10 Steel in War
77 Ac
Galladon Pov:
Today it appears that your court is held with the sole purpose of performing the most tedious tasks one could consider to be the affairs of nobility. You spend your entire day inspecting and signing documents with no immediate repercussions or evident consequences. debating with a group of merchants from the guilds, who seem to have nothing better to do than try to convince you to lower your tax rates. While they are by no means making demands, they try to soothe you into accepting the idea with persistent talking and elaborate speech.
In the end, you are able to persuade them that the current tax rate is quite fair indeed. Some goblets of sappfire later, they seem quite satisfied with the attention you gave them.
You consider calling it a day but you have one more matter to deal with before you can be done.
An envoy from the city of Myr comes seeking an audience today, dressed in strange clothes with colored layers of sea silk. He claims to speak on behalf of the conclave of Myr, who are the current leaders of the city.
"My fellow magisters wish to offer you a deal, oh honorable lord Galladon of House Tarth. In order for us to avoid any unnecessary trouble, they want you to provide them with the secret of how you make clear glass, and for you to stop all production of glass making, and in return are great city will provide you with 5 percent of the sales made from the of selling glass in Westeros.
The room was silent for a while with everyone being stunned at the audacity of these slavering scums, who came into my castle with such a deal. I saw Garth and the guards stationed around the room about to unsheathe their blade but I waved them off with my hands making them stand down. I thought about giving him a 'this is Sparta kick' but he already got bread and salt so I can't harm the cunt. I stood up about to put an end to this farce and say
"I'm sorry you came all this way just to be disappointed with the response you will receive."
"And what is your response lord Galladon and before you answer, I must remind you that Myr owns more than one thousand warships and thousands more trading ships which can be used to flatten your beautiful city so choose your next words wisely."
My left eye twitched at the words of this self-important envoy.
I scoffed at the blatant lying and responded
"Do what you must but my answer is still no. Now get off of my sight before I have you thrown out." After snarling he left in a huff almost tripping on his clothes on his way out. I leaned back on my throne and released a breath I didn't know I was holding.
I motioned Garth over and told him to gather the rest of the council so we could discuss our next move.
77 Ac a few months later
There are disturbing reports coming from the northern region of Morne, near the town of Howick, about what appears to have been an attack by raiders from the sea on a village.
While there is not much information about the event yet, you are aware that there has not been a pirate attack on the region ever since you started ruling.
Few hours later in a meeting room in the castle
"I've called this meeting of the council of Tarth to discuss about the attack on my land and what should be done about it." I said before sitting down and motioning the rest to do the same.
"What do we know about what happened?" I asked
Garth promptly answers.
"A group of smallfolk arrived recently with dire news. According to them, the village of Elyria was attacked by what they described as pirates. The raiders arrived during the night and started killing the townsfolk and the few people they had on guard duty. That was all the peasants saw before fleeing, I'm afraid."
"How reliable is this information?"
"Lord Galladon, I don't believe that there is any reason for them to lie. When I questioned some merchants that came from those parts, they mentioned that they could see fire and smoke on the coast near the highlands, but they did not approach because they were carrying many valuables and were in fear of bandits." Replied jenneth
"How important is Elyria to us?" I asked
"There were fifty or one hundred people living there, and they were mainly fishers and traders. The impact of Elyria on our economy is not fundamental, Lord Galladon, but one could argue that it has some strategic value due to its coastal position near howick. If you ask me, I would advise at least sending some men to investigate the area. Replied Gerald
The spymaster reported that the pirates are based on one of the small unnamed island in the Steptones and are funded by Myr.
The myrish are becoming a headache. At first they just sent me threatening messages but I expected that, I also expected them to try to attack my ships but with the fire drakes on the ships that was not so easily done, so I guess they got frustrated and decided to attack my lands directly, they don't have banners on their ships when they attacked, but we know it's them after capturing one of the man who raided the small village of Elyria.
Jenneth questioned him thoroughly well more like torture but these scum deserve nothing less.
I nodded and tell my admiral to get one of the fleets ready we're going to attack and make an example out of them. Garth you will be the leader of this expedition, take as many man as you need.
Garth seems pleased with your decision. And responded with "the soldier has not seen proper action for a while now it would be great for them to bloody themselves in slavers blood".
"They have grown exceedingly bold since most of our fleet is away on trade in the Far East. I would recommend we make a fleet for the sole purpose of defending the home island so something like this never happens again". Said my admiral
"The cost for that endeavor would be great and because they are not engaging in any trade it will be a net loss every year". Responded Gearld
"Get it done admiral I rather have a loss in gold than have people who depend on me for their safety get massacred and carried away to be slaves".
With your ruling concerning the issue of Elyria done with, the members of my council respectfully bows and takes their leave to carry out my orders.
Pirate hideout on a small island near Bloodstone:
Random pirate pov
Yeah hahaha, so we finally got something from our raids on Tarth.
It wasn't much it was just a small village of fifty to hundreds smallfolks.
"Why don't we go for a larger town this time like Sapphire Port, I mean that's what Myr is paying us for".
"Are you suicidal idiot the only reason we could attack that village was because their fleet was away and so they had fewer patrols.
have you ever even been to Sapphire port that city is more locked down than a septa cunt."
"Dong-dong-dong-dong"
All the pirate in the room stood up startled, and started to gather their weapons since that was the warning letting them know they were under attack.
I gathered my short sword and buckler shield and ran outside to join the rest when we were running to go to the port we saw 10 massive ships turned Starboard (right side of ship) burning are ships and port with their mysterious weapons. Then some smaller boats are dropped into the water full of soldiers armed to the teeth making their way to us.
"Form up form up archers at the ready infantry behind." I hear our captain yelling trying to get us ready for battle.
I join the the infantry behind the archer waiting for them to whittle the enemy down before we charge them.
The enemy made a small semicircle near where they landed waiting for more of their troops to land.
"Knock, draw, loose
The arrows rain down on the enemy soldiers but they were not dropping. its either the arrows bounced off their halberds which they have high in the air or bounced off their steel armor, only when it hit a weak spot do they fall down, and when they do their comrades dragged them back into the small boat and someone replaces them on the front.
The enemy then started to return fire at are archers with crossbow bolts. Our archers took a beating and our captain had to have them fallback.
"I could see the men stiffen as the brassy note of a war horn sounded out on the enemy's side then their archers moved back and infantry started to move to us in formation, another one ringed out and they started to jog to us.... on the next call we know they would charge so we prepared our selves to receive them.
As they got closer to us, I heard the enemy captain yell "Grenadiers throw". Then hundreds of small brown ball-like objects are thrown at us and as they hit the ground they explode causing mayhem in our ranks
"Throw"
Another volley was thrown in our lines and I was thrown away by the force of the explosion with small metal pieces hitting my hands.
I screamed and groaned on the floor until I was able to get up on my feet
Sweat stung my eyes like tiny vipers, dripping down from my gore sprayed face. All around was nothing but a whirlwind of disorder and violence, a blur of color and vicious motion. My parched, panting tongue collected the dust choked air which intermixed with the bitterness of blood in my mouth.
A Deafening ring sounded in my ears, drumming to a ferocious beat inside my helmet. The sound was barely enough to obscure the cries of men, and the thunder of steel striking steel. Pain from a dozen wounds barely registered, being drowned out by my heightened, throbbing ache from the shattered hand which hung trembling on my right side.
I got up just in time to see the enemy crashing into our disorganized line with their halberds taking life with ease. My allies started to retreat and run, stepping over each other and trying to get away from the slaughter.
I tried to run as well but with my bad vision I slipped on someone's body and when I tried to get back up I kept getting stepped on by my retreating allies and as I turned around I see a haldbred being swing at head and I knew no more.
Garth Pov:
I walked around the battlefield with bodies and blood all over with the scarlet liquid being drained into the sand and running out to sea. The acidic scent of sweat and shit makes me want to vomit but I am the leader of this expedition I have to look strong in front of the solders.
"What is our losses"
I asked one of my senior sergeants.
"Out of 500 men we didn't suffer any losses but we do have 15 men seriously injured and 50 men lightly injured our medical teams was able to save the limps of many men.
The losses on our enemy side was great with over 1,300 men dead or dying out of 2,000 men.
I believe the reason we didn't receive to much losses was because they have never seen or heard anything like our grenades. so when we used it in battles the cowards were startled and started to run and we were able to cut them down."
I nodded in satisfaction knowing we won a great battle I ask the quartermaster if we got any valuables
He cleared his though before answering and said
"We did find many valuable in one of the caves nearby where they hid thier wealth it looks like most of coin they have are myrish we also found some people they enslaved most are women who were used as their playthings".
I frowned and made my way in front of the prisoners kneeling on the blood soaked sand and said "kill them all after they have been questioned by the Ravens." (Tarth spys and assassins)
I walked away while hearing the kneeling men wail and plead for thier lives.
A few weeks after getting news of victory in stepstones.
Tarth
Galladon Pov:
I was lounging in a sofa in my office, with a maid named Emma feeding me grapes while another gives me a massage. I was thinking how good it is to be a lord until my spymaster knock on the door and asks to have a word in private with me.
"Really, jennath right now can't you see the sign outside the door I'm busy"
"Yes my lord It says do not disturb but this is an important matter".
I groaned nodded for the maids to leave while I get dressed.
"Come in" I said
Jennath came inside and as soon as she feels confident that no one else is around to hear, she announces, "I will be direct with you, Lord Galladon there is a man claiming to be your bastard brother."
Then she pauses, waiting for your reaction.
"Is there any truth to this claim?" I asked
"It is hard to say."
The spymaster responds while she sips from a nearby goblet of wine before continuing.
"most of the lords who sire a bastard outside of marriage just try to sweep it under the rug. Some pay large sums for the mother of the offspring to keep quiet about it, others use more…violent methods.
"I do not think your father would have done either. He wasn't the kind of person who would easily let go of aurens, but he also would not use violence for such a thing. If this man really is your half brother, then Lord Bryndemere never knew about him or never cared to."
"I was tipped off by a tavern keeper I keep on my payroll. He said there was a man called bran, from the countryside, who arrived in town not so long ago and who starts speaking when he gets drunk. This bran boasts that he is a bastard brother of yours, but he does not give any details. It could be that he is only looking to impress the smallfolk with stories to get free pints, but it could be troublesome either way."
"Bring him to me. I want to see him for myself." I responded
Jenneth arranges for the young man to come in a covered carriage and enter through the back of the castle, and she ensures no one is around to see. You meet him in an isolated room and, indeed, one could say he does resemble you a bit, at least in the nose and the hair. He appears somewhat nervous and is dressed in the stained clothes of a smallfolk.
So you are the one claiming to be my half brother."
Yes. I am sorry if that has brought trouble to you, Lord Galladon. I meant no disrespect," he says in an amicable tone.
"Why do you believe you are my half brother?"
He looks around, perhaps afraid of eavesdroppers. Then he takes a step forward, apparently eager for the opportunity to tell his tale.
"Before my mother lived in the countryside, she was… She was very poor, Lord Galladon…."
He takes another step forward.
"But she was also very pretty. She told me, since I was a young boy, that there was one thing I should know…"
Then his entire demeanor changes as he says the following words—"I'm sorry." A blade appears in his hand. A blade that was not there before.
"Shit" I say dropping my goblet on the floor and move back.
My combat instincts kick in, and I immediately avoid his first strike. But before I can do anything else, something happens.
Jenneth appears out of nowhere, a dagger in her hand. She approaches your attacker from behind, about to stab him in the back.
I unsheathe your sword and swing it in a wide arc, forcing him to take a step back. That gets the assassin's attention for a moment. But it does not stop him from pressing his knife towards my chest. The last thing you see before passing out is Jenneth's blade moving toward the man's back.
