𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐁𝐔𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 ( 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 )

( scene five. )

┏━ tribulation.
( SCENE 5 ) ━┛

THE night was surprisingly warm that they were going to attack and Lukas sucked in a breath as Ismene clung to him. In her arms was Damon and Rowan, who Lukas planted a gentle kiss on each of their soft little foreheads. Ismene was obviously in distress, looking up to her husband with already reddening eyes.

"You come back to me," she states through her teeth. "You will."

Lukas tries to offer a joke to lighten the dark mood. He smiles. "Is that a promise, or a threat?"

Ismene, despite being pained to be seeing her husband off to battle, cracks a weak grin. She pulls the twins up into a tighter grip in her arms. "It's both. Now, go win a battle."

Lukas watches her walk away, toward Darik. The two held each other in an embrace for a long while and Lukas' grin faded as he watched. Looking away, Lukas mounted his horse that was being held by an Estemore soldier. He was handed his sword and a shield with the familiar fox and salmon on the front.

"Jaime does not know," Darik spoke up loud enough for all his army to hear. Lukas listens intently from his horse a few feet away. "I'll stake my life on that. No bird has reached him, the Mandal archers have seen to that. We've seen a few of his outriders, but those that saw us did not live to tell of it. He ought to have sent out more. He does not know."

"The Kingslayer has us at three to one," his father tells the crowd for Darik. "With such odds, this battle with be simple."

"True enough," Darik nods, "Yet there is one thing Ser Jaime lacks." There was a pause as Lukas watches as a smirk appears on Darik's lips. "Patience."

Soon, Darik gave the lord's a nod before whipping his reins and beginning to lead the host toward the Whispering Woods, where Jaime Lannister and his tiny force were unknowingly waiting to be crushed.

It didn't take long for them get there. As they broke from the trees with Darik leading the army of 18,000 strong northern men toward the proudly hanging banners of the Lannister lion, the Kingslayer wasn't suspecting them.

Lukas had never been in true combat before. Nothing with true carnage, blood, and bodies scattered about. He could only think that perhaps he may never see Ismene again, nor his sons in the small chance that he would be a casualty. Darik had just informed them all, though, that Jaime's forces were far less prepared and outnumbered. Death was as simple as being pierced in the right area of ones belly and the thought terrified him. Though, it gave him a little comfort knowing that the fighting wouldn't be as hard fought, but it still made him uneasy as the northern army melded from the tree line and out into the little valley that held Jaime Lannister's forces.

Clad in a heavy steel breastplate emblazoned with the Estemore fox and salmon, he felt more comfort in knowing his long sleeved wool padding covered an entire shirt of chainmail. He prayed that no blade would be able to pierce the armor, and he prayed for much more as soon as the Lannister forces caught site of the advancing northerners.