The Command Tent at Deep Den

[Ser Kenneth Coyn]

A tent in the courtyard at Deep Den where the Westerosi Army lays besieged. It is currently surrounded by the dead and wounded that fell at the first battle for the Keep.

[Ser Kenneth Coyn]

The Lord Hand sits in the command tent hurriedly writting letters and preparing for the next assault of the enemy. He looks tired and bruised but shows no other signs of injury.

[Sam]

Lord Duncan Farman came to the tent. "My Lord Hand," he called. "The invaders are moving to attack another host that is approaching from the East. They fly the banners of the crown and of House Dondarrion."

[Ser Kenneth Coyn]

Alexander nods, "We don't have much but if we have any calvary perhaps we can lead a charge to create a path for the Stormlanders to enter," Alex says rushing to his platemail.

"We need to hit them hard and then retreat quickly as we can't risk the keep's safety. Your welcome to join if you can find a horse."

[Sam]

"Aye, my lord," he said, looking around the courtyard. Horses were few and far between, but Duncan found one that was suitable, and swung himself up into the saddle, buckling on his armor and hefting a lance. He had not been able to find Ser Cedric anywhere, since seeing him with his wife inside the castle. Likely they were making the best out of a bad situation, and there was little time to go find them.

[Ser Kenneth Coyn]

"Lord Farman there is 8000 men still guarding these walls, I am not sure we will be able to impact the situation very much," Alexander looked for a weakness in the lines that he could exploit to help the Stormlanders but he could not see one. He had hoped that the 8000 men were spread out so a small force of 3000 calvalry riders could run quickly passed one side of the besiegers and provide an exit for the Stormland army.

[Sam]

"Perhaps if we rally our men and attack them, we will be able to help Lord Dondarrion and his armies, my lord. We still have fifteen thousand men remaining, do we not?" Lord Farman asked. Then he realized that he was giving tactical advice to Alexander Irwyn, and he paled in shock.

[Ser Kenneth Coyn]

Irwyn nodded, the thought had occurred to him but he measured the risk. The defenders were tired and he was not sure how many of the attackers had fought before. A fight on two fronts could damage the enemy and the Stormlanders were in desperate need of assistance as even if they succeeded they could not enter the keep. Alexander did not know what the cages held but an assault might be the best strategy, it was a risky move but war was risk.

"How long before our men could be made ready?" Alexander shouted at a Seargent.

[Ser Kenneth Coyn]

/////////
Freshly blooded from the latest battle Alexander sits with Lefford in Deep Den to try and plan the next move.

"We have around 9,000 men the enemy nearly 5 times that," Ser Chauncey says.

"And that is just here they still have another 40,000 running through the Riverlands," ser Ramsey added.

"Send word to Crake Hall, King's Landing and elsewhere updating them on our status," Alexander says. "Hopefully Connington can make it to our forces in Crakehall and regroup," he says hopefully.

*Edited troop numbers forgot about 3500 left in Keep.

[The Stranger]

Lefford nodded, and waved for a page to see that its done.

"What are your thoughts Lord Hand? The loss the Stormlanders suffered will be a set back to us, a fear it was our one chance of relief."

[Ser Kenneth Coyn]

"Well I know that the Mander and Far Reach are gathering at Crakehall, they will have sufficient numbers to engage the enemy. We need to somehow buy more time as if the enemy continues to assault us I fear we will not stand." Alexander walks over to the relief map of the Kingdom.

"Already I think we have slowed the enemies advance. Undoubtedly they had hoped for a quick victory to install Rodrick on the throne before we had a chance to amount a defense. If we could slow them further it would help as more men are raised. I think it would be wise to make a feint towards Lannisport with our forces currently at Crakehall and have the men under Lord Tyrell lay an ambush for the enemy along the route. We pose little threat now here in Deep Den but if they were to attack Lannisport it would cut of their supplies as Cedric left little to eat around the keep." Alexander cringes.

"It is risky as if the enemy ignores this threat and seeks to finish us off here first we might die but if they feel safe enough that no relief is coming to our aid they may feel compelled to aid Lannisport and leave a small garrisson here."

[The Stranger]

"By all reports, the invaders left preciously few men at either the Rock or Lannisport. Do you think they meant to hold it? They must have known that their southern front was undefended. Why leave an opening for this realm's largest contingent of men? Unless they don't know any better but that seems doubtful?"

[Ser Kenneth Coyn]

"Perhaps, so you think that there is nothing that is required from their ships? They attacked in the middle of winter sacked one of the realms largest cities and then immediately began to tear inland as fast as they could muster. They must have known that living off the land would be difficult and while they could have take much of the supplies from the city, there is no way to maintain such a large army and I would think that some of their resources are being maintained in the Lannisport Granaries."

Alexander shrugged, "it is impossible to understand how much they know about us. It appears they have access to our habits from the Ironborn, I would say their tactics are not that different. Find a city raid it and use it as a base for future raids. I am sure they did not expect us to defend Deep Den so ferociously."

[The Stranger]

"That may be so. They might expect that they would have been feasting on the granaries in King's Landing by now." Lefford said. "If Lord Tyrell marches, they will have no choice but to either lift this siege, or take this castle at all costs. Who can say which choice they will make? We do not know how these barbarians think."

[Ser Kenneth Coyn]

"That is true, but if you or I landed with only 100,000 men and the knowledge that our enemies could raise five times that, we would want to avoid unnecessary losses. Losing 15,000 men to take Deep Den from 9,000 would not seem to me to be a good use of our force. Deep Den carries no strategic value except to block the approach to the Capital."

Alexander ponders the question a minute.

"If you are right and Lannisport is worthless to the enemy and their main objective is political capitualtion; then moving on Lannisport threatens them with being surrounded, since they have met little resistance to the North if they were to abandon their siege here and unite with their Army to the North they could march on the capital from that position and we might not be able redeploy our forces from the west to the east in time."