Once the situation was secure, the servants immediately carried Great Lord Hoster, still lying on his low bed, across the drawbridge from the ruins of the Lannisters' western camp. The reinforcements had already made free use of the Lannisters' warm red tents. Letting them go to waste would have been a pity. Now those prisoners could enjoy the same treatment Edmure and the others had received. The situation had completely reversed.
Although Gendry strictly forbade the abuse and killing of prisoners, prisoners were still prisoners, and their treatment had dropped sharply.
Gendry, Anguy, Ser Barristan, Ser Edmure, Bronze Jon, Lord Tytos, Lord Jason Mallister, Lord Jack Crabb, Ser Bogus, and the others followed close behind, bringing several squires with them as they entered Riverrun.
Riverrun's sandstone walls rose straight from the water. The battlements were lined with crenellations and arrow slits, and the towers could cover the far bank with fire. Soldiers and townsfolk crowded the sandstone walls, shouting their names and crying out, "Long live the Storm!" "Long live the Breaker!"
The banner of House Tully flew from every bastion of Riverrun, a leaping silver trout on a rippling red and blue field. Gendry held his great double-pronged helm in his arms and savored the stirring moment.
"Under normal circumstances, Riverrun's stores can feed men and horses for as long as two years. More than two hundred men to defend Riverrun is excessive," Lord Tytos said to Gendry as they crossed the drawbridge.
Gendry nodded. Riverrun did not quite match its status as the seat of the Great Lord of the Riverlands. It felt somewhat modest, nowhere near architectural wonders like the Eyrie, Casterly Rock, or Storm's End, and even within the Riverlands it could not compare to Harrenhal. Its grandeur and majesty were not enough to overawe the lords, but it was still, at the very least, a small and beautiful strong castle.
The towering sandstone walls loomed overhead as they passed through the lower courtyard, where Petyr and Brandon Stark had once fought over Catelyn. Ser Edmure pushed open a door guarded by two sentries wearing fish-patterned helms, and they arrived at the keep.
Like Riverrun itself, the keep was built in a triangular shape. The servants carefully supported the elderly Great Lord Hoster as everyone climbed the spiral stair.
Great Lord Hoster was carried into his study, which was triangular as well. On the eastern side jutted a stone balcony like the prow of some enormous sandstone ship. From there, Great Lord Hoster could take in his walls, his towers, and the meeting of the rivers beyond. His bed had already been moved out onto the balcony. He liked to bask in the sun and watch the river scenery.
The study was now filled with the most important figures in Riverrun, ensuring the meeting remained absolutely secret. Present were Great Lord Hoster and his son, Gendry, Ser Barristan, Lord Tytos, Lord Jason of Seagard, Bronze Yohn of the Vale, Lord Jason of Crackclaw Point, and Ser Boggs.
"Please forgive me. I truly am rather old," Great Lord Hoster said. "I have to trouble all of you to suffer along with this old man."
"I'll fetch a Maester for you, Father!" Ser Edmure cried out through his tears.
A fresh burst of agony struck, and Hoster's face turned even paler, as though the crab had returned, its claws clamping down on every part of his body. "No hurry, no hurry. Master Vyman used to mix dreamwine for me, and milk of the poppy as well... so I slept a great deal... but now I must stay awake. I must see things clearly."
"Come here, my child. I need to write some letters," Great Lord Hoster said.
Ser Edmure looked at his insistent father and could only obey. The white-bearded Great Lord Hoster took up the pen with trembling hands. The writing on the page was a little shaky, but the contents were still perfectly clear.
There were three letters in all. Their contents were simple, but they carried enormous weight. The first severed ties with Lysa. The second declared the Freys rebels. The third was a letter from Riverrun requesting aid from the Freys.
"Do you understand?" Great Lord Hoster asked Ser Edmure.
"Yes." Ser Edmure nodded hard and put the letters away.
"Good. Now let my son read them. The contents of these letters must remain absolutely secret. I honor you all as knights of the Seven Kingdoms, and I ask you to protect Riverrun and my son." Great Lord Hoster nodded. "I wrote them while fully awake and clear-minded. There is not the slightest falsehood in them. If my mind grows muddled later, these three letters are to be taken as the truth."
The men all nodded. Judging from the state of Hoster's head, it might not be long before confusion overtook him. In a way, this was also a final act of entrusting his son to them.
"Begin, Edmure," Great Lord Hoster said, breathing in great, ragged pulls.
"The first letter," Edmure began, his voice thick with tears. "My daughter, Lysa Tully, has behaved perversely since childhood. After reaching adulthood, she became even less willing to observe the proper conduct of a noble lady, disgracing our House and shaming our family's honor. From this day forth, all parental ties are severed. Family, Duty, Honor. As her liege lord and her father, I am deeply ashamed. Before the Old Gods and the New, I hereby sever the bond between father and daughter and banish Lysa forever from House Tully."
In truth, the lords of the Trident had long resented Lysa Arryn for refusing to aid the Riverlands.
The North was bitterly cold, and raising men and recruiting soldiers took time. But the Vale was stronger and much closer, with its famed cavalry. Yet because of Lady Lysa's command, they had not sent a single man, and simply stood by while the Riverlands burned and its people were slaughtered. It was enough to fill anyone with rage.
"My çlord, if you do this, we will completely alienate Lady Lysa. We still need the Vale's support now. Shouldn't you reconsider?" Lord Tytos said, staring in shock. This kind of swift and ruthless resolve did not seem like Lord Hoster at all.
Anger was one thing, but for father and daughter to break completely was no small matter, especially in the middle of a war like this.
"Enough... Lord Tytos, this is my order, my will. I am not discussing it with you. Since Edmure cannot do this, then let me be the villain. As for my daughter, I see her more clearly now. Her tragedy may once have been my fault. Now, she can only blame herself!" Lord Hoster roared in fury, leaving Lord Tytos silent and sullen.
Ser Edmure stepped forward and tried to calm his enraged father.
"Call him. Call your uncle back. I want to see him."
"Yes."
Lord Jason and the others said nothing more. This was a matter between the Vale and the Riverlands, and even more than that, it was House Tully's family business. Since Great Lord Hoster was being so decisive, it could only mean that Lady Lysa was now seen as a complete liability.
"Lysa, that mad woman, damn her," Bronze Yohn thought, his face turning livid. Many Vale knights were furious over Lady Lysa's immovable stance. After all, the Vale and the North had a long tradition of marriage ties. Now there were already all sorts of rumors surrounding Lord Jon's sudden death, and Lysa's unusual relationship with Littlefinger. If even Great Lord Hoster was taking this position today, then things were even worse than he had imagined.
"Now for the second letter, regarding House Frey. House Frey has refused the summons of its liege lord. Walder Frey has broken sacred vows, scorned the dignity of his liege lord, repeatedly shown disrespect to House Tully, and colluded with House Lannister. This is rebellion. I hereby declare that I no longer recognize Frey as my bannerman, but as a traitor to the Riverlands." Edmure glanced at the frozen mood in the room, then continued with the second letter.
As for House Frey, Lord Tytos was much calmer. Gendry's order forbidding ravens and messengers from leaving almost certainly meant he intended to move against House Frey. Besides, The Twins also gripped the throat of the North's southern route, and House Frey had marriage ties with House Lannister. They were a two-faced noble house.
"Then we can head upriver and launch a surprise attack on House Frey," Lord Jason of Seagard said in support. Rivals were always happiest to see each other fall. Driving out the Freys would increase the lands and wealth of the House Mallister, and the benefits were plain to see.
"That pack of weasels squatting on the river really is a serious problem," Lord Tytos agreed. With the Riverlands in such terrible shape, Lord Walder had stayed in The Twins and refused to send troops while the Lannisters ravaged the land. Even a fool could see he was waiting to profit from the chaos, not to mention that the Freys were kin to the Lannisters as well.
"Since no one objects, then... we come to the third letter," Great Lord Hoster said, signaling for Ser Edmure to continue.
"The third is a plea for aid, also in my father's own hand. Riverrun is in grave danger, grave, grave danger. Please send troops at once to relieve us. Gratitude cannot wait, Walder Frey." Ser Edmure read it aloud.
"This is in my own handwriting. Old Frey's eyesight should still be decent enough," Great Lord Hoster added. "It may also help confuse him."
"Call the Maester, Edmure... Please, please forgive me. I am truly, truly... in too much pain. Take our guests to the hall, Edmure, and follow Prince Gendry's orders. As for how to deal with the Freys, you are no master of war," Great Lord Hoster said sadly. "I need to sleep for a while. I only hope that when I wake, I will still have the chance to see Cat and her children. Oh, and Blackfish too, my unruly brother."
"Take care of yourself, Lord Hoster," Gendry said, looking at the old man's weathered face as he took Hoster's hand. The Old Fish had spent his whole life chasing advantage, arranging glorious marriages for his daughters, only to be dragged down in his old age by these foolish children.
Edmure hurried off at once to fetch the Maester and have him bring something to ease Great Lord Hoster's pain or help him sleep.
"Please... Edmure and Riverrun," Great Lord Hoster murmured.
"Rest easy, Lord Hoster," Gendry said with a nod. Lord Hoster had helped him greatly. With Lysa Tully removed, Edmure might be somewhat useless, but he was not bad-hearted, and he could still be used.
After bidding farewell to Lord Hoster, the others went together to the great hall in House Tully's main keep.
Gendry sat in House Tully's high seat, with the others below him. Ser Barristan and Anguy stood at his left and right.
Ser Edmure stood beneath the dais, his eyes empty, as if trapped in a nightmare, still dazed and half out of his senses. By contrast, Lord Tytos and Lord Jason behind him looked far more alert.
"Have the Maester send out ravens to The Twins at once. Tell them Riverrun is in grave danger and request their aid. At the same time, tighten security inside and outside Riverrun. Watch for scouts, stop anyone from leaving, and do not allow a single word to leak out," Gendry ordered.
"Yes."
"Lord Jason, you should know The Twins' situation and defenses better than anyone," Gendry said, turning to the Lord of Seagard. After all, no one understood the enemy better than a rival.
"The Twins is easy to defend and hard to assault. Every lord here knows that," Lord Jason said. "The Twins, also called the Crossing, consists of two castles on opposite banks of the Green Fork and a stone arch bridge connecting them. The bridge is wide enough for two wagons to pass side by side, and a tower in the middle guards it. From the North to the Riverlands, this is the only crossing on the Green Fork for hundreds of miles, and it sits directly on the kingsroad from Winterfell to Riverrun."
"Then does that mean we'd have to attack The Twins from both sides?" Bronze Yohn asked.
"Not necessarily," Lord Jason said. "The Twins may be large, but four thousand men cannot all be stationed inside both castles at once. My men say the cunning Frey has set up a camp outside the eastern castle. Those troops are Sellswords, freeriders, and farmers pressed into service. The real elite, two thousand men, should all be inside the two castles. Frey would rather keep those stinking Sellswords outside than let them offend the sensibilities of House Frey. But if battle comes, he can still move all four thousand men quickly enough to defend both castles."
With a wave of his hand, he could gather four thousand soldiers. House Frey truly was a force to be reckoned with.
"How do they have so many men?" Even Bronze Yohn, who had always looked down on Walder, could not help asking.
"The Green Fork has no rival crossing, and House Frey possesses great wealth, along with vast lands and many bannermen east of the river. There are no other lords along this stretch," Ser Edmure explained. "And Frey is a cautious old fox. He has always been slow to commit in war, so his strength has suffered almost no losses."
"They may look solid enough, but Lord Walder's army is full of men who have never seen real fighting. Their combat strength may not be all that impressive," Gendry said. "Break their elite, and the rest of that rabble will melt away."
"Exactly," Ser Boggs said. "What kind of warriors are the Freys? They're just a pack of upstarts grown rich on bridge tolls."
"But breaking through those upstarts won't be easy. We'd need to attack by land and water together, or at least have someone open Frey's gates for us," Ser Barristan said.
"That's wishful thinking. Even a fool like Frey won't believe a few thousand men are just coming to visit," Lord Tytos shot back. "If we want to storm The Twins with thousands of soldiers, we'd need a strong fleet and tall siege towers. How are we supposed to put all that together in such a hurry?"
"Then we'll have to use a few tricks," Gendry said. "Lord Jason, Seagard has ships, doesn't it?"
"Yes." Lord Jason nodded. "But there's no major waterway between us and the Freys."
"As long as there are ships, that's enough." Gendry nodded.
"Letters alone won't do. Has Ser Marq, the Riverlands guerrilla leader, arrived yet?"
"Ser Piper should be here soon. Marq Piper has been harassing Lannister supply wagons. He only has fifty or sixty men under him, but he's the closest lord to us," Lord Tytos said.
"Frey will hear the news too, of course, so I'm giving Ser Marq an important task. Isn't it perfectly proper for a knight waging guerrilla war outside the castle to act as Riverrun's envoy, carrying a personal letter?"
"Well..." Lord Tytos nodded. "That does sound plausible, but fifty or sixty men still won't be enough."
"Of course they won't be enough. But don't we also have those Tyroshi Sellswords who surrendered to us? Have them come along as well. I want to meet them first."
"As you command," Lord Tytos said with a nod.
"Everyone, this is the plan. Seagard and Ser Marq both have heavy responsibilities. Seagard is the nearest castle to The Twins, and Ser Marq will serve as our envoy," Gendry said.
"Seagard is at your command," said the old but still vigorous Lord Jason.
"Good." Gendry nodded. "I need Seagard's ships moved overland to the upper river. Hauling ships across land will be difficult, but we need to make sure we have no worries behind us. I also need some fire crossbows. If things become truly desperate, we may have to force open the gates of The Twins."
"I will make the arrangements with all haste," Lord Jason said, nodding.
"And one more thing. Our envoy will go to the western castle. I think Lord Hoster's letter and Ser Marq's plea for aid will bring Walder there as well. News this important will make that old weasel positively giddy. I've heard he's over ninety, yet he's never once let go of power. His sons and grandsons make spectacles of themselves trying to win his favor." Gendry spoke calmly. To catch the ringleader, they had to lure the old weasel to the west side first.
"Mm." Lord Tytos nodded. "After all, Lord Walder did beget an army."
Everyone burst out laughing. They hated Walder not only because he was an upstart, but because his house was a mess, and the chaos of his family was reason enough on its own.
His entire plan had now been laid out. Hoster's raven would be the first to reach The Twins, while Ser Marq would lead a group there to ask for aid and serve as the insider who would help breach the castle. Gendry's main force would march to Seagard to gather men and prepare for a night assault. Meanwhile, Seagard's ships would be hauled to the banks of the Green Fork. Then, in the dead of night, the attack would begin from both sides.
"This plan is too bold," Bronze Yohn said.
"Bold, yes, but it has a chance of succeeding," Ser Barristan said. "Since we have no intention of bargaining with those loathsome Freys, we can only attack."
"Speed is everything. Take The Twins while the Westerlands are still reeling."