"The Twins are easy to defend and difficult to attack; this is something all of you Lords are aware of," Lord Jason said. "The Twins are also called the River Crossing, consisting of two castles located on opposite banks of the Green Fork, connected by a stone arch bridge. The arch bridge is wide enough for two four-wheeled carriages to pass side-by-side and is guarded by a tower called the River Gate Tower in the middle of the bridge. To get from the North to the Western Riverlands, this is the only crossing point on the Green Fork for hundreds of miles up and down, situated directly on the main road from Winterfell to Riverrun."
"So, that means if we attack the Twins, we'll need to advance from two sides?" Bronze Yohn asked.
"Not entirely," Lord Jason said. "Although the Twins are large, four thousand soldiers cannot all be stationed in both castles simultaneously. According to my men, the cunning Frey has placed a military camp outside the East Castle. Those soldiers are Mercenaries, Free Riders, and temporarily recruited farmers. The true elite, two thousand soldiers, should all be in the left and right castles, to prevent those foul-smelling Mercenaries from upsetting the Frey Family. However, if it comes to war, Frey can quickly defend both castles with four thousand soldiers."
Being able to gather four thousand soldiers with a mere beckoning, the Frey Family truly was a powerful force.
"How do they have so many men?" Bronze Yohn, who looked down on Walder, couldn't help but ask.
"The Green Fork has no branches, and Frey possesses vast wealth, as well as numerous vassals and lands east of the Green Fork. There are no other Lords along this river," Ser Edmure explained. "Moreover, Frey is very cunning and has always been accustomed to moving slowly in war, so his military strength has not suffered any losses."
"While these soldiers may seem numerous, Marquess Walder's army is an army that has not seen blood, so their combat effectiveness may not be very high," Gendry said. "Once the elite portion is defeated, the other disorganized rabble will scatter."
"Indeed," Ser Boros said. "What kind of warriors are the Frey? They are just a bunch of upstarts who collect tolls."
"But these upstarts are not easy to break through. We need to advance by both land and water, or at least have someone open Frey's door for us," Ser Barristan said.
"That's a pipe dream. The foolish Frey won't believe that a few thousand of us are coming to visit the castle," Count Tytos retorted. "If a few thousand soldiers were to assault the Twins, they would need a splendid fleet and tall siege towers. How can that be arranged in a hurry?"
"Then we'll need some methods," Gendry said. "Count Jason, Seagard has ships, doesn't it?"
"Hmm," Lord Jason nodded, "but there isn't a large river channel between us and Frey."
"As long as there are ships, that's enough," Gendry nodded.
"Letters alone won't suffice. Has Ser Marq, the leader of the Riverlands guerrillas, arrived yet?"
"Ser Piper will be here soon. Marq Piper has been harassing Lannister's supply convoys. Although he only has fifty or sixty men, he is the closest Lord to us," Count Tytos said.
"Frey will naturally know about this message, so I'm entrusting Ser Marq with an important task. Isn't it perfectly proper for a knight operating as a guerrilla to act as an envoy from Riverrun, carrying a personal letter?"
"This..." Count Tytos nodded. "That makes sense, but fifty or sixty men probably aren't enough."
"These men are certainly not enough, but don't we still have the Tyroshi Mercenaries who surrendered to us? Have them follow as well. I want to see them first."
"As you command," Count Tytos nodded.
"Gentlemen, our plan is as follows: Seagard, Ser Marq has a crucial responsibility. Seagard is the closest castle to the Twins, and Ser Marq is our envoy," Gendry said.
"Seagard obeys your command," the old and steadfast Lord Jason said.
"Very good," Gendry nodded. "I need Seagard's ships to be moved from land to the upstream river. Traveling by land with boats, this might be a bit difficult, but it's so we have no worries. I need some fire crossbows. In a dire situation, we will need force to break open the gates of the Twins."
"I will make all arrangements," Lord Jason nodded.
"Also, our envoy will arrive at the West Castle. I believe Lord Hoster's letter and Ser Marq's plea will draw Walder to the West Castle as well. After all, it's such important news, it will surely delight the weasel. I heard he's over ninety, but he never relinquishes power, and his descendants often make fools of themselves to curry favor with him," Gendry said. To catch the Old Man, we need to lure the old weasel to the west.
"Hmm," Count Tytos nodded, "After all, Marquess Walder has indeed sired an army."
Everyone burst into laughter. Everyone disliked Walder, not just because he was an upstart, but also because of his poor family conduct and the chaos he caused.
His plan was fully launched. Hoster's raven was the first to fly to the Twins, while Ser Marq, with some men, went to the Twins to request aid, acting as an inside man for breaking the castle. Meanwhile, Gendry's main force went to Seagard to gather men and prepare for a night raid. At the same time, Seagard's ships needed to be moved to the Green Fork riverbank. In the dead of night, they would begin a two-pronged assault on the castle.
"This plan is too daring," Bronze Yohn said.
"Although daring, there is a possibility of success," Ser Barristan said. "Since we don't want to negotiate with the detestable Frey, we can only attack."
"Speed is paramount in war. While the Westermen are disheartened, let's take the Twins."
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