A Different Point of View

(??? POV, Mountains of the Moon)

The incoming force was easily spotted.

One simply couldn't hide an army on the march, especially when it was expected. When armies marched, vultures would follow, ravens carrying messages and wagons traveling along them. All could be spotted and seen from distances away.

He recalled the lessons forced upon his people by the 'Foreigner', where they learned more about their enemies. No one was exempt, be they younglings, warriors, or elders.

He hid quietly behind the boulder, keeping himself out of sight. The army below him was well-equipped and seemed more at ease than his people had.

They marched towards his home with impunity and with seemingly no resistance.

Moving forward to gain a better vantage, he could practically feel them marching.

What started as little vibrations, built up slowly as they got closer as if the earth trembled as they moved like a great beast searching for its prey, uncaring of the land it trod upon.

Despite their intimidating size, he tried to remain unfazed by their presence, he could not afford to panic just yet. These men were coming to destroy his lands and slaughter his people. He needed to get enough information to prepare them better.

The Clans had gone too far, and this beast would now seek vengeance. Tales were told about the fate of the clansmen who'd traversed outside of the mountains, wreaking havoc across the Andali settlements, and none had yet to return.

The thought of these Andali razing his home silenced whatever panic he felt, serving to calm the palpitations within his heart.

Unfamiliar Red-Brown banners fluttered in the breeze, each containing a golden crown studded with emeralds. Behind them were the familiar banners of the Andali Houses and the traitors that abandoned their ways.

Their armor glinted as the rays of the sun bounced off it. The familiar clopping of the horses of their enemy moved around the groaning of wooden wheels of hundreds of wagons that carried the supplies. They were on their guard, ensuring the line of wagons moved smoothly without interruption.

This was enough for now, he'd have to leave before he was spotted,

…

"Ten Thousand men, all well equipped and looking to quench their bloodthirst" The Chief looked to have aged a decade at the news he'd brought.

"Chief, I'm sure the 'Foreigner' has a plan for this" He tried to reassure the elder chieftain.

In response, the wizened man simply snorted as he took to sit. The clansmen around them followed suit.

"Don't be foolish Osh, it's his damn fault we're in this position in the first place" the Chief scoffed in response, turning his attention to the men around them. "What of the other Clans"

One of the men rose to answer "Ready for our Call, Chief"

Another man snorted derisively at this "And only half will answer"

Chief Cheyk seemed to agree with the man "Aye, the rest will cower in their holds, paying no heed to our plight"

Nervously Osh looked at his fellow clansmen "The 'Foreigner' promised to aid us Chief, we've held our part of the deal" he tried.

"I doubt that fool would raise a finger in our defense" the older man growled "We've already done what he wanted and failed"

Osh paled at the implications "He…he was using us then?"

"Of course, he was using us, our role was to weaken the Andali, nothing more"

"Why did the Clans agree to this 'Foreigner'" One of the men looked panicked.

The expression on the Chief's face turned grave as he stared at all of us "Because we would've starved otherwise" He finally said.

Many of the men shared the Chief's look, despite our hatred for the Andali, we've only ever survived by the skin of our teeth… now nobody knew if we could do so.

"Make the Call" The Chief looked pale, yet his eyes burned with determination.

This was a fight for survival, they couldn't afford to lose.

…

(Lorimas POV, MotM Encampment)

Many of the Lords present looked grim, past assaults on the Clan's home had never been favorable for them.

"Report" Lorimas nodded towards the scout.

He was standing at the head of the war table placed within the Command Tent, sprawled across it were the various maps concerning the mountains. The various Lords and Commanders stood on the sides of the table, all clad in their armor.

The scout did not hesitate "My Lord, the paths ahead are clear of any large force, so far it seems none of the Clansmen intend to engage us. Though we are aware that the clans were watching us, their familiarity with the mountains has made it difficult to capture any of them"

Lorimas nodded, they weren't sure why the Clansmen hadn't engaged them yet.

The campaign so far had been successful, with the various pockets of clansmen outside of the Moons having been slaughtered. They had slowly boxed the clans into the Mountains, but that was where the His forces began to lose the advantages they held.

There was no Castle or stronghold to besiege, no points that they could infiltrate without any teams being wiped out. The shadow wardens were of no help on this front either, as they needed someone in the clans that could be of use. Still, they were at least able to gain some information on the one aiding the clans.

Despite the first phase being successful, the same couldn't be said about this one. Clansmen raiders were beginning to harass their lines and minor skirmishes would break out when one of the groups found themselves isolated. He had no idea if they intended to whittle away at his troops or if they were just acting desperate.

The casualties while not that noticeable did affect the men, the issue that morale worsened as the Valesmen grew paranoid and wary.

Lorimas had fought for decades, his experiences in Essos having taught him about war better than most. Yet, he knew even the most brilliant commanders had struggled and failed to take the Mountains, let alone him who had never fought in such a different terrain before.

It was why he had insisted on taking the advice of the various Vale Lords who had been fitting the mountain clans for years, being familiar with these types of battles and the capabilities of the Clansmen, hence making their advice valuable.

"Those Cowards" Jasper spat.

"Cowards they may be, but they aren't stupid" Responded Yohn, looking intently at the various maps.

"Aye, we can't afford to blindly rush them, not when they have the upper hand" Horton carried on.

"Any news on who's been supplying them" Lorimas interrupted. "They're far too well-equipped, and their men had shown a small degree of skill during skirmishes between us, I want to know who's been aiding them"

"We've uncovered that there's a man called 'the Foreigner' who has been guiding the Clans since the start of the incursions, My Lord" Gerold Grafton said.

Lorimas nodded having been told that earlier by the wardens, he simply waited for one of the Lords to uncover it themselves and inform them. This was a move encouraged by Erlend as it helped gauge their loyalty.

Grafton so far had remained loyal to House Mudd, holding no grudge against them for the death of his brother Marq. Then again the man responsible for Marq's death had been Robert and he was dead.

The Lords frowned and muttered amongst themselves at this revelation, not liking the fact that someone was manipulating them in the shadows. They quickly began questioning Gerold and all he knew, and the man answered them the best he could.

The meeting would be a few hours later and he bid them to take rest, they would need to be prepared for the coming battles.

Only one person remained behind, his close friend Yohn looked worried about something.

"You alright there, Yohn" He asked.

"It makes no sense, what would they have to gain from inciting the clansmen" Yohn frowned.

"Its possible they want to cause unrest amongst the vale"

"Perhaps, but there are far more suitable kingdoms to do so than the Vale" Old Bronze snorted.

"You think they might be doing this to get Lenny's attention," Lorimas asked.

"We have the most experienced and well-maintained army as of this moment, I wouldn't be surprised if they aimed to weaken Erlend, through this" Yohn answered.

Lorimas nodded at that, he knew that not many would take kindly to the return of House Mudd, it made sense for them to try and weaken its now powerful hold over the region.

"Anya hasn't made any noise about Lenny being late?" He asked.

"She's remained silent on the matter, the old wood is smart enough to know any disloyalty could be fatal to her house" Yohn spoke bemusedly.

Waynwood had been sending feelers throughout the Riverlands campaign, trying to gauge for any cracks she could take advantage of. While Lorimas wanted to execute her, he knew it would cause too much of a stir and it wasn't like she made any active move beyond that.

After Erlend dealt with the Vances and the Freys, the old hag swiftly went silent, not wanting to attract his ire.

Lorimas sighed as he poured himself a cup of wine "I'd hoped we'd have a break before we'd have to march for war again".

"Peace will come… eventually" Yohn did his best to reassure him.

"Knowing Erlend, we'll likely have to intervene in the Reach as well, after we're done with this"

Yohn agreed with that statement, knowing it to be true. Taking the reach was a necessity for lasting peace to be achieved.

Erlend had made it clear to his Lords and the North, that he would be calling for a Great Council, intent on bringing the rest of the squabbling kingdoms into a peaceful accord.

Unfortunately, the best way to guarantee that they would heed his call, and force them onto the negotiating table was to hold sway over the breadbasket of Westeros.

Should they succeed, there would be no need to threaten them explicitly.

Simply put, all Erlend had to do was to bring the reach under his control and the rest of the Kingdoms would quickly follow if only to avoid starving.

"Bah, forget about future wars… I clearly remember you spoke about falling on your arse in a tourney once"