Game of Thrones: The Direwolves in the North

Chapter 16: The Incursion of Raventree Hall

By the hour of the wolf, they begin their attack.

Like most castles, Raventree Hall has high, ancient stone walls with moss climbing up them. Two huge, square towers flanked the gate with the drawbridge, as the only way in and out, and a square tower at each angle in the wall. It was also surrounded by a deep moat lined with stone. The castle also had a hoard, a temporary wooden shed-like construction that was built on the exterior of the ramparts of the castle. But of course, most of it had been destroyed now, since the castle was besieged by the Freys and the Lannisters.

The men of the Brotherhood are in position. Arya crouched behind a bush yards from castle with Gendry, Beric, Thoros, the Hound, and Anguy. Nymeria and about six wolves were with them. The rest of the Wolfpack were assigned with some members of the Brotherhood scattered surrounding the castle.

"Okay," Arya spoke up, breaking the silence. "I don't understand. Your men inside should've lowered the drawbridge by now. What's taking them so long?" She asked.

"This is why I never approved of bringing you along." The Hound complained.

"They won't move until we give the signal." Beric answered.

"Then give the bloody signal already." Arya said impatiently.

Beric turned to Thoros, who was holding an unlit torch. "Thoros, now."

Thoros nodded and ran to a clearing. He lit the torch ablaze and waved it in the air three times, then ran back to where he was hiding.

They all looked up back in the castle's battlements, and saw a lighted torch waved in air twice.

"They got the signal," Beric said. "Now all we have to do is wait."

"Wait for what?" Arya asked.

"For the drawbridge to be lowered." Gendry said. "And then we go in."

Sure enough, from where they were, they could hear steel clashing and faint screams of men from the castle's ramparts. Dead bodies have fallen off the stepped battlements and have hopefully been taken care of whatever creature was lurking beneath the waters of the moat.

A lighted torch was once again waved in the air thrice, in the same spot they saw earlier. The drawbridge was slowly being lowered. Thoros waved the torch he had twice.

"It's time." Beric said, turning to Arya.

Arya smiled, then turned to her direwolf. "Nymeria."

Nymeria howled. The other wolves later joined in. Since they agreed not to yell a battle cry to avoid nearby towns from knowing they were attacking. Arya had suggested to have wolves relay the signal for their assault for the rest of the Brotherhood hiding to know. Also, by the time the wolves starting howling, snow was starting to fall.

Beric shivered at the sound of howling. "Well, anyone hearing that would run and hide." He pointed out. "Come on!" He drew his sword and charged towards the half open drawbridge.

Drawing her sword Needle, Arya followed, with Gendry, Thoros, Anguy and Nymeria behind her.

Halfway to the drawbridge, Arya could see men of the Brotherhood tossing ropes with grappling hooks to the battlements and began escalading the castle's mossy walls. Most of them had clashed swords on the remaining wooden hoard, before knocking the sentries and archers on the ramparts and into the moat.