The Start of Aegon V's Northern Campaign.
"...I was finally able to make a beret (cow fur cap), and I manage to sew the tartan(cloaks) to ward off the cold, and it seems I was able to introduce a new trend amongst my kinsmen as some of them, particularly the one's that supported me in my bid for being the chieftain of the tribe, took to taking my manner of outfit as a way to voice their support of me..." - Diary of Rhodri Map Merfyn, the diary was written using charcoal and the papers was made on cow leather, it was kept on the King's Solar in a glass and wood container.
A Hawk Feather, supporter of the House of Canmore
When Brynden Rivers, Hand of the King, and Master of Whispers was exiled from King's Landing because of his trickery which caused the death of Aenys Blackfyre, it was not expected that the man would rise from the ranks and become the First Ranger of the Watch in quick ten years, and its not as if Rhodri was idle either, the man had been consolidating his power as Chief of Ailpin, and Lord of Hardhome, even forging stronger bonds with Braavos by sending continuous trade missions and even allowing Braavosi advisers on his court and before the eventual clash between them he has been preparing a lot for his encounter with the Night's Watch by training and drilling his men.
The emboldened Wildling Chieftain began to further reorganize the way his people fight which started during the reign of his father, the tribe of the Ailpins being a part of the Thenns, organize themselves in warbands, the Ailpins called theirs as Caterans, a word in their language Cait Rean, which means 'raiders' or 'cattle takers', as the Ailpin tribe always had a history of clans raiding one another for women and Cattle at first Merfyn had the Caterans of the first and second ranks to be armed with a fifteen foot long pike, a targe (small buckler), and a short sword or a dagger, they were supported by a compliment of skirmishers and shield bearers, armed with bows, javelins and throwing axes, during Rhodri's time however all of the Caterans are now armed with pikes and are ten ranks deep, supported at the flanks by Gallowglasses, archers armed with crossbows that would prevent the pikemen to be outflanked and the ranged contingent would retreat behind the pikes to help shield the pikemen and prevent them from fighting in the melee.
The Gallowglasses are a strange mix between sell swords and knights, in the Old Tongue Gal Glaz means 'foreign warrior' as much as they are considered as sell swords it seems these men are loyal to their employers than that of the call of coin due to the fact that they are not a part of the great game chieftains and lords are a part of, they were so loyal that King Anarawd Map Rhodri of House Canmore always had a contingent of Gallowglasses numbering a hundred with him as an impromptu King's guard his trusted friend, Ser Bonifer of House Hasty being its Lord Commander. The first Gallowglasses were men and women from another tribe that were taken in by the Ailpins and also Night's Watch deserters who were given a choice to either die in the harsh cold of beyond the wall or to serve their Chieftain, then after the expedition to Braavos came Braavosi second sons and adventurers who decided to offer their services to Rhodri who decided to give them a reason to stay in his lands, to give them families through marriages with the daughters of the lesser chiefs of the tribe, after the Northern Campaign Southern Hedge Knights and Lordly and Knightly second sons joined the new crop of recruits for this famed order of warriors. The Gallowglasses became the favored shock troops of Rhodri, armed with throwing axes, javelins, great axes and great swords they would charge first to the shield wall breaking the enemy lines before the Caterans would march forward with pikes at the ready.
It was this new army with which Rhodri Map Merfyn was able to defeat the rest of the tribes in the Vale of Thenns in two decisive battles, and finally consolidated the region that he was called Magnar of all-Thenns in after two years. It would not be long until the new Lord Commander of the Watch Brynden Rivers caught wind of the rising star of Rhodri and thought to put a stop to it before such force would come south to the Wall and crush them, he arranged a great ranging to which three thousand brothers of the Night's Watch sought to destroy the Magnar of all-Thenns. At the battle of the Frozen lake, the Magnar of all-Thenns managed to secure a victory against Brynden Rivers, ambushing them and driving the Night's watch to the freezing waters, the Night's Watch was able to retreat with minimum casualties and Brynden had to send a letter to King's Landing asking for help against the 'savages of the north led by a king' it was there when Rhodri was proclaimed as King Beyond the Wall by the Southerners and House Targaryen marches to war.
Aegon V of House Targaryen was said to be a man of peaceful disposition, but with him being an unlikely heir to the throne, his reforms and his unpopularity with the nobles, and the looming threat of the illegitimate Blackfyres, he had to secure a victory so as to show that House Targaryen may have lost its dragons but it still has its teeth and fire, they now resolve to crush the threat in the far North.
It seems Rhodri was not blind to what had just happened as much as possible he keeps abreast of events and outcomes through his correspondence with Braavos with whom he has maintained a healthy relationship with through the trade of whale oil and bone, as well as gold and silver that was now being mined on the Vale, also it seems that Braavos has favored the Magnar of all-Thenns in the upcoming war against the Seven Kingdoms for they sent a shipment of horses numbering to hundreds to Rhodri while at the same time prevent the fleet from the Vale of Arryn and also from King's Landing and Dragonstone to sail towards Hardhome, rumors had began to be whispered once more of a threat of another Blackfyre rebellion and so the Iron Throne's attention was then divided and Aegon V was forced to send his trusted Lord Commander Ser Duncan the Tall to become the leader of the expeditionary forces to the North.