Work Text:
Sansa Stark, the eldest daughter of Lord Eddard Stark, looked at all the people in front of her.
She looked at Ser Davos the former smuggler and Hand Of the dead King Stannis, at her brother/cousin Jon the former king In The North, at Tormund Giantsbane and last but not least she looked at Queen Daenerys 'Stormborn' Targaryen, mother of dragons and queen of the Seven Kingdoms.
These are the men and women, who have all lived through more than one battle in their lives. These are the men and women, whom she should trust with her life, people she should have faith with.
But she cannot. Life had taught her a valuable lesson. While she should have faith at someone, she should not be completely dependent on them.
She had faith at Jon, she believed that he would have saved her from Ramsey and liberate the North from the treachery of the Boltons.
But Jon had nearly died in the battle and the Battle Of The Bastards would have been lost, had it not been for the timely arrival of the Knights Of The Vale.
She was a women, who had been forcefully married to a Lannister then to a Bolton, so no one will give her any credit. But all the Northern Lords knew it in their hearts, whether they deny it or not, that it was her intelligence that won them the battle.
The Lords will always say that it was Jon who won the Battle Of The Bastards, but everyone knows that had she not called the Knights Of The Vale, they would have been crushed by the Boltons.
And now as she listened to their strategy to fight the Night King, she almost cried in despair.
Did they not have any good plan? Not even one?. She didn't know the tactics of war herself, she had never been interested in it, but she knew it shouldn't be like that anyway.
So with that in mind she stormed out of the War Room, confusing others at her sudden exit
She need guidance, and only ones who can give it her, we're the Old Gods of the North.
The walk was short, Sansa quickly walked out of the Great Hall, past the now burnt Sept her late father had build for her late mother and straight through the courtyard.
After a minute of walking she finally reached the Godswood and was hit by a wave of tranquility.
Like always, it was a beautiful place, quiet and undisturbed by men. During the sack of Winterfell Ramsey and his men had looted and burnt everything, even the Library. But even they weren't mad enough to destroy the Goodswood.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breathe, before kneeling before the Heart Tree and felt herself losing in a silent prayer.
She prayed and prayed, for the gods to show her the path, to offer her guidance.
But that didn't happen, it was silent as always.
She just sighed in defeat, before standing up.
She can't be here alone, while the others ate planning, no she had to stay with everyone else.
So she left the Goodswood and headed back to the meeting room.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
She returned back to the room in silence, her eyes downcast and shoulders shagged in defeat.
The men seeing the defeated look on her face grew concerned and Jon stood up.
"Sansa" Jon asked concerned "What is it? You look pale".
Sansa shook her head, " Dont worry, it's nothing".
"It's not nothing" Daenerys said looking at her haughtily "You just left without saying anything or taking my permission" She sniffed disdainfully "You should be more responsible, Lady Sansa".
Jon flushed, hearing the arogant words of her queen/Lover, while Sansa balled her fists in anger. She never liked the Dragon Queen and the feeling was mutual.
She also felt hurt that Jon didn't defend her. Had he fallen for her queen so much, that he couldn't defend her Sister's honour in front of dozens of lords.
But before she could say anything she might regret, she heard Jon's Direwolf Ghost howling in the hallway.
"What's up with Ghost?" Arya asked Jon "Why is he howling?".
Jon's answer was cut off by another howl however, it was much higher and rougher.
Suddenly the doors flung open and two fingers stepped in.
Sansa along with her siblings and the Lannisters froze on their spot. They cannot believe who they were seeing.
The others looked on in confusion not recognising the men in front of them.
The man in the front is a handsome, youth with long curly auburn hair falling on his shoulder blades and with trimmed red beard. He was dressed in broiled leather and chainmail and he hade a huge scar on his throat. At his side was a big grey wolf the size of a pony. The wolf was striding forward almost lazily, but it's amber eyes were sharp and alight with intelligence.
Next to him stood an older man, bald, with a golden beard and whiskers like a lion. He had an unpleasant gaze in his green and gold eyes. He wore a ornate red armour with full plate and has the sigils of golden lions painted on it's front. Real ice was beating from him, as his cold eyes surveyed the room disdain fully.
"No it can't be" Jon, Theon, Arya, Ser Davos and Brienne thought in shock, while the kingslayer looked dazed. Tyrion's eyes had widened the dwarf couldn't even move. Only Daenerys and others did not seem to understand the situation.
Only Sansa seemed to have snapped out of her daze as she shouted in happiness before launching herself at the figure in the front.
"Robb" She shouted, causing Daenerys to look at the Lady Of Winterfell in confusion. She had never seen Sansa out of her perfect lady complexion, Even in the most stressful situation, so it was kind of shocking to see her acting this way, with the man.
"Even though the man is a very handsome one" Daenerys thought looking at the auburn haired youth, with a flush on her pale cheeks. She will not say it out loud but the man is more handsome than her Jon.
"Sorry, I don't think we know each other," Daenerys asked hoping to gain some answers.
"Your Grace, this is Robb Stark, the former King of the North" Tyrion said, still in shock "And this is, ah..... this is...." He stuttered before finally saying "This is Lord Tywin Lannister, my father".
"The problem is that they are both dead for a good few years" explained Davos, but he wasn't as shocked as others. He had seen dark magic when he served Stannis and he had seem the Red Women bringing Jon Snow back to life.
"Robb" Arya said looking at her long dead brother with misty eyes "How?" She asked. She had seen her brother's mutilated body, being paraded and now her brother is standing in front of him.
Robb just smiled and turned to Sansa
"We heard your prayer,Sansa" He said looking at his sister "The Old Gods heard your prayer and they have sent us to help you out". He finished and Tywin nodded.
"Wait a minute" Daenerys said pointing at Tywin "But isn't this man responsible for the deaths of my nephews Rhaenys and Aegon?" She asked angrily.
Tywin looked at her with cold eyes "Yes I did it" He said drily not at all bothered by all the angry glares of the Council "But that is in the past, let's put that aside. For the survival of mankind, I will help defend Winterfell and sit down at the same table with my former enemies and most importantly my own murderer" He said the last words directed at Tyrion causing the dwarf to shrink back in fear.
"So I expect you all to put the arguments aside until the end of the war" Tywin continued coldly. "Just as I am doing with my Killer." He said pointing at Tyrion.
Tyrion gulped but before he can speak, Arya, and Jon, lunged forward hugging their long dead brother. Bran didn't move. He just nodded at his older brother.
Robb then turned to Theon gave the him the most poisonous, cold look he could muster from his handsome features. The Iron Born heir had tears running down his cheeks but he cannot do anything but cry for the man he had once considered his brother. The same man he betrayed.
"Lord Tywin is right. Let's conclude a temporary truce" Robb said "Now tell us about our army, the army of the Others, and summarise your plan in detail"
So for the next few minutes both leaders listened silently to Jon's story about the army of the dead, about their their strength and their weaknesses.
"We have few Valyrian steel swords and quite a lot of dragon glass" Jon said "We used most of the dragon glass to make spears, lances and arrows"
"But even with that" Daenerys continued where her lover left "The problem is there are too many of them"
"How many?" Tywin asked.
"More than a hundred thousand" Tormund replied.
"Our enemy does not feel pain. Then don't need food or rest" Jon said gravelly "They do not stop. It will be very difficult to defeat them".
Robb hummed thoughtfully, looking at map of Winterfell and it's surrounding areas, before looking at the dragon queen.
"What is the size of your armies? Robb asked.
"About fourty thousand Dothraki light cavalry without proper weapons, nearly eight thousand Unsullied, about two thousand men at arms from the North and beyond the Wall, and six thousand heavy cavalry from the Vale. Most of them are armed with Lances made of dragon glass" Daenerys said "And we also have two dragons".
"And Our enemy?" Robb asked "Do they have any special units?"
"One dead dragon, at least a hundred White Walkers who are extremely fast and strong, and ordinary weapons break when in contact with them," Jon concluded.
"And dead giants," added Tormund.
Tywin frowned.
"What have I lived to see" Tywin said thoughtfully "Dragons, giants, what else? Children of the Forest?".
"You didn't live to see it," Tyrion reminded him sarcastically, but immediately gulped when the Old Lion's cold eyes turned to him in silent fury.
Tyrion wouldn't say it out loud. But for him, Tywin Lannister is more scary than the Night King.
"The children of the Forest died about six months ago" Bran added "The white Walkers killed them first".
Nobody answered.
"It will be very hard beat them in a fight, and any soldier who die in our side, will reanimate to join there's" Bran said "So the only way to defeat them is to kill the Night King, he is the one who controls them".
"If that's true, he won't even show up," said Jaime. He had been very gray since his father died.
"He will," Bran said flatly "He's coming for me. He had tried to hunt down the Three-Eyed-Raven many time"
"Why?" Sam Tarly asked "What does he want with You"
"The Long Night" Bran said softly "He knows I am the biggest threat to his plan, so he wants to get rid of me".
"That's what death is," Bran continued "Being forgotten. If we forget about our deeds and history, we will no longer be people, but animals. Your stories aren't from the books, but from your memories. And I am the memory of Past, present and future. If he wanted to destroy the human world, he would start with me, as I am the living memory".
Everybody is silent for a few moments before Tyrion asked "How will he find you?"
"He marked me. He knows where I am" Bran said simply.
He lifted the sleeve of his coat, revealing a red handprint on the skin of his forearm.
"You should hide in the crypts," Jon said. urgently.
"No" Bran replied firmly "We have to lure him out before his army destroys us. I'll wait in the Goodswood".
"You wanna be the bait?" Sansa asked horrified.
"We won't let you go alone," Arya said firmly.
"I'll stay with him. With my Iron Born" Theon volunteered "I took the castle from you. Let me watch over you".
Bran nodded.
"We'll hold the rest as long as we can," Jon added.
"Ser Davos and I will signal the fire," said Tyrion.
"Ser Davos is very good at swinging a torch himself," Daenerys protested "You'll be in the crypt"
"I fought and I can fight. At the side of brave men and women". Tyrion said.
"There are thousands of them, you are one. You fight worse than they do, but you think better" Jaime countered.
The dwarf surrendered.
"The dragons will help us in the field" said the Onion Knight.
"They can't protect Bran in the field," Jon said. "We must guard him, but at a distance for the Night King to attack. Then we'll show up".
Tyrion then looked at the last two members of the council.
"What do you think, Of our plan?" Tyrion asked the two dead men.
Robb and Tywin's gazes met. They both had the same expression of utter embarrassment about the situation.
"You haven't covered the battle strategy," Robb said looking at them wierdly "Finish it first". He said and Tywin nodded with his former enemy.
"What's there to discuss?" Daenerys asked surprised "It is already covered, the Dothraki horde will attack first. Then the Unsullied, the Northmen and the Valemen will attack. If necessary, we'll set fire to the wood piles here. Then there is the entrance to the castle and the defense there" The dragon queen finished.
Robb slapped his face in embarrassment while Tywin coughed loudly, no doubt flustered at the situation.
"Does anyone here have any idea of the word 'tactics'?" Robb asked iridiculously. Nobody answered his question. He looked at Ser Davos "Ser Davos, you have been with Stannis and have seen your fair share of battles, can you tell me what is the purpose of a cavalry charge".
Davos looked thoughtful before he answered "To rout the enemy and destroy their flanks".
"Exactly" Robb nodded "Soldiers are men and men are afraid of being trampled by horses. But the dead they are not afraid. They are not afraid of the horses, and they will not break". He said causing everyone to look horrified.
"Damm" Tormund said horrified "We are just about to make a serious mistake".
Robb shook his head before looking at them"Do you all know why I won every battle I've fought?" He asked "At Riverrun, I only had five thousand men, but I defeated an army of 15,000. I was outnumbered three to one, but I still won do you know why".
Nobody answered his question, so he said "Because I had a good plan and I utilised my army's capability in there full potential".
"You have an enormous army with an equally enormous potential" Tywin continued where his rival left of "But this lack of thinking will do you down" The Old Lion finished. He was embarrassed at his sons lack of thinking.
"At ten years old, I can better set up my cavalry" Tywin thought in disgust.
"So what should we do" Daenerys asked eagerly, looking at the handsome man in front if her.
"The Dothraki are light cavalry" Robb said "They are meant for quick lightning strikes, so place them at the flanks. Let them circle the enemy while they can. They can chop to the edges and drive away all the while harrassing the enemy with arrows. This is how they work best".
"What about their weapons? How are they going to fight? Their weapons are useless against the dead" Tywin noted
"This problem will be fixed soon," Brandon said "The Red Priestess is coming here".
"What will she do?" Robb asked.
"She will set fire to all their arakhas".
"The horses won't get scared by fire" The Old Lord Lannister asked in surprise.
"They have already jumped through fire in battle. They're tough steed" Daenerys replied proudly.
This pleased Robb. He moved the pieces representing the light cavalry to the flanks. Right where it belongs.
"Next. Why are catapults facing infantry?" Said Tywin pointing at the map "This is more than idiotic". said the older of the "true commanders".
"And what are the stakes and fire in front of the infantry?" Young Wolf asked.
The old Lion took the catapult pieces and placed them behind the army.
"Better," Tywin nodded to himself" We could dig Pits surrounding Winterfell it is not too late, it will provide extra protection".
"Part of the army should be stationed permanently on the walls," Robb said "The castle can defend itself in this way for days with even a small crew. In case they break through, a large group should be stationed here. I suggest the North and vle. They know best about defending this type of fortification. First and foremost, it's the archers that count"
"Tar and oil would do well against climbing wights, too," added Tywin. "We could also fortify the surrounding hills and harras the enemy from all direction"
"Back to the battle," continued the dead King of the North, "As far as I can tell most of battle plan is made around the dragon. But what if there is low visibility You have a backup plan right. Please don't answer me" Robb immediately said as he looked at their dumbfounded faces, signifying that they don't have any back up plan.
"For the visibility, we can ask the Red Priestess for help" added Lannister. "But speaking of dragons, it's a sin not to use their full potential in battle. Let them fly over the army of the dead and burn whatever they can. That's what they are for. You will notice if the Night King shows up on a similar beast. Then both the dragons can attack him. Together".
"But what about the Wights" Daenerys asked worriedly "Many of the dead is armed with spears".
"Spears?" Robb snorted "It's embarrassing. The dragons will not be afraid by Spears. You can stab a man with a fork, but that's no reason to avoid all feasts" He said in a humourless tone before adding darkly "Believe me, I know better".
Tywin shifted awkwardly. No doubt The Young Wolf is taking about his part in organising the Red Wedding.
"What's your plan against the giants? How will we kill them? Have you prepared a special weapon" Tywin asked before sighing when they shook their heads in no.
"And now the hundred gold dragon question. Who made all those plans of the battle". Robb asked.
Jon cleared his throat, "I did".
Both Tywin and Robb looked at the son of Rhaegar Targaryen, with blank expression.
The silence was broken by a chuckle, and everyone turned to look at Tywin who was silently chuckling..
"Tyrion" Jaime said in shock "Is it a dream or my father is truly laughing?" he said, thinking if it was his nameday. Because after his mother Joanna's death he had never seen his father to laugh like that.
Tyrion shook his head in shock "Nah, it's not a dream brother".
Tywin quickly composed himself before looking at Jon "So, you are telling me that the brother of the undefeated Young Wolf made a shitty strategy like that" he drawled lazily "It looks like, my family is not the only one suffering from incompetence" he said looking at Jaime and Tyrion.
Jon flushed at the insult while Robb growled "Mind your tongue baldy".
Tywin ignored the jab of his bald head, saying "What is the structure of the command".
Daenerys cleared her throat.
"Lady Brienne was given command over the left flank, Jon is leading the North and Vale troops, Ser Jorah leads the Dothraki, and Grey Worm leads the Unsullied".
"And the whole thing? Who is the supreme commander?"
"Well me," she replied, causing Robb to shook his head.
"You're flying a dragon, in the sky, the soldiers can't hear your commands" The Young Wolf said "People need one leader. Someone that the people of the North and the Vale primarily can listen to, because they are stationed in the field" Robb remarked "There is no better candidate than me. Lord Tywin will be in command in the event of my death".
"And one last thing: Bran is guarded by the Iron Born Their weapons will work against the dead, but if the Night King or the White Walkers come. Who will join his guard?".
"Me," Arya said immediately.
"And me," said the Hound.
"And me too" added Beric Dondarrion.
The two dead leaders nodded.
"Where will the women and children go?" Robb asked the last question.
"In the crypts," Sansa replied.
"You said the Night King can reanimate the dead" Tywin said in irritation "What if the dead in the tombs rise? Really, no one has thought of that?" The Old Lion said indignantly. His own children turned out to be complete idiots!
"Those who cannot fight should have been sent to Moat Cailin, it could have been our last line of defence if the battle is lost" Robb sighed "But it's too late now".
"We can keep them in the dungeons" Tywin suggested.
Sansa smiled as she saw her prayer being answered. She didn't thought that the Old Gods will help her is such way. But she was thankful for it, as she watched the two dead commanders now only discussing further plans. They ignored the rest completely. It was the first time that the two enemies had united, thanks solely to the stupidity of families and the rest of the world.
-----------------------------------------------------------------