In the council chamber of Starpost Keep, the bronze candelabras cast a bright, flickering light over the sheepskin map spread across the long oaken table.
Arthur ran a finger slowly across the jagged line of the Red Mountains, his brow furrowed. The candlelight danced in his violet eyes, betraying the complex thoughts churning behind them.
Originally, his plan had been simple: let Ser Bard stir the pot by moving families and expanding the army. He wanted to rattle the grass to startle the snakes—to provoke the unruly wildling tribes into revealing themselves so they could be dealt with in one stroke.
He just hadn't expected that striking the grass would reveal quite this many vipers.
A cold sneer tugged at the corner of Arthur's mouth as his fingers drummed a rhythmic, unconscious beat against the table.
Better that the rot is exposed now, he thought. It's far better than having it fester in the shadows right beside us.
Bear Di, the eldest son of the chieftain Bear Ni, dropped to one knee, his voice choked with emotion. "Lord Arthur, you must bring justice for my father! You must bring justice for the Stone Bear Tribe!"
He was dressed in the standard uniform of the Mountain Corps, the seven-pointed star badge on his chest gleaming in the candlelight. The young man's eyes were webbed with red veins, and his fists were clenched so tight his knuckles had turned white. "May the Seven Hells claim every one of those traitors!"
For the past two years, the Stone Bear Tribe had been actively moving their people from the Red Mountains to settle in the Violet Gorge, leaving only a small garrison behind at their ancestral holdfast. Most of the tribesmen who moved to the Gorge had already converted to the Faith of the Seven.
Bear Di, kneeling before him, was not only a convert but a devout one. He had followed Arthur on campaigns to purge bandits from the Starfall domains and had become a backbone of the regular mountain infantry.
"Your father, Bear Ni, made outstanding contributions to the building of the Mountain Corps. The Stone Bear Tribe has always honored and obeyed the commands of Starfall," Arthur said, his quill scratching loudly across a fresh sheet of parchment. "I will uphold justice for you. You shall have your vengeance."
With a final flourish, he signed the document and stamped it with both the seal of Starfall and his personal signet.
"Gather the able-bodied men of your tribe immediately. Report to the Mountain Corps encampment for orders."
Arthur handed the parchment to Bear Di. It was a commission—and a reward for loyalty.
The document not only recognized Bear Di's right to rule the Stone Bear Tribe but also granted him a fiefdom in the Violet Gorge, the right to raise a holdfast or manor, and appointed him Commander of the Mountain Reserve Forces, under the direct command of Ser Bard.
Bear Di's hands trembled as he took the parchment. He had been educated by his father and could read. Seeing the generous terms written there, the young man was stunned into silence for a long moment before reacting. He slammed his forehead against the stone floor in a deep bow.
"My Lord... I... I do not know how to repay such a boon. I swear by the Seven, I will earn this honor in the coming war! May the Gods forever protect Starfall!"
He had come only to beg Starfall to avenge his father and to recognize his claim as chieftain. He hadn't dared to dream of a Lordship or an official command. Even the Stone Drum Tribe only held the position of Acting Castellan of Ironrock Keep, without a formal land grant.
"If you fight with valor in the battles to come," Arthur said quietly, "I will knight you myself in the Sept of Starfall, using Dawn."
Bear Di was so overcome he could barely speak. At Arthur's signal, he bowed his way out of the chamber, his steps light and his expression steely.
Arthur turned back to the men in the room. He pushed the blood-signed covenant and the intercepted letters between the Vulture Tribe and House Blackmont into the center of the table.
"You've all seen the evidence. What are your thoughts? Speak freely."
Ser Barton, who had ridden hard from Starfall, spoke first. His grey beard trembled with his words. "War is unavoidable, Arthur. We must call the banners. This is no minor rebellion."
Gerold Dayne toyed with the dagger in his hand, a hunger for battle gleaming in his eyes. "I missed the fighting two years ago. Finally, I can make up for lost time."
"Just as Gerold says," Jimmy chimed in, running his thumb along his bowstring. "My Lord, I was wounded at Beaconwatch two years ago and missed the chance to crush the Vulture King. It has always been a regret of mine. I thank the Old Gods and the New for this second chance."
Anguy, the marcher archer, nodded grimly. "I grew up in the Dornish Marches. Wildlings fear steel, not virtue. Unless you beat them into the dirt, they won't listen to a word you say."
Lothor Brune stood expressionless in the corner. The cuts on his face from the earlier skirmish had healed, leaving crisscrossing scars that made him look menacing. But when he heard Arthur mention knighthood for bravery, a fierce light ignited in his eyes. "I am at your command, My Lord. If I fight bravely... would you grant me the honor of knighthood as well?"
"I treat all men fairly," Arthur promised. The answer made Lothor's scarred face flush with anticipation.
Fat Kallen exchanged a glance with Maester Ywen. Looking at the room full of warmongers, he felt a strange sense of relief and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "If we are to fight, should we not close the port immediately and secure supplies? We'll need to commandeer all merchant vessels at Starfall Port..."
"I handled that on my way here," Ser Barton interrupted, "to ensure no whispers of our movements leaked out."
Once everyone had spoken, Arthur stood up. The candlelight stretched his shadow tall against the stone wall. He began to issue orders with cold precision.
"Maester Ywen, draft letters to call the banners. Inform them of the situation. Have them muster their levies at High Hermitage, under the command of Ser Williams for drilling and organization.
"Send word to Ser Gregor at Vulture's Roost. Tell him to watch the movements of the Red Mountain tribes. I want reports on anything that moves.
"And tell Lord Dimitri at High Hermitage to keep a close watch on House Blackmont. We need to know if they start raising their levies."
Maester Ywen's quill flew across the parchment, struggling to keep up.
"Ser Bard, you will take the Starfall household guard and the fresh levies. Muster them here at Starpost Keep for training."
"Lothor Brune, you will lead the cavalry to reinforce Vulture's Roost. Your priority is scouting and preventing small bands of wildlings from infiltrating our lines. I leave the tactics to your discretion."
"Kallen, you handled the logistics during the last war against the Vulture King. You have full authority over supplies again. I'm assigning Nick as Quartermaster to assist you. I expect you two will handle it even better this time."
Fat Kallen's round face sagged, but under Arthur's piercing gaze, he nodded heavily. War profiteering had its perks, but logistics was exhausted, thankless work.
"Gerold, you will take Jimmy, Anguy, and the new archers and men-at-arms to garrison Ironrock Keep."
With the internal dispositions set, Arthur turned to his strategy for the enemy. His voice turned as hard as iron.
"Have Ser Bard send a message to every tribal chieftain in the Red Mountains. Remind them that they have sworn oaths of fealty to me. Order them to send their sons to Ironrock Keep immediately as wards to prove their loyalty."
Arthur's finger rapped sharply against the table. "If they dare to join the Vulture Tribe's rebellion, I will destroy them root and stem. There will be no mercy for their lines."
"At the same time, make sure they know how I rewarded the Stone Bear Tribe," Arthur added, a cold smile touching his lips. "And keep spreading the word about the expansion of the Mountain Corps."
"Tell them this: Any free folk of the Red Mountains who do not wish to rebel may find sanctuary in the Violet Gorge. And tell them that any man who brings me the head of a rebel chieftain shall immediately be inducted into the regular army and granted orchards and fields in the Gorge!"
Ser Bard frowned. "And how do we handle House Blackmont?"
Arthur thought for a moment. "Write to them. Tell them that the wildlings of the Red Mountains are trying to sow discord with forged letters. Warn them not to take any actions that might cause... misunderstandings with Starfall."
As the orders were issued one by one, Starfall, which had been dormant for two years, awoke like a slumbering beast baring its fangs.
Messengers galloped out in all directions; ravens took flight from the rookery in clouds of black wings. The forges in the smithing district burned through the night, and war galleys at the port were loaded with crates and barrels.
In every corner of Starfall, the air grew heavy with the grim promise of war.