Battle at Fairmarket

Battle at Fairmarket
Arrec watches the battle © Marc Simonetti
Place	Fairmarket
Result	Hoare victory
Combatants  House Hoare  House Bracken  House Charlton  House Goodbrook  House Paege  House Vypren  House Durrandon Commanders Harwyn Hoare Lothar Bracken Theo Charlton Arrec Durrandon Strength unknown larger host Casualties unknown Half lost Two brothers of Arrec†

A battle at Fairmarket was fought during the campaign of Harwyn Hoare, King of the Iron Islands, in the riverlands, which were then ruled by the Storm Kings of House Durrandon.

Prelude

Harwyn's ironborn defeated first Samwell Rivers and then Lady Agnes Blackwood, being aided in the latter battle by Agnes's rival, Lord Lothar Bracken. The rivermen resistance to the ironborn ended, but King Arrec Durrandon marched from the stormlands with a great host. A score of river lords, including the Brackens, Charltons, Goodbrooks, Paeges, and Vyprens allied with Harwyn in hopes of an independent riverlands. Arrec's stormlanders were thus harassed and denied supplies as they marched north.

Battle

Harwyn met Arrec at Fairmarket on the Blue Fork. Arrec had half again as many stormlanders as Harwyn's ironborn and rivermen, but the former were ill-supplied and tired. Although outnumbered, the longships of the ironborn allowed them to seize the river crossing. Arrec was headstrong and indecisive in the battle, which turned into a shattering defeat for the Durrandons, who lost half their men. Two of Arrec's brothers fell in the fighting, although Arrec was able to escape.

Aftermath

The rivermen were initially joyous after the battle. Instead of restoring them independence, however, Harwyn claimed the riverlands, making him the first King of the Isles and the Rivers.