The march from the Green Fork to Riverrun was a blur of mud and exhaustion.
While Tywin Lannister retreated south to Harrenhal to lick his wounds Andar took his mobile column and cut west. He did not wait for the slow infantry of Roose Bolton. He took the Iron Squad the artillery and the heavy wagons carrying the prisoner Gregor Clegane.
They moved fast. They ate in the saddle. They slept for four hours a night.
Andar knew the timing was critical. Robb Stark had taken the cavalry to ambush Jaime Lannister in the Whispering Wood. If that plan succeeded Robb would then turn to break the siege of Riverrun.
But the siege lines around Riverrun were strong. Twelve thousand Lannister men surrounded the castle split into three camps by the rivers Tumblestone and Red Fork.
If Robb attacked them it would be a messy bloody night battle.
Unless Andar got there first.
It was midnight when they crested the hill overlooking the river valley.
Below them the castle of Riverrun sat like a ship made of sandstone its walls washed by the dark rushing waters. Around it hundreds of campfires burned. The Lannister siege camps were alert but confused. They had heard rumors of Jaime's defeat in the woods and panic was starting to set in.
"Deploy," Andar whispered.
He did not rush down the hill. He stayed on the high ground overlooking the North Camp.
"Unlimber the guns. Solid shot. Target the boom chain across the river."
The Lannisters had built a massive floating barrier of logs and chains across the Red Fork to prevent ships from supplying the castle. Behind it several rafts were patrolling.
"Range is eight hundred yards," Major Jory reported. "It is far My Lord."
"The elevation gives us range," Andar said. "Light the matches."
Down in the valley a horn blew.
It was a Northern horn. Robb Stark had begun his attack.
From the darkness of the woods thousands of Stark cavalrymen charged into the unprotected rear of the Lannister camps. The sounds of screaming and steel clashing drifted up the hill.
"Now," Andar ordered. "Add our voice to the choir."
"Fire!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The ten guns flashed in the night.
From the high ridge the muzzle flashes looked like lightning strikes.
The solid iron balls screamed down into the valley. They did not hit the soldiers. They hit the river.
SPLASH. CRACK.
One ball smashed into the floating boom chain. The heavy logs splintered. The iron chain snapped with a sound like a whip crack.
Another ball hit a Lannister raft filled with archers. The raft simply disintegrated sending men tumbling into the black water.
The Lannister soldiers in the North Camp froze. They were fighting off direwolves and cavalry in front of them and now thunder was raining from the sky behind them.
"They are surrounded!" a voice screamed in the dark. "It is the Black Sorcerer! He is everywhere!"
Panic which had been simmering boiled over.
The Lannister discipline broke. Men threw down their spears and dove into the river trying to swim to safety. But the current was strong and their armor dragged them down.
Andar watched through his telescope.
"Shift fire," Andar ordered calmly. "Target the siege towers."
The gunners adjusted their aim.
BOOM!
A massive wooden siege tower standing fifty feet tall near the walls of Riverrun took a direct hit. The iron ball smashed the main support beam. The tower groaned leaned slowly to the left and then collapsed in a cloud of dust and splinters crushing the tents beneath it.
Inside Riverrun the Blackfish Brynden Tully saw the destruction.
"Open the gates!" The Blackfish roared. "The Wolves are here! And they brought dragons!"
The drawbridge of Riverrun lowered. The Tully garrison charged out sandwiching the terrified Lannister army between Robb's cavalry and the castle walls.
It was a rout.
By dawn the fighting was over.
The rivers ran red with blood. The Lannister camps were burning ruins. Thousands of prisoners were being herded into makeshift pens.
Andar rode his horse down the hill. The Iron Squad marched behind him their bayonets fixed surrounding the heavy wagon that contained the Mountain.
He met Robb Stark in the ruined North Camp.
Robb was covered in mud and blood. His sword was notched. But he was smiling. He looked like a King.
"Andar!" Robb shouted riding over. He leaned down and clasped Andar's hand. "We heard the thunder! You made excellent time!"
"I try not to be late for a party My Lord," Andar said.
Robb laughed. The adrenaline of victory was high.
"We got him," Robb whispered his eyes shining. "We got the Kingslayer. He is in irons."
"And I brought you a gift as well," Andar gestured to the heavy wagon behind him.
Jory pulled the canvas back.
Gregor Clegane lay chained to the floor of the wagon. He was conscious but barely. His leg was splinted with rough wood. He glared up at them with the eyes of a trapped beast.
Robb's smile vanished. He stared at the monster.
"The Mountain," Robb breathed. "You took the Mountain alive?"
"He killed your father's men at the Mummer's Ford," Andar said. "I thought you might want to ask him about it."
Robb looked at Andar with a newfound respect. It was bordering on fear.
"Tywin Lannister?" Robb asked.
"Broken," Andar said simply. "He retreated to Harrenhal. He left three thousand men dead on the Green Fork. He will not come out to play for a long time."
A silence settled over the group. The Northern Lords Karstark Umber Glover gathered around. They looked at the cannons. They looked at the captured Mountain. They looked at the burning river.
They realized that the war had turned in a single week.
"To the castle," Robb said breaking the silence. "My grandfather Hoster Tully is dying. He will want to see this."
The Great Hall of Riverrun was joyous that night.
Ale flowed like water. The Riverlords freed from the siege toasted the Stark name until their throats were sore.
But in the war room the mood was serious.
Robb Catelyn Andar the Greatjon and Edmure Tully stood around the map table.
"We have won the battles," Catelyn said her voice cautious. "But we have not won the war. Joffrey sits on the Iron Throne. And Renly Baratheon has crowned himself King in Highgarden."
"And Stannis is brooding on Dragonstone," Edmure added. "The realm is fracturing."
"We should march on King's Landing!" The Greatjon shouted slamming his cup. "We have the Kingslayer! We have the Mountain! Tywin is hiding! Let us finish it!"
"We cannot siege King's Landing," Andar spoke up.
The room quieted. They waited for the Artificer to speak.
"Why not?" Robb asked. "You have the guns. Can you not knock down the Red Keep?"
"I can," Andar said. "But King's Landing has a population of half a million. If we siege it they starve. If we storm it thousands die. And while we are bogged down in the south the Ironborn are attacking the North."
He pointed to the map of the Stony Shore.
"I beat them back once. But Balon Greyjoy is planning a full invasion. He wants Moat Cailin. He wants Deepwood. He wants Winterfell."
Robb frowned. "So we go back?"
"No," Andar said. "We make a statement."
He looked at the gathered Lords.
"Why are we fighting? For Joffrey? No. For Renly? No. We fight because they killed Ned Stark's men and imprisoned him."
"We need a political goal," Andar said. "We need to separate ourselves from the chaos of the South."
The Greatjon stood up. He was massive drunk and fierce.
"He is right!" The Greatjon bellowed. "Why should we bow to any of them? Why should we bow to a Southern King who knows nothing of the Wall and the Winter?"
He drew his greatsword.
"The Dragons are gone! The Stags are fighting each other! The Lions are broken!"
He pointed his sword at Robb.
"There sits the only King I mean to bend my knee to!"
The room froze.
"The King in the North!" The Greatjon roared.
Maege Mormont stood up. "The King in the North!"
Rickard Karstark stood up. "The King in the North!"
They looked at Robb. Then they looked at Andar.
Andar stood slowly. He did not draw a sword. He rested his hand on his pistol.
"The South has the Iron Throne," Andar said softly. "Let them have it. It is a chair of swords that cuts everyone who sits on it."
He looked at Robb.
"We will build a new kingdom. A kingdom of iron. A kingdom of industry."
Andar knelt.
"The King in the North."
The hall erupted. Swords banged against shields. The shout was deafening.
[Quest Complete: The King in the North]
[Political Status Changed: Kingdom of the North (Independent)]
[Your Position: Hand of the King (Offer Pending) / Minister of Industry]
Robb Stark stood up. Tears were in his eyes. He looked at his mother then at his Lords.
He was a King now.
Andar watched him. He knew the tragedy that awaited in the original timeline. The betrayal. The Red Wedding.
Not this time, Andar thought. Walder Frey is terrified. The Boltons are outnumbered by my guns. And Tywin is hiding.
He touched the cold metal of his pistol.
Long live the King.
....
Author Note
Hi guys! Thank you for reading my fanfiction.
I wanted to let you know that I'm releasing bonus chapters for Power Stones. Here are the goals:
25 Power Stones: 1 Bonus Chapters
50 Power Stones: 1 Bonus Chapters
75 Power Stones: 2 Bonus Chapters
100 Power Stones: 2 Bonus Chapters
Thanks for the support!