The Ancient Barrowlands was a vast stretch of barren hills and plains located between Winterfell and Karlin Bay in the North. The place got its name from the countless ancient burial mounds left behind by the First Men.
Three great rivers and three lakes ran through this region. Though the Barrowlands were desolate and poor, with scarce trees and harsh soil, the abundant fisheries here fed many.Besides that, Salt Spear Beach was rich in sea salt, Goldenmang Fort had its sand-gold mines, the White Hill Family possessed silver veins, while the Iron Family controlled both warhorses and iron mines from the Barrowlands.
All of this was the foundation of the Dustin Family's confidence—what gave them the courage to ignore the authority of House Stark.Unlike the Boltons, who were besieged on all sides, Streamland and Barrowton were completely under the unified rule of Lady Barbrey Dustin and the Ryswell family.
Lady Barbrey herself came from the Ryswell family of Streamland. Over the years, with her natal family's power and her own shrewdness, she had brought all of Barrowton firmly under her control.
Streamland was famous in the North as a land of horses. The renowned Barrow steeds were bred and trained there. Most of the North's cavalry came from these lands.During the War of the Five Kings, these two families, unwilling to anger the fierce Robb Stark, reluctantly sent around five hundred horsemen south to aid the Northern army.
Outwardly, they claimed their lands were suffering from a massive horse plague, refusing to send a larger force.Truthfully, had they fully joined the southern campaign, no one could have said for certain whether the war between House Stark and House Lannister might have ended differently.
The North was full of brave, fearless warriors—especially those from the western regions. They fought like men who did not fear death itself.Many believed that the people of Barrowton were so unafraid of death because their bloodline carried a curse from the First King.
Torrhen's Square was the ancestral castle of House Tallhart, located southwest of Winterfell beside a great lake.But now, that stronghold had already fallen under the control of the Bolton Family.
When the Ironborn invaded, Benfred Tallhart, heir to Torrhen's Square, and his uncle Lambard Tallhart managed to repel the Ironborn raiders.Yet before their victory celebrations had even ended, the news of the Red Wedding arrived.
Soon after came word of the rise of the Valyrian Empire, followed by the Boltons' ascension to power.Not long after that, all the nearby "good neighbors" around Torrhen's Square swore allegiance to House Bolton.
Eventually, surrounded on all sides, Torrhen's Square had no choice but to bend the knee to the Boltons.After the Battle of Winterfell, the Boltons stationed heavy garrisons at Torrhen's Square and drove the Tallhart family out of their own home.
Facing the relentless pressure of House Bolton, the Tallharts were forced to flee in humiliation, taking refuge in a small lumber town on the edge of the Wolfwood.
Yet before they could even vent their anger, they found themselves surrounded by Mako's Imperial Army.Before Mako's overwhelming forces, Benfred Tallhart and his uncle Lambard Tallhart both knelt and swore fealty to him.
At this moment, dawn was just breaking. Mako's troops were encamped near that lumber town.When the Skinchangers reported what they'd found, Mako soon realized—he had accidentally caught a small but valuable fish!
He appointed the remaining three members of the Tallhart family as councilors of Torrhen's Square, then sent them to Winterfell for training.Mako planned to set up such governing councils in every castle—run by local nobles and knights to manage daily affairs, while all military and enforcement power would remain in the hands of his system soldiers.
Moreover, in every castle, he stationed a Child of the Forest to serve as a priest of the Old Gods, blessing the faithful.Mako had already conceived a grand plan—once this Pandora's Box was opened, it would shake the entire world's system of faith to its core.
After arranging all this, Mako led his army toward Torrhen's Square.The castle walls were built from Barrowton's distinctive blue stone, standing nearly ten meters high, with a square tower at each corner and a fortified central keep.Even from afar, anyone could tell this was an exceptionally solid fortress.
With the help of crossbowmen, Mako fired a letter of persuasion into the castle, declaring that only he was the true ruler of the North and inviting them to negotiate.
About ten minutes later, a reply was shot back from the castle—the defenders, too, were willing to hold a preliminary parley.
Soon, the gates of Torrhen's Square opened. Around twenty horsemen rode out, escorting a middle-aged man.He was of medium build, neither tall nor stout, his looks plain, clean-shaven, and nearly bald.
"Greetings, Lord Roose Bolton," Mako called out casually. "Though this is our first meeting, our enmity has long been fated. To be honest, your Bloody Hand Soldiers are quite formidable.It's a pity, though—because they met me!"
As Mako finished speaking, he waved his hand. The soldiers dragged forward three men dressed as wildling warriors.
At the executioner's command, the three unlucky men were instantly beheaded.Their severed heads rolled far, crimson blood gushing out like a fountain.
Roose Bolton's pupils shrank slightly at the sight, though his face remained emotionless. Yet deep within, waves of turmoil rose in his heart.
Those three Bloody Hand soldiers had been his spies—disguised as captured wildlings, secretly infiltrating Mako's army and following him all the way here.
"I don't know what you're implying, Lord Mako," Roose said evenly. "Do these three men have anything to do with me?"
He tried to keep his tone calm, though unease coiled within him.Then he remembered—his son had once said that this man possessed magic, the very one who had granted him strange power.
"Whether they're connected to you, I don't know," Mako said coolly. "But I do know they were my enemies—spies among my ranks."
His calm voice carried across the battlefield, echoing in every Bolton soldier's ear as though whispered beside them.
Roose quickly composed himself, and with his usual cold clarity replied:
"Lord Mako, you must understand—the Northerners are not like other folk. They dislike outsiders.As your occupation expands, your forces will grow thin. When that happens, I—with countless loyal allies—will crush you with ease."
Hearing that, Mako laughed aloud.
"Hahaha... My dear Lord Bolton, do you really believe you've ruled the North?Can't you see these people only kneel to you out of fear? You have no true authority, no real loyalty!Enough talk. Surrender to me, and I'll grant you the title Warden of the North. You have talent—great potential.Your future depends on your choice right now."
Roose's eyes gleamed. "I've come too far to return to what I once was. But tell me, Lord Mako—are you truly certain you can defeat me today?"
Their words soon lost all pretense. After a few more probing exchanges, the "negotiation" ended in failure.
Roose Bolton, weary and pale, turned his horse and rode back toward the castle.He suspected Mako had cast some sort of spell on him, leaving his body weak and his thoughts hazy.
Even so, with sheer willpower and physical strength, he managed to reach the castle.Once inside, he immediately summoned Maester Wauter of Torrhen's Square.
The old maester examined him briefly, then went to prepare a potion.Ten minutes later, Wauter returned, noting down new observations and the properties and usage of the freshly mixed draught in his small notebook.
As Roose drank the medicine, massive stones—half a meter wide—came flying from the east.
Forcing himself to ignore his discomfort, Roose barked out orders, rallying his soldiers and restoring the Bolton army's morale.
The catapults hurled stones without pause.With the King's Road now cleared and held by Mako's Imperial forces, military supplies from Skagos Island had begun flowing northward without hindrance.
As everyone's attention focused on the castle siege, a force of about three thousand Eastern Continent mercenary cavalry quietly appeared on the plains behind Mako's army.
The three Bolton generals who had escaped the Battle of Winterfell—neither slain nor captured—had returned.Thus, once again, Mako faced his "old friends."
Capo, commander of the cavalry, felt both excitement and dread.He knew how fierce and troublesome Mako's forces were—and that they also had three dragons.Even though they were still young, dragons were born symbols of destruction and death.
"Everyone, follow our plan!" Capo shouted. "Keep up constant pressure on the enemy—spread out! And remember—beware the dragons' flames!"
Boom...!
Thunderous hoofbeats and battle cries erupted as the Bolton cavalry struck from Mako's rear.
Wooooo...!
At once, Mako's side sounded the horn. The giant warriors responded instantly—heaving massive folding antlers from mammoth carts and locking them into defensive positions.
But soon, the Imperial soldiers noticed something strange: the attackers were all light cavalry, each carrying several long throwing spears on their backs.
Hearing this report, Mako immediately ordered the gryphons and his three young dragons into the air.The battlefield erupted in chaos—screams, the neighing of horses, the clash of steel.Unlike heavily armored knights, the light cavalry moved swiftly and with great agility.
Unfortunately, dragonfire wasn't as effective as hoped. Many skilled riders dodged with their expert horsemanship.Soon, the first wave of attack reached Mako's rearguard.
With no choice, Mako deployed the ballistae, combining their volleys with his crossbowmen's to barely hold the enemy in check.
After completing their attack run, the light cavalry withdrew swiftly, not lingering for a second—clearly preparing for another strike.
Their constant harassment made it impossible for Mako's siege engines to operate properly, creating endless trouble.So he sent out a detachment of his own cavalry to engage them directly.
Then Mako ordered the gryphon riders to launch a new wave of defensive assaults.Iron caltrops were scattered thick across the rear lines.
With the aid of the caltrops and the air units, the light cavalry's assault finally slowed.Seizing the moment, Mako commanded a full assault.
With dragons and gryphons dominating the skies, the siege forces completely suppressed the defenders.Four great siege towers rolled forward across the ground—but after only a hundred meters, the soft earth made progress impossible.
However, Mako had already anticipated this.Under guard, the Children of the Forest approached the siege towers.
From their small pouches, they took out strange seeds and scattered them evenly across the sunken, muddy ground.Moments later, the immense wheels began to rise as roots and vines pushed them free of the mire.
The forest children's magical talent was extraordinary. On Skagos Island, many of them had awakened unique abilities under the influence of the Spring of Vitality.
As the siege towers drew within a hundred meters of the wall, jars filled with an oily green liquid began raining down from the battlements.
When they shattered, the slick, luminous substance splattered everywhere—it looked disturbingly similar to Wildfire.
Mako's Skinchanger warriors immediately reported the danger, and he ordered his troops to fall back at once.
Moments later, volleys of fiery arrows rained from the towers.The defenders had clearly been hiding this weapon, waiting for the right time to unleash it.
"Rooooaaaar!"
The young dragon Crystal sensed Mako's anger and roared from above.Calling its two siblings, it broke away from the gryphon formation.
The three dragons soared high into the sky, circling together—then dove sharply in a spiraling descent.
Their bodies spun like whirling storms, plunging straight toward the enemy lines—ready to unleash a dragon's tornado upon the battlefield!
-------------------------
Fully Completed English PDF of this fan-fic on my Patreon shop if you want to support and own the full fan-fic in one go. Just grab the PDF and binge the entire story from start to finish!
Patreon.com/Ramzane