229 AC
WESTERLANDS
ASHEMARK
ROBB STARK
Robb watched impassively from atop his horse as the gates of Ashemark, is battered open.
After his victory at Oxcross and his capture of the Golden Tooth, Robb had divided his army into three host.
Five thousand men under the command of the Greatjon and Maege Mormont is tasked to raid the towns and villages of Westerlands, and set their fields and villages on fire and cause as much damage and devastation as possible. This is done as a retaliation to the damage the Lannisters caused in the Riverlands.
Robb wants to give the Lannisters the taste of their own medicine. While some of the Lords, especially his Uncle Benjen, had said that putting small folk to the sword is too cruel. Robb had countered and said it as a necessary show of force, because if they did not do it then their enemies will think them them too soft hearted and weak.
A great man once said that we should show mercy only to the merciful. The Lannisters didn't show any mercy to the small folk of Riverlands, then why should they show mercy to their people.
An eye for an eye, Theon Greyjoy had said.
From the latest reports he had read, it seems that Lady Maege had already sacked a dozen villages and, following his orders, had put their inhabitants to the sword. She was now leading thousands of cattle and other live stocks back to the war torn Riverlands.
Lord Greatjon Umber is not far behind as he had captured the gold mines of Castamere, Nunn's Deep, and the the Pendric Hills. Robb is going to use the Lannisters own gold against them.
Another host, five thousand strong under the command of his uncle Benjen is tasked to raid along the cost of the Sunset Sea and take the fishing villages and towns along the coast. It was a small task he had given to his Uncle, as he had refused to harm the small folk or take any part in it.
He had also left a garrison of 800 men in the Golden Tooth to guard the entrance of the Westerlands.
Robb had taken his remaining 12,000 men and had struck the heart of the Westerlands. His first target is the city of Ashemark, the seat of House Marbrand.
Even with the defeat at Oxcross, the Lannister force defending Ashemark is still considerable strong and to avoid unnecessary bloodshed in both sides Robb sent a message to Lord Marbrand to surrender peacefully.
But unlike the Golden Tooth, Lord Damon Marbrand remained strong and loyal to the Lannister cause and refused to surrender peacefully, forcing Robb to lay siege to the city.
He had ordered his newly made trebuchets to bombard the city walls from the first light of sunrise then stop throwing rocks at sunset. He wanted the city defenders to rest at night. He wanted them to be lulled into a false sense of security. Every night he wanted Ashemark sleeping so that when he attack at night, they would never see it coming.
After a week long siege, he had ordered a night assault. He had specifically instructed his men to not carry torches or any form of lighting or to blow any horn, until the gates had fallen.
He had also selected a group of trained climbers whose job is to climb the walls of the city and quietly neutralise the archers on the city walls.
With the archers dead and most of the city's garrison sleeping, as they didn't expected a night attack, it didn't take long for the gates to fall.
Urging his horse on quicker, Robb burst in through the open gates of Ashemark leading the cavalry charge from the front into the scrambling Lannister defence. His horse struck the disorganised defence and flung men to the side as his blade swung around and killed a man.
Behind him the rest of the cavalry also struck the Lannister defence and cut through them with ease.
"The King In The North!" Wulfric cried from where he stood by the open gate, having cut his way through the men on the walls and opened the gate. And with this, as his men poured through the gates and the Lannister defence crumbled, the week long siege of Ashemark came to an end.
Brining his horse to a halt, Robb looked upon as his men rushed past to fully secure the city. He turned to Lord Bolton who was standing beside him.
"Lord Bolton, secure the Keep and Lord Marbrands family." Robb doubted they would still be here, no doubt having been evacuated to Lannisport as soon as the northern army arrived, but he couldn't be sure. "Lord Karstark, round up those that surrendered" The man gruffly nodded his head. He had heard how Robb had saved his sons from the Kingslayer's hand in the Wishpering Woods and he was grateful to his king as he had saved his sons from a certain death.
That was a debt the Lord of Karhold could not repay easily, but one he would endeavour to do so.
With the orders given, Robb urged his horse on followed by his personal guard, taking note of the way his men acted. As he had expected, the orders he had given were mostly followed.
At the same time, Robb continued on to the Great Hall where the door was guarded by Bolton men who opened the door for him.
Entering inside he saw the commander of the Lannister forces, Damon Marbrand, Lord of Ashemark. Robb took note of the scuffed armour and bloody sword in his hand. It seemed that the man had fought in the battle to defend his keep, admirable.
Walking past the man, Robb nodded his head to Lord Bolton who bowed in turn before taking a seat that would act as a temporary throne. He then gazed upon the captured soldiers. All of them officers that had attempted to escape the city upon realising it had been lost.
"You have lost, Lord Marbrand." Robb said simply, the old Lord staring up at Robb imperiously. "I gave you and yours a chance to surrender, but you refused. You understand the consequences of that, do you not?"
Damon said nothing, refusing to speak to the Stark King.
"My lord, please spare us." But the officers around him did not share the same pride as the Lord of Ashemark, each of them begging for their lives to be spared.
"Lord?" Smalljon muttered as he entered the room, his large booming voice causing the captured Lannisters that were begging to jump in fright. "He's a King!" Quickly the men bowed in apology, rectifying their mistake as Smalljon crossed the room in big strides and stood beside Robb.
"For your refusal to surrender, you all will be executed." There was a few fearful cries, but Damon remained resolute in not showing his fear, that was tested when Grey Wind entered the room. The large beast moving across the room in slow measured steps, its furs matted with blood and bits of flesh still stuck in its teeth.
However, Robb did not let this opportunity of silence go.
Taking the sword presented to him by his loyal squire Olyvar Frey, Robb moved down the steps of his makeshift throne . 'The man who passes the sentence should swing the sword.' Robb thought firmly, gazing upon the cowering Lannisters, his eyes passing over to the fearless Damon.
The northern soldiers behind the Lannisters moved forwards, pushing them down and holding them in place. Raising his blade into the air, Robb ignored the cries and pleas for mercy and with a deep breath, swung the blade down decapitating the man.
Six times Robb swung his sword, and each time a head rolled along the floor.
Eventually, he came to Damon. "Get on with it then, boy." The man said, already lowering his body and presenting his neck.
Robb paused for a moment, then nodded his head to the door. The two guards by the door picking up Lord Marbrand and dragging him out of the room. Robb wouldn't execute lords, that would send the wrong message to everyone in the Seven Kingdoms. No, it was expected that captured lords were treated with some measure of respect.
Robb took his bloody helmet off, and pushed his shoulder length reddish brown hair, which wass now damped with sweat and blood, from his face before going towards a nearby window to take a view of his newly conquered city.
He watched from the window as his army secured the rest of the city, slowly neutralising pockets of resistence.
Those who surrendered are treated fairly and those who did not are put to death, without any mercy.
"This is only the beginning" Robb thought to himself. The Lannisters had killed his father and had caused destruction in the Riverlands. And for that he is going to take everything from them. Their Gold, their homes and most importantly their lives.
Ashemark is just the beginning, soon the entire Westerlands will feel the wrath of Northern fury.
After all, Winter Is Comming.
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SIEGE OF ASHEMARK:-
COMBATANTS:-
House Stark - 12,000 men.
Infantry :- 8,000 men.
Cavalry:- 4,000 men.
VS
House Marbrand- 500 men.
Infantry- 500 men.
Cavalry- 0.
Result - Major Stark Victory. Ashemark captured by Stark forces.
Casualties :-
House Stark- Less than 100 dead and injured (Minor).
House Lannister- Entire Garrison killed with very few taken as prisoners (Major).
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And done!
Now those of you are confused by the deployment of Robb army here is the details.
After the Battle Of The Camps. Robb had more than 32,000 men. He divided his host into five groups. The Blackfish, Lord Blackwood and Lord Bracken each of them had a host of 3,000 men and Robb tasked them to guard the Fords of the Trident and prevent Tywin Lannister and his army from approaching them from the rear.
Lord Jason Mallister had another 1,000 men, he was tasked to take the various castles in the Riverlands, that are still under Lannister control.
The remaining 22,000 men are under Robb's command which he used to invade the Westerlands. After the battle of Oxcross he gave 5000 men to both the Greatjon and Benjen and tasked them to take the Goldmines and the coasts of Westerlands respectively. While Robb took the remaining 12,000 men and captured Ashemark. I hope that it clears that up.
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