The great hall of Riverrun now felt somewhat desolate, though Gendry could still hear the soft murmur of running water.
Since the news that Riverrun had been relieved had not yet spread, the Riverlands lords had naturally not returned. Of the great lords of the Trident, only House Blackwood of Raventree Hall and House Mallister of Seagard were present.
"Taking The Twins. The plan really is a bit too bold," Lord Tytos said.
"To sit still, watch and wait, and never act until the situation is clear. That is Walder Frey's way. So we must do the opposite," Gendry said.
"We need a carefully planned assault and must capture all the Freys in one stroke," Ser Barristan agreed.
The Twins, Riverrun, and Harrenhal were all famous strongholds in the Riverlands. Harrenhal had little garrison because House Whent had fallen into decline and no longer had the will to maintain it, but The Twins were entirely different. It was a whole nest of weasels, with roughly four thousand men gathered under House Frey.
House Frey had long controlled the lands east of the Green Fork of the Trident, and with the tolls they collected, their strength was anything but ordinary.
"I once thought about talking to Lord Walder," Gendry said. "But that man cannot be trusted. Unless they smell victory, House Frey will never send troops. Counting the Battle of the Trident, this is already the second time they've arrived late. And unlike the other Riverlands lords, the Freys are kin to the Lannisters."
Old Walder was arrogant, thin-skinned, ambitious, and utterly untrustworthy, famous for his many wives and swarms of children. He held grudges deeply, and with his ties to the Lannisters, he had every reason to switch sides.
"That's true." Ser Edmure spoke sadly. "When Riverrun was raising troops, they didn't send a single man."
"We should still strike at night," Lord Jason Melisent said confidently. "The Twins may be called a castle that has never fallen, but that does not mean it cannot be done. Seagard's forces alone could never manage it, but with so many reinforcements and warriors here now, we have the strength to fight."
"If we can truly force the gates open, then attacking by land and water together is not without a chance of success," Bronze Yohn agreed.
"My lands and fields were burned to the ground by the Lannisters long ago. Let me collect some interest from them first," Lord Tytos said.
"Bring in the Sellsword captain."
The Tyroshi Sellsword leader with the blue beard entered the hall soon after. He wore splendid clothes and flashy hair, a hallmark of the Tyroshi.
His curls and beard were both a vivid, striking blue. He wore a fitted vest embroidered with medals, held soft sheepskin gloves in his hands, and carried the scent of Tyroshi pear brandy.
"Breaker, Conqueror of the Known World. It is an honor to meet you here. I am Resso. You may also call me Bluebeard." The Bluebeard Sellsword captain dropped to one knee.
"You know me?"
"Of course. Anyone who makes a living in the Narrow Sea and the Disputed Lands has heard your name. The Red Comet hangs in the sky, lighting your road ahead," Bluebeard said respectfully. "Many Sellswords have joined the Twins' Alliance, and many others cannot endure the discipline of an army. Men like me prefer making a living outside, earning gold on the edge of a blade. It is easier that way."
"Then this should be easy to discuss." Gendry looked at Resso. "But why betray the Lannisters?"
"Betray?" Bluebeard Resso spread his hands. "My lords, Sellswords love gold, but they love their lives even more. The Lannisters were already retreating after a crushing defeat. Their northern and western camps were burning. There was no reason for us to die with them. Besides, I do not have many men. With so few of us, I imagine Riverrun can spare a bit of gold. Money spends the same wherever you earn it."
Bluebeard was very frank, and that was the creed of most Sellswords. They were in it for money, after all, so there was no need to risk their necks too much. The only true military organization among them was probably the Golden Company. The Windblown and the Company of the Cat barely counted, though that savage Company of the Cat had already been wiped out by Gendry.
"How many men do you have?" Gendry asked Bluebeard.
"About three hundred, my lord," Bluebeard replied.
"Very good." Gendry nodded, and Anguy took out some gold and handed it to Bluebeard. "This is a gift for our first meeting."
"This..." Bluebeard looked at the gleaming gold, a touch of unease on his face. "My lord, do you have something you need us to do?"
"I can afford the price, and I do need your help." Gendry looked at Bluebeard. "Take a few dozen capable men and make a trip north... In any case, this mission is fairly dangerous. If you are unwilling, I will not force you. Treat that gold as a gift for our first meeting. Also, I hope word of my presence here will not leak out."
"One more question. Who will command this operation?" Bluebeard asked.
"I will," Gendry said.
"Good. If it were anyone else, we would not take this job. But if it is you, then we have complete confidence in victory," Bluebeard said. "After all, you are the undefeated famous commander of this age, a man favored by fortune. If we can say we once served the Breaker, that would be a golden signboard for us."
Ser Edmure felt deeply stifled when he heard that, but he had no way to refute it. As a knight, after suffering two humiliating defeats in a row, he likely would never be able to hold his head high again.
"I hope we work well together. Share this gold out among your brothers, and have yourselves a good meal."
"Then I won't stand on ceremony." Bluebeard thought it over, then accepted the gold. After all, this was an exchange of interests. Once they had eaten, taken the money, and made their arrangements, the dangerous mission would begin.
"But the rest of my brothers who stay behind, once I leave Riverrun, they can help defend the castle. Still, they will need proper safety guarantees and payment. My men are not cannon fodder," Bluebeard added.
"Don't worry. Lord Tytos will see that they're looked after."
Bluebeard nodded, showing that everything had been settled. He would bring the Sellswords to the camp and keep them steady. With that, the cooperation was agreed upon.
After Bluebeard left, the others began settling the final details of the operation.
The Twins stood on the Green Fork of the Trident. Lord Walder had already gathered about four thousand men there. One thousand in the eastern castle, one thousand in the western castle, and another camp to the east holding nearly two thousand weaker troops.
"As soon as Ser Marq arrives, we begin."
"Ser Marq will be here soon. He isn't far from Riverrun, and he's a clever young man," Edmure said confidently.
"Then it's settled, my lords. We stick with the night assault. Time is short, and if we take The Twins, we won't have to worry about being caught between enemies," Gendry said, rising to his feet. "Ser Marq and Bluebeard will be our bait to lure Walder into the trap."
"Lord Tytos, you and Ser Edmure will continue to handle Riverrun's defense. The Lannisters suffered heavy losses this time. Even if they want to send more men, they won't be able to do it anytime soon."
"Yes," Ser Edmure and Lord Tytos said together.
"Lord Jason, Seagard has a grave task ahead. Seagard is The Twins' nearest neighbor, and you know it better than anyone. I need you to send out more skilled men and bring scorpions capable of smashing city gates. I also need ships moved in secret, handled by men who know the water well."
"I can do it," Jason Mallister said eagerly. Seagard might boast noble blood, but in its rivalry with House Frey it held no real advantage. Seagard had done its best to expand its influence around the headwaters of the Blue Fork of the Trident and west of the Green Fork of the Trident, but House Frey held vast lands east of the Green Fork of the Trident. With their monopoly over crossing traffic, their wealth had already far surpassed Seagard's. Now that a chance had appeared to completely crush their rival, House Mallister was naturally all too eager.
"Our target is the western castle and the great bridge in the middle. As long as old Walder is in the western castle, we have a chance to break them completely," Gendry said. "My household knights, the knights of Crackclaw Point, the cavalry of the Vale, and the knights of Seagard will ride with me as the main force."
"Yes."
"As for those minor lords and the remaining troops, I've left them all at Riverrun," Gendry said to Ser Edmure and Lord Tytos. Those lesser lords and the remnants of the Trident forces had already followed Gendry through two brutal battles and were utterly spent. There was no chance they could attack The Twins as well. Better to leave them at Riverrun to go on strengthening the defense.
"Riverrun is at your command."
"Seagard is at your command."
"Raventree Hall is at your command."
"Runestone is at your command."
"Redfort is at your command."
"Gulltown is at your command."
"House Boggs is at your command."
"House Crabb is at your command."
All the participants rose one after another, removed their swords, and laid them at Gendry's feet. Then they swore together.
...
The Green Fork of the Trident near The Twins ran deep and swift. House Frey's power had spanned both banks for centuries, and they had grown rich quickly by collecting tolls from those who crossed the river. Of course, compared with ancient noble houses whose lineages stretched back a thousand years or more, House Frey could only be called an upstart. Their wealth had risen, but the old nobility still looked down on them. Just as Tywin was said to have flown into a rage when he heard that House Frey's second son had married his sister. Rumor said Tywin had slapped his father for it.
The Twins consisted of two castles standing on opposite banks of the Green Fork of the Trident, joined by a stone arch bridge. It also had towering walls, deep moats, and heavy oak gates banded with iron. The two castles were nearly identical, square, ugly, but solid.
The huge, smooth arch bridge was wide enough for two four-wheeled wagons to pass side by side, and in the middle stood a tower called the Water Tower guarding it. From its arrow slits, murder holes, and iron portcullis, the Water Tower dominated both river and road. The entrances to the bridge lay within heavily fortified inner wards, and both banks were further protected by bridgehead fortifications and iron gates.
Because of Riverrun's constant pleas for aid and the fires of war burning across the Riverlands, The Twins had long since armed itself for battle. The walls glittered everywhere with spears, swords, and great crossbows. Archers were posted at every battlement and arrow slit. The drawbridge had been raised, and the portcullis had been dropped. The gates were shut fast and barred.
"Lord Walder told us to guard against the Starks, but it's been this long and we still haven't seen a single wolf pup."
"Shut your mouth. Maybe the wolf pups will show up tonight."
Two House Frey soldiers chatted idly atop the wall. The strain of standing on constant alert day after day wore away at a soldier's spirit, and over time they had begun to slacken.
As the afternoon wore on, a party of knights finally came into view of The Twins' defenders. To the surprise of the men guarding the western castle, the first banner they saw was not House Stark's, but House Piper's.
The banner of Pinkmaiden Castle was tattered and caked with dust, and the knight carrying it looked much the same. Even so, the sigil on it, a pink maiden dancing with a white ribbon on a blue field, still made it clear these were men of House Piper. Their group included not only their own men, but also a ragged band of Sellswords.
Ser Marq had changed out of his heavy armor and helm into light scout's leathers, with a maiden sigil clasped at his cloak.
"Open the gate, Lord Walder! Save Riverrun!" Ser Marq and his men shouted at the top of their lungs. When he grew tired of shouting, Ser Marq even started cursing Walder outright.
Ser Marq shouted until his voice was hoarse, but the gate still did not open. Only after a long while, when he had nearly lost heart, did a side gate of The Twins slowly creak open. A plank was laid across the moat, and a dozen or so knights rode out toward them.
It was a sizeable party of men in blue steel ringmail with silver-gray cloaks over their shoulders, each embroidered with House Frey's twin towers. The Frey banner was raised as well, deep blue twin towers on a silver-gray field. They were led by four of Lord Walder's sons.
Every one of the Freys looked like a weasel. People did not despise them only because they were upstarts. Mostly, they really were ugly, and in a world that cared so much for appearances, that was fatal.
Ser Stevron Frey, heir to House Frey, looked at the young Ser Marq and spoke for the group. He was already over sixty, yet still only a pitiful heir. Frey's eldest son looked like an old, worn-out weasel, though at least he had some manners.
"My father sent me to ask which of you is serving as envoy."
"I am. Are you blind? I've come bearing Lord Hoster's will," Ser Marq said angrily.
"If you are willing to come into the castle and dine with my father while stating your purpose, I am sure he would be greatly honored." The old knight looked at the young man before him. He truly was in sorry shape. His father had nearly been killed by the Lannisters, his family's castle had been burned down, and now this bedraggled young man was fighting as a guerrilla in the Riverlands.
The old knight's words deeply displeased the men of House Piper and the knights who had come with them. They began cursing, arguing, and shouting all at once.
"Why should I go in? I brought all these men here, and we haven't even had one decent meal! The Lannisters nearly killed us!" Ser Marq roared in undiminished fury, making it clear he would never enter The Twins.
"If he wants to speak with us, tell him to open the gates and let all of us in to dine with him."
"Better yet, have him come out here and host Marq right here in front of both sides," Bluebeard the Sellsword suggested.
"Then please wait a moment." Ser Stevron Frey rode back into the castle, then reappeared a short time later.
"This way, all of you. Fortunately, your party is not that large, so there is room for everyone to enjoy a meal together."
When Frey welcomed Ser Marq into the hall of the western castle, he was surrounded by twenty-one living sons, thirty-six grandsons, nineteen great-grandsons, and a host of daughters, granddaughters, bastards, bastard daughters, and bastard grandchildren.
Only then did Ser Marq fully understand the saying. In all the Seven Kingdoms, Walder Frey was the only lord who could sire an army by himself.
Ser Marq was allowed onto the dais, but his filthy followers could only sit on the benches below.
Lord Walder was ninety this year, looking like a shriveled pink weasel. His head had long since gone bald and was covered in age spots, and because of his gout he could not stand without support. His newest wife was a pale, frail girl of sixteen, walking beside his litter as it was brought in. She was the eighth Lady Frey.
"Lord Walder, it has been a long time. It is an honor to see you again today," Marq said stiffly.
"Ser, I'm an old man, so spare me the sweet talk. Why are you here? Is Edmure too grand to come see me himself?" Walder said mockingly. "Oh, I know. Poor Edmure is still a prisoner."
Hot-tempered, sharp-tongued, and thoroughly ill-mannered. Ser Marq felt that Lord Walder's temper had not changed at all.
"Lord Walder, please forgive my haste. But Riverrun truly is in grave danger, and I had no choice but to come bearing Great Lord Hoster's plea."
"A plea? I seem to remember him calling me late once before." Lord Walder gave a cold laugh.
Walder's sons tried to persuade their father to stay calm and be courteous, only to be met with curses.
"I'm not dead yet! I don't need you lecturing me!" Lord Walder had no intention of giving up power in the slightest.
Walder gestured to two of his other sons. "Danwell, Whalen, help me into my chair."
They helped Lord Walder down from the litter and guided him to House Frey's high seat. It was a black oak chair whose back had been carved into the shape of two castles joined by a bridge. His young wife came over timidly and tucked a blanket over his feet.
Walder beckoned Marq forward and pressed a kiss, dry as paper, onto the knight's palm.
"There now. The courtesies are done, and I know why you've come."
"Then let us set out for Riverrun at once. You are, after all, a bannerman of House Tully," Ser Marq said anxiously.
"Of course I am. You saw all those men on the walls, didn't you? I called them all together. I mean to set out as soon as the whole force has assembled. Of course, what I mean is that I'll send my son. Ser, these old bones of mine are past the age for leading men to war." Lord Walder let out a cold chuckle, his voice somewhere between a sneer and a mutter.
"Ser, that is indeed the case," Ser Jared Frey said.
"Ser Marq, your fool of a lord had already been beaten before we ever set out. Is that supposed to be our fault? We've all heard the Kingslayer cut through Edmure like a butcher through meat. Aren't all those men who were once recruited to Riverrun running back one by one now?"
"I know your temperament," Ser Marq said. "Great Lord Hoster offers you his apology for what happened in the past. Riverrun is close to falling."
Marq took out the handwritten letter and handed it to Lord Walder.
"More wailing? Asking me to send troops? If that's all it is, I won't read it. I'm raising men here, and that takes time. I have to gather enough men before I can take action," Walder said impatiently.
"It is a personal letter from Lord Hoster," Marq stressed.
"The old Trout's wailing. Now that does sound amusing! Hahahahaha!" Walder burst out laughing. "So many years have passed. What about those two daughters of his who married into ancient noble houses? Why aren't they coming to save him instead of begging me? Not that I care. I have plenty of wives myself, and many of them are noble ladies. I even have a Lannister goodsister. Hmph."
"Now then, shall we talk? I'd quite like to see how Hoster weeps," Lord Frey said. His pink bald head mottled with age spots snapped around abruptly.
"What are you all staring at?" Walder shouted at the relatives around him. "Get out!"
"You lot too, step back," Ser Marq ordered his foul-smelling followers.