Hail to the Stag Kings

Chapter 10: Battle of Wayfarer's Rest (Part 2)

"The Talons send their regards."

Daemon froze at the sight of the barrel pointed at his brow when a loud shot rang in his ears. Someone pulled the trigger, yet he was still standing. Before anyone could respond, the now-treacherous rebel had slumped over to the ground next to the Prince. From examining the corpse, he had seen that the would-be assassin was shot in the back. Daemon's head was still throbbing, and the sound of the gunshot made it worse but was overall relieved by this miracle act.

"*Aroooo!*" the cry of a distant howl was heard.

While Clayse and the other rebel sharpshooters remained under a barrage of enemy fire, Petyr's ears perked up at the sound of an approaching mounted charge. For a moment it seemed Captain Tyler or his troops did not even notice until...

Squads of Lannister soldiers were sent flying in multiple different directions as a barrage of mortar fire came hailing down on them past the Red Fork; Tyler's gaze switch from being harassed left and right to suddenly being taken aback by the force of the impact from heavy artillery.

"What the—?! How did the rebels get mortars?!" Tyler exclaimed.

"We're getting bombarded from the forest, Captain!" shouted Lieutenant Humfrey Hill.

"Well return fire!"

"We can't, ser! Most of our artillery has been sabotaged! We can't even see which direction enemy movement is coming from!"

"DO SOMETHING, BASTARD!"

Daemon and Petyr searched the surrounding areas, with Clayse and the other rebels still firing their musket rifles and flintlock pistols at the Lannister soldiers along with local resistance fighters harassing them left and right. All was silent for a moment until the sound of horses galloping and wolves growling grew increasingly louder.

"Is that...?" Daemon wondered; his head still slightly throbbing from the warning call.

Within seconds, wolves and Stark cavalry rode past them and charged the Lannister footman; visibly spooked by the sight of wolves and northern weaponry being set loose on them. The rebels stationed at Wayfarer's Rest noticed the banners breezing through the air as each rode past them including the specialized logo beneath them—an armored grey direwolf running on an ice-white field. Petyr, however, noticed these troops. Common chain mail armor covered by leather boiled lamellar and occasional piece of steel or ironwork, these men fought more ferociously and were fiercer in addition to being highly organized and disciplined.

Rodrick Stark. "It's the Winter Wolves!" Petyr called out. "All hands! Reinforcements from the North have arrived! Let's drive these golden lions out of the Riverlands and back to Casterly Rock! On us!"

"Hooorah!" Clayse and the other rivermen hollered.

Daemon felt his mind boggle as Northmen and wolves darted across the battlefield, killing unsettled Lannister infantry soldiers before they had any time to react. Spotting Sergeant Arlen's discarded musket rifle, the Prince picked it back up and proceeded to memorize the instructions Samson gave him before they departed from Riverrun, filling it with gunpowder and a lead ball before ramming it down and filling a small amount into the pan, aimed his sights and fired—scoring a lucky hit on Lieutenant Humfrey Hill's carotid artery, rupturing the blood vessel and causing the Lannister army's second-in-command to drop to the ground in a pool of his life essence.

"Nice shot!" Emmelyne exclaimed.

Somehow Daemon felt a euphoric rush washing over him; whether it was from his recent first kill or his Baratheon genetics fueling the flow of adrenaline. Again, the Prince repeated the cycle: load, aim, shoot, reload, repeat. Over and over, instincts appeared to take over until he had to hide behind cover as the headaches kept growing stronger.