Getting back

Three days later, Raizen was watching the supposed execution of Eddard Stark. Before he even started speaking. Raizen jumps to his side killing the Lannisters around but kicks the people he didn't want close to the Starks.

(an: 8 months 3 weeks aa)

PJ: "YOU!"

R: "Don't have time for a chat."

Raizen did not bother talking and put Ned on his left shoulder while Sansa was on his right. He jumps over the crowd which made some of the people who saw the impossible were left shocked. It took a few seconds before Joffrey made sense of everything.

PJ: "FOLLOW THEM! KILL THEM!"

The gold clocks and Lannister men who were still alive tried to follow them but they saw other gold clocks and Lannisters dead on the ground. They follow the carnage but stop at the Great Sept of Baelor. When the men got inside the building, they didn't even see anyone that could help the Stark's escape. After checking every inch of the building, they lost the trace of the Starks.

Back at the Red Keep, Joffrey is having his tantrum because of what happened.

PJ: "FIND THEM AND TAKE THEM ALIVE! I WILL KILL THEM MYSELF!"

While that is happening on the throne, Cersei is confronting Tyrion because she suspects him of helping the Starks.

Cersei: "You did it, didn't you?! You helped the Starks escape! You delayed his death once!"

Tyrion: "Do you know why father sends a letter to make me a temporary hand of the king? We are at war dear sister! If we kill our hostage, the northern people and their allies will directly go here at King's Landing and will kill every Lannisters inside. Have you heard one part of their army? They haven't lost yet, no dead too, which is amazing. Jaime's forces were defeated and were taken as prisoners with the rest of the lords and heirs that went with him. While father's army keeps dwindling in numbers in High Heart. The army that beat Jaime was quite amazing if we're not fighting them. I heard they dressed like a knight from head to toe and held steel shields that no calvary can break. Father only has to beat no more than sixty people but he is losing hundreds every day. So a living hostage is more valuable than a dead one. We could have sued for peace with the north so that father's army can retreat back with dignity and ransom Jaime and the others. Besides, didn't you see that he kicked me and made me fly a few feet in the air. The ceremonial armor that I was wearing got caved inside. A few inches more then I would be dead."

Cersei fumes but left his imp brother. Tyrion massages his chest because he still feels the impact from the foot. His protector, Bronn, almost died too if he didn't stop after Raizen cut his blade. With this, his neck is safe, and will not have nightmares in his sleep from now on.

It took five days of walking and evading the Lannister's eyes and even Vary's little birds before they reach the camp of Robb's army. Along the way, Raizen told Ned of what happened with the Freys, Ironborns, and the Boltons. Ned argues with him about torturing people like Robb once did but he understands that it was necessary. As for Sansa, he let her change into suitable clothing for walking. She also wanted to see his face while traveling. Raizen look at Ned and the guy just pretend to look at the horses that they have taken from King's Landing.

Ned knows that Sansa prefers Raizen more than Joffrey because he was more handsome even with a scar. That might be the reason why she was sometimes caught daydreaming.

A few moments later, the three of them are now at the tent of Robb talking about what happened in King's Landing and the war against the Lannisters. It seems that they lost a thousand men when doing the harassment.

R: "What did you do Robb?"

Ned: "What? Did something happen?"

R: "He let almost a thousand dead. I told him to harass the Lannister army as a distraction while I save you and Sansa from King's Landing. I even lend him my army. Did you know that we haven't lost a person except for the Bolton's before I come to get you?"

Robb: "I regret that it happened. The first time I did it, we lost four hundred men because the Karstark and Umbers wanted to fight the Lannisters for a longer time because they said that your army was taking all the glory."

R: "Glory?! They didn't even think that I'm keeping their men alive! Bunch of ingrates."

Robb: "I already guess that was the reason so I told them to just keep close to your army. In the second and thirty assaults, the men only suffered minor injuries but at the fourth. We were ambushed because they become more alert and well-rested."

R: "Tywin has the knowledge for this. That tactic can only go so far."

Robb: "I got a letter from one of your men in the Golden Tooth that a new army from Casterly Rock is currently marching to aid Tywin's remaining eleven thousand men. If the two meet up, their standing army will be forty-one thousand. We have less of that at the moment."

R: "We will stop the aggression. We will retreat back to the north because we already got what we came for. I will release the prisoners near Casterly Rock. Leave two thousand at Golden Tooth to occupy it, tell your uncle about that. Leave three thousand for house Tully until they can rebuild their own again. Another three thousand for the Twins to protect the north and ten thousand in Moat Cailin."

Ned: "Tywin would not let it go. He will charge the north with treason and attack it."

R: "I would be only slightly afraid of him if he has dragons. The Dorne fought them off, why can't the north. Besides, with the battle against Jaime's forces and not having any loss on our side except for the thousand, he will think twice about fighting us. He also has to deal with Stannis' and Renly's army if they don't kill each other first. Even after the fighting is over, they will have to regain the gold that they spent not including the debt of the crow."

Ned: "Six million of it."

R: "I heard your friend waste gold as if he shits it but that amount is still above what he can spend. Don't the crown has a way to earn money besides taxing people and trading?"

Ned: "Not that I am aware of. I was busy uncovering truths and finding out about the debt increasing."

R: "No matter, it does not concern us anymore. Tell your men that they will return back to the north. I already left a list of things that my men will do to make the north a better place. Like building new houses that could give warmth in winter. Building a place to get clean water for all the north. Roads for easier travels. They will teach the north new and better wines. Creating stronger and bigger ships and maybe creating one without sails."

Ned: "Without sails? How can they be carried by wind?"

R: "No wind. With the knowledge that we gathered. You can travel the seas without sails. It will also be faster. A month of travel can be cut down to within a week or less. But you will have to trade to Essos first because of our conflict with the south. Anyway, you and your people should go back first to the north."

Robb: "What would you do?"

R: "I'm going to Essos to travel. Did you think I only have fifty thousand followers? I still got fifteen thousand remaining there. I know that I didn't win the bet with Robb about Dreadfort but can I get it for my people."

Ned: "With all your contribution for the north and revealing of Roose Bolton's plan. I will grant you Dreadfort and its land."

R: "Can we change the name?"

Ned: "What name then?"

R: "Calor, it means warmth in some language. After my people are done with the place, it will be warm even in winter."

After further conversation with the two. Raizen left them and went his way towards Essos.

A few days later at Tywin's camp, the new army is now with his original army. He receives a letter from Casterly Rock that his son, Jaime, and the others that the north has taken hostage were safely released there. They say that even if they were captive, they were well fed and cleaned in the Golden Tooth. Some tried to escape but before they even left their room, they are already guarded. So they decided to quietly wait for rescue.

As for the army of the north. Six days after the escape of Eddard Stark and his daughter, their army marches back from the north while leaving a couple of men in different places. Two thousand in the Golden Tooth, three thousand with the Tullys, and three thousand at the Twins. Tywin tried sending spies to those places but only their heads came back.

The most problematic is that the army that was left behind were the soldiers that defeated Jaime's army which didn't get any loss. When they harassed his camp, they were able to kill four hundred men because one group of their army continue the fight. The second and the third only got them minor injuries because they were protected by that mysterious army. The fourth one ended with him losing two thousand men and the north with six hundred.

Even with the ambush that they did, if they didn't stop fighting then maybe they will all die there. Those mysterious armies stop when I made my men stop and the army of the north halt their advances. They respect a great deal for this army, but. If they were also part of the north, why do they look like knights from the south?

From the letters of Roose Bolten, that army is battle-hardened from Essos. Something about being the descendant from the people of the north that created a sellsword calling themselves "Company of the Rose". He would need to ask Varys about this army that came from Essos.

(an: 9 months aa)

In Dragonstine---

Stannis receive a message that Eddard Stark and his daughter escaped with the help of the masked man. Their army will be going back to the north while leaving some in Golden Tooth, Riverrun, and Twins. He heard that all the Freys were either dead or taken away by the north to the wall and the rest become workers for this "Raizen". He also got a message before that something happened to the Ironborns and now it was being occupied by the same army that was left behind. In the future, there would not be any Greyjoy rebellions after what happened.

He was holding another letter with a Stark seal on it but before he reads it, he ask the people with him at the moment.

Stannis: "What do you think that we should do?"

Davos: "Ask the Starks if we can get the help of the army that they left behind."

Stannis: "What about you, what does your lord of light say?" *looking at the woman in red*

Melisandre: "That army and its leader is a second wall against the enemy on the north."

Stannis: "Is that what you saw in the fire?"

Melisandre: "No, I had a different result. The message came from a temple from Essos. A similar message from the brotherhood without banners."

Davos: "If that message came from your temple, what result did you get?"

Melisandre: "When I tried to sacrifice a person to get a sign from the lord of light. The flame vanished after turning to white."

Stannis: "Turning into white?"

Melisandre: "Pure white"

Davos: "White... Like when used for surrender? Does your lord of light don't want to fight them?"

Melisandre: "I do not know. I only interpret what I see in the fire."

Davos: "But a message already came from one of your temples."

Melisandre: "Then do nothing to them until a new sign came from the lord of light."

Stannis opens the letter from the Starks. There is only one word written in that letter.

"NO"

Stannis: "Well, that is their answer. It seems that they know we will try to ask them."

He gave the letter to Davos then to Melisandre.

Stannis: "We would focus fighting against Renly."

Davos: "What about the Lannisters?"

Stannis: "From what I have heard, the overall outcome is that they lost against the North. He won't be a threat for a few months especially since the crown is being run by a mad bastard for a king. Renly is my immediate threat so we fight him first."

In Renly's camp---

Margaery Tyrell was being absent-minded while watching the fight in the tournament that her "husband" sponsored for his men.

Three days ago, a man with a mask came inside her tent while she prepares to sleep. She wanted to shout but her mouth was covered by the man's hand. The man took off his mask which made her shock. He thought that he is a Lannister with his blonde hair but his eyes glow slightly in the dark. It looks so beautiful that she almost got lost in it. Then she remembers that she is currently married so she tried to scream again but this time, the man block it again, with his lips. It lasted for more than a minute because she followed his lips leaving her's. When their lips finally part ways, Margaery can't erase the smiles on her face.

Margaery: "What is your name?"

The man walks out of her tent but not without leaving a message.

??: "We will see each other my rose. I will tell you then when we meet."

The man then continues his leave and Margaery tried to follow him but when she moved away from the cover to her tent. She only saw the guards in their position guarding her tent.

Back at the tournament---

Margaery only wants to know when could she meet the man again.

(an: "9 months 1 week aa)