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I have been planning this chapter for a very long time, and I put a lot of effort not only into the technical groundwork but also to make the narration realistic.

Let me begin by clarifying this: No firearms are used in this chapter. If they were, achieving victory would have been very easy, and writing it would have been simpler for me as the author. However, I didn't want to do that. I wanted this battle to be a true work of tactical genius. I researched the most effective infantry formations against cavalry forces. Being especially familiar with medieval European history and wars, I already knew the answer, but I modified and perfected that answer for the Dothraki.

This chapter contains a lot of tactical, technical, and strategic explanation. I hope you enjoy it and find it inspiring.

If you appreciate the work I have done, please don't forget to leave Kudos and comment.

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"In the Trident plains, even today, Dothraki and horse skeletons can be found."

— War documentary

The Trident plain is a swampy and marshy area even today, making it a very suitable location to trap the enemy.

Here, Ned used the geographical advantage of the region to set a trap against the Targaryen army, but to be honest, he did not expect them to fall for it so easily. Around Rhaegar Targaryen were experienced commanders who would immediately understand the trap and warn the prince. The tactic was well prepared, though not entirely secret.

Still, Rhaegar Targaryen charged straight into the heart of the trap, and almost the entire advance of the battle went according to Ned's plan. The Dorne shield wall was shattered. Roose Bolton trapped Barristan Selmy inside a circle of Bolton soldiers, keeping him away from Rhaegar. Yohn Royce was about to use a similar tactic against Lewyn Martell, but Lyn Corbray acted first and killed the king's guard. Jonothor Darry was no serious opponent compared to the other two; Ned's Stark forces killed him.

All these preparations were for a single purpose: to open the way for Robert's cavalry units. Thus, a hard blow would be dealt to the center of the Targaryen army, and the army would break apart shortly after. Ned remembered that day clearly—Robert wielded a 5 kg heavy war hammer with a long handle, swinging it as if it were a wooden stick. Rhaegar Targaryen had no chance from the start; the moment he brought his army to the Trident, the war was already lost.

Later, when Ned spoke with Ser Barristan Selmy, he asked if Rhaegar had been warned about the trap at the Trident. Barristan said that both he and Lewyn Martell had given repeated warnings, but the prince was very confident and, for unknown reasons, was quite sure he would win the war.

Is Ned now making the same mistake as Rhaegar Targaryen? he wondered, watching the approaching Dothraki cavalry.

Why are Dothraki horsemen deadly? Why are they unbeatable on open plains? There are two reasons. The first is their way of life: the Dothraki live by the law of the jungle, where only the strong rule. No weak or crippled individual—even if he is a khal's son—can survive or rise in the Dothraki nation. This lifestyle makes them a barbaric tribe far from civilization and also ensures that every Dothraki warrior is stronger and faster than an average human. Because of how they grow up, no Dothraki soldier has moral qualms about civilians; they kill and rape freely. They do not fear death, they even enjoy running toward it. These traits make them perfect soldiers.

The second reason is their famous horses. The Dothraki love and respect their horses more than humans; they literally worship them. If you do a great favor for a Dothraki man, he might gift you his beautiful wife for one night—but never his horse. He would rather give his life. Dothraki horses are the noblest and purest breeds in the world; their speed and power are unmatched. Each horse has absorbed its rider's warrior spirit, so they rarely get scared and are unafraid to leap into death.

The combination of these two qualities makes the Dothraki cavalry—composed entirely of horsemen, as archers and infantry units are rare—invincible on open plains. Even if you face them with four times as many men, these fearless horsemen charge straight at you without hesitation or tactical thought. Witnessing this, the enemy infantry's morale quickly drops, their ranks begin to break, and even a brief break in the lines is enough for the Dothraki to shatter the enemy formation. Once the formation collapses, all remaining soldiers become easy prey. That is why the Dothraki cannot be defeated on flat plains.

However, this rule only applies on flat plains. If the opposing side places itself in a strategically advantageous position—such as a hill or a narrow pass—they can trap the Dothraki and use their desire for death to their own advantage. After all, the Dothraki are human like everyone else; even if they are fearless, their bodies are not made of iron. They bleed, burn, and die.

"Sir, they are approaching," reported Halys Hornwood.

"Hold your ground," Ned ordered.

Dothraki khals are not ignorant fools; they know strategy and tactics. If there is a trap ahead, they will see it. If they suffer heavy losses, they are smart enough to order a retreat—nothing more. The Dothraki cavalry army has no formal attack formation; for thousands of years, they have used the same tactic: target the enemy's center, attack, kill, kill, and kill.

The qualities that make the Dothraki unbeatable on flat plains also make them complete fools in siege warfare, because besieging a castle requires strategic and tactical knowledge, as well as the construction of siege engines. The Dothraki lack this kind of knowledge—the only siege weapon they know is ladders. All these weaknesses make capturing castles extremely difficult for them.

Ned thought about how to defeat the Dothraki. The most obvious answer was to reduce their numbers through a siege, but how could he convince the Dothraki to besiege a castle? There are many settlements, villages, and towns in the plains promising loot; the Dothraki could freely pillage these instead of bothering with a siege. No, the answer was not a siege. Ned needed to challenge them on an open plain because the only way to quickly and decisively destroy the Dothraki army was that.

"They are coming very fast," there was some concern in Rodrik Ryswell's voice.

"Wait," Ned said calmly.

Ned had to lure them onto the open field and at the same time make them experience something like a siege. How was he going to do that? The shield wall.

Of course, the answer was not that simple. After all, the shield wall is a tactic that has been known and used for thousands of years and has been employed many times against the Dothraki on flat plains. But these walls eventually collapse under the relentless attacks of the Dothraki. However, the Dothraki cannot breach a castle's walls in the same way because one is made of people and the other of stone or rock.

Ned needed to build a shield wall made of human strength that could stand against the Dothraki, but that alone was not enough. This shield wall also needed to have the ability to kill and destroy the enemy, otherwise, it would be useless.

For the past two years, he had been drawing plans for this formation, refining it with commanders, and training his soldiers. All for this very moment.

The army was lined up in a straight formation, with only the center—where Ned stood—holding more soldiers arranged in a rounded shape. This area was slightly hillier and surrounded by nearby marshes. While not enough on its own to secure victory, it provided a tactical advantage that would make their task easier.

Atop the hill, the Stark family's crowned wolf banner waved, and even the Dothraki knew what it meant: the King in the North was here! They would focus their attack on the center and try with all their might to break through the wall—just as Ned intended.

A trap needs bait, and without a doubt, there was no greater prize for the Dothraki horde than King Stark himself. In short, Ned used himself as bait.

King Stark calmly watched as the vanguard of the Dothraki cavalry fell into the trenches. When he first arrived in the area, he had used the advantage of time to have these trenches dug around the central circle. Still, he didn't have much time, so the trenches were neither wide, deep, nor numerous—but they served their purpose: they slowed the enemy.

The trenches quickly filled with khalasar and horse corpses. The other Dothraki riders, without hesitation, trampled over them and pressed forward. Still, even a momentary pause undoubtedly reduced the strength and speed of what would be the strongest assault—the initial cavalry charge.

"Now!" Ned commanded. Greatjon Umber immediately grabbed his war horn and blew with all his might. The booming sound of the massive war horn, made from mammoth ivory, echoed across the entire battlefield. The signal was clear: shield wall.

Ned had been mobilizing the resources of the Northern Kingdom for two years just to prepare this tactic and had craftsmen forge shields and spears. The shields were nearly the size of a man and oval-shaped. They were made from the highest quality Northern wood—extremely hard and impervious to piercing. The spear shafts were also made from the same quality wood and would not break easily. Durability was absolutely necessary because these spears were almost two to three men in length. The spear tips were specially designed: when they pierced a human body, they created a powerful penetrating force, yet when withdrawn, they caused no difficulty and didn't get stuck in the bone.

The Northern army heard the fierce cries of the Dothraki and watched them charge wildly toward them. Yet, without any hesitation, they formed the shield wall. There were two reasons for this: first, the units Ned brought with him were battle-hardened professional soldiers; second, they knew of the massacres the Dothraki had caused so far in the Stormlands and the Reach. If they didn't stop them here, the same fate would befall their own families and loved ones. Every Dothraki killed meant one less Westerosi citizen saved from slaughter or rape—and revenge for the innocent civilians massacred just for being Westerosi! Every soldier in the Northern army threw their entire being into this cause.

The shield wall designed by Ned is basically simple. The very first soldier in the front row kneels down and forms the base of the wall. The second soldier behind him places his shield directly on top of the kneeling soldier's shield. Right behind these two soldiers are two more who support their backs, helping them withstand the attack. If any of the shield bearers die, these men immediately take their place.

But it doesn't stop there—there are also spear soldiers. The overlapping shields actually leave small gaps, and the spears are placed through these gaps. The spear soldiers move forward and backward in an organized manner, constantly moving their spears so the bodies of fallen Dothraki cavalry don't get stuck on them. Each time a spear is pushed forward, it pierces another enemy soldier's body. If the Dothraki were armored cavalry, this might pose a problem, but that's not the case. Most of the khalasar wear cheap leather armor or nothing at all.

The spear soldiers also serve as backups for the reserves. If the position is left empty, the spear soldier in front immediately moves to the reserve position, providing support by backing up the frontline shield infantry. And one more advantage: each time the spear soldiers step forward, they also give strength and speed to the shield wall. Commanders can order the soldiers to drop their spears and focus on strengthening the shield wall when necessary. While this will reduce the wall's destructive power, it will double its defensive strength.

Ned watched as the Dothraki struck the shield wall in the center with the full force of a wave. It was undoubtedly a fierce blow, causing the soldiers to step back nearly two paces; yet the shield wall held firm and did not break. As Ned observed the scene, he thanked the Old and New Gods for their aid and pleaded for their continued blessings.

The Dothraki assault lasted for a full minute, managing to push the Northern soldiers into a brief retreat, but the wall did not collapse and continued to stand. From his position, Ned could see how furious the Dothraki had become—having a shield wall hold against the khalasars for a whole minute was a rare sight.

The spears moved in coordinated fashion, like gears in a factory; each thrust managed to take down two or three khalasars or horses. Still, the wall was definitely strained because the Dothraki focused all their strength on the center, ignoring the flanks.

Exactly as Ned had intended.

"We're retreating," ordered King Stark. Without hesitation, Greatjon Umber lifted his horn again and blew it with all his might. It was time to execute the second phase of the plan.

The center gradually pulled back while the flanks advanced, but the line formation did not break. It was essentially a pincer movement—the goal was to keep the enemy focused on the center while encircling them from the flanks.

Once the Dothraki were enclosed in the circle, this battle would be over.

The retreat of the center gave the Dothraki hope and confidence; they saw it as a sign that the shield wall would soon collapse, which only fueled their assault with greater strength.

However, the real problem wasn't their growing force—it was the Dothraki's infamous horse archers. When designing his plan, Ned's greatest concern had been these mounted archers, and most of the soldiers lost so far had fallen because of them.

"Let the center circle switch to full defensive formation," Ned ordered. All the spear soldiers in the center dropped their weapons and raised their shields. The goal was to coordinate a complete defense against the archers' assault.

In this way, the shield wall was almost no different from a castle wall. Casualties were significantly reduced, but the offensive capability was lost, so enemy losses also decreased. Still, Ned didn't mind—if they could hold long enough, the battle would be won.

"They're circling around us." Wylis Manderly reported. Ned nodded in acknowledgment but gave no other reaction.

Circling around the enemy, encircling, surrounding from behind—these were tactics the Dothraki frequently used. Or rather, these were the only strategies they really knew. Their resorting to this path showed the khal's desperation.

Of course, it was impossible for Ned to leave such a large gap in his plan; he had been prepared for rear attacks from the start.

The shield wall Ned designed didn't face only one direction—it looked everywhere. In short, it wasn't a one-sided shield wall; it was a four-sided shield wall.

Even if the Dothraki circled around from behind, all they would see there was another shield wall.

"Don't forget to rotate the soldiers regularly." Even though the front-line shield bearers constantly received back and strength support, they still exerted their own wrist strength. If the pressure continued relentlessly, their endurance would eventually run out. Therefore, the shield bearers had to be regularly replaced with their reserves. But this was not easy; if done incorrectly, it could create a gap for the Dothraki. Such a mistake that caused the shield wall to break would make the battle impossible to save.

Ned knew the center circle would especially be the main target of the attack. That's why he had placed the strongest selected soldiers there and had them constantly training. The soldiers knew exactly how to perform the rotations, and commanders who regularly inspected the shield wall and ordered the rotations were present. Soldiers could not switch positions without such an order.

Half an hour had passed. More than half of the circle was complete. If Ned had been in Khal Drogo's place, he would have recognized the inevitable and withdrawn—but the Dothraki did not. In fact, under Khal's lead, they launched an even more furious assault. Ned could see the wall was truly shaking now.

"Drop what you're doing," he commanded, pointing out Khal Drogo to Howland Reed. "Take an archer unit and hunt the khal."

Howland nodded silently. Crannogmen might be weak and wiry folk, but they were renowned for their archery.

Five minutes later, a chorus of cries rose from the Dothraki ranks. Ned didn't know their language, but he understood what they were shouting. Khal Drogo was dead.

Some Dothraki began to flee immediately, but Ned sent no troops after them. Completing the circle was more important—there was no room for distraction.

With their leader slain, the Dothraki suffered an obvious blow to their morale. Their attacks grew erratic; some fled, others struck at random points on the shield wall.

And finally, the circle closed.

The Dothraki had realized they were trapped, but they continued to attack the shield wall desperately. If Khal Drogo were still alive, he would have ordered them to concentrate their assault on a single point, giving them at least some hope. But that was not the case. The khalasar attacked random spots along the circle, trying frantically to break through the wall.

"Blackfish will hunt down the khalasar outside the circle," Ned commanded. Once the circle was complete, the shield wall became single-faced, looking only inward. Their backs were exposed. This also meant that the number of soldiers holding the wall was reduced by half.

"It's time to finish this. No mercy. No prisoners. Kill them all without exception."

Greatjon Umber laughed with joy and victory, then blew the horn one last time.

The Dothraki were now trapped inside the circle, which tightened more with every passing minute, squeezing them further. Meanwhile, the free soldiers would hunt the Dothraki outside the circle and rain a shower of arrows on those inside, causing constant casualties.

Ned mounted his horse and rode away, knowing that for decades to come, the Trident River would run red with Dothraki blood.

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The shield wall I describe in this chapter was used in various forms in medieval Europe and has many different styles and names: Phalanx, Testudo, Skjaldborg. I mixed these formation tactics together in a way and customized them for the Dothraki.

The center's retreat and the wings' advance, resulting in the enemy being encircled, is commonly known as the "pincer movement." It was notably used by Hannibal in the Battle of Cannae.

Dothraki Khals are smart generals who know when to retreat if necessary, but in this chapter, they never fall back and persistently continue the assault because they are on a flat plain facing a shield wall. Losing a battle on flat ground, failing to break a shield wall, and being unable to disrupt enemy ranks—these are unacceptable outcomes for Khal Drogo. Achieving such superiority in battle is the hallmark of the Dothraki, and a Khal who fails at this would undoubtedly become a massive stain and curse in Dothraki history. Khal Drogo cannot accept such a result; he would rather die on the battlefield with his men than flee. That way, there is even a slim chance to break the shield wall or at least die on the battlefield, preserving some of his remaining honor. By the way, Khal Drogo dies in this chapter.

Also, keep in mind: the tactic Ned uses in this chapter might seem familiar to us, so you might think it's nothing extraordinary. However, he is the first person in that world to make it happen and achieve the impossible. Because of this battle, his legend will be written, and his name will go down in history—because the success is enormous.

Again: losing a battle on a flat plain, failing to break a shield wall — these are results the Dothraki cannot accept. That is why they insist on advancing into Ned's trap; this path is much more honorable. They also interpret the retreat of the center as a sign that the shield wall nearby is about to collapse. They hold on to this hope and keep attacking.

I put a lot of effort into this chapter, especially ensuring the narration fits real history and the ASOIAF lore. I hope you like the result. I eagerly await your feedback, whether positive or negative. I wish you all a great day.

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