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| “ | What are your orders? | ” |
— Arthur Glenmore to Rodrik Forrester.
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The Capture of the Whitehill Garrison is an event in the Forrester-Whitehill Conflict. It occurs when Elaena and Arthur Glenmore approach Rodrik Forrester accompanied with the elite guard of House Glenmore to stop Gryff Whitehill and free Ironrath from the control of the House Whitehill garrison. They capture the men and Ironrath is returned to Forrester control again.
Prelude[]
Following young Lord Ethan's death by Ramsay Snow, House Forrester goes into a state of disarray. Soldiers desert their posts, and the Whitehill garrison causes trouble throughout Ironrath. With Ryon Forrester a hostage, the house is left lord less, and the Sentilel named by the late Lord Ethan attempts to lead the House. That is until Rodrik Forrester, the son and heir of the late Lord Gregor Forrester, unexpectedly returns on a corpse cart from the Twins. The new Lord of the House is severely wounded and forced to walk with a cane, but he immediately shoulders the responsibilty to lead his house and restore order.
During his first small council meeting, Rodrik and his council discuss on how they can restore the house's power, Lady Elissa mentions that after hearing of his survival, Rodrik's betrothed, Elaena Glenmore, is coming to Ironrath to visit him and pay her respects to his father and brother, if the marriage were to occur, House Glenmore's army would be oathbound to Rodrik, giving the Forresters the necessary forces to either keep the Whitehills at bay or even assault their enemies's stronghold, Highpoint. However, with the state of House Forrester, Lord Glenmore questions the wisdom of the betrothal and tells his daughter to call it off. During their meeting, Rodrik can convince Elaena to keep the betrothal or lose it.
The Whitehill garrison grows even more intolerable with the arrival of its commander: Gryff Whitehill. Gryff reprimands Rodrik for either starving his soldiers or keeping them drunk, he demands that his men be treated properly and decides to take residence in Ironrath's great hall. With barely any men, and the Glenmore forces not available at all or until the wedding, the Forresters cannot act. During a meeting with Gwyn Whitehill, Rodrik learns of a traitor inside his own small council, and Gwyn recommends Rodrik to submit to Gryff to prevent an escalation of violence. Rodrik can do so or defy her request.
Some time later, while Rodrik is training in the grove to build his strength back up, Elaena and her brother Arthur Glenmore visit Ironrath, along with House Glenmore's elite guard. Elaena informs Rodrik that Lord Whitehill has threatened House Glenmore with destruction unless Elaena weds Gryff Whitehill, to prevent the marriage from happening, the Glenmore siblings will help him take Gryff down and gift the elite guard to Rodrik so he can increase his forces.
The Capture[]
Rodrik, Elaena, Arthur, and members of the guard enter Ironrath. Lady Elissa Forrester notices their arrival and promptly joins them. She informs them that Gryff and Maester Ortengryn were arguing and things quickly got violent. Arthur asks what Rodrik means to do, prompting Rodrik to instruct him to gather the rest of the men to deal with Gryff. Before they leave, he tells them to enter the great hall upon his signal, conveyed by the striking of his cane. The men leave and prepare, Elaena wants to accompany Rodrik even if her safety could be at risk, Rodrik agrees and the pair enter the great hall.
As they approach the great hall door, the sounds of the maester getting beaten and Lady Forrester's protests are heard from within. Upon entering, Rodrik sees Ortengryn is being mercilessy beaten by Whitehill soldiers, Gryff and Harys among them. Gryff accuses the maester of allowing a bite wound on one of his men to fester, probably the same bite that Talia Forrester gave to a Whitehill man who was stealing from the Ironrath kitchens some time before. After the maester falls to the ground, Gryff shift his attention to Rodrik and orders him to tell Ortengryn to obey him. Before he can continue, he is shocked to see Elaena Glenmore at Rodrik's side, noting she's supposed to be marrying him. Elaena defiantly states she'll rather marry a dead horse, provoking Gryff into threatening her and stomping down on the maester's hand.
As Gryff continues to get more angered, believing that Rodrik requires a lesson in humility, Elaena and Rodrik notice Arthur, knowing he's ready. Rodrik can then summon the soldiers, or provoke Gryff to attack him so that he can use the move Ser Royland Degore showed Rodrik earlier in the episode, Rodrik succeeds and knocks Gryff to the ground, much to his anger, or fails much to Gryff's satisfaction. Rodrik then summons the soldiers.
The guard bursts in from the doors of the hall, much to the Whitehills' shock. They surround the Whitehills and draw their bows, aiming their arrows at the Whitehills, Arthur asks Rodrik for his orders. Before they retaliate, Rodrik orders the guard to either rescue the maester, who is still on the ground, kill anyone that moves, which results in Arthur firing an arrow into a Whitehill's head, or take their weapons, much to Harys' anger.
After this is done, two Glenmores grab Gryff, who struggles. As he's held, Gryff threatens Rodrik, and tells him that his father will go to Roose Bolton and the Forresters will be flayed. He continues to threaten Rodrik, who can order the Glenmores to take Gryff away or beat Gryff, a beating that can escalate into a brutal beatdown that can lead to Gryff getting blinded in his left eye. Lady Forrester attempts to stop Rodrik, reminding him that Ryon is still under Ludd's custody, killing Gryff would lead to Ryon's death.
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Gryff's brutal beatdown
Rodrik turns to Arthur and orders that the Whitehills be confined to the cellars, while the Glenmores escort Gryff and the Whitehills out. Lady Forrester orders for the ravens in the rookery to be killed, so that the traitor cannot inform Ludd about what has occurred.
Later, Glenmore soldiers are seen escorting more Whitehill men to the cellars.
Aftermath[]
The Forresters receive an invitation to Highpoint from Lord Whitehill, unaware that his son and men have been imprisoned. Rodrik, Lady Forrester, Royland or Duncan, and optionally the Glenmore elite guard go to Highpoint, where after some tense negotiations, a trade of Ryon for Gryff is agreed upon, to be conducted one neutral ground. When they return to Ironrath they find it empty, and in the great hall Rodrik encounters Ramsay Snow, talking with his sister Talia.
Ramsay brings them to the Ironwood grove where he reveals Arthur Glenmore being tortured, captured by Bolton men regardless if the Glenmores were brought to highpoint or not. Arthur is killed, much to Elaena's horror, he also orders for the Glenmore guard to return home.
The traitor of the house is discovered by Talia, the one who wasn't the Sentinel, and can be executed for their betrayal. The traitor informs Rodrik that Asher is in danger and will be ambushed as soon as he lands in Westeros, Rodrik and the Forrester forces ride for the coast to protect him.