Silver Stag

Riverrun

[Riverrun - Outskirts]

A Lannister army approached Riverrun led by Jaime and Bronn, who stopped their horses on a hill and looked out at the encampment of Freys at the foot of Riverrun.

"Pick the pace up. Keep going." One Frey man said.

"Keep it moving!" Another ordered.

"Now, that is a sorry attempt at a siege. Someone needs to teach those sad twats how to dig trenches." Bronn commented.

"Someone certainly does." Jaime looked at Bronn.

"Oh, no. Not me. I'm just an upjumped sellsword."

"You're an anointed knight. There's quite a difference."

"Aye, knights don't get paid."

"You have better instincts than any officer in the Lannister army."

"That's like saying I have a bigger cock than anyone in the Unsullied army."

"I expect to command all the Lannister forces before long. You can be the right hand I lost."

"You promised me a lordship and a castle and a highborn beauty for a wife."

"And you'll get all three. A Lannister alwys-"

"Don't say it. Don't fucking say it." Bronn interrupted, ushering his horse onwards.

Jaime and BRONN led a group of Lannister soldiers through the encampment. Some Frey men gathered around and stare at them.

Lothar Frey is standing at the foot of Riverrun, shouting up at the castle walls. BLACK WALDER is behind him, standing on a makeshift hangman's platform. EDMURE is also on the platform with a noose around his neck.

Jaime and Bronn watched them.

"Come out and fight us, Blackfish. Yield the castle or we'll hang him." Lothar Frey said.

Brynden Tully, the Blackfish, walked along Riverrun's castle wall and came to a stop in front of an arrowslit. He stared out at Lothar, Black Walder, and Edmure.

"This is your last warning. Yield the castle."

Lothar looked back at Black Walder who removed the noose and drew a knife.

"You think I won't do it, old man?" Black Walder held the knife to Edmure's neck. "I sliced your niece's throat from ear to ear. And where were you? Running and hiding like a fucking coward. Yield the castle or I cut his throat."

"Go on, then. Cut his throat." Brynden walked away.

Lothar looked at his brother and shrugged. Black Walder took the knife away from Edmure's neck, allowing some Frey men take him away.

Jaime, Bronn, and the Lannister army advanced towards Lothar and Black Walder, stopping in front of them.

"Lothar, is it?" Jaime asked.

"Ser Jaime. We didn't know you were coming."

"'Cause you didn't set up a proper perimeter. You just allowed 8,000 men to approach unchallenged."

"Good thing we're friends or we'd be fucking you in the ass right now." Bronn said, crudely.

"Have Lord Edmure bathed and fed." Jaime said.

Black Walder waved at the Frey men escorting Edmure. "Whoa, whoa."

The Frey men stopped walking, watching as Black Walder approached Jaime.

"Walder." Lothar put his hand out to stop Black Walder, but his brother pushed him away.

Black Walder walked up to Jaime.

"Edmure is a prisoner of House Frey."

Jaime looked Black Walder up and down. "Only a fool makes threats he's not prepared to carry out. Now let's say I threatened to hit you unless you shut your mouth, but you kept talking. What do you think I'd do?"

"I don't give a rat's-"

Jaime hit Black Walder across the face with his gold hand. Black Walder staggered back beside Lothar.

"I'm here by the king's command to take back this castle. Have him bathed and fed. Unless you'd like to take his place."

"Apologies, Ser Jaime." Lothar waved at the Frey men escorting Edmure. "Do as he says."

"The siege is now under my command. The next time the Blackfish looks out from those ramparts, he'll see an army at his gates, not whatever this is."

"Have your lads start digging perimeter trenches. Set pickets every hundred yards. And work double-time on those siege towers and trebuchets." Bronn ordered.

"Those are our siege towers." Black Walder said.

"As I said, the siege is under my command. If that's not to your liking, go home." Jaime said.

Lothar and Black Walder walked away as Bronn walked up behind Jaime.

"Get word to the Blackfish. I want a parley." Jaime told him.

"A parley or a fight?"

"He's an old man."

"You've got one hand. My money's on the old boy."

Jaime was on horseback, galloping through the encampment. He was accompanied by a bannerman and a regiment of foot soldiers. When he reached the bridge leading to Riverrun's castle, he dismounted his horse and walked across it. He stood at the foot of the bridge and stared down into the water.

Above, several Tully soldiers notch their crossbows and pointed them at him through arrowslits.

The drawbridge lowered. Brynden stood on the other side, accompanied by a regiment of Tully soldiers. He walked out across the drawbridge alone and approached Jaime.

"Kingslayer." Brynden greeted.

"Blackfish."

"I assume you're here to fulfill the vow you gave my niece. I don't see Sansa and Arya."

"I don't have them."

"Pity. Do you wish to resume your captivity?"

Jaime shook his head.

"Then why are you here?"

"You know why I'm here. This castle belongs to House Frey. You're trespassing. In the name of King Tommen, I order you to surrender or-"

"Or you'll kill Edmure?" Brynden walked past Jaime. "My nephew's marked for death no matter what. Hang him and be done with it."

"It won't stop with Edmure. You'll force me to storm the castle. Hundreds will die."

"Hundreds of mine. Thousands of yours. If you can breach the walls."

Jaime positioned himself beside Brynden. "We'll breach them and kill every last one of you. But if you surrender, I'll spare the lives of your men. On my honor."

"Your honor? Bargaining with oathbreakers is like building on quicksand."

"The war is over, ser. Why sacrifice living men to a lost cause?"

Brynden turned to face Jaime and walked close to him. "As long as I'm standing, the war is not over. This is my home. I was born in this castle and I'm ready to die in it. So you can either attack or try to starve us out. We have enough provisions for two yeats. Do you have two yeaes, Kingslayer?" He walked past Jaime and continued back across the drawbridge.

"You clearly have no intention of saving your men's lives. Why did you come to treat with me?"

Brynden turned back to face Jaime. "Sieges are dull. And I wanted to see you in person, get the measure of you."

"Well, now you have."

"Aye, now I have. I'm disappointed." Brynden turned around and walked back inside the castle.

The drawbridge began to close. Jaime scrunched up his face, turned around, and walked back across the bridge.