Battle of the Whispering Wood

After splitting his forces ahead of the clash at the Green Fork, Robb Stark needed a way to cross the river without the Lannisters noticing. The alliance he struck with House Frey gave him that crossing, and at the Twins he added fresh swords to his column as he marched on Riverrun, hoping to catch the besieging army by surprise. Along the way he was joined by Jason Mallister, riding up from Seagard around the Blue Fork, and by a trickle of hedge knights and masterless men who had fled north after Edmure Tully fell before the castle's walls.

To keep the march from reaching Lannister ears, Ser Brynden Tully rode ahead with three hundred handpicked men, tasked with bringing down message ravens and hunting any spy who crossed the field. Before the fighting, the sons of Robb's bannermen clamoured for the honour of riding at his side; among the thirty who made up his personal guard were Torrhen and Eddard Karstark, the little Jon Umber, Theon Greyjoy, five sons of Walder Frey, Wendel Manderly and Dacey Mormont, along with Daryn Hornwood and Patrek Mallister.

Robb's plan was to draw Jaime Lannister out of his own camp. He sent a small party carrying the Tully banner in plain sight, and when Ser Jaime rode out with his cavalry to meet it, the riders turned and led him straight into the waiting bulk of the northern host. Horns from the Mormont companies signalled that the trap had worked; command of Robb's columns lay with the Greatjon Umber, Rickard Karstark, the Freys and the Mallisters.

Once Jaime realised the battle was lost, he tried to fight his way to Robb and kill him with his own hands; before he was overwhelmed and taken, he cut down three of the guards around the Young Wolf. Ten Lannister men fell for every Stark who died, and Gawen Westerling, Willem Lannister and Cleos Frey were taken prisoner alongside Jaime, among other lords and knights. The victory came at a cost: Torrhen and Eddard Karstark were among the dead.

With Ser Jaime gone, the Lannister army ringing Riverrun was left without a head. That absence of command would tell soon after, when the same siege collapsed in the Battle of the Camps.

Holding him prisoner gave the Starks a bargaining chip they could use to talk hostage exchanges, and even opened the door to talk of peace with the Lannisters.