Unexpected outcome of the Battle of Winterfell?

[finger]

Also, TWOIAF includes a reminder of the guest right, which is specially respected in the North. the Rat Cook, and that stuff. Boltons and Freys are doomed, and I guess their time will come in the battle of the snow.

Manderly is clearly against them, while he's trying to save his face. They others feign allegiance, but not always can. Lady Barbrey might have her rows with the Starks, but she can hardly conceal her contemp for the Boltons. It's said that the Umbers won't fight each other, and I suspect they're working as a team: one is making them nervous from outside while the other is kinda Trojan horse inside. Roose Bolton is also watching and suspecting, and he's afraid, he's seeing it coming.

Of course, this doesn't make Stannis much stronger. If he manages to survive, the Northeners might let him believe himself a king for a while, but he lacks the forces to sustain himself against any attack. (On other thoughts, a rationale for the pink letter could be found in this trail.)

Actually, a defeat in WF, while sweeping away the Boltons, would only mean a more or less serious blow to the Freys. The Twins still would hold. It also makes the Lannisters feebler.

In other words, it's time for LF to claim his position in the Riverlands.

[Mr. Greenhands]

Martin loves to bring up unexpected parties to big battles. Like Renly's Ghost at Blackwater.

In Winterfell, there are many options to turn the tide of battle:

- Rickon, Davos and the Skagosi

- Dagmer's Ironborn from Torrhen's Square

- The Vale w/ Sansa and LF

- The Brotherhood Without Banners

What could Rickon do? At this point he is only a child.