Hi everyone! Let's just jump right into it, shall we?

Chapter 3: Martyrdom

A glimpse of a winter storm blew across the camp, most making themselves scarce and hiding in the warmth of their tents and pavilions. At the center, however, Sansa Stark and Jon Snow had all the current commanders brought to discuss their strengths and the other issues.

"As of right now, we have four-thousand and three-hundred men to fight against Ramsay with. We have no siege weapons, no true way to enter Winterfell if our enemy decides to hide from the fighting." Jon said aloud and placed some of the pieces to their formation plans on the table, looking around the room to see if everyone was listening.

"Up to 900 horses, and a giant." the Wildling, Tormund added on to the conversation.

Brandon nodded along with everyone else as Jon and his man spoke of their numbers and the numbers of House Bolton, the young Lord Karstark felt they weren't giving themselves their full effort.

The North could raise up to 40,000 men. Robb only took twenty South with him, the Ironborn's assault might have shrunk the remaining numbers but there are still those Houses who will and can remember the vows made to Eddard Stark when he became Warden of the North.

Ramsay isn't loved or respected by the North, if Roose had lived it would be another story but as of right now, they have all the pull with the Lords of the North.

It's just the matter of getting those sorry sods to fight with us. Brandon thought while scratching his chin, quickly clearing his throat to get the attention of everyone in the room.

"I suggest we send ravens to the Lords who are too far for us to reach, Manderly and the Cerwyns. The Mormonts, Glovers, and Mountain Clans should be seen in person." Jon gave him a knowing look as to understand what he meant.

Lyanna Mormont and Robett Glover are prideful twats, and one is younger than himself. The Mountain Clans are a whole other matter entirely, Torren Liddle is one sour son of a whore who all but demands the head of every family to come to his hall.

"Why should we go to them? They owe House Stark their allegiance," Sansa said sharply, it sounded little like the intelligent young girl who organized this resistance against Ramsay Bolton.

Has her time in Ramsay's unwanted company caused that much mental trauma? Brandon grunted a response which earned him a glare from her Ladyship, Sansa huffed and turned her head away and Jon took the chance to regain control of the talks.

"Lord Karstark is right, we go see Lord Glover and Mormont and the Mountain Clans." Larence Snow offered his opinion shortly after Jon had spoken.

Larence is the last with the blood of Hornwood in him, only thirteen years old and had come with 123 men, mostly mounted warriors but his courage is commendable.

"What about House Tallhart, or even the Ryswell's and Dustin's?" He spoke for everyone, considering he had the most knowledge.

"House Tallhart is still reeling from their Ironborn assault, they won't be able to assist us except with forty or so men. House Dustin and Ryswell might turn if they feel Ramsay is on the losing end, but, they were among the first to offer their allegiances to Roose Bolton." He knew that Lady Dustin was against Roose, yet the woman always distrusted Eddard Stark, then Robb too after he'd married Talisa Maegyr.

Jon Snow folded his arms, looking at the map pensively for several moments before clearing his throat. "We ride out tomorrow, for Lord Glover then to Bear Island." Everyone in agreement, most left Jon Snow to his own devices except for Brandon and Trevon.

"Jon, I ask to send Trevon to speak with the First Flints," Jon asked why he would request that and Tredon answered that very question.

"My sister was married to the Head of House Flint before the War broke out, Torghen Flint is a great warrior... Also a close friend to me, I would have more sway than any others to get him to join us." Jon nodded, agreeing to the idea and said that he may leave when the storm broke, it evoked a hearty laugh from Tredon.

"What's so funny?" Jon asked and the older men padded the leader on the shoulder.

"Tiny storms like this are nothing to us, Jon Snow, I'll depart with twenty men immediately." He followed his companion out of the pavilion, bidding Jon a good night's rest before doing so.

"I hope you make it back before the fighting begins, Tredon, Daron wouldn't exactly look at it very well." He said and his best warrior turned to him as they walked and stopped.

"He's like his mother and sister, full of worry, It'll serve him well while he travels with you." He was told and both himself and Tredon shook hands, "You stay safe, boy, I don't want your father and brothers to kill me if I fail to protect you." Nodding, Brandon watched his mentor walk away and he sighed before going to find his tent and get some rest.

Karhold

Sitting in the corners of his cell, shrouded by the blanket his sister delivered to him on the day he came home.

Harrion Karstark saw only his youngest siblings when he shut his eyes, their traitorous smiles gleefully enjoying that they'd enjoyed taking everything away from him. His home, his family, his birthright, it was all struck from him for doing everything he could to return to Karhold.

Their father must be rolling in his grave, so must their fallen brothers and their mother too.

Brandon was always an ambitious little twat, always running and watching him and eyeing their father's high seat in the main hall. But Alys, my sweet and concerning little sister? She's proven to be the most treacherous. The thought causing him to shed a single tear over it.

Most of all, the greatest slight is that no man thought to protect him or uphold their vows when Alys demanded him to be sent to this cell.

"They will all burn for this, I do not know how or why but I will make it so... " He whispered as exhaustion began to take hold, sleep ha come hard to obtain because he feared that his treacherous siblings would send for his head and he'd meet that end with his eyes wide open than whilst he sleeps.

Despite his resistance to stay awake, his eyes closing to get a moment's rest.

Harrion didn't know how long he was sleeping, but when he woke it was to the sight of someone he didn't see among Alys when he was taken captive by the guards.

The heir to Karhold quickly rose himself to embrace his best friend, "You are one of the few pleasant faces I have seen since I returned to the North, my friend." Gareth nodded with a smile before passing him some soup and a half-bit of bread, then a bottle of ale.

It was a better feast than what the jailer kept giving him the last few days, he is pretty sure one of the men who came with him had starved to death which gave the others some concern of leaving these cells.

"What of my father's uncle, Arnolf, or his sons?" He asked first after finishing his food, Gareth sighed and shook his head.

"Shortly after the Red Wedding, Arnolf saw an opportunity to take over Karhold and kill Brandon and marry Alys. Brandon was quite intelligent and saw it coming before the fool could make a move. Arnolf, his two sons, and one of his grandsons all were tried and sent to the Wall as punishment... Then Arnolf and his sons were executed by Jon Snow." Brandon was always a bookish boy, spending a lot of time reading books on strategy and tactics.

"Do I have no one to count on? Other than you, Gareth?" He didn't like the frowned expression on his friend's face, "Then, I guess I will be dying at the end of this squabble between the last Starks and Ramsay Bolton... " He didn't care anymore, he wouldn't give himself such hopes when death clearly hangs over him.

Perhaps, this is what Eddard Stark felt like before he was beheaded by Joffrey Baratheon, a soft scoff escaped the Karstark's mouth as he sat down on the cot given to him by his captors.

"No," Gareth said, gripping the bars on the cell doors. "Don't give up just yet, my Lord." He gave Gareth a questioning glance to which made the man take from his pocket a key.

A key to his cell door, and the doors to his other companions within this dungeon.

Gareth unlocked his door, handing him his sword when he got to his feet. Harrion then liberated his Bolton companions together, the group made their way out of the dungeon, passing by and slitting the throat of the jailer.

His friend led them to the one other exit that was built into Karhold, a long winding staircase carving into the stone of the fortress by its former holders before Karlon Stark took over.

"Go Southwest, you'll be out of Karstark land and near the Dreadfort before your absence is noticed," Gareth told them and he nodded, taking a deep breath before starting his climb.

It wasn't very long before the castle was alerted to their escape, Gareth turned to grab his attention and worry was visible on his own face. "You are not coming? Gareth, I need a loyal man on my side!" He said and his mentor shook his head, smiling brightly.

"You need time to escape, Harrion, I'm the only one that can do that... Now go, and good luck on your future battles."

He blocked out the noise that followed, following his companions to the end of the staircase and found horses already prepared and ready for their journey to freedom.

Gareth had set fire to one of the chambers, it created the distraction that was needed for them to make an escape as the camp of soldiers paid him and his men no mind, it would be three hours of riding before they reached the Last River and out of his ancestral homeland.

In his heart, he swore to avenge Gareth's sacrifice, he'd bring his traitorous brother and sister to justice before this war is done.

"Brandon, Alys... You will rue this act of treachery, the lives impacted by your deeds will undo you both." He whispered with eyes of fury as the Dreadfort seemed so far away right now but served to be a beacon to his rise as Harrion Karstark, Lord of Karhold.

Karhold

Alys watched as the final embers of the fire that was started were put out, then she narrowed her eyes at the bounded Gareth whilst beside him was the jailer and seven other men that he had murdered.

"Why?" She asked and felt like she shouldn't even bother doing so, she already knew the reasons why he had done all of this and allowed Harrion to escape.

Gareth looked her in the eye, no sense of fear in his own eyes that glare at her.

"I am a man of my word, a loyal warrior of the true Lord of Karhold and I swear to you, traitor! You and your accursed twin will beg for mercy when this castle gets retaken by its true master." She shook her head and thought that Gareth doesn't understand how much she loves her brothers, even Harrion.

He doesn't understand all the advisors telling her to behead Harrion, lest he'd always be a threat to Brandon or his heirs. She denied them out of care and concern for her elder sibling, she made sure he was comfortable and always given water and food to keep him healthy.

What she desires most out of all this chaos is to keep what family she still has safe, and now, her brothers may very well be forced to kill one another because of Gareth's ignorance.

Clearing her throat, she began to speak. "The eight men you've slain will be the first martyrs of this war, you, however... Will be naught but a sour memory as I mourn which brother I am losing in conflict." She stood straight and laid down the sentence, "Gareth of Karhold, I, Alys of the House Karstark do hereby sentence you to death. Take him away!" The traitor went to his death silently, no resistance and she couldn't care less about his bravery.

"Get me a raven, Brandon must be made known of Harrion's escape and the possibility of our troops numbers being given to Ramsay Snow!"

AN: Short, I know but I promise they'll get longer the farther that we go.