Halfhand's Legacy: A Dance of Dragons - A Self-Insert Tale

Late 130 AC

Harrenhal

The royal army was encamped in Harrenhal with over fifty thousand men assembled and ready to march. For four months the might of the realm was gathering together in Harrenhal for vengeance. From the Westerlands, the Riverlands, the Crownlands, the Vale, the Crownlands, the Reach, and the Stormlands, warriors and knights came from all over. For once Harrenhal was completely manned to its fullest extent.

Hobert stood outside the Hunter's Hall to get a breath of fresh cool air away from the squabbling of the Lords and Knights that had gathered together. When they marched out of Oldtown in splendour, Hobert imagined that by this time he would be back in the Hightower warming himself by a hearth entertaining his grandchildren with his adventures. He was too old to be campaigning in the middle of winter, his beloved wife had long passed into the hands of the Stranger, and his daughters were now married and with children or faithfully serving the Seven. Oh, how he longed for home. He was but a third son of a Lord Hightower long dead, he shouldn't be fighting in this war.

"Have you heard? Lord Isembard Arryn arrived an hour ago with around nine thousand men. We now have around fifty thousand men. The largest gathering of an army since the Field of Fire." Lord Unwin Peake remarked as he walked over to Hobert. Lord Peake made for an imposing sight in full plate armour. Hobert wrapped himself tighter in his woollen cloak. At this point, Hobert and Lord Unwin were the only two main commanders left of the original host that departed Oldtown.

"Yes, I heard. He might have also come to take his position as Master of Coin as well." Hobert remarked watching as wisps of warm air left his mouth as he spoke. His cousin and liege, young Lord Lyonel had raised yet another host from the Oldtown and was about to set sail as were the Stormlords, if the numbers were true they would soon have nearly seventy thousand men ready to march on the North. Yet Hobert wondered if they would all truly march not with every Lord and Knight with a voice bickering amongst themselves.

Without the King's unifying presence, the Lords were splintering into factions with no one knowing who was in charge. The Reachmen disliked Tyland Lannister and Criston Cole as they saw them as hogging all of the King's presence whilst they who suffered under the depredations of Daemon were left in the cold. The Westermen could not stand the sight of the Riverlanders and it was mutual, a few fights did break out between them.

"You had a lucky escape, Ser Hobert. Had Ser Bryndon not left you as castellan of Harrenhal then maybe you too would have met the Stranger at the Stranger's Noose," Lord Unwin said as a squire came towards them with cups of hot spiced wine. Hobert couldn't suppress his shudder as he thought of the carnage that had occurred mere miles away. His cousin Bryndon as was his kinsman Prince Aemond, a most grievous loss felt by all most sorely by the King and his mother, the poor Queen Alicent. Thirty thousand men marched out of Harrenhal that day, less than a thousand lived. It was indeed the Stranger's Noose that was brought about by a Northerner. A savage barbarian from the depths of the Seventh Hell.

"As did you, Lord Unwin, pray to tell how you escaped Prince Daemon's savage attack upon your army which took the lives of so many good men including my cousin and late liege Lord Ormund," Hobert replied as he gratefully took the hot cup to still his nerves and for a respite against the cold.

"Lord Ormund decided to encamp by the Goldroad as we entered the Westerlands and wait for the King's arrival, whilst they were setting up the camp I had set out to lead the foraging at Lord Ormund's command. I heard Daemon's attack a league away but I could do nothing." He replied with a sigh before continuing, "In the end, I would count myself fortunate and the Seven have blessed me, else I too would have been dead."

"The Seven have spared us death for what I do not know," Hobert somberly remarked. Hobert did not fancy marching into the swamps of the Neck. The histories have never been kind to the armies marching up the causeway to Moat Cailin. Now they were assembling to march into the North at the height of winter, if there was any greater madness then Hobert did not know. Everyone wanted revenge that they couldn't be bothered to think properly.

Then Hobert caught sight of his cousin Ser Gwayne walking toward them, he had marched up from King's Landing at the head of a host of three thousand men to join the Royal Army. The reaction from King's Landing was as he had expected, his cousin Queen Mother Alicent was beside herself in grief as was Queen Helaena.

"Cousin, Lord Peake, the King has called for the assembly of the Lords," Gwayne announced. Hobert's eyebrows shot up upon hearing that it was the King who called for them. After news of the disaster reached King Aegon his health took a turn for the worse and Hobert feared the worst. Hobert did not even see the King for he was confined to his litter the whole journey from the Stoney Sept to Harrenhal.

"Is the King well?" Lord Peake asked what Hobert was thinking.

"To a great degree, I would say. He is much better than before." Gwayne replied, "That woods witch was more useful than you thought." Alys Rivers, that woman was something unnatural. When the King's health began to deteriorate, she offered her help to heal the King. While Hobert and the others advised against it, the Lord Hand Tyland and the Lord Commander Criston accepted her help in desperation after the Maesters were unable to bring down the King's fever.

The King was too sick to even attend the cremation of his brother. Ser Criston and his men had gone in search of the bodies once the Northmen left and while they did find the bodies of Prince Aemond which was looted of his sapphire eye along with the bodies of Bryndon and Ser Tyler the others were yet to be unearthed amongst the great heap of corpses left by the Northmen.

Hobert entered the Hall of a Hundred Hearths with Gwayne and Lord Unwin to see a great gathering of all the most prominent nobility of their army. Hobert guessed around five hundred men were gathered together inside the hall. The Westermen were clustered on one side around Ser Erwin Lannister and Ser Brett Lannister, standing opposite them were the Reachmen led by Ser Moryn Tyrell who had arrived from the Stormlands. Hobert doubted Unwin liked that the Tyrells were in high standing with the King especially since they sought to be neutral at the start of this wretched war. The Rivermen were led by the boy Lord of Riverrun and his brother. They and the other pardoned Riverlords stood in one corner apart from the others and the Valemen took the other corner. Gwayne and Hobert walked over to stand near the head of the trestle table as they were the King's kinsmen.

Then all talk stopped as the King arrived at the gallery above and descended the staircase. The King no longer needed a cane to walk but he did limp, he was flanked by Ser Tyland and Ser Criston as they arrived down the stairs to the head of the table. The hall held its breath and many of them took sight of the King for the first time.

Once a handsome Prince, the King's face gave a terrible visage, scarred by the war and the grief of losing both his brothers. His violet eyes regarded everyone with wariness and there was a certain cunningness to them. Though the King was well dressed in a black doublet, it seemed that the stress of the war and the recent illness took its toll on him with the unburnt side of his face becoming gaunt and the same could be seen on the King's person. This was not the same person Hobert had seen a lifetime ago in King's Landing.

"Welcome, my Lords," The King spoke with a forboding tenor that carried across the quiet and cavernous hall. "We all know why we have gathered here, so I will be brief. I will avenge my brother and Cregan Stark will pay greatly for his murder. I will burn the Winterfell to the ground if needs be and once I am done with the North, no one will ever know that once there stood a House Stark. I will drown Cregan Stark in the blood of his people."

Sounds of 'ayes' and 'hear, hear' rang out across the hall. Hobert looked around to see that most of the hall was now invigorated with the King's resolve except for a few of the Rivermen.

"As my ancestors destroyed the Rhoynar, I too shall destroy the Northmen and in a generation, people shall speak of the Northmen as the fools who dared to challenge the dragon." The King announced with a cold fury and the hall certainly joined in on it.

Unwin stepped forward to speak as the King sat down, "Your Grace, we, your leal men stand with you in this hour. The Northmen have cost the realm much pain with their savagery. Justice shall be served for Prince Aemond and the thousands who were slaughtered mercilessly by the Northmen and the Freys."

Following Lord Unwin's declaration, many other Lords came forward to give their pledges of undying allegiance and support for the destruction of the North. Hobert wondered how many would survive the Northern winter, they were about to launch a campaign into the North in the middle of winter, and surely most would see it as folly yet revenge has blinded them all. Hobert also wondered if the King's health would bear with him through the winter.

Tyland Lannister then stepped up and spoke, "After days of deliberation with the King, the Lord Commander and I have agreed upon a plan of invasion with the King."

More than a few silent murmurings and glances went about across the Reachmen, Tyland and Criston were making the plans for the invasion without them. Most will certainly see it as a slight but since the King has agreed upon it, Hobert doubted if anyone would make up a greater issue over it. Lord Peake certainly did not like it but he kept quiet.

"A march up the causeway to Moat Cailin is madness, so we shall invade by the sea," Tyland announced as a couple of squires began to spread a map of the North on the table. "Lord Lyonel has arrived in Seagard with around ten thousand men and with his ships while Lord Dondarrion is leading an army of Stormlanders up the Kingsroad to join us as we speak."

Ser Criston then said arranging the gold dragons, "We have planned to split our armies into two, we shall invade from both the east and the west coast. The Royal fleet and the Arryn fleet along with our sellsails have docked in Maidenpool whilst the Lannister, Hightower, and the Redwyne fleet has reached Seagard." To the best of Hobert's knowledge, most of the Lannister fleet was destroyed at the hands of the Greyjoys. Most likely the Lannister fleet was now composed of captured Ironborn longships.

"With the Iron Islands in disarray, we shall leave them to their quarrels, while Lord Arryn has now informed us that the Three Sisters have been recaptured giving us an ideal staging ground for an invasion from the east."

Ser Criston began to explain more on the plan, "The soldiers from the Westerlands and half of the Reach shall march to Seagard at first light. Ser Erwin Lannister and Lord Lyonel will be placed in charge of this army. This army will be split into three forces. One that shall sail up the Fever River and attack Moat Cailin from the west, you will catch a burnt-out Moat Cailin for the King shall see to its destruction himself. Another part will attack up this river and capture Barrowtown, the second largest town of the North and while you are at it, send a detachment to Torrhen's Square. And finally, the third part will sail up north and attack Deepwood Motte while a part of the force will be sent to capture Bear Island."

"All the remaining soldiers from the Reach, the Vale, the Crownlands, and the Stormlands shall march to the Maidenpool and head for the Three Sisters. We shall split into four armies from there, one part will attack White Harbour, another will take Hornwood by sailing up the Broken Branch, the third will attack the Dreadfort up the Weeping River and the final and fourth part will attack Karhold after which it shall march on Last Hearth."

Ser Criston finished it, "Once your objectives have been achieved, all armies shall begin their march on Winterfell, we shall converge on that castle from all sides and ensure that Cregan Stark and his fools suffer with every step."

The King then spoke, "Under normal circumstances, attacking all these castles would be foolish as they are strong and formidable in their own right but these are not normal circumstances for you have me. I will fly from Moat Cailin to Last Hearth by the eastern coast and attack every castle I fly over on Sunfyre. I shall not destroy their castles wholly but rather burn their battlements and gates. It would be ideal if we capture their granaries and storehouses undamaged."

Ser Tyland then spoke, "We need not worry much about supplies for I have made extensive arrangements with the Magisters in the east as has Lady Samantha for the western force. A constant supply of grain ships will arrive at each army's landing point. While it would be best that you plunder whatever you can, you will end up starving the Northerners as well."

"For the past few months, the Royal fleet has been capturing nearly all the grain shipments that the Starks have arranged from Essos, they will be starving and freezing this winter while we have increased our stores from the loot and have augmented our fleets. They will be an easy kill for us," Ser Criston boldly declared.

The King finished, "Since this is winter, most of the smaller holdfasts will be empty with many of the noble families gathering in the larger castles which means that it will be easier to deal with them since they have all gathered together in one place."

The King then got up from his chair, his voice filled with a steely resolve, "My Lords, we shall do the impossible. For we are about to do what no one in their right mind would ever imagine to do. We shall attack the North in the middle of winter and we shall prevail. ARE YOU WITH ME?"

"AYE" Shouts rang out across the hall as the Lords unsheathed their swords and raised them high, "LONG LIVE THE KING!!!"

Hobert waited patiently to be granted an audience with the King, he had been assigned to the command of the baggage train of the army meant to attack White Harbour which was the most prestigious position. It would also be the army that would likely reach Winterfell first. Hobert braced himself for a lifetime of saddle sores and frostbite. Hobert was already overwhelmed by the sheer scale of his duties and he thought being in charge of the baggage train in the Hightower army was difficult.

Finally, it was his turn as he entered the King's solar in the Kingspyre tower when Ser Rickard Thorne opened the door and let out Ser Erwin.

"Cousin Hobert, it is good to finally meet you," The King said as Hobert entered the solar.

"Your Grace, I am honoured to be in your presence," Hobert said as he bowed deeply before his king. "I am truly grateful that Your Grace chose me to be in charge of the baggage train."

The King waved it off, "I have been ill for the past four months, the credit for this invasion must go to my Hand Tyland and his army of stewards, accountants, and all the other officers in my service who have worked tirelessly for the past four months to prepare for this invasion. Not to mention all the many publicans across the Riverlands and the Stormlands who have worked hard to meet the requirements for this campaign on such short notice."

Publicans, yes, the tax farmers who were hired by Ser Tyland to make up all the shortfalls in money and supplies. Hobert could only wonder how much they must have extorted the people of the Riverlands and the Stormlands to raise the money needed for the campaign. Seventy thousand men and three hundred ships were going to converge on the North in the greatest invasion Westeros had seen since the Andal invasions of Old and Hobert had a little pride and more than a little bit of fear as he gathered his wits.

"Your Grace, If I may speak freely," Hobert asked and King nodded. "I worry for your health, Your Grace. You have barely recovered and now you are throwing yourself into yet another campaign in the middle of winter."

The King nodded, "I am well aware of my condition, Ser Hobert and thank you for caring about it. I would tried negotiating with the Northerners had they not killed my brother but now they will receive what they gave a thousandfold. I gave Cregan Stark extremely generous terms, beyond generous some in my council would say yet he spat on my face and chose to side with my whore of a sister. He now shelters her bastard and holds him as king. He and the North shall pay for this treachery."

The King's mind was set on revenge, his eyes blazed in fury. May the Seven have mercy upon the North, though a part of Hobert realized this would be the best way to bring the Light of the Seven into the heathen lands of the North just as they planned to do for the Iron Islands.

White Harbour

The smell of smoke and burning flesh filled his nose did the sound of swords clashing with each other filled Hobert's ears as he stood aboard the stern of the Seastrider, a cog captured from the Velaryon fleet. Being in charge of the baggage train meant that Hobert could stay onboard the transport ships while the others fought viciously on water and atop the battlements of White Harbour. Yet, the journey from Sisterton to White Harbour in the choppy seas made Hobert sick and the sickening sound of the battle sent a throbbing pain into his head.

The ships of White Harbour fiercely fought off the warships of the Royal fleet, yet their numbers began to tell as the ships bearing the standard of the King began to prevail as the ships of the merman were pushed back into the White Knife leaving the city walls open for attack. Sinking and burning ships clogged some parts while in others, the war galleys rammed into the obstructing ships.

The first to fall was that massive rock in the middle of the water, a ring fort filled with crossbowmen and scorpions that for a time held back their advance. Ser Gwayne and two hundred knights in an act of daring took off their armour and swam to the base of the rock under the cover of catapults and spitfires from their ships before scaling the rock and claiming it in the name of the King. The King's banner flew over the rock and the banner of the merman fell into the icy waters of the Bite.

Yet, the battle was not won. Ser Criston's many attempts to storm the city by scaling the white-washed sea walls were repulsed after what Hobert could only imagine was hours of brutal hand-to-hand combat in the frosty cold. Hobert could hear the sound of dying men moaning in the cold waters. Hobert had to rub his gloved hands for warmth yet he found himself shivering. He was buried in all the furs he could find in Sisterton yet he was colder than he had ever been.

"This battle is becoming a stalemate, we hold the waters and the outer harbour yet we cannot break through to the inner harbour," The Captain of the Seastrider, Aubrey Salt said standing next to him. The man was more accustomed to the cold than Hobert yet even he was covered in furs. Winter in the North was unnatural, nothing like what he experienced in the South, never before had he arrived so far North and he was supposed to go even further north.

Hobert could only nod, the mile-long, thirty-foot wall, with towers every hundred yards along with a fortress that was called the Wolf's Den stubbornly held out and stood as a bulwark against them. White Harbour was the most important objective, even if the other invasions failed, they could not fail. For White Harbour held the key to the entire North.

"A...as...lo.. long as the..ki.. the King's banner flies, there is hope for us," Hobert nervously chittered in the cold. Seven hells, why was he even chosen for this war? His old bones could not handle the cold. Hobert prayed to the Seven that the King would soon arrive to end the battle once he was done burning Moat Cailin. Surely that old ruin would not pose much of a challenge for the King atop his dragon.

Catapults atop the warships fired burning rocks into the city. Hobert could see the smoke of fires breaking out inside the city, yet the defence of the Manderlys did not waver an inch. With the outer harbour in their hands, more and more transport ships landed and disgorged their holds of men and horses under a constant hail of missiles from above the walls. Their archers and crossbowmen tried to return volleys but they found themselves outmatched. Hobert then saw two battering rams being unloaded from the ships, perhaps this might turn the tables.

Hobert then noticed Ser Gwayne and his knights descending from the rock that Hobert later learned was called Seal Rock and climbing aboard the rowboats heading for the bloody quagmire that was the outer harbour leaving behind a few crossbowmen. Hobert had no stomach for fighting and he would rather sleep in a soft pillowbed rather than stay fighting all day.

Then after what felt to Hobert like a lifetime but might as well have been minutes, the Seven answered his prayers with the welcome roar of a dragon. Hobert looked up to see the King's mount, Sunfyre descend from the clouds. His golden scales glinted in the winter sun as King Aegon arrived. The dragon showed no signs of his previous injuries sustained fighting Prince Daemon at Old Oaks. Moat Cailin must have certainly fallen.

"Thank the Seven," Hobert cried out in relief as cheers rang out across the army as they began to cheer their King's arrival. Hobert could even hear Ser Criston and Ser Gwayne encouraging and rallying their men for what must certainly be a final assault. Then another roar split through the skies, it was a much smaller and shriller roar than that of the King yet it was a roar nonetheless, a roar of a dragon.

Hobert looked around in fear to see flying from the White Knife, a smaller dragon, Hobert squinted his eyes to see a maroonish colouring to the dragon. Surely this must be the dragon of the pretender Joffrey Velaryon. The King had to cut off his attack and make a turn over Hobert's head before charging headlong to the challenging dragon. The defenders on the walls cheered for their pretenders as well.

Hobert realized this dance between the two dragons would decide the fate of the battle, the campaign and the war for good.

"The King's dragon is larger, this will be an easy win," Captain Aubrey confidentially said pumping his hands into the air in triumph while Hobert could merely look on dumbfounded as the dragons flew ever closer to each other. A fear gripped Hobert's mind, the King's dragon was smaller than that of Daemon yet he prevailed, would this go the other way as well?

The smaller dragon unleashed his fire first and Hobert looked in awe and terror as fire bloomed in the winter sky above him. The King's dragon responded with a fireball of his own before the two dragons crashed into each other. The dragons fought with tooth and claw as they spun around in the sky as hawks. Sunfyre's larger size gave the King the advantage as Hobert saw the King's dragon tear into the smaller dragon's chest.

The pretender's dragon gave out a shrill cry of pain even as the Golden closed his jaws around one of the smaller dragon's wings before one powerful jerk tore off the wing.