March on Winterfell

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Siege of Winterfell
Conflict War of the Five Kings
Date 300 AC
Place Winterfell
Result Unresolved
Combatants
Stannis's Host
House Glover
House Mormont
House Umber under Mors Umber
House Karstark (actually league with Boltons)
The Northern mountain clans
House Bolton
House Frey
House Ryswell
House Dustin
House Umber under Hother Umber (nominally)
House Hornwood
House Cerwyn
House Manderly (nominally)
Commanders
King Stannis
Castellan Crowfood
Lady Maege Mormont
Lord Galbart Glover
Chief Hugo Wull
Ser Richard Horpe
Ser Godry Farring
Warden Roose Bolton
Lord Ramsay Bolton
Ser Aenys Frey
Ser Hosteen Frey
Castellan Whoresbane
Strength
About 7000 Nominally 8000 (Many Northern force are not clear)
Casualties
Aenys Frey

The Siege of Winterfell is the name of an unresolved conflict (as of A Dance with Dragons), in which King Stannis Baratheon is trying to retake Winterfell from Lord Roose Bolton, the newly appointed Warden of the North.

Prelude

After the retaking of Deepwood Motte, the army of Stannis Baratheon marches south on Winterfell to free Arya Stark (actually Jeyne Poole) from the clutches of House Bolton.

On the march through the Wolfswood, Stannis's army is increased in size by Houses Glover, Mormont and finally Karstark, led by castellan Arnolf Karstark. Unknown to Stannis, Arnolf is secretly working with House Bolton and during the final battle plans to turn his forces on Stannis.

Stannis also holds the support of the northern mountain clans, who remain loyal to the memory of "The Ned". He is also planning to meet Mors "Crowfood" Umber and a portion of House Umber closer to Winterfell.

Winterfell is held by Lord Roose Bolton and his bastard son, Ramsay. His force, aside from the strength of House Bolton, consists of a few thousand of Houses Frey, Ryswell, Dustin, Cerwyn, Hornwood, Manderly and the other half of House Umber under Hother "Whoresbane" Umber.

Although Roose has the larger host, the loyalties of his forces are highly questionable, particularly the Manderlys, Whoresbane Umber and the Hornwoods. Roose suspects that only the Freys and Dustins would be truly loyal to him if word got out that Bran and Rickon Stark were still alive.

Winterfell is overcrowded with forces and on edge due to a series of murders with no confirmed suspects.

"Battle"

March on Winterfell

Stannis Baratheon and his host's march on Winterfell is delayed by a severe blizzard and numerous men are lost to starvation or the cold.[1][2] The last known report of Stannis's army's whereabouts is that he is three days from Winterfell.[3][4][5]

Mors Umber's vanguard arrives at Winterfell

Mors "Crowfood" Umber and his vanguard arrives at Winterfell before Stannis's main host.

Using the snowstorm as cover, Mors has his lads dig pit traps near several of the Winterfell gates. The heavy blizzard allows Mors's boys to do this without the castle sentries seeing them. Mors then has his men sound horns hoping to draw out several of the castle forces in the traps, but the castle garrison is put on alert and mans the walls of Winterfell.

Attempt to engage Stannis's host

After the murder of Little Walder Frey and the near battle inside Winterfell between the Freys and Manderlys, Roose Bolton, fearing another battle inside the castle between his own forces, sends out Hosteen Frey and Aenys Frey along with the 2,000 Freys to engage Stannis's host.

The Freys' presence increases tensions with the northerners as many had lost kin at the Red Wedding. Roose also sends out the forces of Lord Wyman Manderly as he does not trust the Manderly forces. By doing this Roose hopes that Stannis will be defeated without Bolton men suffering any casualties and if not, Roose hopes to weaken Stannis's forces in battle and in the process eliminate a potential future rival in Wyman Manderly. The absence of near 3,000 men in Winterfell also means that Roose also has an easier time managing food supplies to his forces.

The escape of "Arya Stark", however, leaves Ramsay in the castle with only a small force to retrieve his bride.

Command of the Freys passes to Ser Hosteen Frey

Aenys Frey is killed when the Freys stumble into one of Mors Umber's pit traps near the Hunter's Gate, meaning that the command of the Freys passes to Ser Hosteen Frey, who, while a capable swordsman, is not a clever commander.

Stannis alerted to the planned treachery of Arnolf Karstark

Thanks to a letter from Jon Snow delivered by Tycho Nestoris, Stannis is made aware of the planned treachery of Arnolf Karstark. He has Arnolf and his son and grandsons arrested while disarming their forces.

Stannis prepares his host to met the Bolton vanguard in the village. [6]

Ramsay's Letter

Ramsay Bolton, in a letter sent to Jon Snow, claims Stannis is dead and his army is broken. However, it is unknown if the letter's contents are true or not, and indeed whether Ramsay Bolton in fact wrote it.[7]

Quotes

We all know what my brother would do. Robert would gallop up to the gates of Winterfell alone, break them with his warhammer, and ride through the rubble to slay Roose Bolton with his left hand and the Bastard with his right. I am not Robert. But we will march, and we will free Winterfell … or die in the attempt. [2]

- Stannis


References and notes