Battle of Oxcross

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Battle of Oxcross
T Jedruszek BattleOfOxcross.jpg
Battle of Oxcross by Tomasz Jedruszek © Fantasy Flight Games
Conflict War of the Five Kings
Date 299 AC
Place Oxcross, westerlands
Result Stark victory
Combatants
House Baratheon of King's Landing.svg Iron Throne/ House Baratheon of King's Landing:

House Lannister.svg Westerlands, led by House Lannister

House Stark.svg Kingdom of the North and the Trident/ House Stark:

The North

House Tully.svg Riverlands, led by House Tully

Commanders
House Lannister.svg Ser Stafford Lannister
House Crakehall.svg Lord Roland Crakehall (POW)
House Jast.svg Lord Antario Jast (POW)
Robb Stark.svg King Robb Stark
Brynden Tully.svg Ser Brynden Tully
Strength
Many thousands Possibly 6,000[N 4]
Casualties
Several thousand killed[5]
many captured
majority scattered
Ser Rupert Brax
Ser Lymond Vikary (POW)
Martyn Lannister (POW)
Low
Ser Stevron Frey[3]

The Battle of Oxcross[6] is a battle during the War of the Five Kings. The Stark army of King Robb Stark routs and scatters the Lannister army of Ser Stafford Lannister, who is killed.

Prelude

After the battle in the Whispering Wood and the Battle of the Camps, Robb Stark, the new King in the North, sends Ser Cleos Frey as an envoy to King's Landing with a peace offer for Queen Cersei Lannister. In case the offer is rejected, Robb sends Theon Greyjoy to treat with his father Balon, Lord of the Iron Islands, for an alliance to assault the westerlands from both land and sea. Meanwhile, Lord Tywin Lannister tasks his cousin, Ser Stafford Lannister, with training a new Lannister army at Casterly Rock. With the main Lannister army in the riverlands, this new army could be used to attack Robb's host from two fronts.[7][8]

Robb marches to deal with the forming threat as Stafford trains his fresh recruits, believed to be sellswords, freeriders, and boys from the stews of Lannisport.[7] Also among them are many veterans of Ser Forley Prester's 4,000-strong force at the Golden Tooth, survivors of the Camps.[9] As Robb marches west from Riverrun, he sends his mother, Catelyn Stark, to forge an alliance with King Renly Baratheon.[10] This is done with the aim that Renly will pose a more immediate threat to Tywin and force him to leave Harrenhal.[7]

Robb's host invades the westerlands by avoiding the Golden Tooth, the strong castle at the border, through a previously-unknown goat track found by his direwolf, Grey Wind.[1]

Battle

Stafford trains the inexperienced recruits near the village of Oxcross, within three days ride from Lannisport. Thinking himself safe in his own lands, Stafford does not bother to set sentries. During the night, Robb sends men to cut the lines that hold Stafford's horses. When Robb sets loose Grey Wind, the horses are maddened by the scent and trample tents and men alike while trying to flee. With confusion sending Lannister men fleeing everywhere, Robb sends his own cavalry. The battle is more a rout then a real encounter, as the untrained and surprised Lannister army fail to put up much resistance.[5]

Stafford is slain by Lord Rickard Karstark while running after his horse.[5] Ser Stevron Frey, Lord Walder Frey's eldest son and heir, suffers a minor wound during the battle, but dies shortly thereafter.[3] Among those reported dead, missing and wounded are Ser Lymond Vikary, Lord Roland Crakehall, and Lord Antario Jast.[5] These men are actually captured by the Stark forces, along with Martyn Lannister, Lord Jast's sons, and half a hundred other highborn hostages.[5][6]

Aftermath

The Lannister army's defeat is so great that, according to rumor, Robb cut out Stafford's heart and fed it to Grey Wind. Remnants fall back to Lannisport, where Stafford's son, Ser Daven Lannister, reforms them.[1][11] Robb continues attacking the westerlands, capturing Ashemark, and marches on to take the Crag.[3] Galbart Glover and Rickard Karstark raid along the coast. Lady Maege Mormont captures thousands of livestock and begins driving them back towards the riverlands. Lord Greatjon Umber captures the gold mines at Nunn's Deep, Castamere, and in the Pendric Hills.[1]

Lancel Lannister proclaims in the Red Keep that Robb used "vile sorcery" to win, after which cannibal Northmen ate enemy flesh.[5] Lord Tywin, having heard of the defeat at Oxcross, and feeling confident that Stannis Baratheon laying siege to Storm's End means a secure southern front,[12] marches west to face Robb's host.[13]

The singer Rymund the Rhymer composes a tune commemorating the northern victory, "Wolf in the Night".[13]

Remembering his uncle Stafford's mistake, Ser Jaime Lannister sets sentries himself while at Hayford.[14] Daven vows not to cut his hair until he avenges his father's death by slaying Lord Karstark.[15]

Quotes

Using some vile sorcery, your brother fell upon Ser Stafford Lannister with an army of wargs, not three days ride from Lannisport. Thousands of good men were butchered as they slept, without the chance to lift sword. After the slaughter, the northmen feasted on the flesh of the slain.[5]

Do not take Oxcross too much to heart, my lady. A battle is not a war, and my lord father is assuredly not my uncle Stafford.[5]

Martyn: There's some say that after the battle, the king cut out Stafford Lannister's heart and fed it to the wolf.
Catelyn: I would not believe such tales. My son is no savage.[1]

Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Houses Flint of Flint's Finger, Hornwood, Manderly & Mollen are not directly mentioned at this battle. However as they were all a part of Robb's host that took part in the earlier battles at the Whispering Wood and the Camps, and as Robb takes most of his host with him into the westerlands, it can be assumed these houses were present with Robb throughout his westerlands campaign as well.
  2. House Flint of Widow's Watch is not directly mentioned at this battle. However as they were a part of Robb's host that gathered in the North, it can be assumed they were present at subsequent battles in the riverlands and westerlands.
  3. House Slate is not directly mentioned at this battle. However it is stated by Lady Barbrey Dustin that the Slates campaigned in the riverlands & westerlands with Robb Stark.[2] Therefore it can be assumed that Slates were present at this battle.
  4. Robb has six thousand at the earlier battle in the Whispering Wood.[4]

References