My thanks to MandTeKad who serves as a sounding board and beta for this and my other stories.

This story was released around three weeks ago to those on the Discord server for the story, and anywhere from 1 to 4 months ago to those who support my writing.

All links are at the end of the chapter.

---

40: The Water Runs Red 5

… …

The room was dimly lit, with shadows cast over the map sprawled on the wooden table between us, rough lines and symbols marking the island's ports and harbours. The Redwater Bay, with its winding shores, was drawn in crude strokes on the parchment, littered with pebbles to signify ships and garrisons. I gestured toward the eastern port, my finger tracing a line down to the bay. "You'll take what men and ships you've got here and sail straight into the bay. There, you'll meet one of my senior commanders aboard the longboats we seized from Vaegon."

Rakakz gave a low chuckle, a sound I'd become accustomed to. "Hard to believe you managed to take him down. I'd been hoping to kill the bastard myself for years now."

"Technically it was my second who killed him, but once Allerion's dealt with, I promise you will see Vaegon's head beside Allerion's. At least before the flesh is burnt from them."

I'd initially kept the head as a way to dissuade any of Vaegon's former men from rebelling, but after some time, and remembering how I'd presented the Grim Prince's skull to Doran, I figured I could continue the practice with Vaegon and potentially Allerion. It would make clear that I despised pirates, but amusingly, because he bent the knee, Rakakz would help show I was merciful to those who agreed to follow me instead of challenging me.

The thought of displaying the skulls of my defeated enemies—cleaned, polished, and prominently placed—would, to some, appear morbid. Perhaps, in my former life, I might've seen it that way, too. But here, it held a certain logic, a grim symbolism I found myself increasingly drawn to. My holdings were modest now, though I intended for them to grow, and instilling fear in those who dared oppose me was a powerful tool. The notion that defeat meant not just loss, but the finality of losing one's head, would make many think twice before crossing me. They would either kneel or flee, sparing me the trouble of needless bloodshed.

And then there was the peculiar appeal of it—the thought of drinking from the skull of a vanquished foe, of toasting to victory with their life's remains. It was a strange indulgence, I admitted, yet it resonated with the darker edge of my ambition, the desire not just to conquer but to leave a mark, a legend that would give any rival pause. This land, these holdings—one day, I would be remembered not just as a ruler, but as a figure to be feared, an example of what awaited those who stood against me.

Rakakz gave a half-grunt, half-chuckle that over the last few days, I discovered was a common occurrence for the man. "Lookin' forward to it." He had an amusingly morbid sense of humour, and if he hadn't been a pirate and instead been born a member of Sunspear's guard, I might well have become friends with him.

I moved on, ignoring that because of him I was conducting this meeting in what the Interface termed Bastardised Valyrian. That skill had spun off from High Valyrian over the last few days as I was forced to use it more to interact with the men here, and what was interesting was that there was no Reading/Writing component, just the Speaking/Listening part. I wondered if the Interface would grant me separate languages for each of the Free Cities as they all spoke variants of Valyrian, but that was a matter for far into the future.

I pushed four pebbles, representing Rakakz's ships, toward Allerion's port. "I want you to show that you intend to attack the port in force. At the same time, my man from the south will move north, as if either moving to attack you or the port." I pushed forward the five pebbles standing in for Cayde's ships. "Once closer, both fleets will turn and race toward the port. Allerion might send some ships out to engage, but with nine ships with full crews, you will be able to overwhelm any ships and the port."

"Once the port sees us coming, they will call for help," Rakakz said, pointing over the island to the nearest point of coast on the map. "I know that bastard's got a port there, but I do not know where." He then drew a finger down from that coast to the bay port. "I know of the path, however, and men will move down it to support the port. He might even send for ships from the port to the west, and that one has his larger ships."

"If he calls for those ships, they cannot make it to you in time," I countered as I placed three pebbles near the tip of the coast that turned into the bay. "My men will have a small force here, acting as lookouts." I then tapped at the bay port. "You say Allerion will send men to support this port, but the question is if they can get there in time. If you time your move well, they will not have it, meaning any reinforcements can only arrive after your men are onshore and most, if not all of the port is yours. At that point, what will Allerion do?"

Rakakz snarled. "Pull back. The cunt never stays to fight if the odds are not in his favour." Rakakz had already indicated this multiple times over the last few days while we'd spoken, but I wanted him to confirm it one final time. This plan, or at least what Rakakz knew of it, hinged on the Gilded Hand being honest in his appraisal. While I wasn't as skilled at finding lies as Bronn, nor had the advantages Ymir and Kaa did, I was decent. Between myself and Jaeronos, we felt Rakakz was being truthful with his knowledge, at least where it came to Allerion.

The plan I was detailing was one I'd been conceiving of ever since taking Rakakz's eastern ports, and Rakakz's words only made it clearer that bold action on multiple fronts was the way to go. If I could have, I would've launched this attack two days ago, but a storm had drifted over the island, which was finally starting to clear.

The storm had granted me more time to grill Rakakz for intel and refine my plan. While it was hard to fly in the storm, it wasn't anything major, and I had managed to relay orders to Cayde and Daemon about their part in the plan yesterday. They'd held at Vaegon's bay port when I'd first warned them about the approaching storm, and would, if it cleared tomorrow, set sail. Rakakz would return to the bay port while I would set sail for my part of the attack at the same time, and everyone should arrive where they needed to be at roughly the same time.

If, after Allerion was defeated and either on his knees or missing his head, the intel from Rakakz proved accurate, then he'd have gained some trust from me. However, it would only be extended about as far as either of my squires could throw him.

"Good, because by doing that it means taking the bay port will be easier. Once that's done, my man will signal the galleys there to move toward the port. With the port secured, half the men – which will include those who surrendered as I am not turning down bodies for this or future battles – will search the port, gathering everything of value at the docks. The rest of the men will move overland so that by the following morning, they will appear to be moving on Allerion's northern port."

Rakakz nodded as I spoke, and I saw the spark in his eyes suggesting he could see what I was planning. "You put pressure on that port, Allerion will call ships from the west, removing the threat of them targeting the bay port as we ransack it."

"Exactly," I replied with a smirk.

"While I'm dealing with all this," he gestured generally at the map, "what will you be doing?"

My smile widened as I placed eight pebbles at our current location. "After transferring most of the trade goods in this port to your bay port, Jaeronos and I will sail north with all the coin. Our intent is to target Allerion's eastern port, and with the manpower we have, we should be able to take it."

Rakakz stared at me for a moment. "You are going to send the goods to me and then abandon this port?" I nodded, which seemed to increase his confusion. "What's to stop me from not attacking the bay port and retaking my ports?"

"Your word," I replied with a smile, though it slipped a second later as I glared intently enough that if I knew how he might well spontaneously burst into flames. "And the fact that, if I discover you have betrayed me, when I return I will turn the sands red with the blood of traitors." I shifted the fingers on one hand and summoned a small serpent of flames that slithered slowly over the back of my hand. "At least once I've made sure you understand the depth of your folly." As I finished, the serpent moved slowly onto the table, taking a lazy path towards the former pirate.

Rakakz's eyes drifted to the small necklace I wore around my wrist, suggesting he'd heard the growing rumours that it was the source of my power. I couldn't show my delight that was happening, but I would admit that I was looking forward to the first person who took it and felt they were then safe from my magic. "Fair."

The single word, along with a nod, was enough for me to be sure my warning had been understood, and I lowered my hand, dismissing the flames that danced around it. "Once we have taken Allerion's eastern port, I plan to strip the place bare of anything of worth, and then sail west with every man and ship now loyal to me." I wanted the war galley there and in the westernmost port, but I wasn't crazy enough to think it wouldn't cost to take them down. Nor that they might well be out on patrol.

Much like myself, the passing storm had forced Allerion to keep his vessels docked but with it passing by the end of today, I expected he'd have raiding fleets out. While that would make taking the ports easier, it would lower the take in terms of warships.

"Going to take you a few days to get there, never mind take the port and then sail west."

"It will, but while I am sailing along the northern coast, I want you and my second to move to the next stage of my plan." As I spoke I placed my hand on his bay port. "I want everything moved from your port – coin, goods, food, and slaves – to the port you've just taken from Allerion. And then wait there. The men in the mountains will camp out, watching Allerion's command port for movement."

Rakakz's nod was slow, thoughtful, his gaze fixed on the pebbles marking his ships as they curved toward Allerion's port. "The men in the bay will be ready to signal me the moment your fleet rounds the coast," he said, his hand hovering over the makeshift map.

"Precisely," I replied, shifting the stones in place. "Allerion's eastern port may be tempting, but the real danger lies in the west. My men in the mountains will approach from above, while half my fleet assaults from the sea. The rest will stay on guard, watching for any movement from the western port. I wouldn't be surprised if Allerion flees west once he catches sight of our ships advancing."

Rakakz grinned, his teeth flashing. "He should. The bastard's nothing if not a coward." He rubbed his chin, eyeing the map warily. "You're gambling a lot, splitting your forces, and leaving Vaegon's and my ports open. But I see your point. This isn't the first risk you've taken."

I leaned forward, holding his gaze. "And yet, here we are." I allowed a small, half-crazed smile to creep onto my face. "Besides, who's to say I couldn't order my second to pull his men back as you approach Allerion's port, leaving you both to tear each other apart?"

Rakakz's eyes widened slightly, but I raised a hand, the same hand that had summoned fire in past skirmishes, to quiet him before he could speak. "Not that I would," I continued calmly. "But I want you to understand that this alliance depends on trust. You and your men signed my charter, after all, and I made you a commander. I expect loyalty in return."

"Still don't believe you're treating all this like a sellsword company," he muttered, though he didn't press further.

"As I said when you joined, this is just the beginning," I said, letting my gaze bore into his. "Redwater is merely the start of what I have planned. Stand by me through this, and you'll hold more power than you could ever dream of on this island."

Rakakz scoffed, though his expression softened. "You're asking a lot, lad. I ruled my ports for seven years by playing it safe. But I see you've got something different in mind."

"Better to die in battle than grow old and fat with regrets," I shot back, leaning on the table. I knew the risks, but I also understood the need to press forward, to carve my name into history rather than waste away in the shadows. Legends like Daemon Targaryen and Corlys Velaryon didn't earn their fame by standing still, and I had no intention of following a quieter path.

Rakakz let out a dry chuckle. "No pirate dies of old age. If they're lucky, they die quick in battle, not stabbed in the back when they can't lift a sword." He rubbed his bracer, that worn piece of castle-forged steel that had been forced onto him long ago, a reminder of a past he'd yet to reveal fully.

"Exactly," I said, tapping Allerion's western port on the map. "Now, is there anything else—tactics, knowledge of Allerion's men—that might help us win and ensure we're all here to celebrate with a cask of rum?"

Rakakz let out a small laugh. "I'll see what your—my—captains know of the bay. They've sailed these waters for years." He glanced at his bracer again, and I couldn't help but think there was a story there, waiting to be told.

"Good. Bring them to me when you're ready." Trust would come in time, perhaps, but for now, he would work under close watch. He grunted in irritation but nodded, turning to leave with my two squires and sellsword guards flanking him. As he walked out, I felt a flicker of satisfaction. It would take time to truly earn Rakakz's loyalty, but he would learn, as all those before him had, that I intended to see my ambitions through.

At first, Rakakz didn't like the minders, but after four days he had learnt to accept it. He had even gone so far as to compliment me on doing so and the fact that I changed the pair assigned to him regularly and not having any man do more than a single shift watching the former pirate lord.

"So," Jaeronos said for the first time in this meeting, turning back to me as Edric closed the door, "what's the real plan?"

"I told Rakakz the truth, from a certain point of view," I replied with a smirk, one Jaeronos matched as he heard my words. My hand opened a drawer in the table, pulling over two dozen more pebbles out. With the Gilded Hand gone, I could add the ships he didn't know about to the map; mine and Allerion's.

The storm had made it hard to recon Allerion's forces, but Rian had still gone out at times, and I'd taken a few gulls on closer looks. One had not returned – a strong gust catching me out and forcing the bird into a cliff face. I'd slipped from its mind before the bird fell to its death, but it was a gentle reminder that I had no interest in sharing the mind of any animal as it died.

While I placed the pebbles around the map, even indicating a port that Rakakz knew nothing about, my thoughts drifted. While my ability to scout via beasts and my bonded companions was insanely useful, I knew I wasn't the only skinchanger. From his letters, at least up until I'd least left Sunspear, Robb had hinted enough to suggest he had formed a bond with Quicksilver, and I had no doubt some Wildlings could skinchange. However, based on my current location, I felt reasonably safe in saying I was the only skinchanger in a thousand miles.

After the Wildling and Others were defeated, and if I survived those two events, I planned to head east. The ruins of Valyria held, as they did for many, an appeal to explore. While I knew the dangers, I suspected using tens of gulls and other expendable birds, I could scout the ruins from the air. If anything of interest appeared, it might be possible to then use other beasts to recon the ground, though I wasn't holding out much hope toward the idea, at least not as present.

With the last of the pebbles added to the map, I looked at Jaeronos and smiled. Time to reveal the extent of my plans that, if the dice rolled in my favour, would end the battle of Redwater inside half a moon at worst.

… …

---

… …

(Cayde POV)

He stood at the bow of the lead longboat taking in the scene before him. As Cregan had said would happen, Rakakz the Gilded Hand was leading his small fleet on a general path toward Allerion's port, suggesting the former pirate lord was truly now part of their company. However, even though he would obey his orders and fight beside the former pirate against Allerion, Cayde hated his orders.

To be clear, he did not dislike commanding a force in battle, as this was a chance to prove he was as worthy as Bronn or Jaeronos in Cregan's forces. Nor, it should be said, did he dislike that the men under his command – bar the thirty manning his longboat – were a half-moon ago pirates themselves. What he hated was that he was being ordered to place his trust in a man who meekly surrendered to Cregan. Rakakz doing so was the smart choice to make, but it was that very intelligence, and what Rakakz's long game might be, that had Cayde hating his orders to fight alongside the former pirate lord.

Cregan had explained in his missives how and why Rakakz had bent the knee, and Cayde saw the logic in accepting it. Yet he could not shake the feeling that the Gilded Hand was simply biding his time, waiting for a moment to betray Cregan, and as the upcoming battle would be an opportune time to do so, Cayde hated his current position.

Barely a quarter-moon ago, Rakakz would have happily slit every one of their throats if he felt it would serve his interests. Yet now, he was expected to fight beside and trust the pirate to not do so, and that was the source of his hatred of his assignment.

Now, provided the Gilded Hand did not take the first chance to betray them, Cayde felt as assured as he could about the upcoming battle. With nine longboats carrying slightly more than three hundred men, his forces outnumbered the expected enemy by around two-to-one. Add in that, until Cayde and Rakakz could no longer hide it, those in the port would not know what was coming until the combined fleet moved to attack, and it should be possible to take the port with a low loss of life. The trick was going to take most or all of the port before reinforcements.

Cregan had detailed how, via the magic connecting him to his beasts and intelligence from Rakakz, word of the attack would be sent to another port. That lay along the north shore of Redwater, and like Vaegon's ports, was connected by a path. If every man from that port moved to help the men in the bay port, then Cayde's forces would be outnumbered. Allerion should not send that many, but even a hundred men arriving too early, and the assault on the port might end in a very painful defeat.

After events in The Whores, Cayde did not want to be responsible for the second defeat Cregan had suffered. Not when he had commanded an element during that first defeat. He could not help but think that perhaps that defeat was why it had taken until now for Cayde to again be given command of a large group of men. Even if it was not the reason, a second loss under his command would cost him position alongside the others who shared Cregan's confidence.

Daemon was set to command the galley force that lay somewhere to the west, meaning the choices for command of this attack had come down to Cayde and Bronn. Cregan had offered a bonus of ten Galleons to whoever took command, making clear he understood the risk the position carried, but even that had not been enough for either him or Bronn to volunteer. In the end, Daemon had tossed a Dragon and Cayde had gotten the call right. As expected, Bronn chose to head with Daemon leaving Cayde in command of the bay assault.

Provided everything went as intended, this was the last battle Cayde would face on Redwater, and he would enjoy waving the extra coin in Bronn's face. Hells, if there was time to return to Sunspear, he might well find this YiTi whore Bronn had talked about and see if she was as good as advertised.

… …

---

… …

(Daemon's POV)

Holding up a Myrish Eye, Daemon looked eastward. Toward where Cayde was with his ships. The group of longboats was bearing down on Allerion's port, with those under the command of the pirate Rakakz the Gilded Hand further away but moving in support.

Daemon held reservations about having a pirate as an officer in the force Cregan was building, or more accurately, that a former pirate lord had been granted a position of such power. Yes, to keep the former pirate lord happy, he would need to be granted some power in the force, and Rakakz was far from learning of Cregan's gifts, but it still annoyed Daemon that, provided they all survived the coming battles, he would be forced to treat a man who raided, raped, and enslaved as an equal. Or at least pretend to consider him an equal.

Yes, Bronn, Cayde, Jaeronos and many others who served Cregan had no doubt done despicable things, but they had done so as sellswords. They, like Prince Oberyn for a few years, had been paid to fight in foreign lands. They had not chosen to do so because they felt like it as any pirate did.

He shifted his gaze slightly, taking in what he could see of Allerion's port. Most of it was hidden from him as the galley he was on moved north along the coast of Redwater, but from what he could see it appeared no longboat was leaving the harbour to engage the two small fleets bearing down upon them. Also, as he could not see the men on Rakakz's vessel clearly even with the Eye, it meant the fleet he was commanding was far enough east that Rakakz would not learn today that Cregan had deceived him.

Instead of three galleys acting as a blockade for any possible pirate force that sailed down from Allerion's westernmost port, the nine galleys under Daemon's command would push toward that port, taking the fight to the pirates. Perhaps, depending on what the strength of the port was, they might even strike at it before the next step in Cregan's bold plan was enacted.

The last missive from Cregan, delivered by Rian – whom Jekar had rewarded for his service with a large whitefish before he departed – spoke of there being six vessels present in the port. With the storm passing, Cregan expected some if not most of the fleet would sail out, seeing to raid trade vessels attempting to slip through the sea between Redwater, Grey Gallows, and Misthaven while avoiding pirates. Daemon agreed that was likely, but he would wait for the next missive from Cregan, which was due to arrive later tonight via gull. If more than half the pirate fleet had sailed north, then Daemon would attack the port, borrowing tactics used against Vaegon for the strike.

Bronn would land on the coast with fifty men and Ymir. The group would make its way through the forest, so that, as Daemon's fleet attacked from the sea, the men could sneak in from behind. With the pirates focusing on the fleet, the strike from behind should help take the port quicker with far fewer casualties. At least if they chose to fight back, as most pirates when faced with such odds would choose either to run or if unable to do so, often surrender in the hopes of leniency or being forced into the service of the attacker. Which was how Cregan had swelled his forces so much in less than a half-moon.

As the view of Cayde's fleet slipped from view, the coast of the island blocking the view, Daemon lowered the Eye. The plan for Allerion's western holdings was active, and should if all went well, result in a swift and overwhelming victory for them.

Cregan had not laid out the entire plan, but after either securing or blockading the port he was bound for, Daemon was to send at least three galleys east, bound for what Cregan referred to as Allerion's command port. As they neared, Cayde would advance overland, attempting to trap the last pirate lord of Redwater between them. Ideally, that would work, but if it didn't Cregan would know and adapt how his fleet moved.

If he could, Allerion was expected to slip from the port and head northeast, intending to head to the two ports on that section of the island. However, with Cregan leading a fleet around to strike there, Allerion would sail directly into a trap. One that reminded Daemon heavily of the one they had experienced in The Whores, which showed Cregan was learning from his mistakes, and with the abilities Rian and those damn gulls granted him, applying them to his attacks.

All things being equal, Allerion would sight Cregan's fleet somewhere near a fifth port that none would have known about if not for the birds Cregan used. There the pirate lord would have four options, though only the one that involved turning north and running from everything he had built over the years offered Allerion any hope of survival. Even then, Daemon suspected Cregan had plans ready for such a move, meaning that with Cayde's attack on the bay port, Allerion's days as anything more than a minor footnote in history were drawing to a close.

Daemon was glad of that as he wanted to head back to Sunspear and see Alysanne. He had collected several pieces of jewellery that he felt his Winter Rose would like, and he looked forward to seeing her reaction to both his return and his gifts. The only rumble of doubt he felt was the chance Lord Eddard Stark would deny him the hand of his bastard daughter, but unless a trueborn son in the North came forward, Daemon could think of no match better than himself for Alysanne's hand.

Of course, even if Lord Eddard granted his permission, Daemon suspected that Cregan would not return to Sunspear after this campaign. With over a thousand former pirates under his command, it would be foolish to leave them in Northpoint. The settlement was still new, and men such as those Cregan had, if Daemon was being generous, recruited there would see the place ruined before they could return from the Dornish capital.

No, it was more probable to Daemon that Cregan would stop in Northpoint only long enough to unload the bounty taken from Redwater, those freed of the horrors of slavery, and resupply their rations before heading out again. The question would be if Cregan returned to cleanse the Whores and then on to the Shrouded Isle, or if he moved to target Grey Gallows.

… …

---

… …

(Cregan's POV)

The rush of wind over feathers, the weightless glide high above the land, was a thrill that never dulled. Every time I took to the sky through Rian's eyes, I felt a primal joy, a sense of freedom that mere human movement couldn't rival. But I couldn't indulge in the sensation now; my purpose was to observe, to keep a close eye on the chaos brewing below.

I could have used one of the gulls circling the coast for this reconnaissance, but Rian's distaste for such lowly birds was always palpable if he happened to be nearby. Besides, there was something distinctly satisfying about sharing the mind of a fellow predator. Rian was sharp, his instincts honed, unlike the dull, almost mindless gulls that seemed barely aware of their own existence. When guiding Rian, all I needed was a slight nudge, a subtle direction, and he understood. The gulls, in contrast, required constant redirection, their limited focus waning quickly. I'd have to fly them back to a location, their simple minds struggling to hold even the faintest memory of their path.

Below me, the island of Redwater spread like a jagged tooth in the ocean, and the Red Kraken cut its way north along the coast, my body resting in my cabin with Edric and Trystane nearby, deep in meditation. Our fleet clung to the shore, seeking shelter against the cliffs as it made its way toward Allerion's easternmost port. Despite the northern port's allure, it was all but certain Allerion had men stationed at the headland, keeping an eye out for any approach from Rakakz's side.

Once I'd finished surveying the island's western shores, I would send one of the gulls to scout that area, a lowly but useful tool. If there was a lookout point, I could use the gulls in much the same way I'd toppled the watchtower between Rakakz's ports. Hundreds of gulls flitted around this isolated island, each serving as an unintentional guide to the scattered settlements below. Rian, though, provided me with an experience as close to flight as my own skin could feel, a merging of instinct and purpose that even the magic of my world could rarely replicate.

When Rian had taken flight, through his eyes I'd spotted four of the six galleys in Allerion's Easternmost port heading out to sea. No doubt they were a raiding party that, like my forces, had set sail as soon as the storms had passed over the island. While that raiding fleet was moving north-east, bearing for open waters between Redwater, Misthaven, The Coral Isle, and The Disputed Lands, and thus would be too far away to protect their port once my fleet came into sight, I knew they wouldn't have a successful hunt.

Heading in the same general direction were two cogs that, while they would normally be easy pickings for pirates. However, these cogs had four galleys with them as escorts. Thanks to the sharpness of Rian's eyes, even at several hundred leagues, the distinctive green that marked them as belonging to Salladhor Saan was visible. Since the galleys were moving in formation with the cogs, it was clear that they were escorting the trade vessels; something that once I held more of the Steps, I planned to do.

Raiding was profitable, but the stronger the raiders became, the less likely traders would be to sail near the areas the raiders patrolled. It was more sustainable to have the traders pay for safe passage and escort through the waters I controlled, which was clearly how Saan felt as well. Seeing his ships escorting traders made me certain of my intent to send a missive to Saan once I'd defeated Allerion and had his men, ships, and bounty under my control.

Even if every possible man that Allerion had currently bent the knee without a fight, I knew I didn't have the manpower to take islands like The Shrouded Isle, Bloodstone, or The Coral Isle, never mind the entire Steps. While Sann and the Lotus Prince were far from where I intended my next move to take place, they apparently had ideals that aligned with many of mine. That meant there was the potential for if not a full alliance, then an agreement to stay out of each other's territory. Of course, the problem was that while I should by the end of the moon, have more men than the Lotus Prince, Saan had me outnumbered in men and ships.

I had not scouted the entirely to The Coral Isle, but from the five ports I had seen, it held an equal number of vessels to everything currently around Redwater. And several were the size of the Kraken. Thus, any agreement with Saan would have to wait until I could match his strength as I would not negotiate with any pirate, even one about as noble as a pirate like Saan appeared to be, from weaker ground.

The port my fleet was heading toward because its raiding party was at sea, was now at half strength. Yes, only three vessels remained, but one of those was a war galley similar to the Kraken and the Howl. Based on that, the presence of the two other galleys, and the expectations the port held a decent number of men to protect it if all ships were at sea, I figured my fleet had the pirates unnumbered by a nearly two-to-one margin. If the four galleys at sea turned back now, it would cause me issues and mean altering my plans – including moving to trap Allerion before he could reach the supply port to the west of my current target – but as things stood that wouldn't be happening.

A gentle nudge from Rian brought my attention back to where I currently was, high above the western side of Allerion's holdings. Cayde and Rakakz had secured the bay port, though not without a few moments of concern. Allerion had dispatched a large force – somewhere north of a hundred men – to counter the attack in the bay. They had moved quicker than I had expected as I had somehow missed a watchtower that lay between Allerion's command and bay ports.

A signal for the bay port had been sent to the watchtower, as a runner had left for the command port as the first of Cadye and Rakakz's ships beached into the port. That meant the reinforcements moved out quicker than had been expected and were at the port before it had fallen, though the battle had shifted almost decisively in Cadye's favour.

In an unexpected move, the commander of the reinforcements had pushed forward, clashing with my men on the edges of the port. That had pushed my men back for a while, but numbers began to tell, and eventually, the reinforcements withdrew, surrendering the port to Cadye.

From what Rian saw, including stragglers from the port who managed to escape the battle, the reinforcements were returning with only sixty to seventy men. While that would mean more men had fallen in taking the port than I would have preferred, it would make Allerion's choice between staying to fight in his command port or bugging out for another base easier to determine. Especially once Daemon's strike force came into view and displayed their sails, which bore Vaegon's and Rakakz's sigils.

Turning my focus to Daemon's fleet, I saw them moving slowly northward. Much like my fleet, Daemon had his forces hugging as close to the coast as they could manage to delay their target being alerted to their arrival. While the coast they were moving up didn't have the sharp point as in the east, their target seemed less prepared for an assault from the south. I hadn't seen a watchtower along the coast, and the walls of the port were, to be blunt, almost non-existent. What was there appeared to be designed for nothing more than keeping out any beast in the forest than stopping attackers.

Even without me having delivered that intelligence to Daemon, he had deployed men to the forest. Or I assumed so as I could sense Ymir down there instead of upon one of the galleys. More than likely Bronn was leading a force of men – at a guess, around fifty – who would strike the port from behind while they focused on Daemon's fleet, which given their situation, they most certainly would.

At full strength – with a war galley and five galleys – the port had the strength to make any battle very costly for Daemon. However, like with my target, the pirates here had sent out a raiding party. A group of three ships, led by the war galley, were heading toward Grey Gallows. They wouldn't be attacking the island, but as I could see around a dozen trade non-warships moving around in the open waters of the Steps, the odds were good they would find a target to chase and potentially capture.

Three galleys in the port, adding in men to secure it if all ships were gone, meant a force of two to two hundred and fifty men. Daemon's nine galleys carried nearly double that number. Even with a strike element in the forest, the fleet would be able to overwhelm the port if they decided to attack.

That choice to do so, or simply wait and blockade it was up to Daemon, but knowing it would help his decision-making, I gave Rian an order to head to the galleys. He could rest there while I wrote a short missive detailing the pirate positions and then sent it via gull to Daemon. After that, I would leave the decision in Daemon's hands.

… …

Several hours later, with the missive delivered to Daemon detailing the actions taken by the pirates he was targeting, I found myself in Ymir. As I'd suspected, he was moving with a force of men through the forest near the westernmost port. Rian was still with Daemon, enjoying some fish Jekar had given him, and when he returned to the skies, I'd return to his mind, watching events from far above. Until then, I was enjoying moving silently through the forest with Ymir.

Not far behind the massive, but incredibly quiet-moving direwolf was Bronn. The experienced sellsword commanding the strike force. He and the men with him were moving very cautiously through the forest as unlike with the woods near Vaegon's ports, here it was much denser and less travelled by humans.

If it weren't for the need to move slowly and quietly, the men could cut a path through the woods and undergrowth. However, with no hint of where, if anywhere the pirates had hunting camps, they couldn't take the risk. Ymir wasn't a great use here either as the wind was blowing north-westerly, so he could catch the scents of humans ahead of him. He had, rather interestingly, caught hints of what I thought were deer or a similar beast somewhere inland, but that wasn't important to his current intentions.

Also, unlike before, Ymir wasn't yet wearing his armour. The mail of it would catch easily on the undergrowth, and that would be an issue. Two of Bronn's men had it with them, and the sellsword would, provided Ymir allowed him, attach it before any attack on the port took place.

I didn't know Daemon's intentions on the matter, but in his place with the intelligence I'd given him, I would make a move to take the port. Overwhelming force against pirates would have most choosing to either surrender or run. With Ymir and Bronn in the woods, those who ran in panic would meet quick and, for those Ymir directly took out, painful ends.

… …

As the sun slowly set on the day, and after a handful of hours using a gull to watch the behaviour of the raiding fleet from Allerion's easternmost port, I was once more back in Rian's mind. Below me was the western edge of Allerion's holding, with ships moving in the water, men upon them and the land looking little better than ants scurrying around some giant board they didn't realise they were part of.

The bay port was secured, men there moving in groups as they searched the buildings, carrying anything and everything of value to the docks. As the first light of a new day dawned upon Redwater, Cayde would send half his men toward Allerion's command port, with orders for those men to hold position about halfway there. Amusingly, that would be close to the watchtower that I had missed.

They would stay there until Daemon led an element of his fleet toward the port and unfurled their sails, revealing they weren't Allerion's ships coming to support his position. The issue with that was that currently, Daemon's forces were attacking Allerion's westernmost port. As I'd expected, using the intel I'd provided, he had chosen to attack, and from high above the battlefield I watched the chaos unfold.

Seven galleys had committed to the assault, the final two moving further to the north, acting as watchers for the pirate raiding fleet. They weren't needed, as I could see those three ships far to the northwest, bearing down upon a long cog that had fallen behind a group of four who'd been racing through the open waters of the Stepstones. From the way the galleys were closing, it was only a matter of time until the cog was run down, and I was curious if the pirates would simply take the cargo as bounty, or if they might press the ship and crew into their service.

Either way, those pirates would be of no help to their brethren in their home port, and when they returned, if Daemon was smart, he might well be able to capture one or two if they could be coaxed into sailing into the port before they learnt the truth.

Returning my focus to the battle below, it was obvious even with the battle being barely an hour old, that it wouldn't last much longer. Daemon's men were pouring out of their ships, smashing into the weak defensive line the pirates had formed near the docks. They might well be able to hold the line long enough that some of Daemon's men might waver, however, at the southeastern edge of the port I could see men emerging from the forest. The large shape of Ymir joining them confirmed that Bronn and his team were about to strike from the rear, which would crush the pirate's will to resist.

The challenge that awaited my friends was securing the port without the loss of too many men; both in those attacking and those defending. Three more galleys for my fleet were helpful, but I needed the men to crew them back to Northpoint.

The faint echo of Ymir's howl lingered in my mind, though my ears had not heard it. I'd watched through Rian's eyes as Ymir's stance shifted, a predator in motion, and saw the fear ripple through the ranks of the pirates, the sound scattering their resolve. The line wavered, men fleeing both from Daemon's forces and the unseen predator in the distance. The battle was all but decided, the chaos tipping in our favour.

Knowing the time for my own fight was drawing near, I began to withdraw from Rian's mind, willing him to remain vigilant over Daemon's skirmish. I nudged him to stay nearby and land there once the field was clear. If all went well, I could slip back into his senses when my fight was done and gather a clear view of the western situation, which would play a crucial role in my plans for the supply port and the ambush on Allerion.

My eyes snapped open, and the familiar haze of human sight returned, narrow and comparatively dull. The shift from Rian's heightened perception to my own always required a moment's adjustment, a recalibration of focus. In time, I hoped the bond between us would deepen enough to bring even greater clarity to my vision, though for now, I was back to the simple reality of human senses.

Sitting up, I swung my legs over the side of the bed, feeling the coarse rug beneath my feet. I strapped on my sabatons and glanced around, noticing Edric and Trystane were no longer in the cabin. With my greaves secured over my shins, I moved to the desk where my gear lay – Red Rain and my axe, polished and deadly, rested beside my shield. Fastening them to my belt, I lifted the helm – styled like a Viking helm from my old world – from the desk, the steel gleaming, barely marked – a testament to the care I'd put into maintaining it. The rounded dome and Y-shaped guard left my lower face exposed, allowing the cool breeze to brush against my skin even as the helmet settled over my head. Turning I grabbed my bow and quiver as I moved to leave the cabin.

Ready for battle, I stepped out of the cabin, the ship's timbers creaking underfoot as I joined the crew in the wake of the coming clash.

I gave the man outside, Jeffary, a nod as I passed, and I took in the sights that greeted me. Most of the men were manning the oars, powering us forward, toward Allerion's port. The rest were preparing for battle with a dozen archers on the foredeck along with the crews for the scorpions. Beyond them, the port was coming into view, and all three vessels were facing toward land, meaning any scorpions they had – unless they could be quickly moved to the quarterdecks – wouldn't be usable during the upcoming assault.

The raiding force was far away, and while they had turned back to port – their pursuit of the cogs protected by Saan's vessels proving as fruitless as I expected – they wouldn't arrive back until tomorrow at best. That meant I had time to take the port and then move out with a smaller force to spring the trap intended for Allerion, or if he failed to fall into it, take over the supply port.

Turning, I took the short flight of steps to the Kraken's quarterdeck in two bounds. "Glad you could join us," Miltar called out from the wheel as he guided the ship toward the port. "Fleet's in position to attack, though because we've taken our sweet time about it, they'll know we're coming."

"Good." The pirates would understand they were going to lose and would have three options. Fight to the death, surrender after some skirmishing, or turn tail and run into the forest. The first was the least likely, and while the latter was what I wanted to avoid, Jaeronos would have enough men left with him to hunt down any who ran. Such men, to make a point, would be put to death for not having the courage to stand and fight, even if just for a few minutes. "Have the orders been distributed?" I asked Edric, who was standing near Miltar, already in his armour.

"Yes, My Lord," he replied with a nod. Turning at the sound of footsteps approaching, I saw Trystane racing up the steps.

"Ser Jaeronos reports his men ready, My Lord," He said slightly breathlessly.

I smiled widely. "Excellent. Signal him to begin the assault." Both squires nodded. Trystane leapt down the steps to the main deck while Edric turned and moved to the stern so they could signal the ships around us.

Normally I would place the Kraken at the centre of my lines. However, with my intent being to break as soon as the battle was over and head west with two escorts, Jaeronos would be leading the assault, and as such the Howl held the centre position. His orders were to take the port as cleanly as possible, and with as little damage to the ships docked there as was manageable. Above all, I wanted the war galley intact, as it would grant me a third flagship for my forces, making it easier for when the fleet had to split apart.

While simply blockading the port until Allerion was an option, with the Howl and four galleys, Jaeronos would've been outnumbered and flanked by the pirates once their raiding party returned. Thus, I had determined it was wiser to take the port. With that done, he could turn his focus to finding a way to get the returning galleys to either run away or surrender without any major fighting. I doubted the latter would happen, and if the raiders turned, I didn't want them turning west, which was why the Kraken and her escorts would set sail before the sun could set. With luck, we'd be out of sight before the returning pirates realised what had happened to their base.

While I wasn't intending for the Kraken to enter the thick of the fighting, part of me wished we would. After watching Cayde and Daemon have their fun to the west, the urge to jump into the fray, to hear my blood pump and my heart sing in the chaos and carnage of battle was growing strong. I knew I would get the chance for Red Rain to taste flesh when I confronted Allerion, but that would be at least two days and the desire for battle was growing stronger with each passing minute.

What I had to be mindful of was not losing myself to that desire, and remembering the bigger picture. Still, I could hold out hope that some dumb pirates decided to assault the Kraken and let me lessen some of my bloodlust.

… …

---

… …

(Daemon's POV)

Looking east through his Myrish Eye, Daemon was just able to make out Allerion's port, which had him smiling. The four ships under his command had made good time since leaving port this morning, and while they had yet to unfurl their sails, when they did Allerion would understand these ships were not reinforcements, but part of the same element that had attacked and captured his bay port.

What made Daemon's smile widen was knowing Allerion would think Vaegon and Rakakz had allied to attack him when the former was dead – Daemon taking his head – while the latter had, like most of the pirates on the island, bent the knee to Cregan. By the time the last so-called pirate lord of Redwater fell, he might still be unaware of the truth.

Lowering the Eye, Daemon turned and looked behind him; toward the port he had sailed from this morn.

The battle for Allerion's port the previous evening had gone about as well as he could have hoped. Nine galleys carrying nearly three hundred and fifty men, plus the small flanking force Bronn and Ymir had led in the forest had overwhelmed the pirates in the port. Before the sun had set, the port was theirs, and nearly a hundred and forty men had bent the knee in servitude. Like many that followed Cregan's banner, Daemon trusted this lot about half as far as his page Morsh could throw them, but given their former and future battlefields, he could see why Cregan was taking all this scum into his service. Quantity had its uses when what quality you had was extremely limited. That opinion was why Daemon was not concerned about the loss of all but two of the men lost in taking the port. Twenty-three former pirates were barely worth the death of two half-decent sellswords.

Bronn remained behind with most of the enlarged fleet, working to strip the port bare of anything of value. That, as with each port Daemon had entered, included slaves. The only upside to those he had personally freed from their chains was that most of those here were not as transited by their capture and might be able to be free and productive members of whichever settlement they moved to once rescued from this accursed island, and if all went well, they would not be the only ones freed from captivity.

Daemon had known that half the pirate force from the port to his stern had been at sea when he attacked, and during the night he and Bronn had worked on a plan to trap the others when they returned. A gull-delivered missive from Cregan had confirmed the pirates were returning, along with a captured cog.

He shook his head, still trying to come to terms with the fact Cregan could use gulls and Rian to deliver missives in the same way Maesters and Lords used ravens. It had helped them plan out the three-pronged strike against Allerion – something Cregan had termed a 'lightning strike' – but having to wonder if any gull he saw might be Cregan watching him unnerved Daemon. He knew Cregan had no reason to do such a thing, bar perhaps the chance that they might soon be cousins through marriage, but there was always a nibbling voice at the back of his thoughts that wondered if any of the dozens of gulls that he even now could see were more than they appeared.

Turning his thoughts back to matters he had more control over, Daemon wondered how Bronn's preparations for luring in, and then trapping the returning pirates and their bounty.

The three new galleys had remained in port while the other five that Daemon had attacked with had moved south. While there was no inlet on the coast where they could easily hide the vessels, if they stayed close to the coast, they should remain unsighted by the returning pirates.

Most of the crews of those vessels would return to the port via the coast and forest, but the majority would remain hidden. At least once the pirate fleet was sighted. Until then, they would work with the others there to clean up the port to hide the fact a battle had just been fought in it.

To limit how many of Allerion's former men had the chance to turn their coats, most had been removed from the port. About thirty were spread through the four ships Daemon had, the rest who were not staying at the port to sell the appearance that everything was well had gone with the galleys.

Those men would be on the island now, their hands bound, and their mouths gagged to ensure they could not betray Bronn, Ymir, and the men there. Hells, if Daemon knew Bronn, he would have ensured one man stepped out of line for Ymir to deal with. The direwolf might be on their side and could come across as far more docile than one would expect for a predator, but that was a ruse brought on by his bond to Cregan. When angered, neither he, Bronn, or anyone else wished to face the massive hulking form of the direwolf, and if one pirate tried their luck, their remains would be a useful warning to others to stay in line.

Some of Allerion's men would remain in the port, to help sell that it had not fallen, but with the majority of the men under Bronn's command having no loyalty to the pirate lord, Daemon felt the trap should snag at least one of the approaching pirate vessels. Once the battle for them began, the galleys waiting to the south would move, in the hope they could catch at least one of any pirates that escaped the port. However, even if they failed to do that, it would be enough to have those pirates turn and run, and if they moved in the direction Daemon was currently sailing, they would find themselves sailing into another trap.

Turning back around, Daemon gazed towards the island, south of where Allerion port was located. With the run of hills rising into mountains that ran almost the length of the northern section of Redwater – all of which was, until yesterday under the control of Allerion – he could not see Cayde, but Cregan's missives had said the sellsword would lead a force through a mountain path.

Combining those men with those Daemon had with him, Allerion, with perhaps two hundred men at his disposal, would have to either fight on two fronts or abandon the port. According to Cregan, via intelligence from Rakakz, the port Daemon was heading toward was where Allerion kept the majority of his ill-gotten gains and most treasured slaves. Abandoning that would be a dangerous move for Allerion as it would show weakness, but choosing to stand and fight on two fronts against a numerically superior force only ever worked for the defenders on the rarest of occasions.

The only odd order Cregan had given regarding Allerion if he chose to stand and fight, was that like with Vaegon, his head was to be removed from the body and kept. The body, along with any who died in the fight, after the ports were taken, were to be burnt; an order Cregan had insisted upon before the fleet had moved out from Vaegon's ports and one Daemon suspected would be enacted in Allerion's ports before they sailed back to Redwater.

It was odd that Cregan insisted on burning the bodies of the dead, and when asked about it, Cregan had yet to explain his reasoning. At least when sober. There had been one night in Sunspear, not long after the taking of Dustspear when a very drunk Cregan had mentioned, if Daemon recalled the night clearly, that there were forces that could raise the dead. The idea of such an act sent shivers to Daemon's very core, but knowing that magic existed and having seen it in action, Daemon was willing to go along with the body burning. As well as keeping the slowly rotting skull of Vaegon in a sealed cask.

Remembering Dustspear, Daemon suspected that Cregan intended to have the skulls of the defeated pirate lords burnt clean of flesh and then polished. Cregan had presented the Grim Prince's skull to Prince Doran, and if Cregan intended to continue that practice, it was one Daemon could accept. Even if to Daemon it seemed an unnecessary waste of time and effort.

… …

---

… …

(Cregan's POV)

As had become standard over the last week, I once again found myself inside Rian's mind, watching the men and ships below move around like ants. Even those who served in my forces moved with purpose; my orders to Jaeronos, Bronn, Cayde, and Rakakz being followed by them.

Four of Allerion's five ports were under my control, the only one being the small supply port – with only a single galley and perhaps fifty men there – which lay to my southeast. My fleet was moving toward the turn in the coast, readying for the moment Allerion's two galleys came into sight and saw their path forward blocked by a small force of vessels.

While I and Daemon dealt with the last pirate lord of Redwater, I had sent a simple missive to each of the others. They were to take everything and anything of value and transport it to the westernmost port now under my command.

Bronn had done an excellent job there as while the two galleys of the pirate raiding force from the westernmost port had escaped his trap, the war galley and cog had been taken. A fourth war galley would greatly improve my ability to both project power and split my fleet up into smaller elements with clear command vessels. There was some damage to the vessel, but from what I'd seen through Rian's eyes, that would be repaired at least enough so the vessel could make the journey to Northpoint before I reached the port.

The cog was an interesting one which I'd have to deal with once Allerion was defeated and I could speak to the crew. Working on the assumption that most of the crew had been forced into service – with the others likely placed in chains if not killed as a warning to the others – it wouldn't be right to make them retain their service to me. However, they had lost their vessel, and I had now taken it from Allerion's men, so by right of conquest it was mine. I would just have to see where they sailed from, and who, if anyone sponsored the vessel before enforcing that rule or not. It wouldn't be helpful for some powerful noble on either side of the Narrow Sea to learn that I'd taken one of their vessels and hired sellswords to deal with me.

Cayde had secured Allerion's command port without any fight. The handful of men left behind had apparently surrendered without incident. Cayde should now be working to gather everything of value from that port for transport to the westernmost port, and to help with that I'd seen three galleys set sail from Bronn's location to Cayde's. Provided the men onboard didn't attempt to mutiny and run away with my vessels, they would be used to move the valuables.

In the bay, Rakakz was shifting items around from his former port to the one taken from Allerion. It was going to take time for him to get the longboats loaded and around the coast to Bronn's location, but it appeared that he wasn't yet moving to betray me and take my goods for his own. That, honestly, was a touch surprising but it suggested Rakakz had, in some twisted way, a sense of honour. If so, he might just prove a useful subordinate, however, it was far too early to be certain of that.

To the east of my fleet's location, Jaeronos was working to prepare his ships – which included the other captured war galley – and bring them west. The four galleys from that port which had been out raiding hadn't, unfortunately, made the mistake of their brethren to the west, and having sighted the larger fleet in their home port, turned and headed back to sea.

For a while, I had been concerned they might turn west and try to rally with Allerion, but the commander of that group had instead chosen to break north. So far, they remained on that heading, making a beeline for Misthaven which, while I would have preferred the men and ships to be taken, wasn't the worst outcome. Not only would they not be attacking my fleets as they moved, laden with coin and goods, to the rendezvous point, but they'd be spreading rumours of the situation changing on Redwater.

Misthaven, according to Rakakz and several of his ship captains, was unlike the other larger islands in the Stepstones. There was no single or group of pirate lords holding power over the island. Instead, it held nearly two dozen ports. Those ports were, for the most part, unaligned with each other, meaning the island was a chaos-filled backwater. The four ships that had sailed toward it would, in theory, be able to take over one of the smaller ports with ease, which would potentially allow them to become semi-major players on the island.

From rumours Rakakz and others had heard, Whisperwind was heading in the same direction as both the 'lords' on the island had perished at some point in the last few years. That left the island in a state of anarchy; or at least more so than when the pirate lords had ruled there. Neither island was important to me currently, and potentially never would be as they lay close to the Disputed Lands and Whisperwind was less than a half-moon's sail from Tyrosh, but the stories that I'd heard of how and why the pirate lords of Whisperwind had fallen was interesting. At least from a certain point of view.

The ideas seemed to range from the logical to the absurd. The idea that Tyrosh had moved against the pirate lords was credible, particularly when I considered that Jaerenys Tarlarys on Obsidian Sands was believed to be backed by the Free City. The more unlikely ideas as to why the pirate lords of Whisperwind had fallen ranged from the Dothraki – unlikely as fuck given their fear of water – to the idea all three lords had been killed by a fucking kraken. While I wasn't discounting that such a beast might exist in the seas of this world, the idea that it would be moving around the relatively-speaking, shallow waters of the Stepstones was improbable.

A gentle nudge from Rian refocused my thoughts on my current location and intentions. Looking down through his eyes, I saw Allerion's two galleys. They were closing fast on the turn in the coast and soon would be greeted by the sight of my three vessels. Each of my ships had its sails unfurled enough that my sigil could be clearly seen, so Allerion would be left with no doubt that I wasn't there to help him.

The moment he saw my ships and their sails, he would have three options. Break toward the open sea, risking being chased by a fleet three times his. Turn and engage Daemon's force in the hope they could break through before my ships got to him, or push forward and try and break through my fleet before Daemon reached him in an attempt to reach his supply port.

Given the prevailing winds, turning north would be a mistake as he would be tacking with it, while my vessels would have it directly at our stern as we gave chase. Even without considering the use of gulls and flaming ropes, his chances of escaping my ships were slim.

Turning to engage Daemon was the next biggest risk, as my ships could close the distance between my two fleets quicker based on the wind. Plus, Allerion knew he had no support from where he had come. That, if he had any balls, left him with but one choice: To engage my fleet.

While there was still time before Allerion saw my ships, and thus had to make his decision, I wanted to ensure my men were ready. After asking as best I could for Rian to alert me if Allerion's ships changed direction before I saw them with my own eyes, I slipped from his mind and returned to mine.

Adjusting to the sensations of my own body, I noticed a small alert from my Interface: Skinchanging had levelled up to 96, just four away from unlocking an additional bond slot and perhaps reaching its peak.

Turning in bed, I saw Edric and Trystane seated on the cabin floor, both deep in meditation. While my men might assume I was teaching them solely the arts of knighthood, our focus now was on unlocking their magical potential. Trystane seemed closer to that goal, his Rhoynish bloodline giving him a natural advantage. Yet, I suspected that some latent magical ability might also lie dormant within Edric, given our shared lineage through my mother's side.

Trystane meditated with a mug of water before him, tapping into the Rhoynish legacy, while Edric focused on a small candle, hoping to spark some affinity for Fire Magic. Fire was the element I'd been strongest with upon my rebirth, though it wasn't tied to the ancient magic of the Starks and the First Men. If Edric couldn't unlock a magical affinity, I was prepared; as Heir to Starfall, he had the rare potential to become the next Sword of the Morning. Once he was a little older, I would begin his training toward wielding Dawn, a path that would not only deepen his loyalty but fulfil the goals of the A Morning Blade objective. And when the Others came, I intended that Dawn be wielded by one trained to face them.

Moving quietly, I rose from the bed, not wanting to disturb their concentration. I secured Red Rain and the axe at my hips but left my bow and helm behind. The ships were still some distance from being spotted by Allerion's lookouts, and the battle remained on the horizon. For now, I intended to find Miltar and confirm that both the ship and our escorts were ready for the clash ahead.

… …

I leaned back, letting the pirate's long axe whistle past my chest, cutting nothing but air. Turning smoothly with the missed swing, I brought Red Rain around in a deadly arc, the Valyrian steel slicing cleanly through his meagre armour and sending another flash of crimson spilling onto the deck.

The pirate staggered; his torso gashed but still alive. His grip on the axe faltered, and he tried to swing again, desperate to regain his stance. Before he could find his footing, I drove my shield forward, smashing it into his jaw. Over the din of battle, I caught the crunch of bone as he crumpled, dazed and bleeding.

Another pirate stepped in before I could finish him off, a cutlass flashing toward me. I turned Red Rain in a swift arc, catching his blade and forcing it aside. A quick rotation of my arm brought the tip of Red Rain down onto his thigh, opening a small but bloody wound that would slow him. With his balance thrown off, I pressed forward, ramming my shield into the arm holding the cutlass. His defence faltered, and my blade found its mark, plunging deep into his gut. He groaned as I twisted the blade on the withdrawal, widening the wound until more than just blood splattered to the deck.

With the dying man staggering away, I stepped clear, surveying the chaotic skirmish raging across the galley. My men were making headway, driving the pirates back as they sought to claim Allerion's ship. Near the quarterdeck, I glimpsed a figure in heavier armour swinging a mace that sent one of my men crashing down the stairs, scattering those fighting on the main deck below. Given his position and equipment, it had to be Allerion.

I moved forward, clearing a path with Red Rain. I wore lighter armour today, a compromise for the mobility needed aboard a ship. Mail covered my torso, while plate reinforced my shoulders, forearms, and shins. My shield bore my sigil, and my surcoat, now darkened with blood, left no doubt as to who led this assault.

Allerion's men turned toward me, their faces twisted with fury and desperation, eager to be the one to take my head. They met only death, each strike fuelling the fire within as I cut them down, a blend of grim purpose and fierce delight. Four more fell beneath Red Rain, and as I reached the base of the quarterdeck stairs, I called out.

"ALLERION!"

He looked down, his face twisting into a snarl as he took in the blood-streaked visage before him. I let a smirk play across my lips and mounted the steps, another pirate attempting to block my way. He was rewarded with my shield ramming into his gut, then crashing upward into his face, sending teeth and blood spraying as he toppled back.

My gaze fixed on Allerion. Here, at last, stood one of the so-called pirate lords. Vaegon had fallen to my second, and Rakakz had bent the knee, but Allerion would face me blade to blade. The thrill of the challenge was a pulse of heat in my veins—a chance to prove myself against a man whispered about with fear. I advanced, my grip tightening on Red Rain, hungry for the fight that lay before me.

… …

---

… …

"That's the last of the goods being loaded," Bronn said as he stood with me and Daemon watching men carry various crates, chests, and barrels onto the four ships that were docked in the port. The rest of the fleet was holding position just out at sea, currently working with lower crews. The majority of the men were onshore helping shift everything of value that we'd taken from Redwater onto the docked vessels.

Around a hundred and fifty former slaves were waiting for boarding as well, with most being transported by the Little Valyrian. The rather amusing name was the one for the cog Allerion's men had captured even as their lord fell into my trap. The crew, or what remained of them, had returned to the vessel and agreed to sail it back with the fleet to Northpoint, though I had taken time to speak with them and make clear they wouldn't be placed into chains.

Rather amusingly, the First Mate of the Valyrian recognised my name and was able to assure his captain and the rest of the crew that my intentions were honourable. It seemed the ship was a private venture with the crew sharing in its profits and while they wouldn't be making a profit on this voyage from Volantis, I had agreed to pay them for their service in transporting people and goods to Northpoint. I'd probably also pay for them to take my goods to Sunspear, but while I wanted a third cog to add to my fleet, I wasn't going to press them into service, nor was I going to pay over the odds for their services.

"I want you two to head to the Howl and Ravager and take point. Cayde, Rakakz and I will follow along in the Kraken and Dragon. Make sure the fleet knows the Valyrian, and the longboats are to form the centre of the formation."

"Aye, we heard you the first ten times you said it," Bronn responded snidely. I would prefer if he showed me some respect when around the men, but he wasn't going to. At least not until I was able to defeat him in two out of three spars, which I was fine with. I was training myself to reach his and Daemon's level, so the idea of a polite – at least for him – Bronn as a bonus to defeating him was a nice extra.

Daemon nodded in acceptance of his orders and moved off with the sellsword leaving me alone with my thoughts.

The Red Ravager and the Sea Dragon were the names of the two war galleys my men had captured, and for now, those names would remain. Hells, they probably would remain until the vessels were sunk as even though I disliked the Red Kraken it still went by that name. They were the jewels in my assault on Allerion's ports. Well, those and Allerion's head.

The man had proved unworthy, and after a short duel, I'd found an easy gap in his form and driven my blade deep into his gut. After savouring the moment where he understood he'd been bested and was about to die, I'd removed my blade and then taken his head from his body.

Before I'd even managed to hold it aloft, the fighting aboard his galley had been dying down, but the sight of me holding the head of their commander had convinced those yet to surrender to do so. Seventy men across two galleys had survived the battle with my forces and bent the knee to me, as had the fifty men in the supply port. The commander there, a Myrish man named Adronos, upon seeing me standing on the bow of the Kraken holding Allerion's severed head, had dropped his blades, and fallen on my mercy.

As he had shown some intelligence, Adronos had kept his position as commander of the galley taken from the port, but the crew had been switched with men from other ports. I would bring them into my ranks, but I wasn't idiotic enough to trust any of them until they proved themselves; something even men formerly loyal to Vaegon had yet to do.

Still, even if I didn't trust what was now the majority of my forces, Redwater had been good for my cause. Including the men and ships back in Northpoint, I now had four war galleys, twenty-six galleys, and sixteen longboats, along with the Windchaser, the Pride, and the Ilaerah's Luck to command, along with what should be a touch over two thousand men. If more sellswords, or those willing to fight for riches had arrived in Northpoint in the Moon-plus while we'd been gone, then that number would swell further, but I'd not know the exact number of men at my command until we returned.

Once we did, I had to pay everyone, with a focus on those who'd sailed from Northpoint and survived. They'd been paid half a moon's wages before we'd sailed, and after being stuck on the island an extra half-moon because of storms and gathering everything in a single port, I owed them a full moon's wages. Yet, even counting hazard pay, and extra bonuses for those like Daemon and Bronn, the total cost of my army – if I could call it that – came to less than four hundred Dragons a month.

Even if the bounty on Redwater had been less than what I'd taken from the Grim Prince, I'd easily have been able to pay everyone. Nearly a thousand Dragons were in Northpoint for paying my men and improving the settlement. Yet from Redwater, I was now far richer. Perhaps on par with powerful landed knights and maybe even some minor, unimportant Lords.

While it was hard to convert coin from the Free Cities – and even beyond as Bronn had mentioned finding some Yunkai'i gold Marks – at a rough estimate, I was looking at somewhere from six to eight thousand Dragons. That alone was impressive, but it was the various trade goods that, for those not spoilt by the weather – which most weren't – represented the greatest collection of wealth.

Beyond the jewels and gems, from which I, my commanders, and the various captains – be they ship captains or leaders of men – had picked out various pieces, the other trade goods the pirates had seized over the years were impressive. So much so that, according to some rough estimates, the lot could be sold for anywhere from twenty to thirty thousand Dragons.

I couldn't simply sell all of that in Sunspear in a single go, as dropping that much into one location would lower the price the locals would be willing to pay – simple supply and demand – but over a few voyages, or perhaps sailing along the southern coast of Dorne to Starfall and into the reach, I figured everything taken could be sold for at least the lower estimate. That would take time of course, but it would allow me to easily replenish my treasury – both in Northpoint and Sunspear – to the point that simply holding what I had was doable for two to three decades.

Of course, I had no intention of resting on my laurels. Not only because the idea of dropping two thousand former pirates into a small but developing village was a recipe for disaster, but because I didn't want to stop. Hells, even staying on Dustspear for a half-moon was going to be problematic. To help with that issue, I had an idea I wanted to implement before we sailed for my next target.

Any former pirate in my ranks, which was most of them, might well hold grudges with those who'd served other lords before bending the knee to me. To try and mitigate the potential for those grudges to cause problems in future battles, I wanted to create a brawling ring.

The idea behind it was simple, two men entered and handled their issues. No weapons would be allowed, and the moment anyone was seriously injured the brawl was over. If anyone broke those rules or intentionally killed their opponent, then their life would be forfeit, with Ymir handling the sentence as men unwilling to obey my rules were unworthy of a clean death.

After a brawl, regardless of the outcome, the matter between the men would be settled, with similar rules and punishment regarding retaliations taking place after a brawl in place. I'd run the basic idea past Daemon, Bronn, and Cadye, and all three had given their backing – Dameon he most reluctantly. They had time on the voyage back to consider the matter, potentially seeing loopholes that I needed to close, but so long as there wasn't a massive number of brawls, which would severely deplete my force, then I felt the brawling ring was the best way to handle the matter.

Once the fleet and forces were ready, I planned to head out again, Though I knew that even with luck continuing to be on my side, the idea of taking all the Stepstones was so far beyond me that I'd have more luck marrying an Other. However, that didn't mean that I couldn't carve out a good-sized empire here, and how to run it came from ideas of how Saan, The Lotus Prince, and Marys Valtaris operated.

The first step in holding more than Dustspear was The Whores. While I had done a decent job of razing the islands – a gull I'd sent there to test the limits of my control over a mind-broken animal showed the place in chaps just before I'd left for Redwater – I wanted to finish the job. Perhaps even establish control over some of the islands.

I knew holding them all, at least currently, would not be possible. The pirate lords of The Shrouded Isle, Bloodstone, and Grey Gallows wouldn't stand for me taking that location without major fights and I knew I didn't have the manpower to hold the place against even one of the major pirates, never mind all of them.

However, if I wanted to push on to The Shrouded Isle, as intended, I needed a base closer to there. While I could use the holdings of one of the minor Dornish Lords along the broken arm, they would demand an unfair cut of my takings. That wasn't something I wanted, because if Redwater could bring me a combined haul of at least twenty thousand Dragons, The Shrouded Isle would be far more valuable, and not just in terms of coin, gems, and other goods.

With at least the western half of the Shrouded Isle, some of The Whores and Dustspear under my influence, I would control the trade routes along the Dornish coast. As Saan seemed to prove, there was immense potential in taxing travel through waters under my control.

Thinking about Saan again, I pulled a letter I'd written for him from my pocket. Once the fleet was underway, I would attach it to the leg of a gull and fly the bird to The Coral Isle. The letter was a brief explanation of who I was – without mentioning where I came from – what I had done on Redwater, and my plans for the Western Stepstones.

There was some risk in detailing my plans to a pirate, but from all I had heard, Saan was as honourable a pirate as one could meet. Given some of the lords and knights I'd met in the Seven Kingdoms, he sounded a more appealing ally than many of them. What I wasn't going to do was request an audience with an envoy of his, as while I was growing more powerful, I was far from having the resources he had.

Saan was one of the more powerful pirates in the Stepstones, though his holdings, wealth, manpower, and fleet were supposedly dwarfed by those of the major pirates on The Shrouded Isle and Bloodstone. Trying to speak to him now about an alliance, or at least a treaty of non-interference, was a mistake as I was negotiating from a far inferior position, however, at least reaching out to him now created an impression in him, as would the idea that I had trained gulls to deliver missives.

That, I expected, would keep him occupied, as would securing, if he wished, the eastern shores of Redwater. Since the ports there, along with every other one on the island, had been picked clean, it would take a lot of time and effort to establish control of the seas. Something that, thanks to a few secret orders to Cayde and Jaeronos, would be even harder for the ports nearest the Coral Isle.

Those ports had seen their buildings damaged or ideally set alight or hacked apart with axes. The whole ports wouldn't be gone, but the damage done by damaging and destroying key buildings would make it harder for anyone to place large forces in the ports any time in the near future.

"Hey boy," I said as Ymir came walking up to me. The fur around his maw was soaked red, which confirmed the howl I'd heard earlier was one of delight at a successful hunt. I didn't know what he'd killed, but it would have to sustain him until we reached Northpoint.

Thinking of the direwolf, my thoughts drifted far to the north, to Winterfell, the Starks, and events that should start spiralling into place over the next year and a bit. I wasn't sure how I could prevent Ned from heading to King's Landing, from Sansa being betrothed to the mad cunt Joffrey, or for Arya to head with them, but I had time to think things through.

It was a long shot, but perhaps by building a force in the Stepstones, I might be able to influence events in King's Landing so that Robert wouldn't be able to head to Winterfell following Jon Arryn's death. Perhaps even going so far as to draw the attention of the crown. That would likely put some restrictions on my plans, but if it helped ensure the realm remained united when first the Wildlings and the Others rose to strike at The Wall, it was something I knew I was willing to accept. At least until those threats were dealt with.

… …

---

… …

A/N: With that, Redwater is finally cleansed of pirates, and Cregan can return to Northpoint.

...

This story is cross-posted on Questionable Questing, Archive of our Own and Royal Road.

...

For those who wish to either join the Discord server for this story, or support my writing use the following link (Remove the spaces):

linktr . ee /USSExplorer

... ...

Whether you join the discord or support my writing, or simply wish to keep reading it here, I hope you enjoy it and suggestions, valid criticisms, and ideas are always welcome.