Three days later. The sun was just a pale bruise on the eastern horizon, and the night chill still clung to the damp grass.
The army was finally breaking up. Pinkmaiden was emptying out as the lords led their men to their new posts. Some went to garrison the border towns, others headed home to try and salvage the burnt husks of their villages before winter arrived.
Roose Bolton, having "earned" back Robb's trust with his bloody charge at the Red Fork, was sent to guard the Ruby Ford. With the river flooding, he didn't need many men to hold it, which suited him just fine. Robb, meanwhile, moved the bulk of his host to Riverrun. From there, he could support Harrenhal or the Golden Tooth in a heartbeat.
Following my advice, Robb also sent envoys to King's Landing. We had Kevan and Jaime Lannister in cages, it was time to see what Tywin was willing to pay to keep his family's blood from staining our block. If nothing else, it bought us time. Stannis and Tywin were going to hit each other soon, and we just needed to be the last ones standing.
As for me? I had my own mission.
I was taking a hundred Karstark riders and three hundred infantry to the Twins. I was officially replacing Helman Tallhart.
I knew the script. I knew that even with Theon dead, the Ironborn would still hit the North. When that happened, the Twins would be our only way home. And Walder Frey? The old man was a weasel in a silk robe. He was cunning, unreliable, and currently the only man holding the keys to the bridge.
I had spent the last few months being a high-level "nanny" to Robb Stark. I'd prevented the Red Fork disaster, I'd taken the Golden Tooth, and I'd neutralized the Ramsay Snow threat. Now, I was making myself a chess piece. I was going to sit on that bridge and make sure the "Red Wedding" never even got a rehearsal.
If everything went right, Robb would eventually marry a Frey girl, we'd march home, kick the Ironborn back into the sea, and I'd retire to my gold mines at the Golden Tooth. I might even get Robb to marry Sansa off to me as a "thank you" for saving his life every five minutes.
I've done enough, I thought, mounting my horse. I've earned my Earlship twice over.
I was just about to give the signal to march when I heard a familiar voice calling out.
"KARSTARK! WAIT!"
It was Robb. The "Young Wolf" was galloping toward me, looking like a total mess. His cloak was crooked, his collar was tucked in weird, and he looked like he'd put his boots on in the dark.
"Eddard!" he panted, pulling his horse alongside mine.
"Your Majesty? Something change?"
"No," Robb said, catching his breath. He looked at me with a rare warmth in his eyes. Over the last few months, I'd become his advisor, his Hand, and his best friend. "I just realized... you're heading to the Twins. 'Hand of the King' is a great title, but it's not a military one. If you're going to be holding the most important bridge in the world, you need a rank that commands respect."
He gave me a wink. "As of right now, you're the Commander of the River Crossing Army. Consider it a promotion. As for the pay? Well, you're getting the Golden Tooth after the war. Don't ask me for any gold dragons until then."
[Identity Change Detected. Current Status: Army Commander.]
[Troop Slots: 9 / 50]
I blinked. Fifty slots? The system just gave me enough room to build a proper elite battalion.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," I said, a genuine smile breaking through. "I'll hold that bridge. You just focus on the Lion."
"I will," Robb said. "Safe travels, Eddard."
I put my helmet on and raised my hand. "MARCH!"
Robb watched the Karstark contingent disappear into the morning mist. He felt a sudden, sharp pang of loneliness. Since the Whispering Wood, Eddard had been his shadow. The kid was a tactical genius, a brutal fighter, and he always seemed to know exactly what was going to happen next.
With Eddard at the Twins and the Blackfish at Harrenhal, Robb felt like he'd lost his two strongest pillars. He turned his horse back toward the camp, refusing the local Lord's invitation to stay in the castle. He wanted to be with his men.
A few miles away, in the Mormont camp, Dacey Mormont was crawling into her mother's tent after her night watch.
"Mother," Dacey said, sitting cross-legged. "Did you hear? Robb just named Eddard Karstark the Commander of the River Crossing. He's officially the Earl of the Golden Tooth once we win."
Maege Mormont didn't even look up from the mace she was cleaning. "I figured. The boy is the sharpest blade in this army. Robb would be a fool to let him go."
"He's not even twenty," Dacey muttered, still sounding a bit stunned.
"Age doesn't matter on a battlefield, Dacey. Look at the Young Wolf, he's sixteen and he's got Tywin Lannister running scared. The war eats the weak and polishes the strong."
Maege paused, looking at her daughter. "Honestly, if you were a bit prettier, I'd ask Robb to set up a marriage between you and Eddard. The Karstark kid is the biggest catch in the North right now. He's got gold, he's got a fortress, and he's got the King's ear."
Dacey blinked. "Wait, why 'prettier'? Isn't being a better fighter enough?"
"Ha!" Maege laughed. "I saw that boy in the Riverrun taverns. He's got very specific tastes, Dacey. He didn't look twice at a single girl there. If you don't have the face for it, you won't catch a man like that."
Dacey sighed, nodding in agreement. "Fair enough."