Fighting at the fords of the Trident

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Fighting at the fords of the Trident
Conflict War of the Five Kings
Date 299 AC
Place Ruby ford of the Trident in the riverlands
Result Lannister 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:
Commanders
House Clegane.svg Ser Gregor Clegane House Bolton.svg Lord Roose Bolton
House Manderly.svg Ser Wylis Manderly (POW)
Strength
unknown total
Mountain's men
possibly 6,150[N 1]
Casualties
unknown possibly 2,050[N 1] dead, captive, or fled

The fighting at the fords of the Trident[2] is one of the final actions of Robb Stark's campaign in the War of the Five Kings. The rearguard of Lord Roose Bolton's northern army is attacked while crossing the Trident by Lannister forces led by Ser Gregor Clegane.

Battle

Lord Roose Bolton marches from Harrenhal towards the Twins for the wedding of Lord Edmure Tully and Roslin Frey, with Roslin's kinsman, Ser Aenys Frey, having already made a difficult crossing of the ruby ford several days earlier. Once Roose reaches the Trident, torrential rains make fording impossible and the northmen are forced to use small boats to cross. Roose has ferried two-thirds of his force across by the time Ser Gregor Clegane arrives. Those still waiting to cross are primarily from Houses Burley, Locke, and Norrey, with knights from White Harbor serving as rear guard under command of Ser Wylis Manderly.[1]

Gregor attacks the northern rear guard with heavy cavalry. Wylis rallies as best as he can, but the some two thousand[N 1] men who have yet to cross are forced into the river. Many are killed, either drowning in the river or cut down by the Mountain's men. Some northmen are able to flee, but others are taken captive, including Wylis.[1]

Aftermath

Lord Roose Bolton, unable to aid the men south of the ford, continues on to the Twins, leaving behind six hundred men—spearmen from the Rills, the mountains, and the White Knife, a hundred longbow archers from House Hornwood, some freeriders and hedge knights, and some Stout and Cerwyn men—under the command of Ronnel Stout and Ser Kyle Condon to hold the northern shore and prevent Ser Gregor Clegane from crossing the Trident. Remaining with Roose are five hundred mounted men and three thousand infantry, mostly from House Bolton with some Karstark presence.[1]

Once at the Twins, the Boltons betrays House Stark in the Red Wedding.[3] It is reported after that massacre that Gregor has seized the ruby ford.[4] Wylis Manderly and other highborn northern hostages are held at Harrenhal.[2]

Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Roose Bolton and his men are crossing the Trident when they come under attack by Gregor Clegane. At the time of the attack, two-thirds of Roose's men have crossed to the northern banks of the river. These two-thirds are comprised of the 600 men he later leaves at the ruby ford and the 3,500 men he brings to the Twins (A Storm of Swords, Catelyn VI), meaning that these 4,100 men make up two-thirds of Roose's initial force. This suggests Roose initially had around 6,150 men in total, and that around 2,050 men were lost during the attack.

References