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Chapter 37

Lions out of the rivers

Edmure POV

The Kingslayer learned. He no longer charged his cavalry at my heavy infantry. Now archers shot down my men from a distance. Three days I held the bridge, and that was enough for me. I could not hold it much longer and there was no need to do so.

The Kingslayer was determined to pass through. He knew that I was holding him there, so he wouldn't help his father. The news of the northern army has probably reached him by now. He knew that his father was at a disadvantage, but he couldn't leave me be.

"Ser Edmure, the Kingslayer is mounting another attack."

One of the house Tully knights informed me. Indeed, looking through the far-eye, I could see that the men on the other side of the bridge started to move. Preparing arrows and lances, swords, and shields.

It was time to end this. I couldn't let Lannisters be there in my lands any longer. The pikemen were exhausted and dwindled over the past few days of fighting. They wouldn't last much longer, and the Kingslayer knew that too.

"Lord Blackwood, prepare your archers to cover the retreat of pikemen. Ser Vance, go inform lord Mallister to prepare his men to enter the battle. Lord Ryger, you and your men, will ride with me." I gave orders to the lords and then looked at the knight near me. "You, what your name?"

"I am Alan of the Pennytree."

"Be honored. You will ride with me." I told him, and the young knight did look honored. "You know the plan. Once the Kingslayer crosses the bridge, we will attack while Mallister will go beneath the bridge and comes through their backs."

As simple as the plan was, it was something that Kingslayer wouldn't see coming. He would more likely think that I would destroy the bridge, putting him in more haste to cross it. Straight into my palms, his men will drown in these waters.

I waited until the Kingslayer was charging with all his force to signal the retreat for the pikemen. Once the pikemen started to retreat, Blackwood's archers covered their back. The Kingslayer wasn't a fool and called back his levies while he took charge of leading his cavalry and knights.

He had more men than me, or at least he thought he had more than me. Once the Kingslayer neared the retreating pikemen, I motioned and led my own cavalry and knights to the front. The start of the battle was announced by the shout of the Kingslayer.

"Hear me roar."

As he hit the rear of the pikemen, my blood boiled. There can only be one outcome of this battle I couldn't afford to lose. Unsheathing my sword, I rode in front of my men. Turning to them, I looked at their eyes.

"For our families, for our duty, for our honor," I yelled out to my men and turned to the Lannister's army.

At first, I rode in front of my men but slowed down and let others overtake me in time. There was no need to risk my life right now. This was just beginning. Once I defeat the Kingslayer, there will be more battles to fight.

Once my men made contact with the Lannister's men, I could see we were losing. The Kingslayer cut down anyone who got near him, but that was a mistake. He was an arrowhead that pushed forward his cavalry while the middle of my formation was caved in, the wings held.

My lance pierced one after another of the red cloaks before it broke, and I had to use my sword. Time seemed to sometimes stop and sometimes went too fast. The battle was ever-changing. The only constant was the sword in my hands that cut anyone stupid enough to challenge me.

I don't know how much time passed when I heard the clash from behind of Lannister's men. Looking at the distance, I saw that levies of the Westerlands were cut down by the Mallister eagle bannerman.

I had not even noticed them crossing the river, and now they were at the Kingslayer's back. It was easy to predict what the Kingslayer would do now, seeing this situation. He will rush at me, and my men will try to stop him. I wouldn't mind it, but I needed the Kingslayer alive, and there wasn't anyone who could defeat the Kingslayer without killing him.

Not letting the Kingslayer have any advantage, I spurred Rain to the golden armor-wearing knight. Only Kingslayer would wear something like that and have a white cloak instead of the red.

It seems that the Kingslayer saw the situation at his back later than I. Before he could even order anything for his men, I was in front of him. Barring my sword at him. He blocked my sword as I expected. A red cloak tried to get to the Kingslayer and help him, but he was blocked by one of my knights. Just like the next one and the next after him.

I was alone with the Kingslayer. Our swords clashed as men from both sides fell to the ground around us. I didn't let the Kingslayer take the offense. He was faster, more experienced than me. The Kingslayer showed his skill when he dodged one of my strikes from atop of his horse and then forced me to be on the defense.

I could do nothing but block him with my shield. He knew he couldn't escape. He was too deep into my trap to even try. I was someone he needed to kill, to win a chance to do something. But that only made him hasty, and he got too close to me, close enough that I could stab his horse without letting down my shield.

Once his horse neighed and dropped with the Kingslayer to the ground, I jumped from Rain and rushed to the fallen white cloak. I had to give him credit. He got up faster than I thought. Still, it gave me a moment to make him take the defense against me once more.

This time, I didn't even try to fight him with just my sword. I knew that in time the Kingslayer would have an advantage against me once again. Once I was close enough, I waited till he blocked my sword with his own, then I bashed him with my shield.

He lost balance for a moment, which gave me the chance to kick his leg. He swayed forward and tried to lift his sword towards me, but I bashed my shield at his head once again. When he was knocked out to the ground, I didn't waste time and went on top of him.

He predicted my actions and managed to stab me in the leg. I ignored the pain and hit his head with my sword hilt. Before he could lift his head again, I tore the helm of his head and started to beat him with my gauntlets. I stopped only when his face was beaten bloody, and he couldn't lift his head anymore.

I looked around to see that the Kinglsayer's men were surrounded and were surrendering. I still had the sword stuck in my tight. Luckily it seemed that it didn't hit an artery or bone.

"Ser Edmure, are you alright?" Alan of the Pennytree, come to me first. He was bloody and looked like he could fall any moment.

"Bind the Kingslayer, would you?" I asked him, and he nodded, only to look around him for a rope and then look at me perplexed. "Take the reigns from the horse."

Lord Ryger was the next one to come to me. He helped me up and led me out of the battlefield. He informed me that a couple of hundreds of Lannister's men managed to escape, and the Mallisters are trying to catch them.

All in all, we won with minimal casualties and managed to hostage almost all of the nobility. With the Kingslayer captured, too, it was a total victory. Now was time to clean up and go after Tywin. Last I heard, the North was upon their heals with thirty thousand men.

"Get the injured and the prisoners to the Riverrun. The cavalry will go with me and join the North," I ordered lord Ryger.

"Are injured, ser," Lord Ryger pointed out at my leg.

I ignored him and took off my leggings. Taking a belt, I wrap it over the wound. I shouted for boiled water and clean bandages to be delivered for me at once. I would not risk the chance of infection.

"Won't you go back to the Riverrun first, ser?" Lord Ryger pleaded with me.

"There's no time. I will ride straight to the Harenhal. I won't rest till every Lannister's men are out of our lands."

Lord Ryger gave up after hearing my words. Once boiled water and clean bandages were delivered to me, I yanked the sword off my leg as fast as I could. After cleaning the wound with the water, I bandaged it tightly. I would need to suture the wound when there is time, but I couldn't do that myself.

…

Once the eight thousand cavalries and I arrived at the Harenhal, what we met was no the Lannisters but the banners of the North. It was hard to believe that the Lannister's men were already defeated. Even on the way there, I expected to be ambushed by them.

Once we neared the Harenhal, a group of men when out to meet us. I could see two banners, the chained giant and the bear fluttered in the wind. I stopped and waited for them to come to me.

"Who goes there?" A booming voice asked.

"Can't you see the banners of the house Tully?" Lord Blackwood answered in my stead.

"I thought you were fighting the Kingslayer," An older woman rode in front and asked.

"We were. Now there's nothing to fight. We come to support the North," I calmly told them and removed my helm. "Too bad we took our time in playing with the little kitten and are too late to play with the old one."

"Hahaha, now I can see from who the young wolf took after. Maege, go inform Lord Robb of our quests. I will explain the situation to them."

"Very well, I will leave it to you, Greatjon, to explain."

"You can explain as we ride," I told the Greatjon as Maege rode back to the Harenhal.

"The Lannisters ran away, leaving only a thousand or so at the Harenhal walls. Once we arrived, there was nothing to fight. The Blackfish tried to catch up to Tywin, but it was too late."

It was hard to believe that Tywin had just left, but what could he possibly do. The North had twice as many men as they had. There was no castle that Tywin could hide in. It was just hard to believe that he would leave his son alone.

"Where did the Lannisters go, to the west or to the south?" I asked.

"South, the Blackfish chase him till the Crownlands before turning back."

"Lord Ryger, would you go and spread the news that the Lannisters had to turn their tails once they saw the might of the North," I turned to Lord Ryger and ordered him. "I want every man and woman, child and elderly to know that Lannisters started a war and then run away like cravens. I want everyone to know that the Lannisters raped and burned. They killed defenseless farmers, children, and women. Still, when the time came to face the consequences of their actions, they have decided to run."

"It will be done, ser."

"Ha, turned their tails once they saw the might of the North. I like those words." Lord Umber laughed. "The old lion will do everything to quell those rumors."

"It doesn't matter if people of the Riverlands hear and believe it. They will see the North as their saviors and me, who defeated the Kingslayer, their protector."

"There is a reason why I don't like you southerners, but I have nothing to say against your plan."

Once we entered the Harrenhal, I saw my uncle and nephew coming to greet me. I waved them away and called for a Maester. It was better to see to my wound first, now that there was no urgency to attend.