Departure

It's finally time to start my campaign against the clans. The 500 soldiers I trained are more than enough. Although the mountain clans number approximately 3000 fighters, they are very scattered and poorly equipped, wielding stone axes and wooden clubs.

My martial training that I had been doing since the 'improvement' also progressed quickly, with my super physique it would be a waste not to have good techniques to use it. Which only made my brother Andar more agitated, a few days ago Linde sent me a crow from Gulltown, warning me that he planned another assassination attempt to be carried out during my campaign. I'll be waiting for the unlucky ones who will try.

A novelty was that several Casas do Vale sent their children to participate in the campaign, certainly looking for glory or something like that. Among them, the most interesting figure is Harrold Hardyng, he is the son of a knight of House Hardyng sworn to House Waynwood, and the youngest daughter of Alys Arryn (sister of Jon Arryn) and Ser Elys Waynwood. He was taken in as a pupil of Lady Anya Waynwood at Ironoaks and raised there. In another life he would be known as Harry the Heir.

"Cousin! I was looking for you. Think we're ready to leave? I thought you were thinking about giving up." There it is, super annoying.

"I was getting ready, if you haven't noticed, we're going to face an enemy that has harassed our Houses since the arrival of the Andals." Which I think was only possible because the Lords of the Vale never did an intensive campaign, focused on solving them once and for all.

"Of course cousin, I know we shouldn't treat this as a game. After all, we are representing House Arryn." The guy can't stop mentioning his Arryn blood and also has half of his crest in reference to it. I have to keep an eye on him, because if he wants to be the next Lord Arryn, I'm in his way.

"Alright, just make sure the men are ready to march." I speak with a sigh.

After saying goodbye to my family, I saddled and mounted my horse and addressed the soldiers one last time before we left.

"In this campaign, we will end this threat that has plagued the Valley for centuries. According to the maesters, in a few years we will have the longest winter since ancient times! More than a century ago, hungry for winter, invaders from the Mountains of the Moon descended upon the Vale in great numbers to plunder and caused great loss to our lands. If we don't solve them this time, when this winter comes they will come in droves once more, to loot your homes, burn your villages, and take your wives and daughters! Let's not let that happen, let's go ahead and show the bastards the taste of our steel!" I scream and hear the roar and crash of soldiers' weapons.

With that, we finally left. To kill some wildlings and recruit the rest.

***

YOHN ROYCE POV

Now that Artys has gone to fight, he can start the next phase of the plan. When Lord Arryn began the correspondence, I took no notice of it. Treating him like grandfather's affection at first. Then Lord Arryn threw what might as well have been a barrel of fire at him. Revealing to him his wife's suspected infidelity and his heir's potential bastard status.

It made a lot of sense, he supposed. Petyr Baelish goes to King's Landing, spends much of his free time with Lady Lysa, and nine months later she gives birth to a child who is nothing like Jon or Lysa. The child is very similar to Petyr Baelish in his youth, according to Lord Arryn.

So, they start putting plans in place to prepare Artys. There's a high chance that war will break out in the Vale when Jon tells the world about Lysa's betrayal. He has no doubt that Lady Waynwood will present Harrold Hardyng as a potential heir to the Vale, even if he is further down the line of succession than Artys. The Tullys might even get involved if they feel insulted enough by the accusations against Lysa, which they almost certainly will.

All these factors are why he and Lord Arryn decided to pit Artys against the Mountain clans. It would serve to garner support for him and, at the same time, allow him to gain experience for the inevitable consequences that will come to the Valley.