Winter is Coming (asoiaf)

Meanwhile, the lords of the North converged at Winterfell and Moat Cailin and the hosts finally merged at Moat Cailin, waiting for Lord Sunderland to come with Eddard Stark. When Eddard Stark reached Sisterton, the seat of Sunderlands, he was greeted by Lord Sunderland, who told him that Winterfell has already called the banners and asked them to converge at Moat Cailin. When he reached Moat Cailin, he was greeted by his nephew and granduncle Rodrik. But he faced something unexpected there. When he went to meet his nephew, Symeon whom he had only seen only a few times when he was toddler his nephew asked him a question that shocked him.

"Will you try the same thing that Bennard Stark did with Cregan Stark, uncle."

"No, never." While shocked by the question specially from a barely five-year old boy, he recovered quickly and immediately replied. Then he would be hugged by his nephew after his reply. There he would also be given the second set of Valyrian steel armor and the longsword, which Ned likes to weild more than a greatsword, Winterstorm, the sword of the heir, while uncle Rodrik wears the first set of armor and wields Nightfall.

At Moat Cailin a small dispute started between the lords on who will lead what part of host, but it was quickly ended by Rodrik Stark who has seen this same dispute many times in his life. Rodrik Stark was made the Lord Commander of the Northern force by Lord Symeon Stark as the most experienced commander in the North, who assigned the lords their position in the host. They would try to send Lord Symeon back to Winterfell, where he will be safe, but he remained stubborn but agreed to remain miles out of the harm's way.

Then, the northern force marched south and joined up with Lord Jon Arryn. But they were blocked at castle Twins by Lord Frey, who held them for a long time and later who demanded a toll for using his bridge to make a crossing. But before the talks could begin with Lord Frey, Lord Hoster Tully arrived there. Together, Rodrik Stark, Eddard Stark and Jon Arryn negotiated with Lord Hoster Tully, the Lord of Riverrun, for his support. Lord Hoster Tully didn't allow the combined North and Vale host to cross until Eddard Stark, who will be given a major lordship in the North, agreed to marry both of his daughter.

Meanwhile, Hand of the King, Lord Jon Connington led a mighty army into the field. The forces he commanded gave chase to the Stormlands's forces, and Robert's march became a grueling one. Robert, wounded through unknown means, and all alone, eventually took refuge at Stoney Sept, which would become the site of the Battle of the Bells, the first major battle known to have taken place in 283 AC. Jon Connington's forces took the town by force and began to search every house. The residents of the town were actively helping Robert however, and despite the search, the offered pardons and rewards, the threats and the hostages Connington took and hung in crow cages, they could not find Robert.

Battle began when Lords Stark, Tully and Arryn arrived with a rebel army. The soldiers fought in the streets and alleys and on the rooftops, and the septons rang the bells to warn the residents to lock their doors. Battle was fierce, and Jon Connington managed to wound Hoster Tully and kill Jon Arryn's cousin, Ser Denys Arryn. Eventually, Robert Baratheon came out of the Peach, the brothel in which he had been hiding, and fought with Connington, almost killing him. But before a decisive hit could be landed Jon Connington fled the field, starting the retreat of loyalist forces. But before they could run away, Lord Rodrik had the Northern cavalry, despite Eddard Stark and Jon Arryn's protest, ride down all the fleeing forces.

Suspicious of the loss at the Stoney Sept, King Aerys exiled Jon Connington, stripping him of his titles. Aerys began to realize that Robert was the greatest threat to his dynasty since Daemon I Blackfyre, and he named Lord Qarlton Chelsted as his Hand of the King in Connington's stead. Ser Jonothor Darry and Ser Barristan Selmy of the Kingsguard were sent to rally the remaining men of Connington, while their Lord Commander, Ser Gerold Hightower, was sent by King Aerys to find Rhaegar Targaryen. The crown prince finally returned from the south and convinced Aerys to ask Tywin Lannister for help, just as the rebels had or would do, at one point. Additionally, Aerys commanded his alchemists to place caches of wildfire on multiple locations in King's Landing.

With both Elbert Arryn and Denys Arryn now dead, Jon Arryn was in need of an heir. Hoster Tully swiftly betrothed his daughter, Lysa, who had previously proven fertile, to Jon. In a double ceremony at Riverrun, Eddard Stark and Jon Arryn married Hoster's daughters, Catelyn and Lysa, respectively. Amongst those present at the wedding was Robert Baratheon and Symeon Stark.

After at first refusing to send aid to Aerys, both due to his caution as well as due to his anger over Elia's treatment, Prince Doran Martell later agreed to send ten thousand Dornishmen to strengthen the army Prince Rhaegar Targaryen was gathering, when the King threatened him with his sister's life. King Aerys sent Prince Lewyn Martell, Doran's uncle, to take command of these forces, but also threatened him by stating that he held Princess Elia Martell, Prince Rhaegar's wife, and their two young children, Rhaenys and Aegon, hostage.

With another host of 30,000 Reachmen taken away from the siege of Storm's End, the loyalist army now numbered close to 70,000, after raising 20,000 peasant levies from the slums of King's Landing, marched north towards Riverlands. There were many minor skirmishes between the scouts and outriders of both parties as the loyalist forces march north.

Meanwhile, Quellon Greyjoy, Lord of the Iron Islands, desired neutrality for the ironborn during the war. After Pyke was informed of Rhaegar's death, however, Quellon was convinced by his eldest sons—Balon, Euron, and Victarion—to join the rebels as soon as possible or else lose all chance at spoils. Since it was still unknown whether House Lannister of Casterly Rock would side with the loyalists or the rebels, most of the ironmen's fleet remained at home, while Quellon led fifty longships in attacking the Reach.

The Greyjoys captured some ships and raided some towns and villages. They were intercepted by the longships of the Shield Islands, however, at the mouth of the Mander. After Lord Quellon was slain in the battle at the Mander, his heir, Balon, led the remaining ironmen back to the Iron Islands, having accomplished little.

Lord Symeon Stark was transported to Raventree Hall. While Riverrun was near and much more difficult to take by siege as argued by Eddard Stark, Lord Symeon and Lord Commander Rodrik didn't trust Hoster Tully to not kill Lord Symeon to make his daughter Lady of Winterfell and have his grandson as the Warden of the North. So, they politely refused Lord Hoster and had Lord Symeon sent to Raventree Hall which is near to the Oldstone ruled by Mudd's who stayed in North for millennia before they were given their lands back during Dance of the Dragon and Blackwood's are an exiled Northern House that are still connected to their First Men roots, which makes them more trustworthy for Lord Symeon and Lord Commander Rodrik.

The Battle of the Trident was the decisive battle in the war. Fought in 283 AC between the loyalist and rebels, the battle took place at a place known as the ruby ford since the battle, located on the northern bank of the Trident, where Rhaegar tried to cross the river. The loyalists had seventy thousand men, while the army of the rebels numbered a few thousand less at around 65,000 men (30,000 north, 20,000 vale, 10,000 stormland, 5,000 riverland, I have deducted the all the casualties from stormlands because their forces was always caught while North and Vale always had upper hand till the trident), who were more battle hardened. After planning for days, holding peace talks and all that, the two armies clashed with each other. The two forces collided with each other, no side willing to give even an inch of ground to the other.

But as the battle raged the loyalists were slowly gaining ground using their slightly larger numbers and Prince Lewyn Martell and his Dornishmen threatened the rebel left, with Lewyn wounding Lord Corbray leading to his second son Ser Lynn Corbray picking up his father's sword Lady Forlorn and killing Prince Lewyn in single combat, and leading to the Dornishmen breaking and leading to the rebel left flank advancing on the royalist right, and beginning an encirclement on them. While elsewhere during the battle, Ser Barristan Selmy killed several men before being defeated by Lord Commander Rodrik Stark, Lord Jason Mallister slew three of Rhaegar Targaryen's bannermen, and Ned Stark slew Ser Jonothor Darry in single combat before advancing in the center. While on the Rebel right the forces of house Tully fought defensively, while the longbow archers of House Blackwood rained down countless rains of arrows on the royalist host.

The most important dual of the Battle was the dual between Lord Robert Baratheon and Prince Rhaegar. Rhaegar and Robert met in single combat with the battle raging on all around them. Rhaegar managed to wound Robert before Robert killed Rhaegar with a blow to the chest from his Warhammer. Eventually, the Targaryen host broke and ran.

Around the time the Battle of the Trident was fought, Robert proclaimed his intention to claim the Iron Throne. Out of all three leaders of the rebellion, Robert had the better claim, due to the fact that his grandmother had been Princess Rhaelle Targaryen, the youngest daughter of King Aegon V Targaryen. To justify Robert's claim, the maesters would later use his blood ties to House Targaryen, though it was conquest which won him the throne.

As soon as most of the men were treated Lord Commander Rodrik Stark took all the cavalry and pursued the fleeing loyalists to the capital and had every one of them killed and later went on to start the siege of Kings Landing while he waits for rest of the rebel army to arrive. But he was encountered with an army already sacking the city.