Ethan scratched his head and said, "The Silver Hand—including Eddie—only has six full-time cavalrymen. The rest are just used for transport and have no ability to fight on horseback. Does that mean I'll have to be assigned to Lord Roose Bolton's side?"
Anderson Barnes clapped his hands happily. "Of course! Captain Ethan, I'll have to trouble you to look after him once the battle starts!"
But Siegel Novak loudly objected, "No way! Captain Ethan, how can you go with the infantry!"
Anderson retorted, "What nonsense are you talking? Lord Harrion Hornwood is going there too, isn't he? And there's Harion Karstark, Wylis Manderly—the infantry also needs excellent commanders to lead them!"
Siegel shot back, "Nonsense! Captain Ethan only has thirty-odd heads of garlic—" He turned to Ethan with an apologetic smile. "He went to Bolton's command. How many men can he actually lead? He'd be much better off going to the western front with Lord Robb Stark where his individual combat ability can be put to better use—"
Watching the two argue so fiercely, Ethan quietly asked his acting second-in-command Conrad, "What's going on with them?"
Conrad lowered his voice and explained, "Siegel's unit has over thirty cavalrymen, so he's going west with Robb Stark straight toward Riverrun. Anderson's unit is all infantry, so they have to head east along the Kingsroad to intercept Lord Tywin's main force. They both want you to stay with their respective commands—giving you a better chance of survival."
"Bullshit! Do you really think you're the commander? I listen to you, you're the commander! If you don't listen to me, you're nothing!"
Siegel seemed to have lost the argument with Anderson and stormed off in a huff.
Anderson coldly watched Siegel's retreating back, spat on the ground, muttered "idiot" under his breath, then turned to Ethan with a smile and said, "Captain Ethan, since we're in the same battalion, why don't we join forces?"
Ethan thought for a moment before replying, "Join forces? Of course—no problem. It's just that I'm not very familiar with large-scale troop operations. How would you like to merge?"
The two were deep in discussion when they were suddenly interrupted by Siegel, who had returned. This time Siegel was not alone—Robb's captain of the guard, Harrion Mollen, had come with him.
Harrion asked, "Captain Ethan, are you going to Lord Roose's command to fight with the infantry?"
Ethan explained, "It's not that I want to, but most of my troops are infantry with very few cavalry."
Harrion then asked, "What if you separate your infantry and hand them over to Lord Roose separately?"
Ethan shook his head firmly. "That won't do. These brothers are all men I personally brought from the mountains—I can't abandon them. Besides, no matter where we fight, aren't we all serving House Stark?"
Harrion seemed to understand Ethan's position and asked again, "So you personally don't care where you go, right?"
"Hmm…" Ethan pondered for a moment, recalling his conversation with Rodney the day before. When they had spoken about the heart tree in the south, Rodney mentioned there was a godswood in Riverrun.
Although he had just replenished a full bottle of heart-tree sap, with a major battle imminent no one could predict the scale of casualties. Rationally speaking, he could play a greater role by going to Riverrun.
Therefore, after thinking it over, Ethan said, "If I had a choice, I would still prefer to go to Riverrun."
Hearing this, Siegel looked elated, Anderson looked disappointed, while Harrion simply nodded and turned back toward the gatehouse.
Not long afterward Harrion returned to Ethan's side and asked, "Captain Ethan, how many of your men are without mounts?"
Ethan quickly calculated and answered, "I need another thirty-six horses."
"Very well. Prepare the coin and I'll help you find those horses," Harrion agreed readily.
Anderson knew that Harrion Mollen spoke with the authority of the young lord, so he stopped trying to argue. Instead he called over a young man and said to Ethan, "Captain Ethan, this is my son Harvey. He will be joining Lord Robb's cavalry. If you have the chance, please look after him for the sake of our past cooperation."
The young man called Harvey looked confused and asked, "Father, didn't you say I should follow you—"
Anderson said sternly, "Shut up. From now on you are Captain Ethan's bodyguard. Wherever he goes, you go. Even if he goes to relieve himself, you must stand guard."
"—Yes, Father," Harvey replied.
Looking at Anderson's expression, Ethan vaguely understood. Was this some kind of entrustment?
To comfort the man, Ethan said, "If Harvey is willing, I can bring him into my company."
Anderson grasped Ethan's hand tightly, voice grateful. "Thank you, Captain Ethan."
Seeing Anderson's actions, the other officers in Ethan's battalion followed suit, placing their sons and nephews under Ethan's command.
Thus Ethan suddenly gained eight genuine cavalrymen.
Not long after, Harrion arrived at Ethan's camp with several soldiers leading dozens of horses.
Although not all were warhorses—some were pack animals and plough horses—they were all rideable. Ethan only needed to pay the soldiers who had brought them.
Looking at the forty-odd neighing horses before him, Ethan felt deeply moved and said to Harrion, "Harrion, I truly don't know how to thank you."
"No need to thank me," Harrion whispered close to Ethan's ear. "This is Lord Robb's order. He also said…"
Since Jon Snow had already joined the Night's Watch, he should not normally be fighting on the southern front.
But as an apprentice sent by the Watch to learn from Ethan, Jon had been unwittingly drawn into this war by the whirlpool of fate.
Neither Ethan, Robb, nor Jon himself wanted others to know his true identity and awkward position. Therefore Robb could only express his concern in this subtle way.
Ethan said solemnly to Harrion, "Please tell the young lord that Jon Snow will not come to harm in my hands."
Harrion nodded and returned to the gatehouse.
Now that the matter was settled, Ethan dared not waste any time. He immediately turned to Eddie and ordered, "Quick—Eddie, have your men each pick a few apprentices and teach them to ride. At the very least make sure they don't fall off even if someone else leads the horse by the reins. Don't be afraid of injuries—I'm here."
Eddie nodded confidently. "Leave it to me." Then he turned and shouted to his men, "Boys—there's work to do! Come here!"
So for the entire day before officially breaking camp and leaving Kalin Bay, Ethan personally supervised his men's horseback-riding training.
Fortunately those who could join the Silver Hand, while not all expert riders, possessed excellent motor skills and strong learning ability.
After a full day of intensive training they were all able to sit steadily on their horses. During the process Ethan only used a few flashes of Holy Light to heal the injuries from those who fell.
That night, when the last warrior passed the test and wobbled off his horse collapsing to the ground, Ethan finally ordered the exhausting training to stop.
Although it had cost him nearly seventy extra gold dragons, Ethan felt it was worth it. Upgrading his armored infantry into mounted armored infantry would greatly improve the entire company's mobility.
He looked up at a faint red comet hanging in the night sky and silently made a wish:
"I hope the North achieves a resounding victory in this war, returns in triumph, and preserves its strength to fight the White Walkers beyond the Wall."
Beyond Kalin Bay lay the Riverlands.
According to "rumors" circulating in the army, the Riverlands alliance had been shattered and Riverrun—seat of House Tully—was under siege by Jaime Lannister's forces.
To relieve their allies the entire northern host split into two after crossing the Neck.
Lord Roose Bolton of the Dreadfort led the bulk of the infantry southeast along the Kingsroad to confront Tywin Lannister's main army in the Westerlands.
Robb Stark personally led the cavalry southwest toward Riverrun, intending to cross the river and strike directly at the besieging force.
Riverrun—also called the Crossing—was the Frey family's fortress at the river ford.
They had grown rich by charging exorbitant tolls for crossing the bridge. From the North to the Westerlands it was the only crossing point along the Green Fork for hundreds of miles—and the only safe route across the river for several days' journey.
The castle consisted of two strongholds on either side of the Green Fork connected by a massive stone arch bridge. The bridge was wide enough for two four-wheeled wagons to pass side by side and was guarded by a central tower—Riverguard Tower.
When the army reached the outskirts of Riverrun they were ordered to halt and rest.
The climate in the Riverlands was far milder than the frigid North.
After dismounting Ethan led his two students to the calm Green Fork. Gazing at the wide stone bridge spanning the river from north to south and the sturdy fortresses at both ends with fully armed soldiers on the walls, a sense of unease rose in his heart.
"Teacher—what's wrong?" Jon asked, noticing Ethan's furrowed brow and thoughtful expression.
Ethan pointed at the formidable castle before them and explained to Jon, "Jon—look at this fortress. It has towering walls no less impressive than Winterfell's, a deep moat, and heavy oak-and-iron gates.
The wooden bridge in front of the gates can be raised and lowered at will, making a surprise attack almost impossible.
Moreover there is an identical castle directly across the river.
If the enemy besieges the northern castle the southern one can provide continuous support. Conversely if they attack the southern castle the northern one will support it.
Even if the enemy is strong enough to besiege both sides at once the Frey family can still receive supplies and reinforcements by boat…
However this castle's location is so vital. If we fail to hold it firmly and something unexpected happens, the northern army will be…"
"We'd have to take the long route via the Kingsroad. But that road runs close to the Iron Throne's territory and Tywin Lannister's army is lurking nearby. If Riverrun falls, Tywin will surely cut off our connection with the North from the northeast.
Then these few thousand cavalry here will be isolated. Furthermore the Riverlands are already in dire straits—if the Westerlands attack again we'll be caught in a pincer and our northern cavalry will be utterly annihilated."
Hearing Ethan's words Jon Snow broke into a cold sweat. He forced a dry laugh and replied, "It can't be that bad, Teacher. Didn't you say Riverrun was almost impossible to conquer?"
Ethan shook his head slightly, gaze deep. "The city might not fall—but what about the people inside? Are they truly reliable?"
Jon hesitated before answering, "They should be reliable… right? The Frey family of Riverrun are vassals of House Tully—"
"Oaths are not always reliable," Ethan shook his head again, a hint of regret in his voice.
He thought to himself: If oaths were truly reliable there would never have been a story like the "Oath of the Luo River" in his homeland.
Then a resolute thought surged within him: If I were your brother—even if I could not completely conquer Riverrun—I would still use elite troops to launch a surprise attack on House Frey while passing through. Even if it meant sacrificing some generals I would seize control of the Frey high command and station a loyal force to firmly guard this passage.
However this plan was far too ruthless and calculating—completely at odds with the dignity expected of a noble lord. Jon Snow, simple and kind-hearted, would certainly never accept such methods. Therefore Ethan buried the thought deep in his heart, remained silent, and simply awaited orders from above.
The army left outside the city had expected to cross the river before nightfall, but they waited from noon until late afternoon before finally receiving orders from the front to set up camp and cross the bridge the next day.
As night fell the army made camp on open ground north of the river. At that moment Lennar returned from other camps with fresh news: "I heard that Robb Stark is going to marry a daughter of House Frey in exchange for the right to cross the bridge and the support of several thousand elite troops."
Ethan pondered for a moment after hearing this, then nodded. "That condition isn't bad. After all a direct assault would fail and we cannot turn back—otherwise we would definitely miss the opportunity. This result is already the best we could hope for."
But Lennar sighed. "Yet the young lord's vassals don't seem satisfied. Historically the Lords of Winterfell have only ever married daughters of other great lords or princesses of House Targaryen. Walder Frey is merely a vassal of House Tully and the Frey family only became nobles six hundred years ago by collecting bridge tolls. They are simply not worthy of a marriage alliance with an ancient and illustrious house like Stark."
"Hey," Ethan chuckled, turning to Kevin. "Do you remember what I told you about when I first joined the army—what happened in Storm's End Kingdom?"
Kevin nodded. "I remember. So?"
Ethan continued, "Back then the rebellious Stonemason Brotherhood demanded far more than the cost to build the city, but the nobles of Storm's End refused to pay once the work was finished because the price was too high. Doesn't today's situation feel similar?"
Kevin thought for a moment before replying, "You mean the Frey family is like the Stonemason Brotherhood in your story, and the northern lords are like the nobles of Storm's End?"
Ethan sighed. "An ancestor from my homeland once said that alliances formed under duress are not believed even by the gods. I hope nothing goes wrong later."
Early the next morning after breaking camp Robb Stark, together with Ser Lyman Frey of House Frey, formally announced the alliance and marriage between the two houses before the entire northern army.
As the price of the alliance House Frey would not only allow free passage south but Ser Lyman Frey would also lead four thousand warriors—already assembled—to join the northern host.
Just the day before these four thousand men had stood on the towering walls of Riverrun armed with powerful bows and crossbows warily watching the approaching northerners. Now the same walls and killing pits stood deserted.
After the northern army reached the south bank of the Green Fork the road to Riverrun became wide open.
The four thousand Frey men who joined were split: infantry such as pikemen and archers were sent east to reinforce Roose Bolton's command directly confronting Tywin Lannister's main army. The cavalry—led personally by Robb Stark—were sent to relieve Riverrun which was besieged by Jaime Lannister.
To reach Riverrun as quickly as possible Robb ordered the cavalry to resume the advance. After three days of forced marching the northern cavalry finally reached the hills north of Riverrun.
Riverrun—seat of House Tully—had been founded by Lord Athel Tully during the Andal invasion and had stood for thousands of years.
This triangular castle sat at the confluence of the Tumblestone and Red Fork rivers with mountains to the north and dense forest covering the southern foothills extending to the north bank of the Tumblestone—a wood the Rivermen called the Whispering Wood.
As a junior officer leading only a handful of personal cavalry Ethan was not qualified to attend Robb Stark's war council with the other lords. Therefore until the army halted its march he remained unaware of Robb's specific battle plan.
Soon on a moonlit night a messenger ordered all soldiers to assemble and conceal themselves on high ground on the south bank of the Tumblestone valley.
Only then—based on the terrain and the positions of the other lords' forces—did Ethan deduce that Robb Stark intended to ambush the enemy from this location.
When Ethan led his troops to the designated area Robb Stark the Young Wolf Lord was already waiting at the assembly point. He wore armor similar to Jon Snow's but with a gleaming silver direwolf head on the breastplate.
He moved among the men sometimes clapping someone on the shoulder and chatting sometimes helping another calm a nervous mount. The night wind blew Robb's reddish-brown hair making him look remarkably like his mother Lady Catelyn Stark who rode another magnificent horse nearby.
The tense atmosphere of impending battle spread through the rapid breathing of the soldiers engulfing them like a surging tide.
Ethan turned to his comrades and gave quiet orders:
"Eddie—you and your cavalry stay close to me.
Conrad—tell the others to hold formation. Once the fighting below turns chaotic dismount and form the Swan Formation. Take advantage of the confusion to strike hard.
Brother John—you Juan and the craftsman squad find a secluded spot and hide. Rejoin us after things settle down.
Jon—have Ghost and Little Bell protect our non-combat personnel.
Martha—stay as close as possible to Combat Teams One through Three. If you see any northerners wounded or fallen from their horses drag them away from the fighting until I return."
"Yes sir."
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