Artys Arryn POV
"Ahhh," I let out a low cry.
I blinked. The light was irritating, but as I opened my eyes and looked around, I realized I was in my bed inside my own tent.
I felt a little pain in my stomach as I fully opened my eyes. I was also feeling a little dizzy.
Well, I thought I would die, but it seems life had other plans.
Though that shitty celestial took away the foresight of seeing danger beforehand.
But at least modern knowledge and the ability to control and talk to animals are still intact. And I would have to check the poison gift too. Am I still immune to it?
I could now be assassinated, but at least I have my birds looking around for me, so as long as Faceless Men don't come after me, I am safe. Even if they do come, I think my FBI is enough to gather intel there.
"Hello, is there anybody outside?" I shouted so that someone nearby would hear me and tell me what the fuck was happening and how long I had been unconscious.
Soon, a knight stepped into the tent. He stared at me for a moment, then his face showed relief.
"My lord, you are awake," he said with relief, as if a burden had been lifted from his shoulders.
"No, I am dead," I replied.
"Where are Lord Royce and the rest of them?"
"They are preparing to march, my lord," he replied immediately.
"March? March where?" I asked in confusion.
"The hill tribes, my lord. The scouts reported the hill tribes were gathering in the north to make their last stand. Lord Royce is leading two legions to meet them," he answered.
"While one legion will stay back to guard the camp and you," he added.
No, no, no. That's not going to happen. I need to be there.
I need to finish it.
"Help me wear my armor. I will join the march," I ordered as I got up, though I could still feel pain throughout my body. But I should go there to lead.
"But my lord," he tried to reason, "I will go and call the healers—"
"No need. Just do as I say. Help me wear my armor," I dismissed him.
POV ends.
Yohn Royce POV
"My lord, we are ready to march," I heard one of the officers of Legion IV say.
"Good, wait for the scouts to return to see if there are any enemies hiding around the camp. They should be returning soon. After that, we march," I ordered, looking at the mass of men standing in units.
"I must say, this legion system the little lord introduced is much more efficient in maintaining the chain of command," Lord Grafton said while mounting his horse.
"Yes," I sighed from exhaustion. The war has been tough on my old bones. At least it would be over now.
"But do we control anything at this point? Earlier, we used to simply call our banners and join House Arryn, but now, with this legion system, the levies and men-at-arms belong to a legion. No other kingdom has this."
My worries are justified. After all, the great houses should not control men directly. There are lords in between for a reason.
"Lord Royce, you worry too much. We are still very much in control. Look at your Legion III. It's formed by the men of Houses Egen, Coldwater, and your own house to form Legion III. You supply four thousand men while House Egen gives six hundred and House Coldwater four hundred," Lord Grafton dismissed my concern as if it did not exist.
"The entire Legion III is under you. You are, what was it called again... ah yes, the legate of the legion, while Lords Egen and Coldwater are second and third in command."
"A legion is just a way to organize men. We are still in control," he exhaled slowly after his short lecture about the legion.
I don't think so.
I looked around at Legion III and Legion IV. They were all in the same armor. Each legion had one man carry the standard, the golden falcon which was literally made of gold, while the rest of the rod was silver-coated.
All I could see were falcon banners.
I no longer saw a feudal force, but rather an army that seemed to belong entirely to House Arryn.
"Father, what are you thinking? Let's leave and crush those savages and be done with it. The scouts have returned, there are no hill tribes nearby, we can march," I heard my son, Ser Robar's voice.
"Oh, nothing," I replied as I mounted my horse. "Let's end this once and for all."
"Lord Royce, wait for me!" I heard a familiar voice from behind.
When I looked back, he was on his horse, slowly coming toward us while wearing his armor.
Seeing him like that lifted a deep burden from my heart. Jon had left him in my care, and seeing him unconscious all these days had weighed heavily on me.
"It's good to see you back," I said with a relieved smile after all the tension I had been under. But why is he here? Shouldn't he be resting?
"Little lord, you should rest instead. Leave the hill tribes to me," I suggested.
He didn't look at me but continued observing the men as they stood in their cohorts, he and his horse followed closely by the Silver Knights.
"Let's march," he said dismissively.
The thing that caught my eye was his robe. Unlike all of us, who wore blue cloaks, he wore purple.
Is he trying to suggest something or show something?
He looked around and gave a nod to Ser Lyn Corbray, who stood with the two soldiers carrying those golden standards.
"ATTENTION!" Lyn Corbray roared as the stomping of soldiers ceased and they stood still.
"Men of the Vale!
Look around you. Look at the man standing to your left and to your right. These are not strangers. These are your brothers. They have bled with you.
Many have died, and many more will die today.
BUT THOUSANDS OF YEARS OF SUFFERING WILL END TODAY. THE TERROR OF THE HILL TRIBES WILL END TODAY."
He does a good job motivating the men. I looked at my idiot son, Robar. His gaze was fixed on Artys, admiration shining brightly in his eyes.
He really is too good at convincing people.
"For a thousand years, these hills have taken our children, burned our villages, and raped our women. Today, we tell them - no more.
Today, we fight so that no Vale child will ever again hide in terror when the horns sound in the night.
Today, we fight so that our wives, mothers, and daughters no longer live in fear.
WILL YOU FOLLOW ME?" he shouted as he drew his Valyrian sword and pointed it toward the sky.
"YES!" came the response from the gathered men.
"Are you willing to follow me to death?"
No, no, no. What is he doing now?
I looked around at Legion III. There were men from my house.
"Yeahhhh!" they shouted.
I can't describe how terrified I am right now.
These are my men, yet they have such admiration for this boy. What if things go bad one day and I need them against House Arryn? Will they still follow me?
"For peace!" he shouted.
"For peace!" the men shouted back.
"I must say, he does have a way with words, convincing people to kill for peace," Lord Corbray commented.
"Not that I am complaining," he added.
"For the Vale!" many shouted.
"For family!" some shouted.
"For the butts!" I heard one shout from the side. He was a young boy in armor. Noticing my gaze, he became flustered.
For gods' sake, kids these days.
POV ends.
~~~ Valley of the Moon, Vale ~~~
Artys Arryn POV
I looked around me. The men had gathered and formed into units. On the left and right flanks were cavalry led by Ser Jasper and Ser Lyn.
"Have they responded yet?" I asked Lord Royce.
"No response so far," he replied while carefully watching the entrance of the forest in front of us.
"How long has he been gone?" I asked the old man while tightening my grip on my sword.
"An hour now," Lord Grafton interjected as he came from the other side.
"Looks like we have our answer," Lord Royce added while pointing toward the forest.
A white horse slowly came down the slope, thumping along, with a headless man tied to it.
"Ser Robar, take command of the vanguard. Hold the line. Don't try to move forward; instead, retreat slowly backward," I started giving orders. I am not risking anything now or making stupid moves.
"My lord?" he looked at me in confusion.
"Just do it. We will lure them in, and then Ser Jasper and Ser Lyn will flank them from the left and right," I explained the plan to the bronze knight.
"Not interested in charging at enemies now?" Lord Royce asked while chuckling.
"No thanks. I have learned my lesson," I replied while touching the area where I had been stabbed.
We are at a disadvantage since we are at the bottom of the valley while those savages would attack from above.
"Soldiers, move the catapults forward. They are out of range!" Lord Grafton shouted angrily at the men who were in charge of the artillery.
"The range is good," I dismissed his concern. I needed the hill tribes to come down into the valley.
"But the danger to the cavalry?" he asked.
"It is acceptable. Don't worry, Lord Royce, I have a surprise for these savages waiting in the back," I added with a smirk.
While on our way, I had ordered Fury, the one-eyed crow, to gather all the bears in the forest above the hill tribes and attack them from back.