You get the feeling the Tarters are winning the war just by letting these people man their forts in Solitude. While the Tarters roam free, Drogo is tied to eternal watch, to fantasize about a battle that will never come. There is a war and he’s losing badly.
Reminds me of the SpongeBob gif of the fish in his car, at his window, and at the office. Over and over the same.