Bringing the Dawn

XXXI.

Robb Stark

The Kingsroad, 300AC

It was rare his father talked about the rebellion. Any time even a word of it popped up, Eddard had simply stared at whoever had mentioned it and the topic was immediately dropped. But the rare few times where he did talk about it, he had never once mentioned how long it took to rally troops. It had been more than a month since they had left Winterfell, and only now were they closing in on Moat Cailin which if they were heading straight there, they would've been at by the end of the week. But this couldn't happen.

First, he'd had to wait on every House that resided north of Winterfell to arrive before heading out. From there, it was a trip south west to Torrhen's Square. Flanked at his back were the Bolton's of the Dreadfort, the Umber's of Last Hearth, the Flint's of the clan of the said name, the Glover's of Deepwood Motte, the Karstark's of Karhold, and dozens of other heads of House's who held small holdfasts and some only with land but held a lot of say in the sparse Kingdom he called his home. At least he had visited Torrhen's Square a few times in his life, it being so close to Winterfell he would accompany his father there often.

Lord Helman had been pleased to accept him, already standing with a tray loaded with bread and salt as custom dictated. With his son Benfred, daughter Eddara, his brother Leobald, alongside his own sons Brandon and Beren standing beside him, all bowing their heads as a sign of respect. Whilst Robb technically wasn't the Warden of the North yet, he was the acting Warden, and a title of such garnered a lot of respect. People had not so quietly been muttering regarding his age, and he had a plan in mind to put this to rest. But it would have to wait until everyone was rallied.

It was a stupid assumption by all accounts. Them seemingly forgetting Eddard had been only a few months older than Robb when he was thrust into the Paramount position and having to travel through to rally his men to fight in the rebellion. It was a thought that passed through Robb's mind frequently, and he knew deep down that many would not take to the truth kindly that it had all been for nought. They had remained there for a little more than a week before they had mustered the strength they could, the size of the army beginning to make his mind spin in ways he never thought would've been possible. Especially knowing that they were following him.

It was a position he had been groomed for the moment he had been born. Being raised with the best education a person could get and being asked to sit in on court and meetings to soak everything up like he were a sponge. He'd like to think he was good at it, but he had also never put to the test. It was on the fourth day that Lord Ludd Whitehill had appeared, finally stirring from Highpoint. He had been annoyed about that, considering they were located further north than Winterfell and he had expected them to arrive with everyone else. No question needed to be asked in relation to that though, the Lord in question requesting his own men be as far away from the Forrester men as possible. Those two House's had been at loggerheads seemingly forever, and it was only amplified when Asher Forrester had absconded with Gwyn Whitehill leading to the elder being banished. The Whitehill's were adamant that Asher had loved her, but the Forrester's were convinced that she must've manipulated him to their side in their spat regarding the land of the Wolfswood.

Robb sighed deeply as he thought on this. There was one thing everyone could agree on, Northerner's were stubborn. Nothing would budge them in their thought processes. Whilst he had wanted to command them to get over it temporarily, that would not end up well for him, something his mother had wholly agreed with. Whilst she was still somewhat new to how the North ran, she had stated that said two House's reminded her of her fathers own struggles with Jonos Bracken and Tytos Blackwood. Hence, when they had finally left Torrhen's Square, he had agreed to Ludd's request and had him situated to the far right and Gregor had been commanded to remain near the left. Therefore planting many others between them which would hopefully help with their prickly prides.