end this war sooner than later, so he offers you his forgiveness."

"A storm is coming," Lord Tully looked at the sky. "I would advise you to set up your tents tightly, as it would be embarrassing if winds would bring them to our camp."

"Lord Tully! I didn't come to hear your japes," Lord Tarly didn't look pleased. "Do you need more time to think about it? Or are you refusing the offer?"

"It looks like it will be a big storm," Lord Tully still looked at the sky. "It might last for weeks if not for longer."

"Lord Tully!"

"There won't be much fighting in such weather," Lord Tully ignored everything and stared at the sky. "We see each other after the storm."

"You have not given your answer, Lord Tully," Even I was surprised by how Edmure Tully held himself. He completely ignored everything and spoke in a soft tone that didn't indicate any malice. It felt like he was in his little world.

"If you King was before me, I might give him my answer," Lord Tully lowered his head to look at Lord Tarly as the wind started to pick up. "Or maybe I would butcher him. Who knows? But I have nothing to say to a dog of the Lannisters. If you try to cross the river, I will kill you."

"Are you willing to sacrifice even more men for this meaningless fight?"

"Am I willing? No, I am not, but I must," Lord Tully answered. "For this fight might be meaningless to you, but to us, it is our home we fight for. Our homes will never be meaningless."

"We will defeat your feeble resistance, Lord Tully."

"You will not win, Lord Tarly, for we cannot lose."

With these words, Edmure Tully turned his horse and galloped back to our camp. I followed him close behind. Nobody at our party said a thing. Neither I nor Ser Patrek or other Edmure friends saw this coming. Lord Tarly's offer was generous, but without hesitation, Lord Tully refused to accept it without any hesitation.

I desperately wanted to ask why, as did others, but we all kept silent. Something was different about Lord Tully now. He gave off a feeling similar to that of King Stannis. Like he knew more than we did, and even if he told us everything on his mind, we wouldn't be able to understand. When we returned to our camp, the rain got worse, yet it seemed to lift some weight from Edmure's shoulders.

"Patrek, double the number of scouts," Lord Tully commanded. "It seems the gods will give us time to rest."

"What do you mean, my lord?" I asked.

"If it rains as much as I think, the river will flood," Edmure asked. "Even without us defending it, there is no chance for Lord Tarly passing it. We will take the time to rest and prepare for another battle."