The King of the Ashes (Littlefinger AAR)

Oswell:



Oswell was leading the small host with the mission of protecting the young Lord Robert Arryn, when then they emerged from the floor. They were monster, they were monstrous giants with beards so longs that they touched his feet and they wear enormous swords of six or eight feets. One of those swords was falling towards him when he only could say what he said the last time – “We had an agreement”, and then Oswell woke up in his tent, outside he could listen the typical sounds of a military camp at night, the sounds that has been part of the major part of Oswell’s life. Oswell was sweaty and breathing slowly. It has only been a bad dream said to himself. “I need a drink”. Oswell woke up and toke the jar of the sweet gold wine from Arbor that was in the table and served to himself. “We had an agreement”. Meanwhile he was drinking, he started to though in his situation “Here I am, with an army marching into the savage North”. In the North they didn’t believe in Seven, they prayed to their weirdwoods. The North. For the moment they were at the Neck. Here all was covered in swamp and bog and the air was very humid. However, in winter the Neck wasn’t so horrible, the mud had been frozen and for the moment they didn’t saw any lizard-lion or anyone of the terrors that the people said they were at the Neck. For the moment the worst had been the humid weather, a humid weather that made the cold penetrate intro the bones. But Oswell preferred a hundred times the weather of the Neck to be at the North. “There, the cold must be much worst”. Oswell finished his cup but thinking in the North made him toke another one. After Oswell drunk his second cup of wine, he went out of his tent. For the sky, Oswell calculated that it should be the hour of the owl so Oswell turned at one of the guards of the entry of his tent – “I want to start marching in one hour, give the order to the camp to be ready, and also I want a good breakfast”

- “Yes, sir” answered the guard and immediately he went to give the order, so Oswell entered to his tent and he put his armour. When he had put his armour, a servant entered with his breakfast. His breakfast was eight sausages, boiled beans and four boiled eggs with a big beer mug of a dark strong beer, so thick that Oswell could chew it. Oswell was getting to much pleasure in the food lately. “We had an agreement”.

Just when Oswell finished his breakfast, Oswell decided that was a good moment for take another cup of the good golden wine from Arbor, so he served for him another cup of wine, just in that moment the Mad Mouse was entering the tent.

– “Getting drunk at morning another time Kettleblack?”

- “Is the only way of abide this place. When did you arrived?”

- “I have just arrived now, I reported to Lord Petyr that the letter was given to Lord Manfryd and he asked for your presence”. Apparently, one moon ago arrived a merchant from Gulltown. He said something to Littlefinger and Littlefinger sent a letter to Harrenhall. The letter was so important he ordered to the Mad Mouse to go to Harrenhal to give the letter to Lord Manfryd of Lolliston in person. Oswell supposed that was one of the many plots of Littlefinger.





When they got out of the tent, Oswell felt a little bit dizzy but he maintained the composure. In the meantime they were walking to the place were Littlefinger was supposed to be, Oswell asked – “How is doing lady Sansa in Harrenhall?”

- “She’s fine. She has become, all without in name, the lady of the castle”. Oswell wasn’t surprised, for better or worse, Sansa had changed a lot since he had rescued her from King's Landing. When Oswell got the leadership of the host and met with Ser Lothor Brune at the Ruby Ford, Ser Lothor Brune told Oswell that the council at Harrenhall was very reluctant to send all the troops to the North. In response Sansa made a heart-breaking speech about the danger in what was his sister and beg to the councillors with tears in his eyes to send help for his sister. The only problem was that Littlefinger told half a year before to Sansa that the women who was married to the Bastard of Bolton was in reality a peasant girl that he had sent by order of Lord Tywin Lannister.

Has they walk, Oswell started to do a short pray to the Gods, to the Warrior because he gave him strength and to the Crone because she showed him the correct way.

- “Gods, when you have become so religious?” asked the Mad Mouse

- “In the battle everything can be decisive. Sometimes the battle can be decided by the intervention of the Gods”.

- “If you say so…” said the Mad Mouse with an expression of not been very convinced.


Finally, they had arrived where Littlefinger was. He was in a war horse wearing an impeccable armour looking at horizon, like if he was planning a battle or visualizing a strategy that will made win him the war. Them he looked at us and said with a smile in the face – “Ser Oswell, I was expecting you” and then the dismounted from his horse with an elegant move – “Ser Shadrich, you can leave us, we will meet up at my tent”.



Littlefinger and Oswell started to walk across the camp, Oswell could saw how the men they were hurrying to dismount his tents and prepare his horses for march.

- “The old Hoster Tully always said a lord must be with his men when they go to war. He believed they wouldn’t find worth to die for a cause if his lord wasn’t with them sharing the risk. I think he was right, this is why I’m here after all, armoured like a knight” said Littlefinger with an amusing expression. Oswell knew enough Littlefinger to be aware he was trying to trick him.

- “That’s not the reason why you have come with the army, my lord” answered Oswell.

Littlefinger responded with a short chuckle – “You have started to know me well ser Oswell. That’s true, I’m not here for inspire my loyal troops, I could win all the battles that I always will be a coin counter for them, a little lord who has rose too high. Besides, there are better ways to win a war than with a sword in the hand”.

- “I disagree my lord, I think the possibilities to win a battle are higher if the lord fights besides his men”.

- “Edmure Tully though the same. But now he is imprisoned in Casterly Rock and I am the Lord Paramount of Trident. I’m not even a Tully” said Littlefinger with a big smile in his mouth. – “If I came here, it’s because I have important business in the North and I want to keep an eye to the army”. Having said this, they arrived at Lord Petyr’s tent. Littlefinger invited Oswell to enter to his tent so he entered. Inside the tent Littlefinger had made a little study. At the centre it was a table with a map of the North, with Ser Wendel Wode of Shoreham behind the table and the Mad Mouse sat in a stool sharping his sword. Ser Wendel was in charge of the supplies



– “Let’s talk about the war” said Littlefinger happily.

Oswell started with the main report - ”We are teen days from Moat Calin. The vanguard of the valey army has already arrived and they started to prepare the siege. When we arrive, we will be more or less 10.000 men. And when it arrives the reinforcements from the Vale we will duplicate our numbers. We will be superior to the Bolton and Stannis.





Ser Wendel stated – “I think the first think we have to do once we arrive is to burn all the fields we can find”.

Littlefinger sneered when he heard Ser Wendel’s opinion– “I think you will have more luck planting a field of grain in Valyria”.

Oswell added – “Lord Petyr is true, Moat Cailin is a ruin with anything to burn in his surroundings. Anyway, I don’t expect to be a long siege”.

The Mad Mouse answered astonished – “Are you joking? Moat Cailin is the entry to the North and, for what I heard, one of the most powerful strongholds of Westeros”.

Oswell said – “Maybe years ago, but the last reports inform that is bad defended and held by a minor garrison. Roose Bolton toke Moat Cailin less than a year ago and he haven’t got time to upgrade the castle. Even more he didn’t expect to be attacked from the south so there aren’t prepared for an attack”.

Littlefinger interrupted the discussion with one intervention – “Gentlemen, I don’t want to interrupt this exciting conversation” said with a bored expression, however then he showed a big smile – “But, just this morning had arrived me a letter about our brave Lord Paramount Harrold Arryn” and said with a note of irony – “The Young Falcon”.




The Mad Mouse asked – “What’s about with Lord Harrold? He is leading the reinforces from the Vale, right?”

- “It looks that Lord Harrold believes himself to be some kind of reincarnation of Robb Stark. He has disembarked in a place called Weeping bay and now is marching into the Dreadfort with five hundred men” explain with indifference Littlefinger while he was playing with a feather.




- “And who is leading the reinforcements?” Asked Ser Wendel

Littlefinger left the feather and said with an expression of satisfaction - “Lord Nestor Royce”