Chapter 36: Fight, Fight For?

9th Month of 298 A.C. Tumblestones

Ser Jaime Lannister

Twenty thousand men had come with Jaime and Roose Bolton to face his father's men. Their scouts had reported that Ser Gregor Clegane was the one leading the Lannister men, that they numbered some ten thousand, and that Clegane was charging toward them, no doubt on his father's orders. Jaime had to wonder what his father had asked Clegane to do if he came across Jaime, it was no secret that Lord Tywin had long desired to overturn the Kingsguard vows Jaime had sworn at Harrenhal, to make him his heir once more. Jaime did not know why, he had never been interested in anything other than fighting and Cersei, when he had been a child, he had lost interest in Cersei, but now his vows. It was amusing really, his father's continued desire to see him as his heir once more, when Jaime had never truly been his heir. Not in the ways that mattered, that had always been Tyrion, but father had never thought to see that, never bothered to see that, and that, Jaime knew would be the man's downfall.

Roose Bolton had brought some four thousand northmen with him, all of whom he suspected were sworn to him or were his allies in some capacity or another, and Jaime knew that the man was keeping an eye on him, not that he minded, he would gladly prove himself before these men to show them just what he was about. When the scouts had come in and reported their findings, Jaime and Lord Bolton had met and discussed, and then agreed that keeping their host into two would make sense, one to draw Clegane in, and another to break him. Jaime knew that killing Clegane would earn the King some very serious points with Dorne and many others, he wondered, how one might bring the beast down, but realised that was easy, drawing the fool in would be the hard part. Naturally, he had volunteered to lead the part of the host that drew Clegane in, and so there he was, sat atop his horse, waiting, his Kingsguard cloak billowing in the wind. A horn sounded from the distance, and Jaime knew then that Clegane would be leading the charge.

"Men, prepare your swords." Jaime calls out, commanding the northmen and rivermen who did not fight with lances, Clegane and his band of brutes would not be fighting with lances, so there was no point in them carrying the heavy weapons with them. He watches as the form of Clegane comes closer into view, a deep thundering sound echoing as Clegane's massive beast of a horse comes galloping toward him, he swallows slightly, his nerves are flying through the air. "Hold." He calls out, seeing some of the men straining at the sight of the oncoming mass of men. There are always risks that someone somewhere would get the bright idea of pushing through the ranks before time, Jaime had nearly done it during his fight against the Kingswood Brotherhood, but he would not allow order to fail now. The sound of hooves draws nearer, Clegane leading, the lion of Lannister flying mockingly at his side. Killing the banner bearer was always the first move, that was what his father would do, kill the banner bearer and the men would feel more alive. The enemy would feel disheartened, the superstitious amongst them would see it as a sign from gods who did not exist. The enemy comes ever closer, and as they do Jaime feels his heart begin to hammer loudly in his ears, its beating silences the rush of the wind and the river at the side, he watches the advance, sweat trickling down his face.

His helmet is beginning to feel stuffy, but he will not move it now, he watches, and as the enemy before him crosses the shallow stream before the bridge near the Tumblestone, Jaime barks commands. "Men on the right form up, men on the left prepare to hold. Men of the centre with me." He says a quick prayer, well its not really a prayer, but it is something. He digs his spurs into his horse's flanks, and then the charge begins. The sound of a horse moving rapidly through the ground fills his ears, he knows not what more to do, his sword is drawn, it glimmers in the light, he prepares himself for the crush that is to come, and then it happens. Clegane is not in front of him as he had hoped he would be, he appears to be off somewhere else, but it makes no difference, whoever is leading this part of the host will fall all the same. Jaime swings his sword, and it sings as it tastes its first blood, cutting bits and pieces out of men, the bodies fall off horses, and foot soldiers fall screaming to their deaths. It is not a pretty sight, but then again Jaime never had cared for pretty things before, only beautiful things, and there is nothing more beautiful than fighting one's own fights. His sword comes up and down in a killing arc, men fall, men bearing the arms of his father's house, of his mother's house, of his grandfather's house they all fall down to their knees screaming in their throes.

He comes across a man he knew as a child, the name escapes him now, but he fights the man so no one else has to. Their swords clash against one another, sparks begin to fly, and Jaime feels his muscles beginning to tell the strain of the fight they have been through. He pushes the man's sword away and then wheels his horse around and then brings his sword up and smashes the man in the face with his shield, he hears a cry, and quickly swings his sword taking the man's head off, with one blow. His arms scream from the pressure, and his shield falls down, broken. The fighting rages around him, all is chaos, and there is still more to be done. The right commanded by Ser Desmond Grell has joined the fighting, the banners of House Tully flying proudly in the air, they have not made it known that Ser Edmure is dead, that would give father too many advantages.

Jaime spurs his horse on, wading through the mess of bodies and shit that has piled up as the battle has worn on, he sees the boy who had carried the lion of Lannister standard, fighting with one hand whilst the other fiercely holds onto the standard, he admires the boy's tenacity, but shakes his head all the same. He moves his horse toward the boy, and cuts his hand off, the hand that holds the banner, and then he turns his horse around and spears the boy through the back, his armour is weak and the sword goes right through and out again. Jaime stares at the boy as he falls down, thinking about what it is that he has just done, not sure whether he has actually done it or not, and deciding that it does not matter, he can hear bellowing coming from somewhere and he knows that that can only be one man.

Gregor Clegane looks like a giant from some child's tale, dressed in plate armour, his greatsword swinging ferociously left and right, Jaime watches for a moment, awestruck as men fall left and right, dying before they've even hit the ground, killed by the sheer force of the man's blows. A growl of "Kingslayer," pulls him out of his stupor, Clegane is staring at him, of that much he is sure, and his horse is moving toward him, Jaime swallows nervously and then moves to meet the beast. Jaime raises his sword to block the first blow Clegane sends his way, they hold their swords in place for a long moment, Jaime's arms begin to strain, but then Clegane breaks it off and brings his sword up to the right, Jaime moves to the side, and hits Clegane in the side, causing the big man to grunt. A dent, nothing more, but it is a start. Clegane brings his elbow up and hits Jaime in the face, momentarily stunning him, the big man takes advantage of this to hit him in the face with his mailed fist. Jaime feels his helmet cave in slightly, and his vision is spinning, Clegane goes for another hit, but Jaime's horse instinctively moves away, neighing fearfully as it does so. Clegane growls and comes nearer, Jaime shakes his head slightly to recover, and blocks Clegane's next swing with his sword, he pushes and Clegane's sword moves back, Jaime does not stop to take a breath even though his lungs are crying out for it, he moves toward Clegane and begins hacking away at him furiously.

Clegane blocks one, misses another and gets hit, blocks a third, and then gets hit on a fourth. The man's horse throws a shoe then, and he manages to get off his horse before it falls, his sword clattering to the ground. Jaime stares at the man for a mere moment, uncertainty filling him, and then he moves toward the man, deciding to beat him the only way he can, even if it is dishonourable. Clegane picks up his sword and swings at Jaime, he misses, Jaime swings at him and connects, just below his neck, blood comes out, Clegane growls and makes to hit Jaime, but Jaime moves backward, though the sword hits his horse. Jaime looks at Clegane and growls, anger filling him, white hot. Jaime swings his sword once more and Clegane is too late to raise his sword, he's tiring out, Jaime realises then, the thought fills him with confidence, and so he begins pressing his advantage. He swings and ducks, swings and ducks, Clegane missing him, but getting hit in return, the man is staggering now, blood is coming out of dented armour, and it seems the giant might well fall. Jaime can feel hope begin to grow within him then.

Clegane staggers backward and then forward, clearly his wounds are more pronounced than Jaime had first thought, not a bad thing, considering the absolute monster the man can be. The man's sword is lying somewhere far beyond in the dirt, Jaime knows that he should perhaps wait for him to get his sword, or for his balance to right itself, but he knows that doing so would be suicidal, and so he advances forward, his sword raised threateningly, Clegane looks at him through his helm, his eyes bloodshot, he sways for a moment, and then lurches forward. Jaime brings his sword down instinctively, His sword gets stuck in Clegane's neck, the thing is thick as anything, and Jaime knows that there might well be a struggle to get it out. Clegane stumbles forward grabbing onto the reins of Jaime's horse, as the man slumps forward, Jaime's horse moves forward with him, for a split second Jaime feels fear course through him, and he hurries to remove himself from the horse, but before he can remove his foot from the stirrups, Clegane has let go, and is falling onto the blood soaked ground below.

Jaime waits for a moment, waiting to see if the man will get up, when he does not, Jaime calms his horse and dismounts, he walks to where the man lies, puddles of blood come forth wherever Jaime steps, the battle still rages around him, but he knows that once word gets around of Clegane's death, the fighting is as good as done. He stops before Clegane's body and needs to use both his hands to heft his sword out of the man's neck. He stands before the man for a moment, and then on impulse raises his sword and hacks at the neck, once, twice, on the third time, the head is severed from the neck and it falls to the ground, he picks it up and holds it up and bellows. "Gregor Clegane is dead. The Mountain That Rides Is Dead. Princess Elia has been avenged." The words are overlooked or overheard by those still fighting, and so he gives the head to a squire, and sheathes his sword, before mounting his horse, he moves to where a part of the fighting is going on, but before he gets there, the crush happens. Angry northmen come charging in killing any in their path, any who wear the lion of Lannister are killed regardless of whether they are still fighting or not, or have surrendered, they are all killed. Jaime watches in a mixture of horror and fascination at the sight that unfolds before his eyes, eventually it ends, but not before the lords and soldiers are dead. One casualty stands out though, Roose Bolton, a spear through the neck, the King will be pleased by that.