Pact of Wolves and Falcons

Duskendale

Its been three weeks and no sign of any Lannister forces have pursued them. He called the reserves he left in the castles he has taken and that combined with the men he has left rounds up to 6,300 men and when the reserves arrived from Darry and Wode that doubled to 6,700 men. The men of Lord Rykker held the Dun Fort were outnumbered and overtaken from the small siege.

Losses of the nobility were also taken. Lord Redfort was slain and his son, Jasper was made new Lord Redfort. With Lyonel and Lyn gone, House Corbray goes to Lucas who didn't march with the army, Gilwood still looked broken over his brother's death and he pitied him, Eustace was a good warrior. Houses Belmore, Tumpleton, Hersy and Shett and others didn't come as he left before gathering all the banners, only Houses Royce, Waynwood, Corbray, Grafton, Hunter, Redfort and his own levies joined in this march.

The Majority of the army is made up of mounted lances and archers and light infantry. All others were decimated by the Tyrells who brought the majority of their might on him and Stannis. He grimaced upon thinking of his King who after weeks have become silent, not a single raven was returned from the ones he had sent, no aid would come to them from Dragonstone it seemed.

He is giving his men time to rest before going back to the Vale to gather another host, though it seemed for naught as his King sits idle without a word besides the reports from Andar whose last raven said he was refusing everyone and even his own wife, the only person he is seeing is that woman, the priestess from Asshai that caused a massive stir between those of the Faith and those that follow the Red God.

He has his own issues with the woman just from the ravens. A foreign woman converting their King to a religion that involves burning anything isn't something that says one is and should be King. He never met the woman and hopes to never have the witch ear him.

"My Lord?"

He turned to Gyles who let Yohn inside of the Lords chamber. Lord Royce changed in the past several weeks, a son dead, one in Dragonstone and another in Riverrun which he found out sometime after the battle, Waymar reported that he would stay on and advise the 'King in the North' because its quite dangerous on the road at the moment, and unfortunately that was quite true.

"Lord Royce, how are you?" He asked and the former father of four, now three stared at him sternly.

"Tywin won't stand idle too long, he will soon send a force here to root us out. When do we leave here?" His adviser asked him and he sighed before looking at the map. Tywin left Harrenhal and it would be a place to defend until he moves back to the Vale, or perhaps he should return home, he patrolled through the camp and the defeats at Harrenhal and King's Landing have affected the moral heavily, his men are tired and want to go home but what would that say on the Vale?, King Stannis would denounce him as a coward and a traitor and the realm would do the same.

"I know. I am waiting for any word from Dragonstone." He heard Yohn scoff at the statement and he groaned internally, "I understand you want to mourn your son, but if I give one lord the right to leave, then they all will want to and as you recall, we are at war." He explained and Yohn stood to his feet and left in a stomping manner, he sighed and put a hand to his head, "I am sure you want to rest, go ahead Gyles, I will fetch later." His squire said and left him alone with his thoughts.

Maybe he has been going about everything all wrong, his perception of battle and war was two armies of chivalry and honor, but all he saw was blood and death. He needs to not be as his father, it was justice going against madness in his time, but now it is honorable against cunning, tyranny against duty, Westeros was torn apart and will only get worse, he needs to evolve.

He needs to be stronger.

Dragonstone

Andar walked to the painted room to hand over new letters from his liege lord who is camped at Duskendale. The guards allowed him inside and the first person his eyes laid upon was the Red Bitch who over the past three weeks have done nothing but corrupt his King. Starting with when they returned from King's Landing, the Queen had Lord Sunglass and his family burned at the stake to appease the Red God, that atrocious act caused a disturbance in the castle and soon drove what little of the faithful to renounce the Seven for the Red Woman's deity.

"Your grace, again my Lord asks what his next duty will be. He is stationed in Duskendale, with the rest of our shi- "

"No. The fleet remains here." He grimaced upon hearing that and took a step forward but the woman stopped him.

"What is the command, my King?" He asked and instead of his grace, the Red Woman spoke in turn.

"What Lord Arryn must do is pray to the one True God and wait for further action." He lost his patience with the woman and would say what is on his and everyone else's mind.

"You're poisoning him! And my Lord or any man of the Vale will never worship a devil!" He snapped and threw the letter on the painted table, Melisandre looked at him with a small smile and hurried over to Stannis and began whispering into his ears, vile words of poison and witchcraft, "Your grace, send this vile cretin away. If the support of the Vale will stand by you, then this woman must be sent away." He pled to his King, his lord and fellow kinsmen died on the field to bring him victory, he must see a reason to keep the Vale on his side.

For a moment he thought that the King was seeing sense when his grace had stood to his feet and turned to him.

"You and Lord Arryn will heed my command, join with us by converting to the Lord of Light, or be branded heretics." His face and heart fell upon hearing the words from the man he named his King along with Lord Arryn and all of the Vale, and to demand them to renounce their faith because of the poisonous words of a foreign woman?, preposterous!, he held his head high and shook his head.

"No!, you are the True King, and we will follow but if you plan to make us abandon our faith? We will not!" He stated and stood by that. Suddenly he was grabbed from behind, Stannis saying that he was a traitor and a heretic, before being completely dragged away the red woman tore his pendant of the seven-pointed star and cast it into the fire, saying that he would meet the same fate for his transgressions, "No!, Your grace! Don't do this!" He cried and the broken king would hear none of it as he was taken away towards the dungeons.

Three days later, Ser Davos would join him.

[King's Landing]

Tywin watched his daughter with ire. She would presume to carry a child out of the marriage bed and birth a bastard to House Lannister, he thinks not. He stood to his feet and approached her. She looked nervous and afraid, she should be as this child would further spread the lies that are plaguing the birth of his grandchildren. He is reminded of the battle when he had arrived.

He came like thunder with the aid of the Tyrells, smashing the army of Stannis Baratheon and sending him back to his ships to flee. The clean up of Arryn invaders were simple to be away with, slaying the half that tried to take Mud Gate from behind, the casualties being his son who was heavily injured across the chest and his left ear was torn away and the desertion of Sandor.

"This child will be kept hidden, terminating the beast would surely kill you and you have used. No army will attack whilst I am here since your brother has failed to hold the city." He stated whilst staring hard at her. The Hand of the King then went back to his seat and continued to write the letter he is sending to the traitor Arryn, who is currently roosting at Duskendale.

"Is there anything you are happy for?, We held it, did we not?" She asked her father who stopped his writing and corrected her.

"Allowing thousands into the city and the Red Keep being breached doesn't mean you held it. Given another hour and the city would have fallen to the rebels, now go and send for your brother, his squire said he wished to see me." He commanded and she looked very irritated but ended up storming out of the room and leaving with her guards following close.

Tywin checked if he was alone before finishing the letter and sent it on its way. The letter is a choice, to side with them and retain the lands and titles, or to be pursued out of the Crownlands.

[Gulltown]

A man walked the streets of Gulltown towards a quaint little home that belongs to his bastard child and lover. He was tall and handsome with trimmed blonde hair and blue eyes, an aquiline nose personified his features as a relative to House Arryn though he is of House Hardying and Waynwood too. His name is Harrold of House Hardying, third in line to the Eyrie if his cousins don't die on the field of battle, though from what the news said of the Battle of King's Landing, he might be the only heir left to his little cousin Robert.

He opened the door and was met with the sight of a strange man, his features were sharp and so was his face, almost the face of one of those politicians in the capital. He stared with a stern face as he closed the door and eyed the man sitting down, "What is the pleasure of your visit, Lord Baelish." He greeted and asked the Master of Coin who smiled and stood to his feet.

"Well, I was originally sent to woo the Lady Lysa, but have come with a proposition by Lord Tywin. I assumed you have heard that three weeks ago the city was attacked, Lord Arryn and the Traitor Stannis were repelled." He nodded, his cousins defeat on the field not once but twice had few of the Lords in the Vale quite upset with the new Lord Paramount of the East.

"Why are you here?" He got to the point and the man stepped forward and relinquished a letter with the Hands seal of approval.

"Your ambition towards the Eyrie is known to few, but that few are powerful. Join them and you might find yourself the next heir to the Vale."

[Stark Encampment]

"So the Arryn and Baratheon armies were defeated," Robb stated and Roose agreed to the matter and he sighed, he had hoped for a quick end to the war with two armies marching on the lions.

"Other news as well, it seems Lord Rodrik has taken residence in Duskendale and appears to be waiting, as my scouts have reported." He sighed upon hearing it. No doubt waiting to hear from Stannis, though he hadn't heard much in the three weeks that have past since then. Not that he could bother, the Lord Arryn made his feelings clear towards him when he asked for aid.

His mind and attention went to Jeyne, the girl of whom he bedded during one battle and felt compelled by honor to make his Queen of the North. House Westerling and their territory came to him in the aftermath of the wedding along with House Spicer. Roose himself had ridden all the way here himself to deliver the news to him about the news from the east on Arryn and Baratheon. He sighed and turned back to the map of Westeros, Iron-Born have attacked the North, House Frey in their anger had fled back to their lands, and the Lannisters have defended King's Landing.

"Extend one more olive branch to Lord Arryn. Maybe Stannis inaction and his defeat will bring him to us." He commanded and Roose nodded before leaving him and his wife to themselves.

"Do you think he will aid us?" Jeyne asked him and he smiled lightly before standing up, yes.

"I don't think so. But he and my father were friends, that has to mean something."

[Duskendale, 3 days later]

Still no word the more it continues the more his men become restless. He sighed and looked on the table where the letter from Tywin stays, if that Old Lion thinks him a fool then he has another thing coming, offering pardons for fealty, more likely he needs a hostage or two for the Vale to remain complacent to the usurper on the Iron Throne. He won't surrender and if his King won't fight then he will.

His eyes then went to a letter from the 'King in the North'. Robb wants to talk and is waiting for him near Harrenhal which was formerly under the control of Tywin, he is tempted if only to have an ally when the King is still silent in Dragonstone.

Gerold Grafton's suggestion was taken to consider once more and he sent a raven to the Eyrie for his brother to begin building another host, this was only half of what his brought and would try to reclaim the kingdoms for the true monarch, but while that is happening he might be right to take any other help he can, but what might his lords think on this.

Anger would be a factor, Stark is calling himself King and if he allies with him that would make some believe he switched loyalties. Confusion is another as he was adamant in Stark being an oathbreaker and a traitor to Stannis, and then there is Stannis. He would denounce him and say he abandoned him, his support would begin to wither away and the true King would fade.

He sat there, watching the letter and hearing the breeze from a window. These several days since the battle of King's Landing have begun haunting him in his dreams, there are times he would wake in the night with beads of sweat on his brow from hearing the cries of the men who died on the field and the close friends he made during the march, the lords who were lost or captured by Tywin, the decision he will make in the next hour will decide the fate of the Vale.

"Gyles. Call everyone to the great hall, I have an announcement and would have counsel." His squire left and he dressed in his armor with the help of another servant. The walk to the great hall became heavier with every step he took, the burden bearing down on him over the decision he is going to make. And when he made it to the hall, his lords stood in attention.

"You called on us, my Lord?" Jasper started and the new Lord of Redfort. He kept silent until he was a few steps higher than them all, finally, he held up the Stark letter.

"This came yesterday. From Robb Stark." He began and everyone had a mixture of expressions about it, "The King in the North has offered an alliance to fight the true enemy, House Lannister. I would have thoughts on the matter." He added and immediately, Gilwood spoke up for his side.

"Would you have us kneel and call him king as well? The Vale has never bowed to a northerner and because the Young Wolf cant defeat Tywin, he would have us fight for him?" Distaste was clear in his voice as he spoke and he took in the thoughts before he turned to the rest, Jasper was next.

"I was friends with Domeric, as were you. The Lords of the North turned on their King when they crowned Robb their King. And this letter isn't a request for fealty, Lord Hunter, its a pact of alliance. I support it." He nodded at the mention of Dom, its been several years since his brother in all but name had died, his companions are quite dispersed at the moment but he still holds strong feelings.

"I do as well. King Stannis is still our true liege, but we cannot stand on our hands waiting for the Stag to move." Lord Royce's response was quite surprising, he was a proud man and proud for the Vale, he was also adamant about Starks first request for aid and to be the second to support fighting for Robb? it has much sway.

Ser Morton is distant relation with Stark, so he supports. It's impossible to get Lucas's thoughts as he is in the Eyrie. Gilwood stuck to his decision, and Lords Royce and Redfort support allying with Robb. Gerold chose whatever he had commanded and now it's only him. The decision that will, in his mind ensure that Stannis has his throne and bring a quick end to the war.

"Prepare the camp, we leave here by the hour and make way for the Riverlands."

Dragonstone

Three days its been and he has yet to be taken to trial, if there will ever be one. Andar Royce looked down the halls of Dragonstones dungeons and waited for the end to come, and on the other cell by his side was Davos who attempted to kill the witch that has poisoned his King. His knuckles clenched at the failure as if the woman were to die, so would her hold on the castle.

He closed his eyes and put thought to his family since this war began the proud and honorable Vale Lords have been run through the mud. Defeated at Harrenhal, then again at King's Landing with the last being at Duskendale and waiting for word to come from a man who sits in the painted room, sulking over his defeat in battle, much like his own liege Lord is doing.

"Its time." was the voice of a guard who opened his cell door and with the help of another began dragging him to the beachhead where a damnable pyre was set up, fanatics surrounded it and praying to that demon god. He was forcefully tied to the post and yet he held his head high against the fanatic people that over the past weeks must enjoy watching people burn alive.

"Ser Andar Royce. You have failed to obey the command of your King and retain your faith to the false gods, what say you in your defense?" Was the question the whore asked him and he would be damned before being called a heretic for believing in the gods he was raised to put his faith in. She wiped the saliva from her cheeks and stepped back, ready to begin.

"My King!, If you continue here you will lose the support you have!, Please see reason!" He begged and his King simply turned away and gave the command for the farce to begin, and in that moment he knew that all was lost and the man who his family, himself and his friend have supported was all but gone and replaced with a man that was consumed with ambition.

The next thing he could comprehend remembering before perishing was the red woman's foreign chants.

[One Week Later]

Two armies met. One bearing the banner of the grey wolf of Winterfell, and the other the soaring falcon of the Eyrie. Both high-lords marched their horses forward with their banners following behind them along with their lords. Rodrik took a deep breath upon seeing the young man who calls himself King in the North, the crown of iron and bronze above his head when seen close.

"Lord Arryn. Thank you for coming." He simply nodded to the Young Wolf and reared his horse closer to the 'King' and stretched out his hand to him, no kneeling as this is a pact of allies and not one swearing fealty to another. Robb Stark lifted his head high and stretched his own hand and the two rulers completed the pact. Together they will bring an end to the Lannister rule and bring an end to the chaos that's consumed the kingdoms.

The Falcon of Arryn flies into the Wolfs Den for a time.

The realm soon found this out and was met with fear, pride, and caution as the last time this sort of alliance has happened, it ended a dynasty of 300 years. In King's Landing, the lions are wary but confident, in Dorne a lone Martell smiled at the news, back on Dragonstone a Stag denounces the alliance with fury. The Pact of Wolves and Falcons are done and will be remembered.

Unknowingly inside of the Mountains of the Moon, a hundred campfires are lit in the night. The Half-Man promised him steel and that's what he brought home with him, wagons that had an abundance in weapons and armor. He would gather the clans under his ax and take the lands of the Andals from them with blood and steel. Shagga, the Son of Dolf and leader of the Stone Crows gathered his clansmen to align and fight House Arryn. To fight alongside the lions.

Inside of the Gates of the Moon. Lysa smiled giddily as another letter from Petyr has arrived, he promised freedom and advised patience and now it has come at last, she and Roberts salvation. "News of the north will give the opportunity to bring the mockingbird home, in my heart always, Petyr." She read with a sweet voice in the quietness of the night. Sadly the evil Falcon hasn't perished and now aligns with her sister and nephew, no matter. They will all die soon, she knows this in her heart.