The Battle of Castle Lash

Combatants| * House Darkspear
* House Youngflower
* House Whent
* House Maloris
* House Henning

Commanders| * Darron Darkspear
* Lord Daniel Youngflower
* Lord Arthur Whent
* Lord Jaqharys Maloris
* Visenya Henning
* Ser Lucas Keath

Forces| 6,750 Darkspear Forces~* 2,000 Darkspear troops (1,500 infantry, 500 archers)
* 1,500 Youngflower troops (1,000 infantry, 500 archers)
* 1000 Whent troops (600 infantry, 400 archers)
* 2,000 Maloris troops ( 1,200 infantry, 800 archers)
* 250 Henning troops ( 150 infantry, 50 archers, 50 calvary)
* 1,300 Archers
* 500 Calvary

Casualties| 2,800 Darkspear allied troops | 2,200 Lash troops* Cayle Lash

## Prelude

> *Darron: First battle on the mainlands and its a damn siege. Those Verdants better keep the rest of them off os us.*
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> *Arthur: Dont worry, I have plenty of experience with sieges, this castle Lash may be impressive but any castle can fall.*
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> *Daniel: And it will. There putting there trust in us to succeed and I refuse to lose two wars in a row.*
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The Crownlands had avoided the fighting for the most part as the whole war had mostly seen a Lash offense or attacks in the North, that changed with the Stepstone invasion, landing near Duskendale, Darron Darkspear, acting on his father's behalf marched down to Castle Lash, one of the two castles House Lash held and the only one they still had after Castle Claw fell. A host of 6,750 soldiers surrounded the castle and Arthur Whent started burning villages around it to make sure that no support made it to the castle even in the form of supplies. Still the castle was not lightly defended, holding 4,000 men who were being kept in the reserve, Cayle Lash was getting ready to march on and help his brother, and later is nephew in the campaign but fell back when he heard of the Darkspears allegiance to the Verdant's having enough time to gather supplies and set himself up before they arrived ready to tear them apart. And despite being outnumbered Cayle Lash was confident in his abilities and the castles holdings that they could hold the castle and beat back the attackers or at the very least hold out until reinforcements came, unaware of the Verdants efforts to stop that from happening.

Though Darron knew they had some time he felt it better to take the castle sooner rather then later and wasnt sure starving them out was the best way to do it. A siege was expensive and with his father back in power he knew they needed every man at there disposal and every resource to maintain there control. Daniel was more optimistic about starving them out then the young Darkspear but still set up equipment to assault the walls if he deemed it necessary, though Cayle Lash wasnt about to go down easily and he started to organize ways to break the siege up.

## The Battle

> *Cayle: In all of its years this castle has never fallen what makes you think your gonna be the one to do it.*
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> *Daniel: Because this castle has never seen anyone like me.*
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An all out assault was something that was not in question for the Stepstone lords who wanted to attack the castle in waves after wearing them down with attrition and trying to starve them a bit. Castle Lash had 5 catapults and many archers who would try and attack and pick at the defenses of the attackers and Cayle Lash made sure to put them through shifts so they could remain well rested and constantly on watch to keep attacking at any enemy that came within shooting range of the castle, Daniel was careful about this and instead used there own catapults to try and hit the enemy back while planning out a few other attacks with Darron and the other lords. He understood the responsibility of his current role meant that even though he technically defaulted to Darron, Haywin saw him as the leader of this army and he was cautions about any losses he suffered in this siege. But at the same time he also understood that with so much behind the Verdants know he needed to win now or they wouldnt get a chance like this again and the war might extend longer then it needed to be. Cayle Lash did more then just plan leaving out the gate before it was closed again he lead a sortie against the party trying to attack the besiegers and prevent the castle from being fully surrounded. The sortie was soon met by the Henning forces and hit them fast and hard before breaking off and trying to hit other areas before they were pushed back by the reinforcements of Maloris forces. At night soon after another sortie was sent out lead by the commander of Ser Lucas Keath while Cayle rested, hitting the enemy where they could and falling back. Both sorties failed to stop the eventual surrounding the castle but they took more men then they lost in the skirmishes.

The next day after setting up there ladders and siege equipment they started to try and close in on the castle and firing at he enemy to get up the walls. Cayle Lash and Lucas Keath remained on the walls trying to lead and defend there forces as much as possible. The fighting lasted through the day as fighting continued on the ladders, the fighting at the very top of the walls and by the end both sides had lost a few hundred men but the Castle remained standing, if battered by the catapults. It became clear that the castle wouldnt fall as easily as Castle Claw did but Daniel remained undeterred. Already planning the next attack as Arthur Whent had his men continue firing at the walls and the Lashes. Cayle Lash planned another sortie that would start in the night, and when the night came he made his next attack striking at the Youngflower camp where an arrow came with inches of ending Visenya Henning's life. Jaq Maloris attempted to attack the retreating sortie himself with his host of men and try to take Cayle Lash but his loyal soldiers stayed behind to fight him off when Cayle retreated back successfully. The Lashes persistence was surprising but Darron felt it couldnt last as the Lashes were working more for there efforts and were on limited supplies being unable to gain any more food or arrows. His words proved true, while Cayle was doing well so far there supplies were dwindling and soon they would need to find alternatives. During the next day of the siege, Daniel offered to meet the castle defenders again with Cayle meeting him, the two discussed there chances with Daniel trying to get Cayle to see the futility of defending the castle with news of the recent battles in the war and how House Lash coudlnt hope to hold out against the entire Stepstones on there own. Cayle Lash wasnt one to surrender though confident Ethan was on his way and told Daniel that all he had to do was outlast them until reinforcements arrived confident in the Lashes abilities on there own land, and how it was Dnaiel, not him who should be concerned about how long he can last. With nothing resolved the two backed off and Cayle planned the most ambitious sortie with his men, he would take some of his best men with him and attack the war camp of Daniel himself hoping to kill or capture him and Darron Darkspear and force the Stepstones to back off. Despite some protest from Ser Lucas Keath since such an attack was hard to pull off and risky but Cayle knew it was the fastest way to end the battle. Cayle's chosen warriors rested for the night knowing that tomorrow they were likely not to return. Cayle's final sortie attacked the following day, made up mostly of there cav forces backed with some infantry they rushed and pushed through the Stepstones heading straight for Daniel's camp. Daneil came out in time to see it coming and arm himself from this suicide charge as the Lashes proved they were, if nothing else fierce warriors by hitting the enemy hard and making it to Daniel as they lost many to the pikemen of House Whent and arrow fire. Here Cayle Lash met Daneil and the two fought in single combat, Cayle was a skilled fighter older and more experienced then Daniel who was forcing back with the clashes but Daniel despite his young age had seen plenty of battles and didnt falter like many others would have under the Lash knights attacks and the battle came to an end when the sword Weedkiller broke Cayle's blade and opening Cayle up for the finishing thrust that penetrated his armor, and soon after took his life.

Of the sortie that attacked only a few survived and none surrendered but were instead wounded and taken into Daniel's custody, the last one fought longer and more vengeful then the rest especially after the fall of Cayle Lash, before Darron finally got him with a blade to the leg that forced him down. He would later be revealed as Cayle's bastard son Taren Lash who would be legitimized soon after the war by a late letter on Tavion and Cayle's part. But the failed sortie had cost the defenders some of there best men and Cayle's death which some on the walls witnessed hurt moral. This would be the opening the Lords desired as Daniel then ordered the final attack at the siege lead by Jaq they hit Castle Lash with everything they had and the opening it brought them afforded Arthur Whent to lead his men to opening the gate when they made it up the walls, allowing the rest of the army to rush in the castle and keep on fighting, the Lashes kept fighting even as the enemy poured in but eventually it was Ser Lucas Keath for the sake of the rest of the men when he realized the battle was lost who surrendered and submitted to the Darkspears mercy. Darron, on recommendation of Daniel allowed Ser Lucas to leave and inform Ethan Lash of the castles capture and there terms if he wanted his castle back.

## Aftermath

> *Darron: Send word to Daemon Verdant with my congratulations on his victory in the war. With Castle Lash ours, Ethan will have no choice but to surrender to him.*
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> *Jaqharys: I'm sure that will be welcome news for the Lord Verdant. I'll also send word to your father of the great victory here.*
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As Daemon predicted the war came to an end with the help of the Stepstones, Ethan Lash got word of the freed Lucas Keath and knowing he had lost too much he accepted the Stepstones surrender in exchange for there castle when the young lord arrived the Stepstones were fair to him and he struck up a conversation with Daniel who offered him advice about how to best handle his surrender to Lord verdant. Ethan heeded his words and once he was in control of his castle he sent word to Daemon and agreed to meet him for terms of his surrender. Daemon slowly hashed out a treaty that enacted punishments on those who backed the losers and rewarded those who helped him. Many monetary requirements were made as money was passed around, but a few stand out examples were made, the Lash presence in the North was gone as Castle Claw would become a castle under control of the Northern Lords namely the Starkwoods. Though they wouldnt long be able to enjoy there new castle as the Starkwoods were pushed out of the North soon afterwards after the events of A Dark Winter. The Redwaters were also punished losing much in terms of wealth and a command that they weren't allowed to bring more then 50 armed men into the crownlands without the Verdant's approval, or unless those men were under the banner of the King on campaign. In another way the lose affected the Redwater's influence, until now they were the undisputed powerhouse of House Brightflame able to field more men then most LP and had more connections then anyone, they had spies in just about every region under the brightflame banner, and one of the Eight Kingdoms the Stepstones being home to one of there loyal men Hollis Pyne and there leader Rheagon Sunfyre being married to a Redwater they were often seen to be the ones really in control of the region. In warfare they had been uncontested, at most you could hope to oppose them and come to a draw, but they had never really lost and they were seen as unbeatable, something this war had finally shaken, there power in the Stepstones was completely gone with the removal of Rheagon who took up residence in Oldstones and Hollis' exile from the region, and there recent actions at the tourney at Oldstones where Jory commanded one of his men to attack a enemy of Jory during the duels cost them House Greywinde who broke from them completely, and House Flameheart who while they hadn't outright rebelled they didnt answer the Redwaters call like they did in every other conflict they were needed while losing many men in the battles, while one would still be foolish to oppose them openly without backup the Redwaters era of dominance had reached a definite end.

Meanwhile the rise of House Verdant had started as well, with Castamere complete sometime after this and having gained many connections in the aftermath of the war House Verdant went from being seen as the upstart house that had taken Castamere by sucking up to the king to a powerful house youd think twice about mocking or opposing. Daemon himself started to work on building on those relations to improve his standing both in the Westerlands and in the overall 8 Kingdoms, his friendship with Haywin gave him a good head start as he was well acquainted with the Stepstone lords. The Lashes were hit the hardest by the loss, not only had they lost thousands of men in the failed campaign and sieges but they had lost there lord of several years and experienced General in Tavion and Cayle Lash, Castle Claw was now out of there power for good and Ethan blamed himself for much of it, feeling as though his failure to do what was needed of him reflected on his failures as a lord. This gave him a need to prove himself that would lead him to many more mistakes in his life, one of which happened not long after in regards to the Cornered Viper mission in Dorne that cost him his lordship and Castle Lash, especially when news of the letter requesting the legitimacy of Taren Lash was finally addressed and accepted by the King leading to Taren usurping Ethan from his castle following the failed mission and renaming the Castle New Dawn.