Rickard I – Western Shore

At four and ten Rickard Frost heir to the western shore was already a fierce and skilled warrior but still green, there had been peace in Westeros since Rickard had been a babe but that had all changed when Rhaegar Targaryen kidnapped the lady Lyanna.

Rickard had been meeting with his father's bannermen in the Rills when a raven arrived from the Pillar from his father ordering him home now that he was needed and that 'the winds were blowing against us' Rickard knew what this meant it had become his families unofficial words in times of war.

Rickard made his apologize to Lord Ryder and explained that he was needed back in the Pillar. Rickard rode with his men all whose loyalty to House Frost and Stark was unquestionable. His bastard uncle Ser Theo Snow rode as ever to his right with Jon Cuy second son of Lord Cuy to his left and Jarah Thenn heir to the lands of the western Wolfswood to the left of him

. They rode for a day and night only stopping to allow they're horses to rest, at daybreak is when they saw the walls of the Pillar one of 2 cities in all the north.

He could smell the salt air and knew that he was home; passing through the gates he could see that his people were still angry about the Lady Lyanna. The gates of the keep were opened and the yard was full of men at arms rushing about practicing drills as usual.

Maester Garth who had been the maester at the Pillar since Rickards grandfathers ruled ran over to their party with as much speed as a man of three and fifty could and told him that he was needed in his father's solar now.

Along with his uncle and the maester they made their way inside, pushing open the door of the solar he was taken aback by just how tired and small his father looked. Over four moons ago he developed a cough and it was taking him over bit by bit he was no longer the giant of a man he was when Rickard was a boy he had lost all his strength and had taken to staying abed more often than not.

In his hand he held two pieces of paper the first he could see had the Targaryen symbol on it and the Stark Direwolf on the other

. Before getting the chance to ask his father said "we've been called to bend the knee to the mad dragon son".

Maester Garth explained that a raven had came from Kings Landing ordering all lords and their heirs from the north to come south and pledge fealty once again. His uncle cursed at that saying it would be a mistake and that we'd be use as leverage to keep the north in check and we'd never return if we went.

Rickard agreed with his uncle the king was mad everyone knew it and this order only added to that. Rickard went to his father's side and asked what the raven from Winterfell said, when his father stopped coughing he explained that Rickard Stark and his heir Brandon as well as many other lords from the north would be riding south to get the lady Lyanna back and see that Rhaegar Targaryen was punished.

Lord Stark had ordered his father to prepare the western fleet and make ready for war if needed his father saying the last bit while looking into his eyes. Rickard nodded in understanding what his father needed of him.

Before responding his father broke out into one of his coughing fits, he ordered the Maester to see his father to his room and make him comfortable and come back after.

After they left he turned to his nuncle and ordered him to gather Ser Justin the commander of the guard of the Pillar, Ser Rodrick the master of arms and Captain Jeor the port master of the Pillar.

Not long after the men were gathered as well as his Friends Jon and Jarah, he had Maester Garth explain everything that he had just learned. Afterwards he ordered Captain Jeor to get a full list of all ships both war and trade currently in port and those that will be returning soon and to make sure that they are fully supplied to leave at a moment's notice.

He knew that most of the western fleet's war ships would be already ready but the trade ones would need to be fitted for war.

He tasked both Ser Justin and Ser Rodrick to make sure that all the soldiers within the city were training harder and those men from the villages outside the city walls were to be given basic training as they might well be needed.

He then turned to the aged Maester and asked if they were to march to war how many men could to put to field. He knew that his father had control over all the western shore from Sea Dragon Point to Blazewater Bay as well as control over the Rills and the western Wolfswood which allowed for him to call one of the largest armies in the north second only to the Starks.

Maester Garth thought carefully before answering and when he did it surprised even Rickard, "we can muster some eleven thousand including sailors and the guard of the pillar my lord".

Very well I want ravens sent to all my father's bannermen to prepare to be called to war I want provisions put aside and soldiers trained and ready. Jarah I want you to ride to your father the Magner and tell him that I want all the free folk to be ready and they will march under his banner when called. Nuncle I want you and Jon to take two hundred men and search any ships coming and going to kings landing and arrest anyone suspicious.

The men bowed and left to complete what they were ordered to do. Rickard hoped that if called he would do his Father and his family proud.

For three weeks there had been no news from the south about the northern lords travelling to Kings Landing. They had received ravens from all of the lords loyal to the Pillar that they were ready to march when ordered.

Jarah had sent word that his father had all the free folk clans ready and were eager to prove they're loyalties to him and his father.

His great great grandfather was proved right yet again in what many northern lords thought was stupid and dangerous in allowing thousands of free folk through the wall and let them settle on his lands. They had proved to be some of the most loyal bannerman to House Frost and its fiercest warriors.

He was brought back to the matter at hand when Captain Jeor told him how the preparations were going "we have some two and forty war ships all manned and supplied as well as three and sixty trade ships converted to use although these are not manned with soldiers yet my lord" thank you Captain you'll get men for those ships when we hear from Winterfell.

Ser Rodrick how goes the training? Before Ser Rodrick had a chance to respond Maester Garth burst into the room clutching a letter with a look of shock on his face. He passed the letter to Rodrick and read it thrice before he actually took the words in, he looked up at the men gathered they must have sensed his anger as they had worried looks on their faces.

He turned to the breathless Maester for confirmation as this was the truth and he merely nodded. Our liege lord and all those Northmen who went south with him are dead at the hands of the mad King, shock was what he saw on his men's faces followed by anger and shouts for vengeance, Maester call the Banners.