Jason rested in his carriage, letting Jon and Kent take command. They were to count the casualties while the healers tended to the wounded.
Soon enough, Jon and Kent returned with a grim report. In the battle, fifty-nine of their men had been killed. Another one hundred and four were seriously injured, with two hundred and nineteen suffering minor wounds.
Though the lightly wounded could still fight, the cavalry of a thousand men had been reduced by more than a tenth. Leaning on his guards for support, Jason made his way to the wounded camp to offer words of comfort.
He then gave the order for the fallen to be cremated. "Keep their ashes separate," he commanded. "Write down each man's name. When we return to City, we'll see that their families are cared for."
After dealing with his own men, Jason didn't order the soldiers to loot the battlefield. Instead, he had them form up and rest. He had no interest in the spoils left by the Lannister forces. His prize was far greater. He had come south for the people—the hundreds of thousands of refugees from the Riverlands, a land ravaged by the Lannister army. The other northern lords could have the spoils.
To Jason's relief, he could see a change in his soldiers. After this battle, the once-green troops were slowly beginning to look like true warriors.
Later, as the camp settled, a messenger arrived with news. Jaime Lannister was alive. Lady Catelyn had intervened, preventing Robb from executing him on the spot. She hoped to trade the Kingslayer for her three children—Sansa, Arya, and Bran—who were held captive in King's Landing.
Robb, remembering his younger siblings, had suppressed his hatred. He agreed to imprison the Kingslayer in the dungeons of Riverrun, intending to use him as a bargaining chip.
"Sansa, Arya, and Bran… I wonder how they're doing," Jon said, his voice heavy with worry. His armor was stained with blood, and his face was etched with the exhaustion of battle.
Jason had removed his own laminar armor and was resting, sipping some water to settle his stomach. He saw the concern on Jon's face and thought for a moment.
"Don't worry," Jason said reassuringly. "As long as Robb has Jaime Lannister, Cersei and Joffrey won't dare to harm Sansa and the others. It's even possible they'll agree to a trade for all three of them."
He knew, however, that it wasn't that simple. In the original story, the Lannisters had been willing to trade Sansa for Jaime. But Lady Catelyn, desperate to have her daughters back, had foolishly released the Kingslayer on her own. That single act had forced Robb's hand, compelling him to execute Lord Karstark, one of his own generals, for killing Lannister prisoners in revenge.
Lord Karstark's fate had been an unlucky one. His sons had served as Robb's personal guard, and they had died protecting him from the Kingslayer. As a father, his desire for vengeance was understandable. But who could have predicted that Lady Catelyn would throw it all away for her children? Her actions left Lord Karstark utterly disillusioned, leading him to openly defy Robb.
Robb, fresh off a major victory, was just beginning to establish his authority among the northern lords. He couldn't let such a direct challenge to his command go unanswered. He was young and proud, and despite the counsel of others, his anger got the best of him. He personally beheaded his own general, a powerful and loyal vassal.
That act had alienated House Karstark, who withdrew their forces from the northern army and marched home, their loyalty to House Stark shattered. Even as the Ironborn raided the North, captured Winterfell, and House Bolton plotted its betrayal, the Karstarks remained on the sidelines. They stood by as the Boltons seized most of the North, not even knowing if Bran and Rickon were alive or dead.
And it was all because of Lady Catelyn's thoughtless, emotional decision.
War was not a game to be played with the heart. A commander, with the lives of thousands on his shoulders, could not afford to be ruled by emotion. To do so was to invite disaster.
Thinking of Catelyn's impending mistake, Jason knew he had to act. With Sansa and Bran—Catelyn's most beloved children—in enemy hands, it was almost certain she would try to free Jaime Lannister herself.
From a purely strategic standpoint, Jaime was immensely valuable. He was Tywin Lannister's eldest son and heir, Cersei's twin brother, and Joffrey's true father. Tywin had never hidden his intention to make Jaime the lord of Casterly Rock. With such a crucial piece on the board captured, the Lannisters should have been the desperate ones.
But Catelyn wouldn't see it that way. As a mother, her children were all that mattered. Robb likely felt the same; Eddard Stark had raised his children to love one another fiercely.
Jason agreed with the idea of a trade, but he couldn't allow Lady Catelyn to be the one to orchestrate it.
He quietly summoned Kent. "Send men to the dungeons," he ordered in a low voice. "Keep watch on the cell holding Jaime Lannister. Don't let Lady Catelyn near him. She must not be allowed to free him."
That evening, the great hall of Riverrun, the seat of House Tully, was alive with celebration. The lords of the North and the Riverlands feasted, their spirits high after the great victory. An endless stream of delicious food and strong drink flowed from the kitchens.
Of course, the victory had come at a cost. The Starks, the Umbers, the Manderlys, and the Freys had all lost men, many of whom had died protecting Robb from the Kingslayer's blade. Lord Karstark was grieving, but he was also thankful. Because Jason's cavalry had joined the fray, the Lannister army had collapsed much faster than expected. As a result, Lord Karstark had lost only one son, not the two he had lost in the original timeline. The loss of a son was a bitter pill, but for a battle-hardened lord, it was a familiar sorrow. He had other sons, and the joy of victory helped to dull the pain.
So, when Lady Catelyn proposed trading the Kingslayer for her children, Lord Karstark, though unhappy, did not object. He didn't demand the Kingslayer's immediate execution as he had before.
Everyone in the hall knew who deserved the most credit for the victory. Jason was given the seat of honor at the high table, with Robb Stark seated next to him. Flanking them were Greatjon Umber, Lord Karstark, and the other great lords of the North. On the other side sat Edmure Tully, the new Lord of Riverrun, surrounded by the lords of the Riverlands.
After this battle, everyone had seen the terrifying power of Jason's cavalry. Their long-range bows that fired with deadly speed, and their strange, layered armor and steel helmets that could turn aside both sword and arrow, left the lords in awe. They all harbored the same thought, a secret, burning desire: if only their own soldiers had such equipment.
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