Chapter 16: Stonefort

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Runestone | 114 AC

Willam Royce

Willam stood upon the battlements of Runestone, looking down at the fertile lands in the distance, everything had been relatively busy since Aerion's departure.

His mind fell upon his parents as he turned towards the sea, they had died when he was young when their ship crashed against the rocks during a storm, and since then he had been raised alongside Aerion.

They trained together, and ate together, and were always in competition with each other, and it was that competitiveness that led to their eventual brotherhood, and Willam always knew his place would be by Aerion's side.

Willam had warded for Lord Ronald Darry in the Riverlands for two years before his eventual death only three moons ago, it was then on his deathbed that he knighted Willam for his loyalty and dedication, and winning the joust and melee in Riverrun.

People were nervous with the increased attacks on Runestone's Villages near to the Mountains of the Moon, they were receiving petitions everyday from smallfolk asking for them to act, it had been long overdue that they finally deal with the mountain men.

Though primitive they are believed to be, they held a strategic position within the Mountains, making their homes in the foothills, attacking parties that travel through the narrow paths.

Willam assembled a war council in the great hall, summoning senior officers of their standing army along with Ser Rodrik and Jory, a man who had proven his loyalty since returning with Aerion.

They each stood around a large table with a detailed map of their lands as well as the mountains, the officers were bickering amongst each other about how to deal with the ongoing threat.

"Maester Daveth." Willam said, turning his head towards the man who stood to his right "What is our standing with the other houses?"

"Ravens have been sent to House Redfort to the west, and House Grafton of Gulltown to the south, my lord." the maester bowed his head.

"This is good, send a raven to the Eyrie, let them know of our movements." Willam ordered, then looked over to the scouting officer "have you received word from our scouts?"

"My lord, the clansmen have attacked three villages close to the mountains." the officer placed small war pieces on the villages in question "one of these were in the territories of House Redfort."

"Do we have some sense of where they may attack next?" Rodrik asked him.

"Stonefort, ser." the man bowed his head, placing a piece over its' location "it is closest to the two most recent attacks."

"What I do not understand is what they are preparing for." Willam stroked his chin "these villages only hold grain and ...livestock." he chuckled for a moment before shaking his head "They are preparing to mount an invasion."

"Our men are vastly superior in the field, my lord, we would crush them." Ser Richard spoke, their infantry officer.

"Maester Daveth." he looked over to the man once more "What is the primary resource that Stonefort provides.." he asked, keeping his eyes on Richard.

"Iron, my lord." 

"We need our men ready to march immediately." Willam commanded "How many can we mobilise, Ser Richard?"

Another officer whispered in the man's ear, and they all waited patiently for his answer, Willam planting his hands on the table.

"Eight hundred men-at-arms, three hundred bowmen, and twenty knights, my lord." Ser Richard finally answered.

"And is there any report on their numbers, how many fighting men can we expect to be up against?"

"We can expect their numbers to be around one thousand fighting men, perhaps more,  my lord, though we can not give you an exact number, they have a tight control on the region."

"Then we march to Stonefort, and shall meet them on the battlefield." Willam nodded to the officer "Go prepare, Ser Richard, stay behind."

The war council was dismissed and Willam looked across to Rodrik.

"Willam, should we not await for Prince Aerion's return?" Rodrik asked.

"Aerion will not be returning." Jory interrupted, "He has journeyed across the sea, I cannot say as to where."

"We will not need him." Willam nodded to them both "He entrusted the Lordship of Runestone to me in his stead, and we shall not disappoint him."

"Ser Richard, how many men can we spare to leave behind at Runestone?"

"I would say fifty men-at-arms, my lord, there have been no reports of those savages this far west, they would have to come through us on the road." the knight explained.

"Rodrik, you will remain behind and be sure nothing is to happen in our absence." Willam replied "We will show these savages the strength of House Royce, and push them back into the mountains."

"If that is what you command." Rodrik said "Then I will stay, though I very much would like to remain at your side."

"Leave us." Willam nodded to Jory and Ser Richard, waiting until they left the great hall before speaking further "I can see the worry on your face, Rodrik, I can assure you that Aerion is safe, you taught him well."

"I am sure he is, William, but it is not him I am worried for, you could be marching into a battle where the enemy vastly outnumbers our own." he admitted.

"That is a strong might, we could be travelling to Stonefort only to find it has already been raided, and not a single enemy in sight." he shook his head "the sooner we solve these raids, then the quicker peace is brought back to the Vale."

"I still urge that we await Aerion's return." Rodrik insisted "If Jory was indeed telling the truth and Aerion has claimed the dragon, it can be used in this fight."

He was speaking great sense to Willam, but to await for Aerion would possibly be leading to more death as the clansmen sweep across their villages and farms, affecting the prosperity of the Vale.

"They are brutes with spears and axes made out of sticks and stone." Willam scoffed "They have every disadvantage against our steel if we draw them into open ground, where we are strongest."

"Show me." Rodrik replied, gesturing towards the map.

"We will stand upon the high hill here." he said, pointing towards a patch on the map "Which will give us an advantage for our Archers when they strike at us."

"This planning will mean nothing should they not attack you, and instead hold their ground." he stepped closer to Willam "Do not underestimate any enemy, there is a reason that these savages are still causing chaos after thousands of years."

"Lord Darry had me studying strategy for months, and that training will serve me well in the battle to come." he pressed his hand on the map "our bowmen will handle them from afar, then when they scatter, our men-at-arms will deal with the rest."

"At the very least, I will know you have your trusty blade by your side." Rodrik said, jolting his head towards the sword that hung from Willam's belt.

Willam rested his hand on the sword's hilt, looking down to the ground as it brought back memories of his parents.

"I still remember the day when Yorbert passed it down to your father, it must have been the proudest day of his life." Willam tightly gripped the hilt, a slight tear befalling his eye, though it is soon rubbed away on his sleeve.

It had then been passed down to him when his father died at sea, though never would have expected to carry it himself, often believing Aerion would take claim of it, as was his right, though he never did, despite there not being many Valyrian blades left in this world.

"He would be proud of the man you have become." Rodrik smiled, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Get some sleep, you have a long ride ahead of you."

It took a day before their men-at-arms and archers were prepared to march, and all the supplies for the journey had been secured on carts, Willam would be found in the sept, praying to the seven gods before they were set to depart.

It was not often he would admit to being fearful, but if there was ever a time to need the god's favour, it would be at this point, only days away from battle.

"Is there something worrying you, young Willam?" he turned his head to find the old septon in his plain grey woollen garments, dusting away at one of the stone shrines that stood at the back of the sept.

"No, Septon Barnard." he replied, unclasping his hands and rising from the seven-pointed star that laid before him.

"Well…how do we know the gods listen to our prayers? It is at times where I need them most, that they do not speak."

"And what is it you need to hear?" the septon replied, getting ever so closer to him "you want to know if you will survive this coming battle? That all your training and dedication has not been for naught."

"It is not my life that worries me, septon." Willam looked to him "I am potentially sending many to their deaths, I..I just want to know that the gods favour us." 

"If you have remained true to your faith, then they will watch over you." Barnard responded "the warrior will fill you with the courage and strength needed on the battlefield, and should you still fall, the father will judge you justly, and the mother shall grant you peace."

"But what of my men?"

"Each man is judged differently in the eyes of the seven." the septon passed a warm smile at him "trust in the faith, and you shall be victorious."

"I thank you for your wisdom, Septon." Willam bowed his head.

Willam soon made his way down to the armoury, and was outfitted with an ancient bronze plated cuirass, with rune carvings and House Royce's coat of arms, black iron studs on a bronze field, bordered with runes.

His horse was being prepared by his wards, Robar and Henry, the common-born twins of their steward, who was currently away at Gulltown to discuss a possible trade deal between the two houses.

The man's family had served them loyally since the time Yorbert reigned as Lord of Runestone, and in return the twins would be raised as future knights of the Vale.

"Can we come with you, Ser?" Robar asked as Willam patted down his horse.

"We could be walking into a battle, Robar, where things that a child like yourself should not have to witness take place." Willam responded, kneeling down to look at the twins "Besides, if you were to come with us, who would watch over Runestone while I am away?" he smiled.

"But...but Ser Rodrik will have us cleaning the stables the whole time you are away.." Henry said, along with a childish grunt.

"A clean stable means that the Horses may have a healthy space to sleep." Willam said "Which means they'll prove more effective in battle."

"Are you saying if we clean the stables, we'll be helping in the war effort?" Robar asked

"Hm...suppose that is exactly what I am saying." he answered.

Willam rose back up onto his feet, picking himself up onto his horse "Listen, it is better than cleaning the privy, we will leave that to the actual servants." 

That comment was met with an 'eww' from the both of them, making Willam chuckle as he trots out of the castle gates, meeting the officers at the front of their army.

"Are the men all prepared, Ser Richard?" he asked, looking towards an older seasoned knight, leaning slightly forward on the saddle, gripping both his hands on the hilt of his blade.

"We move out on your command, my lord, we will be joined by a small band of traders from one of our ports on their way into the Riverlands." Ser Richard explained.

"So long as they do not get in the way of our men, inform them to travel at least a mile from us, in case we are set upon by the mountain clans." Willam ordered.

"Do you really think the mountain clans will launch a raid so far from the mountains, my lord?" Ser Richard asked "While they are savages, Stonefort has never experienced a raid from them before."

"We are marching in case they do launch a raid upon them, it is with hope that my fears will be misplaced and that the three raids previously were the last of it." he answered "But we owe it to our subjects to alleviate their own fears by assisting them."

"But is it not wiser to have our scouts watch for their movements? surely marching most of our forces to a battle that may not even happen is a waste of resources?" 

"We have left enough forces to guard both Runestone and our ports." he continued "We must show these clans that to attack our villages is to then feel our wroth."

"I understand, my lord, as I said, we march on your command." Richard replied

"Give the command." Willam ordered, and with that the men began to march, with Willam up front.

It took them two days to reach their destination, setting up camp at night and then dismantling the camp took away most of the day but they made a lot of progress.

On their way, he spoke to some of the other officers who put there concerns forward about their plan, they shared similar concerns to what Ser Richard had, that pulling their forces away from the ports and Runestone itself would leave them vulnerable.

He alleviated their concerns saying that they shouldn't be gone for more than a week and that their ports had been safe for well over a year.

The traders following shortly behind them soon left them, reaching the path that leads through the Mountains into the Riverlands, Willam had his doubt that they would actually survive their journey.

There were many reasons why traders mainly used ships to transport goods, one of them was the clans that waited to attack traders along the road.

They arrived close to Stonefort at midday, named for the ancient Fort made of stone that stood torn down and destroyed just yards away from the village.

Willam's best guess is that it has not been inhabited since the days when the Bronze Kings ruled over the land, and that it was home to one of the many clans that refused to bend the knee during the Andal Invasion.

As they journeyed up the high hill that stood between them and the village, black smoke could be seen from the village.

They reached the top and Willam's eyes widened, the cottages were set on fire and he could see the raid taking place, people screaming as they attempted to get away from the attackers, only to be shot full of arrows by their own bowmen.

His concerns had come true, he took a better look around from the top of the hill as the men-at-arms were positioned at the bottom with a few of the officers, the bowmen were positioned at the top of the hill ready to send a barrage of arrows at the enemy.

Clansmen were taking sacks full of grain and other foods and placing them onto carts, he turned to Ser Richard "Let the savages know we are here; prepare the bowmen." Willam commanded.

"And the smallfolk, my lord?" Richard replied, he could see the concern that showed beneath his helmet "Arrows do not discriminate between friend and foe, they could be hit."

"Aye they will, and their sacrifice will be to the benefit of the land they live on." he said, sadness in his voice "Better to sacrifice the few than the many."

"This is the fourth village they have attacked without provocation, I fear they will not stop here, prepare the archers." he faintly continued.

"As you command, Lord." the knight said "ARCHERS! PREPARE!!" he commanded.

The line of bowmen each grabbed an arrow from their quivers and placed them between the wood and string "RAISE!" he ordered

They rose their bows into position, pulling back on the string  "LOOSE!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, and each of the bowmen release their strings and a barrage of arrows went towards the village

Willam made his way down the hill towards the knights and men-at-arms, taking his place in the vanguard of knights on horses which were to be sent first into the village.

he shouted to one of the officers leading the men-at-arms "ENGAGE WITH THE FIRST GROUP WHEN WE CHARGE! HOLD THE REST BACK!"

Willam then led the knights forward just outside the village, there was a single dirt road that led through the town and the clansmen had already positioned themselves to protect against archers, forming a shield wall.

Willam looked beyond the village to see the horde of clansmen that stood on the outskirts, their numbers vastly outnumbered their own for a raid on a village.

It was as if someone within Runestone informed them of their plans, which means one of the officers is possibly a traitor.

He pulled out Lamentation from its sheath, its steel shining against the beaming sun up above, he raised it in the air and directed it down towards the enemy "CHARGE!" Willam commanded.

He along with the other knights assaulted the shield wall, breaking it apart, and the onslaught commenced, steel clashed with stone and skin as Willem ripped apart a man's neck, the Valyrian steel cutting it cleanly.

Willam ordered the knights to disengage and allow the first group of their men-at-arms to attack, repositioning on the outskirts, Willam left the knights under the command of the most senior among them and made his way to the second group of men-at-arms.

He removed himself from his horse "How many do you count on the outskirts?" he looked to the officer, shouting as the sound of steel clashing from the village could be heard.

"They looked to double our own forces, my lord, where did they get these men? have the clans united?" the officer told him.

"Questions for another day, Ser, the first group will make quick work with the clansmen in the village, I want you to circle around the village and prepare to attack the main bulk of their forces." Willam commanded.

The officer nodded his head, his mind still racing with questions about why there is a large force of them and how they knew they were going to be here.

He looked within the village from afar as the men-at-arms made quick work of the small force of clansmen within, though it was not without casualties, the village was littered with bodies of dead.

The smell quickly took over the surrounding lands, filling it with a smell that could only be described as burning flesh.

Notes:

Hope you enjoyed the first solo Willam POV chapter, looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

If you have any recommendations for this fic, don't be afraid to let them be know :) I take all into consideration.

UP NEXT: Aerion arrives at High Tide with his father, Daemon.