Field Hospital in the Ballroom

[Lilith Royce]

There was, of course, no time to argue, no time to scream curses at this man before her, no time to feel.

She released him from her grip, let herself touch a soft patch of cheek above his beard, and whispered, "One day, one year when we are a lady and gentleman with some leisure and the privacy of at least a hard bench once again, I will debate that point with you."

And then she turned to hundreds that admitted they had been wounded by this war and tried her best to help them.

[Lilith Royce]

Ser Bardwyn Doggett and Watson Poggs became the lifeline between her hospital and the castle they occupied. They managed the enormous job of clearing the rest of the fields, embalming the mighty and throwing dirt and lime over the humble, and in the process brought her another 30 men, parched, starving and battered. Among them were two Milk Snakes, cursing in multiple mountain tongues. Never had Lilith been so glad to have her ears scorched. She bedded them by Aranya, Selwyn, and the other clan.

Poggs was managing to find beds for those men who had been stabilized, in the barracks for Lannister, Royce and other Targaryen supports, in a large but not completely gruesome holding cell for the men of the Stag and the Rose and the Wolf. They were offered a trip to the Wall or employment with the Black Shields if they would swear not to fight the Lannisters again. The single men often chose the Wall, the married the Shields. Poggs and his household were also beginning to take over the task of caring for the wounded from the exhausted ladies of the Rock.

Many of the Targaryen men who had fought bravely on the wall besides the Lannisters had left with the army. Lilith hoped that she and her Targaryen ladies would be able to leave with the next large contingent going to Kings Landing.

[Deleted]

Aranya paused in her talk with Selwyn when she saw the two Milk Snakes, one with filthy red hair. They hobbled over to her.

"Only two of you," she said. It was not a question. "Ulwick, your chief, died?"

"He was shot down when the tents burned," the red-haired Snake said. "The rest of us took Hightower and Tully uniforms, and turned on the Hightower and Tully soldiers during the battle. We couldn't kill Hightower and Darry themselves, though. I tried, Aranya. I really did."

"I know," she said. "You did well." She turned to Selwyn. "Do you know Lorett and Flell of the Snakes? Or maybe your brother Rhodri knows them."

Red-haired Lorett grinned at Selwyn. "I know you, bastard."

[Deleted]

Elane was feeling extremely tired, but there seemed to be no end to the stream of wounded men. She wished she could have seen Breyn, Rhodri and Jon before they left to King's Landing. Maybe she could have carted off some men with them.

Shaking off that uncharitable thought, Elane bent over some new wounded men, who wore the sigil of Nightsong on their torn cloaks and leather. She did what she could for them, but one had to lose his left leg below the knee, and another succumbed to his injuries within an hour, like many others before him. Elane bit her lip and felt her eyes grow hot.

[Axell Lannister]

Spear sat up. His wound was clean, and he had things to do. He thanked Elane, before exiting the ballroom.

[Deleted]

Elane watched the earless man go, with his bloody bandages and cut face. Still, he looked strong enough. He survived an arrow through the lung, after all, didn't he? It made her feel bitter when she thought of Lord Caron's soldiers, who were not holding up so well. The sellsword must have had a good maester to look after him, or something.

She turned back to the dying men of Nightsong, determined to be as good as a maester for them.

[Axell Lannister]

Nealon Spear arrives in the ballroom, having left his horse tethered outisde. He approaches Steffen, who is sitting down, wrapped in a large cloak eating a stew. Steffen looks up, and Spear leans down, and whispers in his ear. The worm instantly gets to his feet, before following Spear, his legs slightly unstable, out of the hall. Within two hours both men have left the Rock, riding for Kings Landing.