Battle of the Mander

The Reach 

It was silent as Loren made the first move, reforming his army and have six lines of infantry begin a slow march towards Tyrion's while holding a shield wall. The infantry commander was Jon Cafferon, eager to avenge his defeat by Harmen and his grandchildren.

Tyrion Lannister waved and near two thousand arrows flew towards Loren's men, downing dozens but doing little as the men following the front raised their shields to deflect the arrows that hit them.

Acting quickly to Tyrion's commands, Harmen Uller rode out with a cavalry of Dornishmen whilst Obara lead a Dornish phalanx to meet Loren's vanguard while the cavalry attempts to smash the encroaching enemy's rear.

Loren waved his hand and ordered Merlon Crakehall to splinter with a charging force to intercept Harmen's fodder but Loren also let his cousin Daven take half of the reserve force and flee the field and begin the first half of their plot.

Tyrion wasn't idle, noticing a portion of Loren's personal forces retreating and crossing the Mander. He turned and nodded to Theon, the Greyjoy bid his sister farewell before taking seven-hundred to also cross the Mander. "I want you to take some men and go back to Bitterbridge, send ravens to Longtable and Cider Hall." He expected his brother to throw everything at him, not pull his punches... Something was wrong.

Asha nodded hesitantly and departed swiftly with thirty men, returning his attention back to the battle, Tyrion glared with rage at the battle as the two armies met each other.

Harmen and his force succeeded in breaking Jon Cafferon's formation, but, he was quickly encircled and trapped by Merlon.

Blood began getting spilled soon after, whether they were lion or dragon, it would color the green fields in a deep crimson red.

Daven Lannister watched the Greyjoy boy coming after him across the river, smirking at the large number that cousin Tyrion sent after him, he stopped with his men and cried for them to charge right at Theon who was stunned that Loren's splinter force that Tyrion assumed were fleeing have just flipped the board to charge at him and his men.

Theon went back to the last meeting he had with his uncle Victarion who was still sailing with the fleet at Sunspear, his uncle told him to fight like the waves crashing against a ship even if the battles were on land.

Hardening, he gripped his spear and turned to his second. "Spears and shield!" He screamed and a somewhat defensive formation began to assemble.

The clash came like a thunderbolt, horses flew and crashed to the dirt and gaps began to quickly show where men have started to die and bleed out. Daven roared in laughter and dove high on his horse, Theon didn't see it coming before he was thrown from his own horse and landed roughly onto the ground.

It reminded the man of the Whispering Wood, except this time he was on the receiving end. Grunting, getting back on his feet he picked up his spear and thrust it at the heart of a charging horse which caused the animal and its rider to flip over him and land on someone else.

The rhythm found him in moments, he took his sword and fought any who bore the Lannister colors. "I'll cut all you cunts down!" He swung and slashed one man's throat and quickly grabbed another's spear before thrusting his blade in the bastard's gut.

Daven was impressed by the Greyjoy's skills, watching him cut down men like they were but children but he wouldn't be outmatched as he used his own sword skills and cut his way towards the enemy commander.

Theon didn't see the Lannister leader until it was too late, he had just slain another warrior and turned to find a dirk in his gut. He gritted his teeth and headbutted Daven back, ripping the dagger out and using the adrenaline to charge forth but his wound seemed severe as his strength began to slowly but surely leave him.

Daven swatted and evaded Theon's swordplay, more than once scarcely avoiding a killing blow but he's noticed that his opponents begun to slow and he knew it was a matter of time.

"Die!" He ducked Theon's slash, raising his own sword upward, and cut the younger warrior's throat.

His body fell and in his mind, he dreamt of being reunited with his real family... With Lord Stark, and Robb... His King.

Daven cried out in victory as his men finished off Theon's force, then aimed his blade back across the Mander. "Come on!" He mounted back on his horse, continuing onward "For House Lannister! For King Tommen!" His men let out a war cry so loud it echoed to both Tyrion and Loren's ears.

"Archers forward!" Just so, Loren's bowmen rushed down and readied their bows and let a volley fly the sky and down on Obara's contingent which was caught unawares with Jon Cafferon's men meeting them in combat.

Harmen Uller, was directly exchanging blows with Lord Cafferon, dropping the young Lord with his greatsword and cleaving him in two. "Jon Cafferon is dead! Grandaughter, advance!" He shouted and the Sand Snake rallied despite the volley of arrows piercing her men.

The Lord of Hellholt didn't have long to celebrate, he and his cavalrymen were encircled and were getting massacred around him. "Push through! We will take Loren's head! For Tyene!" He roared and cleaved and cut down any man that came at him, inching past the center and had just gotten through with several men before an arrow lodged itself in his eye socket and hit the back of his helm.

The Targaryen's much-labored ground soon was overtaken, and a new commander reformed ranks and slaughtered the rest of the cavalry.

Tyrion eyed the battlefield, tempted to send the rest of the men in as he charged a lieutenant to hold the Mander where Daven was crossing. He had just about ordered for the full charge before he heard a horse coming behind him, he turned and saw it was Asha.

"Why are you back so quick?!" he saw that there were fifty men added to those she left with, "What's happened?!" He demanded and Asha shook her head.

"Highgarden has fallen, so has Cider Hall and Longtable. Loras Tyrell hard marched from Grassy Vale and attacked at night, Varys must've turned traitor." No, he had to have been killed, the eunuch truly believed Daenerys was the key to a peaceful Realm... He even made him want to hope again.

A raven flew over them and past the battlefield, Loren noticed this and raised his hand so it may land and when it did he opened the scroll and chuckled... Then laughed aloud, so much it unnerved his unused commanders that have yet to be put on the field. "Full advance, smash my brother's army to annihilation!" He ordered- Shouted, actually and the horns blew.

Loren leaned in, smirking with hints of mirth. "Your move, big brother, your move." He wondered quietly.

Asha asked what Tyrion wanted to do, and the Imp was so full of rage that he commanded a full charge as well. "Crush them, we need only to slay Loren then his force will crumble!" He hoped to the gods that Daenerys got any of his ravens or messages, so she could prepare for Loren.

Both hosts of forces marched closer, volleys and war cries echoing that no one could really hear each other. The clash, the blood, the carnage that turned nearly every speck of land red that it is possible that nothing will grow here for several years.

Countless men fell, Tyrion only ordered the retreat once they've lost Obara Sand and first left for Bitterbridge to collect any men but they were harried and harassed by Loren's forces despite his brother losing half of his own men, it was his hope to stage a final defense but once they came over the hill he saw Bitterbridge was already being besieged by Loras Tyrell, the Knight was even using the Queen's trebuchets.

"Where do we go, now?" He grimaced and looked back, seeing his brother's army getting closer again.

The Reach was lost, he might as well fall here than living with the shame but shook his head and ordered for a full retreat back to Dorne.

Loren wanted to pursue his brother further, but he was more interested in closing the last influence that House Targaryen holds over the Reach. "Daven, harry Tyrion's escape and kill any stragglers, even if they are highborn or surrender." He ordered and his cousin nodded but wondered what Loren means to do.

"And what about you, Lord Hand?" He was asked and he eyed his attention to Bitterbridge, to the Targaryen flag that flew from it.

"... I will let our forces rest, then begin marching North to 'aid' our allies." Daven laughed, then the army split while one chases Tyrion, the other aids in the taking of Bitterbridge where some Traitor Fossoway was defending and was soon put in the dirt with the rest of his House.

Word didn't take long to spread to the other bastions of Targaryen defense within the Reach, following the coordinated order for withdrawal by the Hand of the Queen. Some prayed that Loren would suffer severe injury, others wished an end to House Targaryen's fruitless struggle for retaking the Iron Throne, and some, were simply tired of the countless battles and battlefields, the men and women and children all murdered for the power of the nobles.

Instead of the King's authority returning to the Reach, several bands of villages simply rose up against both Tommen and Daenerys.

King's Landing 

Shireen ushered Davos inside, Tommen sat at the table while eagerly waiting for news from the front.

Had Loren died in the fighting? Or has his uncle Tyrion defeated and captured him? The young King's mind flashed back to seeing his mother and his real father on a table, being treated by the Silent Sisters for entombment.

"What have you heard, Ser Davos?" he asked the Onion Knight who handed Shireen a note passed by his sister, Myrcella.

With his Hand gone, he was able to sneak in and see his sister and tell her and her husband everything. Myrcella was enraged and angry, sympathetic towards his plight for freedom from his cage, in fact, other than Lady Margaery and Olenna his sister, and Prince Trystane has become quite open to the politics within his court.

"Loren and Tyrion clashed at the Mander, heavy losses for both but Loren became the victor and had pursued Tyrion and the majority of Daenerys forces out of the Reach besides Horn Hill." His hope was dampened by his uncle's ability to slip just short of defeat, he wished he had perished in the Riverlands when the Blackfish rebelled.

His wife continued, "Among this, a series of smallfolk villages have rebelled against both, some say a man by the name of the Gravedigger is leading them." More likely this man will die soon, he shook his head and plopped down on a nearby chair while wallowing in his despair.

There was a plan, after his uncle, Loren was defeated and the morale was low enough he was going to pull off his coup to retake his authority. He would have Margaery and Olenna executed, hold his cousin Cornelia as a ward, and bring Daenerys to the table for a peaceful resolution.

He would negotiate that the Stormlands and Dorne remain his, and the Dragon Queen would have the Crownlands and everything else.

Now that plan is in flames, just like everything else in his life since his other father was killed by that boar. He shuffled his hands together, only for Shireen to take his hand in her own and kiss him on the lips to calm him down. "I know we've only known each other for a while, but I promise, we will make it through this chaos... Together." She said to him, he nodded with a small smile as if to believe.

But he doesn't believe her, he's resigned to his fate for a long time since his uncle took control of the throne through him... A pitiful puppet.

The Riverlands 

The Tarly and Lannister hosts marched along the road, looking out to the river Trident.

Addam Marbrand's own force of six thousand joined the other eighteen thousand that consists of Tarly, Lannister, and men from the Vale that joined the crown after Petyr Baelish's death. Lord Lefford also brought with him two thousand men as well.

The Lord of Seagard was doing his duty well, finding the rest of the Brotherhood Without Banners and bringing an end to them, what did scare him was that the leader looked dead, smelled dead, and had a face that resembled Catelyn Stark.

He had also taken the Twins into his domain, what with the odd deaths of House Frey's male line, even the youngest boy was poisoned in the great hall. Addam assumed it was done by this ghostly image of Lady Stark, he aimed and place one of his lieutenants in charge of the Crossing until a Lord could be found for it.

Then marched the Northmen, he had first wanted to mount a resistance until Loren commanded him to stand down. The summit at Summerhall took place soon after, and he watched three dragons and Unsullied and Dothraki and Northmen march back up North to fight some threat from beyond the Wall.

To be honest, he was pissed and felt out of the action. "I haven't seen a battlefield since Riverrun." He had said to himself before the news came, Randyll Tarly was leading a host North and he was asked to gather men and join them.

He couldn't have been quick enough in gathering soldiers and supplies, eager to set his sword and taste steel again.

Randyll met Lord Marbrand with Lord Quenton Banefort and Lord Harrold Hardying. Addam nodded his head in respect to the two elder Lords, each of them older than he was but still, he is the new Lord Paramount of the Riverlands.

"I assume things have been going well with his Lordship?" He asked the older man, Harrold chuckled and scratched his chin.

"He hasn't taken a break since the truce began, ever the One-Eyed Lion is scheming to end his enemies." His hand twitched to his sword, not liking the rude tone coming from the new Lord of the Vale and Eyrie.

Randyll Tarly cleared his throat, "We'll need every man we can get, Lord Loren will also be joining us by the time we've reached the Neck." A rather large host went North to join another large host, mostly Wildlings that haven't fought a disciplined force since some old Stark Lord.

Addam nodded and ordered for his army to form together with their allies, then joined the other commanders of the host.

"March on! To Winterfell!"

The Wall 

The Night's Watch was bolstered with aid from Jon Snow and Mance Rayder, they thought they were prepared for the army of the dead...

They weren't prepared, not when the shrieks came, not when Edd's defenses ceased to stop the almost constant assaults and the deaths that transpired. Then the horn was blown, and a wall of ice fell and toppled where Castle Black was standing.

A figure walked out of the Haunted Forest, a frozen crown atop his head and ice blue eyes looking on to the devastation he wrought upon the living.

He's waited long enough, the Long Night comes again and this time, it will be eternal.