Trials and Tribulations of the Oathkeeper

Chapter 144: It's Now or Never

YEAR 305 AC

—The North—

Winter town...

The cold Northern climate was brutal among the southern-led armies; through snowy forests and shallow streams covered in icicles, they continued onwards. Soldiers and militiamen alike could see their breath as their teeth chattered with each foostep they took into the snow along the kingsroad—though the Unsullied appear to be less affected if not bothered by it at all or the Dothraki bloodriders, who have never seen snow before nor were they exposed to any cold climate. Only their northern counterparts were relatively unfazed by their harsh, temperate climate. It was all they ever known, and they were very good at adapting to the terrain. They knew the North like the back of their hand.

At the front of the large army atop his horse, Daveth maintained a calm composed posture despite the cold winter. Robb was riding right beside him to his left, accompanied by his direwolf Grey Wind; Daenerys Targaryen, meanwhile, was more aligned to the right. One of the soldiers quickly rode to the front.

"Your Grace, a flock of evacuees is within twenty yards," he informs him.

Indeed, beyond a small hill in the distance was a large caravan of people evacuating Winterfell and other small Northern castles; those who were too old or too young, sick or crippled to fight, were carrying what little they had. The royal forces knew they would need assistance and safety for the long trek south.

"And so they are," Daveth replies. "Give our volunteers the signal, Captain."

"Yes, Your Grace."

Removing an arrow from its quiver, the royal Captain drew a bow before attaching a red-colored explosive powder content encased in a paper capsule around the arrow tip and lights it. Pulling back on the bowstring as far back as he can, he aims upwards and releases with a loud "twang". The arrow shoots up with a fire lighting the fuse before exploding with a bright red flash. Volunteers within the militia looked up and saw the flash as they began nodding to each other and broke off from the main body, one-by-one until there were over 300,000 moving to safeguard the refugees before moving them down south.

As they stood guarding with the evacuees on each side, pigs squeal and donkeys bray. Among them stood Catelyn, Talisa and Little Eddard... all of them watching the rest of the main army ride past them en route to Winterfell. Many people stare at the troops marching through before they began passing through the winter town.

"Over half our army is breaking off. Why is that?" Daenerys asks.

Daveth looks at her. "We're evacuating all civilians and non-combatants to the Twins."

"Based on Jon's information, the more of us the dead slay the larger their numbers grow. While the dead have no supply lines to cut, we can starve them of their ability to raise more of them into their own ranks if we move them elsewhere safer," Robb explained.

"Winterfell is a decent location. It's a fairly defendable position, a mighty stronghold with strong granite walls and a wide moat in between them. That's where we'll be making our stand against the undead army. But in the event should we fail to stop them..." Daveth pauses momentarily. "If we fall here, falling back and holding the Neck at the Twins is a preferable solution for our other half to finish the job."

Through winter town, Arya was observing the army marching to Winterfell from the trees. As she climbed down and followed from a distance, she looks at Jon and smiles but says nothing as many people stare at the royal forces and Targaryen army. But they weren't alone; the Brotherhood Without Banners also joined the fray with Sandor Clegane on a horse of his own. Gendry and Mya are also on horses, as were Jaehaegon and Jorah. The army continues to march and Missandei and Grey Worm ride alongside each other; even though the evacuees are pleased to see the royal army and Daveth, they stare at the Unsullied and Dothraki disapprovingly. Daenerys, Jon, Robb and Daveth all notice this.