chapter 44
Boiling the strongest wine I could find and using it to clean my wounds I sit naked outside not caring one bit about my dignity over cleaning up my wound while countless bodies lay strewn across the field around me along with the Boltons who surrendered laying face down with their hands tied behind their backs.
After my army breached the gates most of the Bolton men in the fortress were charging towards me out of the main hall but got blindsided by their charge that part of the battle saw the most blood and they had just used a battering ram on their own hall so they could not retreat behind it again after charging out so most of them chose to fight to the death.
Most of those who surrendered were those we locked in the tower fifty left in the tower I formed the shield wall around and two hundred in the other tower who never even got the chance to draw their blade as they were already barricaded in. The last fifty are the survivors of the fight.
And there is a lot to clean up, no part of my body is unmarred by the battle except for my cock and my face so I have something to be grateful for at least. As I am cleaning a rather nasty wound on top of my thigh I hear footsteps approaching and turn to see Arsa cleaned up holding a cloth.
"Your back is all grimy I can´t see the wounds properly" She wets the cloth and starts putting it to use on my back it stings but I keep focusing on the wound on my thigh.
"How many men did we lose?" I ask as she helps me
"About a hundred and fifty men on our side died, another fifty wounded"
"And the Boltons how many did they have manning the fort"
"There are about five hundred Bolton´s dead we caught three hundred prisoners but the dungeons were already full so we keep them out here"
"That´s about eight hundred men! The Bolton forces were supposed to be spread out how could there be almost a thousand manning the fort?"
"Those who surrendered said part of the main army of Roose about three hundred men came back to the fort carrying prisoners"
"So many just for a prisoner transfer?"
"Well they say these were prisoners from Robb´s army important hostages to keep the North in check"
Robb´s army I think to myself almost jumping up to march down to the dungeons but instead, I finish up cleaning my wounds I don´t want to aggravate the wound on my thigh so I ask for a crutch after I dress in light clothes from Essos, not fit for the cold but the cold never bothered me.
I ask to be escorted to the dungeon with men from Robb´s army and follow hobbling along on my crutch until we find a dungeon filled with men but there is a cell in the end holding only one man and as I start nearing the cell I start to recognize this figure both arms chained up on either side of the walls when I stand in front of the cell I speak making the figure sitting down look up at me.
"You certainly are representing your sigil I´m surprised I get to meet you, Greatjon Umber"
"Who are you?"
"Edwyn Stark" His eyes open wide as he looks up at me and starts laughing loudly.
"Hahaha, I bet Bolton never expected this when he betrayed the Starks"
"Evidently not... is it true? Is my brother dead?"
"I and my son got him out of the Twins but by then he was already hit by crossbow bolts Roose Bolton chased us down to ensure the death of Robb I held them back to at least ensure they would at least not capture the body"
"Why did they take you prisoner instead of killing you?"
"No doubt to keep the Umbers in line keep them from rebelling against the Frey´s and Boltons"
"Would it work?"
"Aye, they would not do anything to endanger my life"
"I heard you were the first to proclaim my brother King in the North, would you do the same for me."
"If you are who you say you are then you are the oldest male heir of House Stark it should be you. And it seems I am in your debt for capturing the Dreadfort and breaking me out of captivity."
"You can repay that debt Greatjon Umber I will tell you how later, first let's get you out of these shackles but since we can´t find the keys I will ask York to break the chains for you.
Then you can say which of the prisoners in the dungeons are part of the army so we can release them too," I say as I walk back out.
As I look through the food stores I´m completely shocked.
Looks like Roose Bolton also read about the siege of two years on the Dreadfort that led to their defeat because they ran out of food and prepared the fort to hold out for much longer than that. But this time his plans are to my benefit.
Once I go back out to the yard the prisoners from the dungeon are all there yelling wanting to tear the Bolton men lying face down apart but being held back but my army.
I don´t say anything just slowly on my crutch make my way over they all make way for me as I pass them the noise slowly quieting down when I reach a spot where I am in the middle of the field the Bolton men face down in front of me and the angry prisoners and my army behind me.
I turn around and "York hand me your axe, prisoners I´m told you were part of my brother's army, point out the torturers and rapers among those on the ground, Arsa you bring the men they point out to me"
The first man she brought over "I Edwyn Stark Lord of Winterfell and King of the North I condemn you raper, traitor, and torturer to death" I swung the huge axe to behead the man and did not say a word after that.
They pointed out fifty men I´m sure not even half were truly torturers but every man they pointed out I had brought to me and executed by the time I reached fifty the rest of the Bolton men were begging for mercy when no one pointed out more men.
"Next!" I yell out making Arsa look at me worried but she brings the next man anyway
When he kneels next to me with a defeated look in his eyes and stares at the ground "The Watch or the blade" I ask this time not killing him but giving him a choice he takes a moment to process what I said.
"...The Watch, the watch, thank you for your mercy my lord" he starts crying but I just ask for the next man to be brought.
About a hundred men refused to go to the Watch so they got the blade leaving about a hundred and fifty Bolton men that must be taken to the Wall I turned to my army and the prisoners there were about five hundred prisoners from Robb´s army.
"I need a hundred volunteers to escort these men to the wall and a chunk among them to join the Watch as well"
A lot offered to escort but not many offered to join the Nights Watch some of the prisoners I could tell by the dead look in their eyes were tortured and likely maimed.
By their abnormal gait some of them also had their manhood stripped, so almost all who shared that fate decided to join the Watch. I could understand why going through something like that you will need a reason to keep going and joining the Night's Watch is a good way to contribute something meaningful.