It was a calm, late evening in the Lannister camp pitched on the River Road somewhere between Lannisport and the Golden Tooth. Ser Stafford Lannister was inspecting a new batch of fresh recruits that had arrived earlier that day. To his contentment, the gathering of fresh troops went better than he had expected, and soon they were to depart for the war-torn Riverlands. Yet unbeknownst to those in the camp, their assembly was being observed by a dozen of watchful eyes, hiding in the nearby forest. The war that the fresh Lannister contingent was being prepared for was about to reach them far sooner than they might have expected. It’s the beginning of the year 299 after Aegon’s Conquest. Flocks of crows circle low over the dead littering the forest clearing in the Whispering Wood. Robb Stark’s successful ambush and subsequent capture of Ser Jaime Lannister along with dozen of the lords bannermen left the Lannister host besieging Riverrun virtually leaderless. Unsurprisingly, Robb’s next target was to maintain momentum and strike the enemy force encircling the Tully’s ancestral stronghold lying some miles, and a good few days march, to the south at the confluence of the Tumblestone and Red Fork rivers. Despite the defeat of Jaime’s contingent, the Lannister force was still considerably stronger in terms of raw numbers, than the host led by the Young Wolf. But given the particular position of the Riverrun castle, to lay a proper siege, the Lannisters had to pitch three separate camps which, with their own scouting units eliminated, were dangerously exposed to a surprise attack. And the Northmen, were perfectly aware of that. Robb Stark’s vanguard led by his great-uncle Brynden Tully struck the unsuspecting Westermen in their camp north of the Tumblestone encountering only a token resistance. The ensuing chaos alarmed the Lannister soldiers in the second camp, south of the river, who immediately rushed to prepare rafts in an attempt to aid their kin on the northern bank. The crossing was made no easier by the castle garrison which actively harassed the troops on the rafts. Eventually, at the least opportune of times for the Westermen, the sound of hundreds of hoof beats heralded another armed unit arriving on the battlefield. Robb Stark, Greatjon Umber and others entered the fray, storming the second camp from the west. All hope that the Lannister men had to push back the Blackfish’s assault had now vanished, as the Northmen obliterated those who attempted to face the attackers. Although the besiegers of the third camp managed to retreat mostly unscathed, the rest were either killed or at Stark’s mercy. In the span of less than a week, Robb Stark managed to destroy a stronger Lannister host, capture Lord Tywin’s son and relieve the most important stronghold in the Riverlands, all that with negligible casualties on his own side. Though still an inexperienced youngster, his recent deeds made it abundantly clear – Ned Stark’s heir was no less of a warrior and commander than his father. When the news of the execution of Eddard Stark reach Riverrun, Robb’s bannermen proclaim him as the King in the North, the first Stark king since Aegon’s Conquest. Hoping to gain further support, Robb sent envoys to negotiate alliances with Balon Greyjoy in the Iron Islands and Renly Baratheon in the Reach, along with sending a message to the neutral House Arryn, in the Vale. Being aware that he was not strong enough to face Lord Tywin Lannister, camping near Harrenhal, Robb offered peace terms to Queen Cersei in King’s Landing. The terms required for her to renounce all claims of dominion over the north, essentially recognising the domains of the Starks and Tullys as an independent kingdom. Moving ever forward, Robb appointed his uncle Edmure Tully with the task of guarding Riverrun, while he departed west with the Northmen. It could be seen as a surprising move, as he was expected to focus his actions within the Riverlands, but attacking Lord Tywin’s powerbase within the Westerlands was a cunning manoeuvre. Doing so would undermine his might, especially given the rumours that yet another Lannister army was being assembled roughly three days ride from Casterly Rock. Yet entering the Westerlands unhindered through the River Road was far more difficult than it seemed. The Golden Tooth, a mighty keep located in a strategic area at the border allowed the Westermen to keep a watchful eye over the nearby road preventing any unwelcome party from slipping through. The castle posed a serious challenge for the Northmen, as even if Robb Stark was able to force his way through, it would greatly diminish the surprise factor that played a decisive role in his recent victories. Luckily for the Northmen, Robb’s direwolf surprisingly discovered a previously unknown mountain path, which, though crooked and stony, was wide enough to ride single file. His men made their way around the Golden Tooth stronghold unharmed and, more importantly, unseen. Early the next day, the Young Wolf and his army planted a foothold in the Westerlands, the domain of House Lannister. Though remaining unnoticed, Robb had to tread cautiously in the hostile region. The scouting parties led by the Blackfish soon brought reports that a fresh Lannister host was indeed assembling near the village of Oxcross under the command of Ser Stafford Lannister, Lord Tywin’s brother in law. It would seem that the Lannister’s intended to replace the army lost by Jaime Lannister in the Whispering Wood and at the siege of Riverrun. Robb was aware of the threat that this posed and gave orders to prepare an attack. Ser Stafford by no account was considered a man of equal calibre to Lord Tywin, but he managed to gather thousands of fresh recruits in a short span of time, at least partially mitigating the impact of the recent losses at the hands of the Starks. The quality of his troops however, was somewhat lower. Apart from those who were able to escape the siege of Riverrun, Ser Stafford’s army consisted mostly of sellswords, freeriders and inexperienced young men from Lannisport conscripted to bolster their lost force. Stafford was aware that the bulk of his men needed training, but given the sheer number at his disposal and safe position in the heart of the Westerlands he felt confident enough to not to concern himself with patrolling the area or even posting sentries. Little did he know, that this neglect would soon carry grievous consequences. The night was cool and damp. Most of Ser Stafford’s camp were asleep, with just a few dozen still wandering aimlessly between the tents. Yet they were unable to spot the shadows moving silently around their horses, cutting the lines that held them. It was then that a bigger, grey shadow pounced from the forest-line bounding towards the horses with haste. The growl of Robb Stark’s direwolf mixed with frightened neighing as the Lannister mounts, panicked by the attack of the beast, scattered throughout the camp, trampling men, tents, and wreaking havoc. Seeing this, Ser Brynden Tully, leading Robb’s vanguard gave the signal to his riders, who up until now had waited patiently, concealed in the woods. In a matter of moments, hundreds of Northmen emerged from the forest, rushing towards the chaos stricken camp. It was a complete surprise for Ser Stafford and his officers, who virtually had no time to mount any meaningful defence to face the enemy. Still, some of the Lannister retainers managed to reach their weapons and mount horses, but there was little to prevent the slaughter. The death toll on the Lannister side rose quickly, all those who were unable to flee were either killed or captured. Soon, Ser Stafford was slain by Lord Karstark, trying to chase down his terrified horse. Even though the battle was a disaster for the Lannisters, Stafford’s son Devan managed to rally a few hundred of his father’s men and make a coordinated retreat to Lannisport, saving them from death or captivity. Robb Stark’s victory was so swift, that a number of legends quickly arose around the battle. It is said, that an army of wargs fell upon the Lannister camp, butchering thousands of good men and feasting on their flesh, while Robb cut out Stafford’s heart and fed it to his direwolf. True or not, the northmen’s advance into the Westerlands alarmed Lord Tywin Lannister, who immediately gave orders to depart Harrenhal and rush back to his own domain to face the Young Wolf. Meanwhile to the north, Theon Greyjoy, Robb Stark’s envoy to the Lord of Iron Islands, fails in his mission, and his father Balon rises up with another rebellion, preparing an attack on the North. To the south, the political landscape was even more treacherous: The two younger siblings of the late King Robert Baratheon separately questioned the legitimacy of Robert’s son and enter the war, proclaiming themselves as the true heirs of their deceased brother. The War of the Five Kings had entered it’s decisive phase. This video is sponsored by ExpressVPN. In the battle for online privacy, you need an ally with the best-in-class encryption to protect your data. ExpressVPN allows you to be on the move while protecting your personal information on public networks. 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