1,751My thanks to MandTeKad who serves as a sounding board and beta for this and my other stories.
This story was released last month on the story's Discord server, and in redrafted form anywhere from 6 weeks to 4 mouths ago to those who support my writing.
A link for pathways to join the server or support my writing can be found at the end of the chapter.
A/N: There was an issue with the final check which generated a ton of grammar/structure mistakes. I think I've found them all, but one or two might've crept through. If they did, sorry about that.
44: Lifting the Shroud 4
… …
I stood near a portable palisade about three hundred paces from the wall around Lucian Koros' fort with my bow in hand. Around me, behind similar mobile defences were many of my men, most carrying bows as well. We were all firing on any movement we saw at the walls of the fort, offering cover to the men using the large battering ram, one covered by a simple but effective roof and walls, to clatter at the gates in an attempt to bring them down.
The storms had finally stayed away long enough that, as the year entered its final moon, with the ground dry enough to allow the battering rams to move – Daemon had another at his camp that was crashing against another gate in the walls of this fort – I had given the order to attack. We had moved to surround the fort during the eighth moon of the year and now, as the twelfth and final moon of 297AC began, the final battle against Lucian Koros was taking place.
While I was glad the attack was finally underway, it irked me that the lack of understanding of the weather that struck the Stepstones from the Narrow Sea had cost me around a third of a year. The Maesters in Sunspear and the Water Gardens had given me details of the way storms moved from the Summer Sea to Westeros, the Steps, and Essos, but detailed specifics of how the weather behaved in the Narrow Sea was lacking. That was understandable given that storms slammed into the Stormlands for eight or nine moons every year – and how the land had the name it did – but the lack of advanced knowledge had cost me time. Something that, as the approach of canon events and the Red Comet grew closer, I felt I was running out of.
Still, the storms were over for now, and while there were clouds to the north, from what I'd seen through Rian's eyes, nothing should arrive on the island, or elsewhere in the Steps for at least another quarter-moon. That was why the attack was happening now.
Once the fort was taken, plans were already in place to begin moving everything of value to the port where Daemon's fleet – along with the Pride and the cog hired by Mayor Phenias of Northport, the Lazy Alyn – and have them transported back to Northpoint for safekeeping, or onwards to Sunspear for sale. Hells, the dozen giant rolls of silk from the east were already on the move, though until the fort fell they would have to wait at my camp before continuing to the cogs.
Movement at the wall drew my focus, and as I raised my bow, my eyes picked out someone climbing into one of the towers near the gate. My arrow was away before the pirate reached the level, and while the strike wasn't centre mass, it was powerful enough to knock him from the ladder. The wound was likely not fatal, but the fall may well have been depending on how he landed. Regardless, that was one less pirate in the fight.
The sound of the battering ram crashing into the gate, along with the shouting of the men rocking it back and forth could be heard over an otherwise silent battlefield. Men were using their bows to shoot at any movement along the walls or in the towers, which was keeping the defenders from fully engaging the ram or returning fire in sufficient numbers to be troublesome. Most of my men were all slightly closer than me, their palisades about two hundred paces away from the wall, granting them a better shot for those with bows, while the vanguard of the assault stayed in cover, waiting for their orders to move.
That leading element was composed of those who wanted greater glory – I offered hazard pay for the role given it was the group with the highest chance of death – and those I considered untrustworthy. That group consisted of men who'd most recently bent the knee or openly expressed worship of R'hllor. Three of the new knights, including Ser Jedric Shore, were in the group as well, commanding the vanguard in my stead. Two other knights were a part of my forces, but Ser Barrian and Ser Warrek had a different task; one that was both less likely to see combat, but if it did, carried more danger.
They, along with thirty men and Ymir would now be at the small, hidden harbour where the path from the fort led. Ymir had tracked it most of the way, though the discovery of the harbour was made by four of my scouts, who had left with Barrian and Warrek this morning when I sent them there to take the hidden location.
According to the scouts, during the short periods of time when the storms didn't strike the island, crates and chests had been spotted moving to the alcove, making clear that Lucian Koros was expecting to lose this battle. While I had no idea what his plans were if he escaped, though I suspected that he would head to Essos and try to either hire sellswords to reclaim his land or live a life of luxury until his gold ran out, I knew he would never see them come to fruition. By now those containers, and whatever riches they held, would be under the control of my men who would now wait patiently for Koros if he managed to slip away during the coming battle.
The rest of the knights were with Daemon's forces, either acting in similar roles to those that commanded my vanguard or in the case of Ser Garhar, leading along with Rakakz, the element of Daemon's forces controlling the path between the fort and Koros' last port to the east. During the various storms, I had considered gathering the knights, along with the roughly fifty new sellswords into a single unit, to smash through Koros' line. They were all better armoured and trained than any man Koros had under his command.
I rejected that idea for two reasons. First, because if Koros had anything that could break through plate that I had missed during the dozens of recon flights with Rian, then I would see most of my strongest warriors fall in a single engagement, and second, and perhaps more importantly, as I needed the knights to lead my growing forces. While many of them had fought battles before, they were, to be blunt, undistilled rabble barely useful for anything beyond mass assaults and terrorising others into surrendering by sheer weight of numbers. Against a group half their size of trained men-at-arms, my forces would be slaughtered to a man with ease.
My sight caught more movement in the towers along the wall, though the men there were being smart and staying behind cover. Any time one of them emerged from behind cover, their position was peppered with arrows from my forces. Initially, that approach had decimated the men in the towers and then any who were sent up to reinforce the positions. Those that remained were the smarter ones, or at least those who learnt the lessons of their dead comrades, and rarely stuck out anything more than the front of their bows or whatever weapon they had as they tried to target the crew of the battering ram. Yes, this tactic was costing me arrows, more than I might wish to expend, but it was ensuring the men at the battering ram could focus on taking down the gate and allowing the vanguard to surge forward.
What sounded like a cheer echoed to me from the east. After slipping behind the palisade being manned by my squires, I knelt and closed my eyes, shifting my thoughts into Rian's mind who circled high above ever watchful. Through his gaze, I saw that Daemon's men had breached their gate, or at least done enough damage that men were surging forward over the empty ground between his lines and the fort. The armour of Daemon and the other knights was easily detectable among the mass of movement far below.
Looking at the fort, I could see men inside flooding toward the gate, confirming the damage was enough that Daemon's men could get through. It would be a fight and take, but expected them to widen the breach, though perhaps not before my men broke through the gate they were attacking.
My focus then shifted to the fort proper, or more accurately the large stone building that sat at the back of the fort, elevated slightly above the rest and since my men had first sieged the place, seen the raising of a secondary wall. The wall wasn't high, nor as secure or with towers as the main wall, but its rapid construction – much of which must've taken place during the storms of the last few moons – made it clear Koros expected to lose this battle. It also added to my feeling that once the outer wall was properly breached, Koros and a select few would try to slip away to his hidden ships and make their escape from the island.
That path was already covered as through Rian's gaze I saw hints of movement where the hidden harbour was located. The ships remained blocked from my sight, but I knew where the place was thanks to first the scouts locating it, and then me using Ymir to approach it during one of the days when the rain and wind weren't at their worst.
Any further thoughts on Koros and when he might retreat were pushed from my mind as I saw movement on the walls near my location. I slipped from Rian's mind, taking a few seconds to reorientate myself to once more being back in my body. Once that was done, I lowered my bow and grasped my shield. I then slipped from behind the palisade, drawing Red Rain as a cheer went up from my men as the vanguard rushed toward the battering ram. This gate was now breached and finally, after moons of inactivity, I would feel the rush of battle again. Hopefully, one that lasted more than a few short exchanges.
… …
I leaned back, ensuring the blade being swung at my face sliced nothing but air. The attack was a rash one by a random pirate I was battling inside the fort and left him exposed to a counter. Something I took advantage of by driving the tip of Red Rain through the padded armour he was wearing, and deep into his side.
The pirate grunted, causing the smile I wore to grow, and a twist of my wrist had my blade shift around inside his guts drawing another grunt. Pulling the blade free caused blood to slosh out of the wound into the air, invigorating my enjoyment of the chaos of battle.
The pirate fell to his knees, the wound I'd given him was fatal, though to ensure he didn't try anything as he died, while I turned seeking a new target, I made sure my shield slammed into his skull sending him fully to the ground. My eyes found my next target; two pirates rushing at me from my side, hoping to overwhelm me together. I braced, readying myself for the next engagement, though just as I did so, one of the pair stumbled and fell into his compatriot. As the pair crumbled to the ground, I growled in annoyance as I saw an arrow sticking out of the first man's side.
The urge to locate the bowman and reprimand him for stealing my kill flashed through me, though I pushed it aside. This was war, and in battle, it didn't matter who killed the enemy, only that they fell. Still, I wouldn't be denied the second kill, and as I moved toward the pair – the second man pushing the first off him – Red Rain flicked out, slicing the throat of the second man before the tip sliced over the face of the first.
A gargled cry was joined by a pained screech as I moved past the pair seeking new targets. Around me, chaos reigned as men clashed with little rhyme nor reason as to who was fighting on which side. Now, those fighting under my command fore dye marks on their armour, but the colour and pattern of those marks were almost random and only in the heat of a larger pitched battle like this, played into the sense of chaos and confusion that engulfed many battles.
What didn't help the matter was that, with the rain over the last few moons the dye on the armour of many had faded, and in this small moment of solitude as carnage roared around me, I once more lamented that my men were little more than a directed rabble and not a trained and coordinated army. Yes, the majority of my men were former pirates and only knew how to skirmish and terrorise others to get what they wanted, but I was growing infuriated at the mish-mashed nature of my forces.
In that moment I resolved that once Koros was defeated and his men, ships, and treasure mine, I would work on a method to at least add some uniformity to my ranks. Perhaps something as simple as having the men wear the same colour of shirt or a sash of a single colour and style. There was linen available for that, and potentially enough dye in the goods already seized so it should be possible.
The moment of clarity ended as a man rushed towards me, and once he was closer he turned while bringing his blade with him. I reacted instinctively, leaning back to deflect the attack, and then thrusting my blade into the man's gut. As a grunt slipped from his lips and I pulled my blade free, I saw the faded dye mark over his shoulder. "Fuck!" I spat out as the man fell to his knees, the victim of friendly fire. "Fuck!" I cursed again even as I turned, putting my mistake aside. There was a battle to be fought and the death of one of my men by my hand only fuelled my intent to create some sort of uniform marking and dress for my men.
As my eyes took in the battle around me, the glint of sunlight off armour helped me spot the various knights in my ranks. Each of them, resplendent in full plate, was cutting swathes through the lines of the pirates; their armour ensuring that few of the weapons the pirates were using were an instantly fatal wound if they struck the plate. Elsewhere I spotted my squires, the pair moving almost as one to slice a path through the various pirates that felt they, as smaller and weaker armoured foes might be easy targets.
My blade swooped around me as I danced between the attacks of two pirates. The pair, while working together were no challenge and my shield crashed into the skull of one while my blade sliced a deep wound over the stomach of the other. As I finished the pair off, my gaze shifted back to my squires, noting the way the pair were moving; the moons trapped by the storms had allowed me time to train them intensively when I wasn't busy keeping the camp in order and getting everything ready to strike once the weather improved.
During that time Trystane had unlocked the magic of his bloodline. While he could only do simple things with water, I had at least helped him discover the magic and in the process complete an unstated goal Prince Doran had given me when I'd taken his son as my squire. Edric, while understandably irritated that Trystane had discovered magic before him, wasn't anywhere near as angered as I had feared. The reason for that was that Edric was the better fighter, winning nine out of ten spars with his fellow squire. While I knew that would ease any issues currently, the longer it took Edric to unlock any magic he might have – which I felt he had to have due to some of my magic in the build I created for this new life coming from a non-First Men source – the greater the potential for animosity to develop between them.
I pressed on, blood pounding in my ears., my blade clashing with the next pirate dumb enough to challenge me. He lasted no more than three moves before Red Rain once more lived up to its name and I resumed my slow advance into the fort, making sure each step took me in the direction of the inner walls, and Koros' command post that lay behind them. The building was little more than a poor, rather shoddily maintained large house, but with three floors and stone walls, it towered over everything but the three storehouses – each also made with stone walls – in the fort.
More pirates came at me with each step I took, drawn no doubt by my distinctive armour and the sigil I wore proudly on my shield and armour. The same sigil flew over the camps where Daemon and I had our men, so Koros and his men knew I was the commander of the attackers. The men that rushed me foolishly thought that if they killed me then my men would break and Koros would reward them greatly. Instead, all each of them earned was death at my hands. Yet, as I cut my path of blood and death deeper into the fort, I grunted in irritation. The green armour of Lucian Koros isn't present. He was either hiding in his command building, or the craven cunt had already chosen to run for his hidden ships.
Eventually, I rounded the last corner before the inner wall, though as I did I stopped and lifted my shield. As I scampered to the cover of the nearest building, I felt several arrows strike the metal. A few also struck my armour, though thankfully most hit sections of plate and those that hit elsewhere failed to pierce the mail.
"Cover!" I called out as I slipped behind the wheel of a cart and heard a new volley of arrows slam into the wooden frame. I looked back at the men who had followed behind me, spotting one man on the ground with an arrow lodged in his groin. "Bring the palisades!" I called out, ignoring the downed man. The wound was painful and potentially fatal, but there was nothing anyone could do until we had defeated Koros.
It was going to take my men time to bring the massive wooden shields here, as all had been abandoned at or just inside the gate we had broken through. However, they would allow us to approach the wall with protection for the archers behind it. Now, I could have ordered my men to rush the wall. It wasn't anywhere near as high or secure as the outer one. However, doing that would cost me men, and as much as I despised the rabble I commanded, I needed every able body I could get to keep up my offensive.
The Bloodhawk still ruled about forty per cent of this isle, while Crann Snow and Garvy Pyke held ports here as well. The more men I lost in this battle, the harder it was going to be to take out The Bloodhawk. He had fewer men than I did, or than Koros had controlled before I'd arrived on The Shrouded Isle, but his men were regarded as the fiercest fighters in the Stepstones; potentially to the point that one of his pirates was worth two or three other men.
As I looked back at the fort, I saw that the battle for it was almost over. Koros men, at least those still standing, were being overwhelmed by my men. Many were now tossing down their weapons and falling to their knees, showing the craven nature of pirates to lack the stomach for fighting for long from underfoot. I couldn't be sure how many men were surrendering, but I hoped it would at least be enough to cover any losses I'd taken in the battle for the fort and those that would fall when we assaulted the inner walls and Koros' command building.
Hells, even if two pirates surrendered for each man I lost or my men had killed, I feared I would be left shorthanded. I had all but one port's worth of Koros' fleet and even before this battle had reached a point where I'd had to divert some galleys to Jaeronos simply to put them to use as reserve vessels for the port he commanded from, and the sea I wanted him to secure nearby it. That issue, however, could wait until after the battle was fully over.
When it was, and Lucian Koros was found, I hoped he was taken alive. Oh, he would be executed, that was certain, but the question was if his actions, and those of the men under his command, would earn him an honourable death or something slower, more painful, and possibly for me, far more enjoyable to watch.
… …
… …
I looked around the main chamber of the building that had until yesterday been Lucian Koros' command centre, Kaa resting on the raised chair Koros had likely ruled from while I stood near a large table looking at maps of this island and the rest of the Stepstones.
The battle for the inner walls hadn't lasted long, with the men behind it throwing open the gates and surrendering as more men behind palisades had gathered in the open area between those walls and the rest of the fort.
Those men, along with any other who had surrendered were being housed in several of the larger buildings in the fort. Said buildings had already been searched extensively to ensure there were no hidden escape passages or weapons caches in them. Anything that had been found in them, from the odd dagger to small bags of coins and anything in between had been brought to the chamber I was in for sorting. Those searches had been led by Rakakz and a few other senior former pirates in my ranks, as they were the ones with the most experience on where hidden stashes could be and how to find them.
At current count, a little short of seven hundred men were now imprisoned in the buildings housing them. Those that had fallen on both sides, had been stripped of anything of value before the bodies had been moved outside the walls. Several large pyres, mainly composed of the remains of the battering rams and palisades, were now burning so that the bodies could be disposed of as cleanly as possible. There were simply too many to allow them to rot away, nor would I bury pirates – or former pirates – given the threat such actions might bring in the coming years if things in the North went tits-up.
The current count of men I'd lost – from the battle and wounds sustained in it that hadn't killed them during the fighting – was about two hundred and fifty. Which included one unlucky knight who'd taken an arrow through the vizor of their helm. Along with the fatalities, another thirty or so with wounds which meant that they'd never fight again. Those thirty would be shipped back to Northpoint and given three moon's wages. They would then be offered the chance to settle on Dustspear or be given free passage to Sunspear to be left to their fates. It wasn't the best way to deal with the wounded, but it was all I was willing to allow given where we were and what most had been before they'd been gravely wounded.
Still, the loss of around three hundred men to take the fort wasn't a bad outcome. Now the number of fatalities was higher than I would have preferred, but given we'd started with over fifteen hundred men, a one in five casualty rate for assaulting a location with walls and defences and a garrisoned force about two-thirds our force was a good outcome. Great even if one considered that most of the men had no experience in such battles nor wore armour that was best for pitched combat.
However, it did, as I had feared before and during the battle, make the manpower issue for my fleets slightly critical. Yes, I expected at least six hundred of the prisoners to bend the knee, something that would only be offered once Koros was found and killed, but wouldn't completely solve the issue, and that was before considering how to handle the last port that officially remained under Koros' command.
That port. Which only had three-fifty to four hundred men in it, housed three war galleys along with six regular galleys. At a minimum, I needed six hundred men for those ships, a number that would be hard to gather without leaving other vessels close to being critically undermanned. Still, I would be moving on that port as soon as I had dealt with Koros, gained the loyalty of his former men, and then gathered my forces. I wouldn't be allowing them to either run away with the war galleys or for The Bloodhawk to learn Koros was gone and attempt to capture the port and ships before me.
Currently, I had around three hundred men camped along the road leading from the fort to that port, with Rakakz and Ser Garhar in command of them. It wasn't enough to take the port, nor stand against an attack by everyone there, but the presence of such a force of men – or at least a more visible presence as a group half that size had been camped out to cut off the fort and port from each other while we assaulted the former – would deter the pirates from moving inland. I just had to get enough men gathered to cut off an escape by sea before giving the port commander and his officers a simple ultimatum. However, before I could do that I nee-
"My Lord!" The call from Edric as he rushed into the chamber broke me from my thoughts and I turned to face him as he stood in the open doorway. "Ser Barrian and Ser Warrek have returned. With prisoners."
The words had barely slipped from my squire's mouth before, as I braced a large, black shape came bustling into the chamber forcing Edric to dart to one side to avoid a collision. "Hey there boy," I said as I was driven back by Ymir's bulk. He wasn't trying to knock me over. However, his sheer mass was enough that even after bracing I was knocked back a few steps even as he slid to a stop. "Have fun?" I asked him, one hand moving to scratch him behind the ear. I instantly regretted the action as it gave him free access to my face, and his tongue came out and covered me in slobber. "YMIR!"
I pushed him back, even as he gave a laughing bark sound, and grabbed a cloth from a nearby table to clear the drool from my face. After doing so enough that I could open my eyes fully, I glared at the direwolf who simply looked at me with an expression that did nothing to hide his amusement. I snarled at Ymir, though he knew I didn't mean anything by it, and then, once my face was generally clear, I passed the cloth to a young girl, no more than twelve, who'd come rushing over to collect the cloth.
"Thank you," I said to, Cercilia. The former slave refused to look me in the eye even as she moved back, taking the cloth despite any issues she might have with the state of it or her clear fear of Ymir. The girl was one of around a hundred slaves that had been discovered in the fort, though she was the youngest. As she scampered back to the corner she'd been standing in, doing her best to avoid attention, I bit back a growl of fury.
That Koros had slaves here was hardly a surprise. We'd found some in the two major ports we'd taken, along with finding them one Redwater and Dustspear. However, it was the fact that Cercilia was but a child and, according to one of the female slaves who was willing to speak openly with me, had been used as any woman was. Which made it hard to temper my anger toward the former pirate lord and those who had served under him.
That woman, along with a few others, had said they would be willing to point out the pirates who most often assaulted them. If the same pirates were marked out enough times, I would be executing them for their crimes. Any that had taken a turn with Cercilia had already sealed their fate, or at least they would if the girl was able to point them out or have someone do it for her.
To protect the slaves from any of the men under my banner trying to enjoy the spoils of war – which would violate my charter – I had all of the former slaves housed in one of the storehouses. It was a pain to clear the supplies and trade goods there to other storehouses, but I wanted the former slaves to know that they were now free, even if many might never be able to recover and live full and happy lives after their ordeals.
To further ensure that my men didn't try anything, I'd taken the time to speak rather forcefully to them after the battle, making clear that any who attacked a former slave, or even a prisoner if they were that way inclined, would first be castrated by my blade before being released into the forests for Ymir to hunt. Some of the older hedge knights who had signed on with me had spoken privately about how such actions were common in the aftermath of battle, and while they understood my reasoning for making my threat, they worried that some of the men might resent my choices. My reply was simple. 'Any man that breaks the rules of my charter knows what punishment awaits them, and has no recourse to expect mercy when I've been clear that any slave found would be freed and granted land on Dustspear. I do not care what was accepted in a war in Westeros or Essos. This is my command, and my rules are final.'
So far it seemed the threat was working, but I wanted all the former slaves on the two cogs and bound for Dustspear as soon as humanly possible. There had been an incident in Northpoint before we'd set sail for The Shrouded Isle, and I'd dealt with the matter harshly, but I wanted to avoid any repeat of that incident, hence why the slaves were getting priority shipment ahead of the majority of the trade goods, coin, and gems we'd looted from Koros.
As my anger settled, I moved over to the main chair in the chamber, and once there extended my arm. A gentle prod through the bond had Kaa reacting. I placed my hand on the armrest of the chair, bracing as the massive snake slithered from the chair up my arm. At a metre and a half long, he was already twice the size that was common for his species, and I knew that he would keep growing. All snakes generally did, however, with my magic flowing through our bond his growth was faster – relatively speaking – and so long as I stayed alive, the chances of him being killed before passing anacondas and similarly large snakes in length and mass were high.
It took a few moments but eventually, Kaa had not only slid entirely onto my shoulders but had looped his body twice around my neck, making it appear as if I had a massive snakeskin necklace. What ruined that image was his head. Which rested on my right shoulder as he watched everything going on, his tongue flicking out regularly to taste the air.
With the chair now free, I slipped into it, settling down as I awaited the arrival of Sers Barrian and Warrek, along with – I hoped – Lucian Koros. I smirked as a man in green armour, missing his right arm from the elbow, was pushed forcefully into the chamber. He was then driven to his knees a few metres in front of the chair I sat in. The very chair that until yesterday he had ruled this fort from. "Lucian Koros I presume?" I asked with a disinterested tone.
Koros looked up at me and snarled, his remaining hand holding a cloth over the stump of his other arm. The cloth was soaked red, though at least there was no blood dripping onto the wooden floor. Glancing at the two knights who had brought in the prisoner, Ser Warrek gestured at Koros and then Ser Barrian. I took that to mean the younger knight was the one responsible for the missing arm.
"You're the Rogue Viper?" Koros spat out, drawing my focus back to him. "Expected someone older," he added with an Essosi accent on his Common tongue. I felt it might be from Myr, but I couldn't be certain.
"I get that a lot," I responded with a smirk as Kaa's head came forward. As the pirate looked at the massive snake with a hint of terror in his eyes, I lifted my hand and gently scratched Kaa under his jaw. The viper's tongue flicked out at my action, and he lowered himself into the touch.
As Koros kept glaring daggers at me, I stood from the chair before making my way down toward him. Kaa's head shifted forward and after tasting the air with his tongue, he hissed at Koros exposing his massive fangs. The pirate leaned back, unable to hide his natural reaction being faced with such a predator. Ser Warrek tensed behind the prisoner, as did many others in the room though both Edric and Barrian didn't. Given they'd been around Kaa for years – first in Sunspear and now here – that made perfect sense.
Barrian had commented on the increase in Kaa's size when he'd seen him for the first time since I'd taken the viper to Dustspear and founded Northpoint. He also mentioned that Riona had left Sunspear after her chick, Talon, was able to leave the nest. I already knew that as the wild female Sunfyre eagle had taken up residence in Northpoint, likely awaiting the return of her mate. Barrian had also mentioned that Talon was being jointly looked after by Ari and Alysanne, and I could see the spark of interest in Daemon's eyes when that was revealed.
"Well?" Get on with it!" Koros snapped as I stood before him, out of reach of his remaining arm, and the chance he might have a blade missed when he was searched before being led here. "I lost and we both know you'll be killing me to assert your power."
"That I will," I said softly, not feeling any need to act tough when the man before me was beaten. "However, the manner and time of your death is still undecided," I continued as I knelt to better look him in the eye. "What you did to the slaves, to the children, ensures you won't be dying honourably, but how painful your death is something I'm still considering."
Koros spat, the gunk landing on the front of my armour. "Fuck you!" He sneered, "And whatever whore bitch gave birth to you."
Ymir growled and moved a few steps closer while I saw both Barrian and Warrek reach for their blades and Edric's eyes narrowed dangerously. I raised my free hand, stilling everyone though Ymir's growl of fury lasted for a few more seconds; just long enough for a flash of fear to shoot through the former pirate lord's eyes. "You had the chance to earn a quick, if painful death," I said slowly as I lowered my hand. Before he knew what I was doing, the hand shot forward and I closed my fingers around Koros' throat. "However insulting my mother, a lady of Dorne, was a mistake," I added with a grunt of annoyance.
Koros' remaining hand came up, attempting to pull my hand from his throat. "Ah!" He grunted in pain as, before he could reach my arm, Kaa had lunged forward. Fangs had sunk deep into the man's flesh, but I was pleased when I sensed Kaa hadn't injected any venom into the attack; or at least not enough to grant this fool a quick and excruciating death.
"The last man to insult my mother, ironically one of your captains, was keelhauled," I explained as my grip on his neck tightened even as Kaa refused to release the man's hand. "As much as I would enjoy seeing you die in the same way, the time it would take to haul your useless arse to my vessel and then sail from the port where it's docked as you're dragged along in the water behind will delay the inevitable far too long for my liking." I leaned closer as I crushed his windpipe further. "It would also deny you victims the chance to see you suffer."
As I spoke, I summoned my magic, gathering flames in the palm of my hand that grasped Koros' neck. His eyes widened in terror as he felt the sudden, illogical increase in pain and the skin was burnt by my actions. He tried to use his other hand, but Kaa bit down hard enough that I heard bones shatter. A grunt of pain mixed with a whimper of fear managed to slip from Koros' lips, though he was wise to not try and say anything.
I held my grasp until the faint smell of burnt flesh reached me. At that, I ended the flames, knowing that Barrian and Warrek, along with the other new knights and sellswords weren't aware that I had magic. Well, they might be as rumours of the necklace I wore on my wrist – the same one that had just been around Koros' neck – that supposedly granted me my powers, but they had yet to see me display my power. Until I was certain of how strong the faith of the Seven was in any of the knights and sellswords, I wasn't going to openly display my ability around them.
"Your death will not come today," I said as I shifted back, Kaa releasing the now mangled hand, and stood. "I still have use for you," I added with a smirk. "Well, your head at any rate." I looked at the two knights. "Secure him somewhere far from the other prisoners and make sure the guards are loyal to me and are rotated regularly."
The knights nodded, understanding that I didn't want any of Koros' men who'd already bent the knee to me to stand guard over their former lord and gestured to two of the guards who had entered with them but remained at the doors to the chamber. Koros looked up at me, panic in his eyes as his remaining hand, as broken as it was, came to his neck. I smirked fractionally as he flinched when he felt the burnt flesh as the guards dragged the beaten fool away.
As the beaten pirate lord was dragged from the chamber, I turned to the two knights. "Forgive my reaction," I said as I gestured toward the table I had been standing near earlier. "I will not tolerate such comments towards a member of my family, nor House Nymeros Martell."
Barrian grunted as Warrek lowered his head before replying. "I have met your mother once, Ser Cregan, and to suggest a Dornish lady such as her was no better than a common whore," he paused and shook his head. "Your patience was greater than mine would have been in your place. To say nothing of how Prince Oberyn would have reacted to such a comment." Barrian nodded his agreement as we all sat at the table.
"With Koros I assume you were able to capture much of his treasure that he hoped to abscond with?"
"We did," Barrian responded with a smirk, though before continuing he glanced at Ser Warrek. The older knight smiled and gestured for Barrian to continue. "It was as you had expected Ser Cregan. Not long after we heard the horn to sound the battle, men arrived at the hidden port. They were quickly subdued, and the crates of coin and gems they brought with them were secured before the pirate arrived with more men. They too were quickly overwhelmed, and the chests he had brought added to our capture."
"The crates have already been directed to storehouses by Ser Daemon," Warrek cut in and took over. "At a guess, there may be around ten thousand Dragons worth of goods in them. However, they are perhaps not the most valuable items we secured." My brow rose at that, and I observed, considering my next move. As Barrian turned and gestured to the door.
There, four men came in carrying between them two large chests. Each chest appeared to be about a metre long and a half in width and height. I waited as the men approached and placed the chests on the table, and once they had lifted the lids, the men withdrew allowing me to see what was contained within.
"Books?" I asked in confusion, not understanding why Koros would value them over more obvious sources of treasure.
"Ledgers," Warrek countered with a smile as he reached in and pulled out a book, placing it on the table before me, and opened it at a page that had been marked.
I leaned forward, reading the pages that were displayed, my brow rising as I saw what was listed there. Each page held a name at the top; one a merchant in Myr, the other a trader from Lys. Beneath the names and locations of the person was a flag with a specific sigil on it, and below that was what these men traded in. I growled as I saw both were slave traders, though I kept reading, noting the dates and number of vessels listed below, easily picking out the regular patterns of the fleets under the pay of these two men as they, I assumed, passed by The Shrouded Isle. There was also a value beside each time and listing of ships. Which was a monetary value in the currency of the city the men hailed from.
"We had one of the prisoners confirm that these ledgers were used to mark ships from various people, most in Essos but some in Westeros, that were paying for passage through the waters around this island so they could conduct their… business."
My head came up as Warrek explained the situation further and I grunted in anger. "Slavers."
"Yes," Barrian responded with a smirk with a scowl. "Well, many at least. Not all seemed to deal in such… items, but many did and all paid Koros for safe passage." He shook his head before continuing. "Some of the pages… They detail lords and nobles in Westeros who are trading in goods that are illegal in the Seven Kingdoms." I ground my teeth together, keeping my anger in check as best I could at the indicator that many in Westeros were involved in the slave trade. "The names of those from Essos are generally unknown to us…"
"I recognise a few from my time serving in Essos," Warrek cut in.
"… but those in Westeros are," Barrian finished."
"From looking over the numbers, the coin and treasure we found in the crates is but a fraction of what Koros has earned over the years," Warrek explained, a glint in his eyes.
"Are you suggesting there is a hidden cache somewhere in the fort or beyond the walls?" I asked, masking my excitement as best I could. A larger haul of treasure, be that coin or gems, was never something to neglect and if there was something to hunt for, it would be a good way to keep Ymir and Kaa occupied.
"That is our suspicion," Warrek responded with a smile making clear his excitement of finding such a cache. "If it is beyond the walls, then we would expect it to be along the path to the hidden port or perhaps in a cave in the mountains to the north. However, we have yet to spend time seeking it out."
"Hmm, perhaps Koros might be allowed to live a few more days. At least until he or one of his lieutenants reveals where this cache, or possible caches, might be." I glanced at Ymir, sensing his excitement for a hunt. Yes, it was a different sort of hunt, but one that he would still be of use on.
Returning my attention to the ledger, I closed it and returned it to the chest it came from. "I want these carefully examined and the various flags flown by the vessels sorted out. Those who engage in legitimate trade can continue to pay for safe passage around the isle, but those who bear flags of slavers and the like are to be given to Jaeronos for targeting. I also want the names listed by their location with notes on which ledger and the page their records are on. If I am right, these will be of more use to us going forward than any hidden cache. Save perhaps one hiding coin equal to the royal treasury."
"Should we alert Prince Doran or even King's Landing of the slavers active in Westeros?"
I chuckled at Barrian's suggestion. "No, not for the time being. Once the ledgers have been properly examined and the names, dates, and coin paid tallied, we can revisit the matter. For now, we should hold onto this information as all we have is the writings of one pirate; something any noble or lord would dismiss as slander at best, or demand a trial by combat for the perceived insult at worst."
I had no intention of passing along anything that came from these ledgers to King's Landing as Varys and Baelish would simply use the intelligence to gain control over the lords mentioned. While I preferred combat, I understood the usefulness of having influence over others and could see a few ways that such power could be used even by a bastard of Dorne. Now, if there were any Dornish lords and nobles listed, I would of course pass the news on to my father and Prince Doran. Not only would that be prudent as the Martells were my greatest allies, but it would strengthen their trust in me and, I hoped, remove any inclination Doran might have to one day remove or replace me.
As for the names and businesses I would learn of in Essos, well if they engaged in activities that were against ideals I was standing for, then they were fair game. Coin, gems, and trade goods were always useful, but harming the slave trade, even if it was only a negligible thing, was something I would always support. Plus, those ships would not expect galleys bearing Koros' standard to board them, meaning I could easily gain more trade vessels for my fleet. Something I would need to advance the development of Northpoint and any settlements that formed on The Shrouded Isle.
Yes, I did run the risk of angering figures of importance in the Free Cities, but as my activities would be focused on the Westerosi side of the Steps, I should be relatively safe from major retaliation. Plus, if they were willing to get into bed with a pirate like Koros, then they knew the risks that the winds of change were always probable to turn against them.
Before Barrian could question my orders I offered him a vicious smile. "However, just because we are not yet going to hand over this information to Prince Doran or the Iron Throne, does not mean we cannot act on it. Slavery and piracy are illegal in Westeros and if any lord there is involved in such behaviour their trade vessels will have to be… inspected and impounded as recompense."
The pair smiled back though Barrian's was slower in forming and not as certain. That was entirely understandable as he was young and as a trueborn son of House Fowler, expected others to simply do their duty and serve their lord. What would get drilled into him over the coming moons was that we weren't in Westeros anymore, and if anyone in the Stepstones was a lord it was me.
… …
… …
Standing at the head of a force of nearly seven hundred men, a number that included about a hundred men who'd formerly served Lucian Koros, several hundred paces from the first buildings of the last port to swear allegiance to the now-dead pirate lord.
While I would've liked to have moved on this port almost as soon as taking the fort, I'd not been able to. The number of prisoners that needed to be dealt with – of which all but ten had chosen to bend the knee to me – the fact I needed a naval element to take this port, and the sheer volume of coin, treasure, and trade goods that needed discovering before being moved around the island had delayed the action. Now though, after about a quarter-moon since Koros' fort had fallen, it was time to remove the last mark he had on this island. Or at least the last obvious mark as while the exact location of any hidden caches had been drawn from Koros before his death, information confirmed by some of his former captains, my men had yet to return from those locations with the bounty there.
Somewhere far to the east, in the sea within sight of the port, Daemon would be stationed with a large fleet. Three war galleys along with ten regular galleys were intended to both ensure the men in the port I was targeting remained in place and that those that served The Bloodhawk in a port to the north of Daemon's location, wouldn't attempt to use any potential coming battle to strike at my fleet or the port I wanted to take. While I wanted to take that port from The Bloodhawk soon, as it was where he seemingly kept his largest fleet, that wasn't my intent for today.
Now, Daemon's fleet was intentionally undermanned as I needed to keep men working to move everything from the fort and elsewhere on the island – such as the giant rolls of silk that had been in the port where my fleet was anchored – to the Pride and Lazy Alyn in the port to the south of the fort.
Those two cogs, along with an escort fleet of eight galleys would be loaded as fully as was safe with the most valuable goods and all the slaves – I wanted them safely away from The Shrouded Isle and any man that might've once abused them – then departing for Northpoint. Through Rian's gaze, I confirmed no storms were brewing to the south so they should have clear sailing. Once at Northpoint, everything onboard would be transferred to the small settlement and the slaves disembarked. A letter would head to Phenias ordering him to store the coin and gems and add the goods to the runs heading to Sunspear. As for the former slaves, they would be offered the chance to remain in Northpoint and try to find a purpose there, or offered free transport to Sunspear along with gold to let them try and make something of themselves. The odds were that many would either be dead in a year, or back working in industries that weren't far removed from slavery, but that was their choice to make.
The Pride and Lazy Alyn would return to The Shrouded Isle with four of the galleys while the other four would remain behind. I lacked the men to crew every ship fully and felt dropping some of the extra vessels in Northpoint would not only increase the size of the settlement's defence fleet but allow them to store them until I had men to crew them fully.
The ledgers that had been taken from Koros were back in the fort. My squires along with Jekar, Ser Warrek, and a handful of sellswords who could read and write were working diligently to tabulate everything from them and copy down the flags flown so that Jaeronos knew which ships to approach about taxes for safe passage and which to capture for engaging in slavery. The trick wouldn't last long, but until word reached Westeros and Essos that Lucian Koros was dead, then the men behind those fleets would keep sending them, granting me easy targets to both increase my financial stores and increase the size of my fleet.
"My Lord. Men approaching!"
The call from Illadhor, one of my direct lieutenants, was unnecessary for me as I could see men emerging from the port even with the sun was not that high above the horizon behind them. However, I heard shuffling behind me, suggesting some of the men had been relaxing while we stood here waiting for a response from the port's commander.
I took a step forward, separating myself from the lines. Ser Jedric and Rakakz did so as well along with two of the other knights, Ser Maxir Hallaw and Ser Tyral. Ser Tyral was a wandering hedge knight who, like Ser Garhar, had heard of my adventures in The Steps and wished to earn glory and coin. Maxir was the third son of a landed knight sworn, rather amusingly to House Dayne. While he was here like the others to earn fame and coin, I had noted that he spent as much time as he could around Edric and I wondered if he had been sent by Lord Aldric – or more likely his wife, Lady Joenne – though I'd not yet asked Ser Maxir about it, but if his interest in my squire remained high in the coming moon, then I would. While I could understand why the Daynes might be concerned about their son, Lord Aldric would know that being a squire wasn't an easy or safe thing but something many young boys were expected to train to become.
My eyes tracked six men emerging from the port: all armed and rough-looking. The walls around the port were, to be blunt, a disgrace, at least when speaking of those facing into the island. With Koros having ruled for so long, and the most likely attack directions coming from the sea to the east, or potentially an expedition that hiked around the coast from the north from The Bloodhawk's port, little concern had been given to walling the port bar the northern side.
If we were forced to attack, the battle would be one-sided as beyond the lack of defences, the best fighting men would've been brought to the fort by Koros to defend himself and what remained was outnumbered by my land force around three-to-two. Add in the fleet, and the advantage went up to seven-to-one or so. The port commander, who I assumed was in the group approaching me, would know this and if he had any sense surrender and bend the knee without a fight.
While the fight would be one-sided, from what I had learnt from the newest men to swear themselves to me, the men in this port spent more time skirmishing with the forces of other pirates than raiding passing vessels. These were men who knew how to fight and if forced to do so would enact a toll on my men that I'd rather avoid. I wanted them to bend the knee as not only would it prevent more acute issues with manpower for my fleets, but also gain me men who were more willing to commit to battle than the average pirate.
Once The Bloodhawk was dealt with, which in and of itself might not be easy given where his ports were located, the time would come to take first the Bone Breaker Isles, and then Bloodstone. When that happened, I'd find myself fighting The Blood Serpent and Aeron Indarys at the same time. That was going to be a challenge, both from a manpower issue and with the fact that neither would be happy to surrender the land they controlled in the Bone Breakers islands that lay between The Shrouded Isle and Bloodstone.
Aeron was regarded as the strongest pirate lord in the Steps, commanding north of three thousand men supposedly. If the men approaching me from Koros last port bent the knee today, then I'd reach that number. With my ability to track threats and targets via Rian or gulls, then I should in theory have enough men to target Aeron. However, if as I expected the Blood Serpent chose to attack while I was busy with Aeron, I'd be caught between two forces and at serious risk of being overwhelmed and killed.
"Who the fuck are you?"
The question came from the front man in the group that had come from the port. He was fractionally taller than me and considerably broader. The axes at his hips and the way his hands rested close to their handles without being close enough that they posed an immediate threat spoke both of how comfortable he was in battle, and how he expected the situation to turn hostile at the drop of a penny.
"Depends on who you ask," I responded with a smirk with a smirk. "The Rogue Viper or the Bloody Wolf are what my men call me," I explained as my hands rested on my belt, not far from the sheathed Red Rain on one hip and an axe on the other. Neither of my hands were as close to my weapons as this man's were, though they were close enough that I'd be able to draw them before he or anyone with him could reach me. "As for the next question you're going to have," I gestured to Ser Maxir.
The knight stepped forward and lifted a sack he was carrying towards me. The bottom of the sack was soaked a dark, murky red though as I reached inside I did note that at least now there wasn't any blood dripping from the bottom. I observed, considering my next move, the faces of the six men as I pulled the severed head of Lucian Koros from the bag, his expression permanently locked on one of pain which given how he died was hardly a surprise. "Your former lord is dead," I said, stating the obvious.
After Koros' comments about my mother, I had been content to allow men in my employ to interrogate him rather painfully for knowledge of the hidden caches. Once he gave up everything I felt he would, I had taken him to the centre of his fort, and in front of his former men, had him tied to the ground with his limbs spread out. There Ymir and Rian scratched and pecked at him, causing him to grunt, grumble, and eventually roar in pain. At that point, Kaa slithered out and wrapped his body around the pirate's chest. While not a constrictor, at his current length he was more than capable of crushing a target or weak prey. As his ribs were slowly shattered by the viper, I had salt water poured over the wounds created by Rian and Ymir. From that point on, he had become a mumbling, broken mess but his punishment was far from over.
After recalling Kaa to my shoulders – an act that put the fear of the gods into many of the men in the fort – I'd allowed the former slaves a chance at retribution. With a blunt club, each had been allowed to approach his body and strike him with the club. Some had been reluctant, including Cercilia, but others had helped them extract some justice for the one most responsible for their enslavement. Indeed, in a rather fitting sight even if I feared it might further exacerbate her mental state, I felt it had been the young girl's blow to Koros' chest that had been the killing blow as after that strike he had gone limp.
The following morning, after leaving the body there as a warning of what happened to those who challenged and angered me, I'd walked out and hacked off the head. The body had been tossed on the funeral pyres burning outside the walls, and while I would have the skull cleansed and burnt free of flesh so I could add it to my collection, for now, it was with me to help drive home the situation to the pirates before me.
Of the six, two seemed unsettled while three more tensed, however, my focus remained on the one who had spoken, suspecting he was the ports' commander. "You the one who Lucian lost to before the storm season?" the man asked calmly enough that he seemed unconcerned with the death of his lord.
"No, that was the man commanding the fleet to your east," I responded with a smirk with a chuckle even as I dropped the head back into the sack. "Though he did so on my order. Your former lord has joined the ranks of The Grim Prince of Dustspear, and Allerion Redbear and Vaegon the Firetouched on Redwater in falling to my forces."
The other men in the group looked at each other, the names of the other pirate lords resonating with them to varying degrees. "What of the Gilded Hand?" The gruff leader of the group asked, catching the missing name in the list.
"What about me?" Rakakz responded with a smirk, pulling the covering that I'd asked him to wear over his arms back and exposing the gauntlet that he wore that earned him his title. Now, it was unlikely these pirates knew Rakakz personally, but the armour he wore matched what the stories said about the former pirate lord so they might be inclined to believe that the man moving to my side was Rakakz.
"You surrendered?" the gruff man asked.
Rakakz grunted. Then glanced at me. "I would not call it that." I raised an eyebrow, amused by his need to save his honour over the matter and curious how he was going to spin things to make himself look better. "This bastard, before I even knew he was on the island, had killed Vaegon, captured half my fleet and men and two of my ports. To save my skin, and that of my remaining men, I negotiated a merger of our forces, under his command."
"Sounds like a surrender to me," the gruff man shot back with a small smile.
Rakakz grunted. "Call it what you want, but you have a choice now. Join his ranks or join your former lord."
"Will you punish us for anything we did in Koros' name?"
The question came from another of the pirates; the man who stood out the most. At a good head taller than me and with skin as dark as a moonless sky, it was clear he was a Summer Islander. How he had ended up in Koros' ranks would have to wait as, almost as soon as he spoke, two of the other men grasped the hilts of their blades. While Rakakz and the knights with me did likewise, I stayed still. Both were curious how this was going to play out and to make clear I wasn't concerned about any of the men before me.
Before the two pirates could draw their blades, the one closest to the gruff leader was slapped hard across the face, causing the pirate to stumble back. "Stay your blades you fucking fools!" He snapped at the pair. "I'm not dying today because of your idiocy!"
"Zathras moves to betray us!" The one who'd not been slapped shot back.
"No, he's just listening to the words of these fucks and getting more information!" The gruff man snapped back. "As any man with a full head would do."
The man who'd challenged the group's leader growled, but as I stared at him along with his leader, a grin of amusement on my face, he took a step back and removed his hand from the hilt of his weapon.
"Good choice," I commented, drawing the focus of all the pirates back to me. "If you had not done so, I suspect you would have been Ymir's meal for today."
The group all looked at me in confusion, though after I whistled and the large black form of my direwolf slipped from the forest, that confusion turned to fear. All six watched me with wide eyes as the massive beast moved between my men and approached my side, leaning into my hand when I lifted it from my belt. As I scratched Ymir behind his ear, he growled at the pirates, exposing teeth as long as my forearm to the group.
"By Pantera, what is that?"
"Ymir here is a direwolf," I explained with a smile as my companion leaned more into my touch. "I found him several years ago beyond The Wall at the far north of Westeros. While not a man, he is one of my most trusted companions, and perhaps the deadliest killer in my ranks." Ymir snorted as if insulted that I wasn't outright giving him the title of deadliest.
"What are your demands?" The gruff man asked after about half a minute of silence.
"Simple really. You could return to your port and prepare to meet whatever gods you worship when my men and fleet attack." My smile widened. "Or you could surrender, and after reading the charter my men follow, and marking your acceptance of it, bend the knee and swear yourselves to my service." Now, if there was a battle, I would accept surrender during it, but I wasn't stating that, so the choice felt like a live-or-die one. Such stark choices often brought the best outcomes.
"How long do we have to consider your terms?"
Before I could reply, the Summer Islander stepped forward and once he was closer, dropped to a knee and lowered his head. "Zathras pledges his blade to your service, my Lord Wolf."
The man who'd been struck earlier moved forward, his hand once more on the hilt of his blade. "Why you…" before he could draw the weapon, the gruff man slammed a fist into his side, driving him to the ground. The man's head snapped up at his leader in anger, though that turned to fear as he saw the leader had pulled his cutlass and was now holding it against the man's throat.
The move had been fast, impressively so, and I knew that I wanted this man in my ranks as he not only had the fear and respect of his men but knew how to fight. "Zathras has made his choice," The man snarled at the fool in his ranks. "Unless you wish for me to make yours for you, I suggest you let the matter lie," he added as I saw a faint trickle of blood slide down the other man's neck.
A nod came from the downed man, and he lifted his hands from his body, signalling his submission. At that, the gruff leader turned back to me, though his blade remained out and ready to strike the man who'd challenged his authority. "How long do we have to consider the offer?"
"Until high noon," I responded with a smirk with a smirk. "At that point, one of my men will blow his horn three times. Any who wish to surrender and hear the rules of service under me should exit the port unarmed. After that, at a time of my choosing, the horn will sound again. At that, my men will enter the port and any there will be considered a threat to be exterminated."
Daemon was already aware of the rules of engagement, so knew when to attack. Still, I would have Rian land on his command ship to confirm the battle, if there was to be one, would take place today.
The port commander held my gaze for a few moments, and I wondered if he might make a choice here and now, trying to alter the situation to his advantage. Given I had a hundred men with weapons drawn not far back, and others with bows in hand with arrows nocked – though not drawn – there was little he could do to alter terms to his advantage. I hoped he would choose the wise path as in the short interaction we'd had, he had impressed me. However, if he chose death then I would work to ensure he died a good death.
… …
… …
(Daemon's POV)
As he stepped onto the dock of the port, Daemon allowed a smile to form under his helm. It had been less than half a moon since Lucian Koros had been defeated and executed, and already they were back moving at speed, this time targeting The Bloodhawk's forces. Specifically, the port the pirate controlled that was closest to those had belonged to Koros and held the pirate's largest warship.
Now, Daemon was under orders to not remain in this port, instead to simply raid it for the ships, supplies and anything else of value and fallback to the closest port under Cregan's control. This port was where The Bloodhawk kept his largest ships, the two war galleys that were the prize of the pirate's fleet and placed her to counter the three that had formerly belonged to Lucian Koros in his port on this section of coast.
That port had, only a few days prior, surrendered almost to a man to Cregan when given an ultimatum after learning of Koros' death. While that did swell their ranks and more vessels, including three war galleys that Daemon had used to strike The Bloodhawk's port, it was but another sign to Daemon that a pirate was little use beyond a body to throw into a fight, and only then a fight that one expected to win.
Those captured ships increased the size of the fleet under Daemon's command. A fleet that dwarfed that commanded by Cregan. Six war galleys and three times that number of regular galleys, along with around fifteen hundred men were at Daemon's command, though only half that fleet was used to strike this port.
While Daemon was taking the ships here, Cregan was moving to the west, heading to his fleet before sailing around the northern side of The Shrouded Isle. Extra ships would sail from where Jaeronos was controlling a port in Cregan's name, with those vessels replaced by others that had been captured recently. Daemon felt he could hold this port, particularly if he brought most of his men and ships here, however, Cregan was cautious about doing so.
There was little currently stopping The Bloodhawk from striking back with men from his other ports, and while Daemon would hold the advantage in men, everyone claimed The Bloodhawk's men were better fighters than most of those who had once served Lucian Koros. Thus instead, he was taking the ships here, along with anything else of value they could find, and fallback to the nearest controlled port. That would weaken The Bloodhawk's ability to strike out against Daemon's fleet while forcing him to divert men to hold a port that had no value save for its location and connection to the track network the Bloodhawk had built between his various ports.
As he reached the end of the dock and set foot on solid ground, Daemon looked around, cautious that men might be hiding elsewhere in an attempt to ambush them. While the men in the crow's nests of the ships of his fleet had assured him that the inhabitants of the port had abandoned the place, until the port was searched and secured, he would remain alert. Which was why he was, as with any port attack, in full plate.
Based on the numbers Cregan had provided – supplied via Rian – five hundred men should see this port as home. When faced with an approaching armada that outnumbered them seemingly more than three-to-one, it was only expected that the port's commander would seek to fall back, or at least move to hidden locations from which to launch a counterattack. The former was more likely as while there was another of The Bloodhawk's ports no more than half a day's march away it had half the men as this port was meant to have. Even with every man from the two ports, Daemon's force was more than enough to outnumber The Bloodhawk's.
From the other docks in the port, Daemon saw armoured figures lead men ashore. Those were the other knights under his command, acting as Daemon was an armoured figurehead for assault forces. Those same knights had, along with Cayde, been placed aboard a war galley each though they were expected to defer to the vessel's captain at sea and in combat. It was only for land assaults such as this that the knights had the authority to override the captains, though as such assaults would generally be led by Daemon they would be acting under his orders anyway.
As men from the Howl surged out around him, forming into ranks at his sides, Daemon considered what would come after they departed this port.
Cregan would need time to move along the northern coast of the island and deal with first Crann Snow and then Garvy Pyke. Ports were controlled by the two bastards – one and three respectively – that would likely need to be taken care of before Cregan was in a position to move against The Bloodhawk from the north, however, Daemon would not be idle in the time until then.
Cregan had instructed him to send a large force, up to half his men, to The Whores. Cregan had not forgotten about either the defeat he had suffered earlier this year or that Bronn was there with three hundred men with orders to at least hold one of the small islands, if not strike at the pirate-controlled islands if an opportunity arose. There were, from what Cregan and seen as they'd sailed towards The Shrouded Isle, fewer pirates in The Whores than when the group of seven islands had been raided earlier in the year, so Daemon expected that Bronn would have found some success in targeting the pirates.
However, regardless of how well Bronn had or had not done in dealing with the pirates in The Whores, Cregan wanted the islands cleansed properly. There was, as far as Daemon knew, little intent by Cregan to hold the islands currently, but clearing them of pirates removed a weakness in the supply lines between Northpoint and The Shrouded Isle that made sense to remove.
There was also the consideration that the eight longboats left with Bronn would be ideal for use around the Bone Breaker islands, and the channel they rested in between The Shrouded Isle and Bloodstone. However, for all that Daemon's thoughts lingered on Bronn. He had sparred with each of the new knights and sellswords in the moons while they were forced by the weather to siege Koros' fort and Daemon had defeated each of them at least once. That meant that Bronn, the lowborn, foul-mouthed prick that he was, was the only man in their forces that Daemon could not defeat.
Now, in full combat, with his armour and chosen weapons, Daemon felt he could take the sellsword, but in spars where they were equally armed and armoured, Bronn remained undefeated. An issue Daemon was intent on correcting before they returned to Sunspear. Whenever that might be.
As Daemon moved forward with his men, he had one last thought centred around the sellsword, and that was how he would react to the presence of so many knights in Cregan's ranks. Being forced to endure so many men used to moving and interacting with the trueborn sons and daughters of Lords and Ladies of Dorne was something Daemon knew Bronn would dislike, and he wondered how long it would take the devotedly brash sellsword to anger one of the knights into a spar or worse.
That thought slipped from his mind as he reached the first line of buildings in the port, the large building that was situated centrally his first target. The odds were good that this was either the port commander's residence or a storehouse. Still, even if the port was abandoned as it should be, and the building was not anything important, he would approach it with caution, fearful of any trap that might lay within.
To do otherwise was how one ended up dead in some nameless location, mourned by few and remembered by less.
… …
… …
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.