30 The cornered snake

I have decided to make two chapters on Saltcliffe to put some emphasis on it (and as to not have a way too long chapter according to my standards). Still not recommended to kids at all, btw.

-> Small vote at the end of the chapter (nothing important, it's a matter of choosing a name. I wasn't able to decide myself so I call for the readers squad. Will you heed my call ?).

Little is known about Saltcliffe, so I gave some freedom to my imagination. You will see…

I'm not sure if everything in this chapter makes sense. But yeah, I tried for it to not be total bullsh*t.

Have a nice reading :)

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As the sun slowly rises over the Sunset Sea, its rays bring out myriads of colors varying from pink to orange all over the sky of Lannisport and its surroundings. The blue coloring of the sky is gradually getting lighter as the sun illuminates it. At the same time, a weak sea wind blows toward us and brings its salty scents to our nostrils.

The entire fleet is at the docks, with most soldiers aboard and ready for the few hours of travel ahead of us. All preparations and equipment are prepared. Once my father and I are ready to go, our fleet will then leave for the Iron Islands.

I'm currently wearing the distinctive armor of house Lannister, and so does Tywin. The weight of its leather and metal is barely noticeable to me, being used to it now. As we are both watching the ships, he breaks the silence by turning himself in my direction. It looks like he still wants to talk to me before our departure.

''Tell me what we know about Saltcliffe. Do it down to the smallest detail.''

I let out a little sigh, annoyed to have to go through this again.

''We have already been over this, father. I have a pretty good idea of what we are facing today. And it's nothing much.''

Repeating myself so many times makes me feel like he doubts my skills, or my ability to memorize. But I understand the basic principle behind it, I guess. He wants me to be ready at all costs.

Tywin's eyes return calmly to the ships before he answers what I just said.

''Nothing much is an understatement, yes. Despite this, I want every piece of information to be engraved in your head, Leonard. I don't want you to leave any place to surprises, so do as I say. You can start with the basics.''

He is right, rigor is paramount when it comes to war and sensitive data. It's just that I know it all so much by heart that it's beginning to give me a small headache.

''As you wish, then. The archipelago of Saltcliffe, our target, is located south of Great Wyk and west of Pyke. In every aspect, it is undeniably the least noteworthy of the seven Iron Islands. They haven't much remarkable economy, culture, or even history. There are two houses on this island, which are house Saltcliffe and house Sunderly.''

A small sneer of contentment graces my father's face, adding a bit of mischief to his piercing gaze that grimaces at the notion of the island we're about to face.

''Exactly, a useless piece of rock through and through. Now, be complete.''

A little over a second passes before the rest of the information comes to my mind.

''Lord Donnor Saltcliffe is the head of his house, while also being the ruler of a town and the island in itself. His castle stands on the edge of a cliff, with the town being on the shores of a small bay situated below. The coat of his house is a nine-headed black snake on a silver background. While he is directly ruling half of the island, the other part represents the lands of house Sunderly. They only have a keep with, apparently, a few houses around, but nothing to call it a town. Lord Theron Sunderly would be lord Balon Greyjoy's uncle, the old lady Greyjoy being a Sunderly. Their sigil is… annoyingly complicated. Hum, if I get that right, then it should be a drowned man, pink and pale, floating upright in a blue-green sea, his hair streaming upwards, as fish nibble at his limbs.''

My description elicits a simple nod of approval from my father before he continues.

''A good description of both houses and their holdings, yes. But you could go deeper than that. Thanks to what little your deceased killer could gather and our own pieces of information, we know a bit more than this.''

Of course, I was getting to it. There's a little more to know about them, but not that much.

''Alright. In terms of inhabitants, there would be between thirty-five thousand and fifty thousand of them on the entire island. With the recent Ironborn defeats, far less than a tenth of it should be men in condition to fight. To dock our ships, there would be small anchorages near both the town and the keep, but I doubt that much of our fleet could anchor itself there. While our newly acquired longships could easily land on the shores, some of the galleys might have to stay further away from the coast and our men would then use small boats to row towards it. That's the annoying aspect, I must say. Small island and town mean reduced place for everything.''

After hearing the rest of my general summary, Tywin turns to me again to answer me.

''A satisfactory abstract… Leonard, I have decided to test you on Saltcliffe.''

This makes me look at him with an inquisitive look.

''A test, father ?''

''You heard me right. You are still young and bound to be part of far greater battles. And you MUST be ready for those days to come. Because one day, you will be alone to decide on what course of action to take. It would be quite the disaster to not be prepared, don't you think so ?''

Oh but I know that too well. When my father and my uncles die, it will only be me and my advisers left. Tywin wants me to already be a lord before those days come.

''I do… Today, we are facing the Iron Islands. But tomorrow, it could be any other kingdom or even an entire alliance of them.''

''Yes, and few are those able to win against all odds. But make no mistake, such persons exist. Who knows, one of these rare individuals could be a lord of this island. The only certainty is that being overconfident is going to play in favor of our foes.''

That's for sure, but it's not right to be devoid of confidence either. It's all about finding one's own balance, I guess.

''I understand. And to be frank, it was already how I saw it. But it's always good to have a reminder. What would be this test, then ?''

Tywin's gaze is calm, but he seems to be preparing to analyze my reaction to his next sentence.

''Simple, I take care of house Sunderly and you of house Saltcliffe.''

It surprises me a bit, I must admit.

''You want to give the responsibility of an entire offensive to me ? And against the ruling house of the island, at that…''

''That's exactly what I want you to do. You have the needed numbers to easily achieve it yourself. Why ? Do you fear it ?''

''No, I don't. I am just surprised, that's all.''

My father's gaze intensifies as he rests his left hand on my shoulder.

''I trust you enough for this, son. That's why. So take your test seriously. While Kevan will oversee your actions, I give you the right to take care of it all however you see fit.''

So a test from the beginning to the end, with no order but to succeed. Now, that's quite the responsibility.

''No problem. I will do as you command, father. I shall have lord Saltcliffe swear his fielty to king Robert Baratheon.''

''That's what I wanted to hear. Now, go to your galley with your men. Kevan is accompanying you, but Gerion comes with me. Some houses have asked to fight by your side, and they will do so.''

''Alright, then. How do we join each other, before going to Pyke ?''

''My siege should be shorter than yours. You will face a castle and possible defensive measures in the town, while I only have a keep and a few streets to subdue. Joining you by the sea will be shorter, considering that we don't have our horses. My fleet will thus arrive at the harbor of the town to regroup our forces for what follows.''

I slightly nod my head in approval, it also seems like the easiest way to me.

''Very well, we shall proceed as such. See you later, father.''

But before saying goodbye, my father earns a serious look again.

''A last word, son. They, a bunch of backward people from a tiny island, raided Wyndhall and harassed our lands. They thought themselves to be better than the lions. Such a ridiculous notion ought to be chastised… SO SHOW THEM THEIR PLACE.''

After saying his last words, Tywin heads straight for his ship without looking back. Before arriving at his ship, ser Cregor Clegane comes standing beside my father.

Watching him again, it's still impressive to see a man 2,4 meters tall. His height has well earned the nickname of 'The Mountain' but some go so far as to name him 'The Mountain That Rides'. And that piggy face of ser Amory Lorch, said The manticore, is also by their side. With such company, it seems that my father isn't planning to go easy on the Sunderlys. They better do as he says…

Shortly after seeing my father departing, I move towards my ship to do the same. While walking on the docks, I watch each ship that is to be part of my fleet. As I'm passing by various lords and friends, I silently greet them while continuing on my path.

I see lord Kenning on a galley, along with his men and three sons. On the other side, lord Lydden is speaking seriously to James on a galley that is borrowed to them for the war. Lord Estren of Wyndhall is already focusing his gaze on the waves, ready the shred the Ironborns who raided his lands.

Further on the docks, I see many more familiar faces like lord Andrew Windhill, ser Damon Lannister and his son Damion, ser Emmon Frey, lord Prester, but also lord Swyft and lord Payne.

Once I finally step aboard my galley, I'm met with uncle Kevan as well as my men with whom I trained for so many days. I personally saw them for their recruitment, I trained with them, I fought in Lannisport to defend it with them, and now I'm going to war with them.

Once arrived at the front of the galley, I signal the men to leave the harbor. After that, a few soldiers join forces to bring up the anchor and let the ship move again. When the wind begins to push us out to sea, the rest of the fleet does the same as we did before positioning themselves behind us.

Only a few moments later, we pass the enclosures of the port and see it getting smaller and smaller as we distance ourselves from it. While the city is almost no longer visible, Casterly Rock still seems as big and majestic.

For me, it is more than a castle or a house. It is a true gift of nature and the gods, a structure whose incredible size makes the Wall and the Hightower seem small in comparison.

Even Bran the Builder never knew how to build anything as big as Casterly Rock. It is our pride, our emblem of grandeur, and our impregnable fortress. The Rock is all that at the same time… Truly marvelous.

But even such a castle ends up no longer visible because the sea is bigger and wider than anything else. So eventually, I'm no longer able to see Casterly Rock and its undying beauty.

I then turn to focus on our destination and begin to think of the trials that await me at Saltcliffe. I must take the town and the castle without my father's help, but I'm not alone. I have my uncle and trusted men ready to fight and die for the Westerlands and house Lannister.

As the hours passed, our fleet bordered Kayce, Fair Isle, and Banefort, before finally arriving at our destination of the day. It is mid-morning and we are entering the territory of the Iron Islands. This is the first time for many of us that we find ourselves here.

In the distance, I end up seeing a small castle overlooking a town from the edge of a cliff. The waves come crashing against the very high rock face of the cliff, whose colors vary from dark gray to mottled white.

The whitish areas of this wall of rock are somewhat reminiscent of salt, in a sense. The air itself is cold and damp while carrying a heavy smell of sea salt. It would seem that the first lord Saltcliffe wanted to bring some symbolism to the name of the island and his house.

Farther from the town, on the shores, I see five longships landed right next to a ridiculously small anchorage. They seem empty and unguarded, left alone by the Ironborns. Kevan comes next to me and notices the same thing, then comments on it.

''Only five longships on their shore… From the reports, they used to have at least twenty to twenty-five of those. It seems that their losses during the last month have been substantial.''

Without taking my eyes off Saltcliffe, I respond to my uncle's words.

''Yes, they are heavily weakened by that rebellion. Using their last longships against us would destroy their means of transportation and maybe even of fishing. So I can understand why they decided to abandon any kind of maritime defense.''

Turning to Kevan, I see him frown as he stares at the castle for a long moment.

''They are weakened, that's certain. But a cornered beast tends to get more vicious and ferocious. I prefer to warn you, I don't see the Ironborns playing fair with us.''

Of course, they have nothing to do with the likes of the northerners. Far from it… They have some rules and traditions related to the drowned god, but I don't know if that will hold them back in any way.

No, if some houses possess fake thralls, I don't think that their belief can work in our favor in the slightest. They don't necessarily follow the Old Way to the letter.

''True. They will most likely take advantage of their lands, considering how little we know about it. If they have a minimum of wits, at least.''

The notion of the Ironborn's innate stupidity makes Kevan smile briefly before he goes back to being serious.

''Yes. That's what I think too, Leo. No matter how favorable our odds are, we still ought to be careful while being on their lands. It's their playground, after all. Not ours.''

After a few tens of minutes to get closer to the banks of Saltcliffe, we do not spot any soldiers posted around. This gives us free rein to occupy the anchorage and bring the rest of the troops to the island.

It takes a bit of time, considering that some of the ships have to stay away. But eventually, we find ourselves on land and ready to head straight to the town. Before marching in this direction, however, we take our combat formations to be ready.

In the beginning, the ground is made of brownish and wet mud and filled with many pebbles with holes. A few small crabs move between the rocks, while seagulls fly through the skies and occasionally descend to choose a crab as their meal. At first, it's therefore a bit complicated for our men to walk properly on the beach.

The rest of the path is full of dirt and mud, surrounded by a variety of rocks between which some yellowish ferns and scattered wild grasses are found.

Between the grass, I believe to have seen a small black snake quickly moving away from us to hide under rocks and stones on the side. This little appearance reminds me of the coat of house Saltcliffe, surely inspired by this little snake that might be endemic to this island.

As we approach the town, I notice that a gathering of enemy troops is waiting for us just in front of its main alley. Seeing them, I wave to my men to stop immediately to have time to properly analyze the situation.

After doing a quick estimate of their numbers and analyzing the overall situation, my eyes turn to Roland to ask for his overview of it. It serves as a good confirmation, considering that he also tends to analyze this type of thing correctly. As if sensing my gaze, Roland answers me before I even have time to ask him the question.

''There seems to be more than nine hundred of them, while we are nearly ten thousand. They positioned themselves in a compact triangle formation, with a wall of round shields between which they are brandishing their swords and axes to attack us as we arrive. Having pressed their flanks against the walls of the alley, the only way to attack them is in a frontal assault. Faced with this formation, our few dozen of archers are useless. This is what I think, my lord.''

That's a great summary of what's in front of us, yes. I nod my head in his direction before focusing on our foes again. After this, I focus my gaze on the town itself to not miss any detail.

From afar, it already smells of the sea, old decaying wood, sh*t, and mold. This might be one of the most backward places on these backward islands.

I'm not able to see the entire town from here, but I can still get a general idea of its whereabouts. The various houses of the town seem old and some are in a pitiful state. They are made of crudely polished wood and thin grey stones from the beach.

Their roofs are either made of these same stones or thickly compacted piles of old fern and moss. These roofs are leaning steeply and impracticable for the positioning of potential archers, so nothing to worry on that part.

The main alley looks like the only proper passage for large troops in the town. The smaller ones seem to be too narrow and partially clogged with mud and sh*t. There's no use to try to circle our foes by these tiny alleys. We would only get ourselves stuck and trapped like rats. In that state, we would be heavily disadvantaged.

Looks like the forces of the town chose their location well. Due to their preparations, we have to face them head-on. Even still, their numbers are just too ridiculous for them to have any hope of victory. They are most likely trying to reduce our ranks before we lay siege on their castle.

Lord Saltcliffe isn't just one more dumb Ironborn, it seems. And I would even say that he is quite bold. He could have chosen to gather all of his troops within the walls of his castle to have a better chance of holding it against us. But no, he wants to try his luck and somehow weaken us here.

After taking another minute to look everywhere, I'm not able to find any sign of a trap or ambush. After making certain that I didn't miss anything around, I turn to my troops and give them my instructions.

First, I signal to the archers on the flanks to reposition themselves behind our formation. I then divide the body of our small army into a compact front line and a central formation following it closely. The central formation is where I will remain for the duration of this attack.

Considering the seemingly deathly defensive front of the opposing side, no need to put myself at risk on the front line. However, I still need to lead my men from within in case of an urgent change of plan. That's why I chose to be part of the central part of my troops.

Since the conflict is sure to move into the interior of the town, I order everyone to keep a strict and tight formation to be ready for any eventuality there. I also tell them that once there, they must focus only on our enemies to finish them off as quickly as possible. I don't want them to disperse in the town. On my side, I'll be the one to keep an eye out for any hidden dangers.

Once everything is ready for the attack, I raise my voice to audibly address myself to the many men of the Westerlands who have come here to fight alongside me. Some of them even asked my father to follow me specifically. For this reason, they deserve a few words.

''The winds have turned for the Ironborns ! They began their rebellion with two defeats which were followed closely by a deadly trap near Fair Isle. There, their ships sank and joined their beloved drowned god. AND NOW, WE SHALL PUT AN END TO THEIR MADNESS ! The time has come for us to seek justice ! They thought us easily slew, our armies easily bent, our towns easily pillaged, and our homes easily burned down ! BUT WE ALL KNOW THAT THEY WERE WRONG ! NOTHING SHALL GO UNPUNISHED ! SO COME WITH ME AND TAKE THIS TOWN !!!''

As I'm finishing my monologue, I empower my last words with everything I got, almost turning them into roars of anger. When I'm done, I raise my sword straight to the sky and scream alongside my men.

''HAAAAAAAAAAAA !!''

''FOR JUSTICE !''

''HEAR ME ROAR !''

''Death to the Ironborns !''

In the middle of our screams, I lower my sword in the direction of the town and we all march with heavy and rapid steps toward the enemy. We don't run per se, as we are keeping a compact formation.

Once we finally get there, our front line collides with the enemy shields and begins to fight as best as they could.

The enemy shields, emblazoned with the nine-headed black snake of House Saltcliffe, hold firm against our men. Without moving them, the Ironborns use their swords in between the shields to kill our soldiers one after the other.

Our front line is slowly but surely shrinking, its members gradually falling to the ground. But after some time, the first Ironborns die, and their shield formation quickly collapses after that.

Avoiding being too rapidly slaughtered, our foes then close their ranks and gradually retreat into the main alley. As we heavily pressure their formation, the Ironborns seemingly let themselves be pushed further and further in that alley.

After a while, our front line finally reaches the edge of the town square. But a little too quickly to my taste… Something ain't right. Listening to my instincts, I take an initiative for safety. Let's put some distance and see if my feeling was justified.

''CENTRAL FORMATION ! SLOW DOWN AND KEEP YOUR DISTANCE FROM THE TOWN SQUARE !''

My gaze then rests on the heights of the town and I see that the roofs are flattened at the level of the town square. Five archers then emerge from these and begin to target our men from different positions. I might have been stressed for nothing… They aren't many, but it would be better to take care of them swiftly.

''ARCHERS ! ON THE ROOFS ! SHOOT UNTIL NO ONE STANDS THERE !''

After giving orders at the back of the formation, I draw my longbow and aim at one of the five archers. I lose my arrow and it goes straight into one's throat, ending up stuck in the middle of it.

I then see him choking with his own blood, before falling and crashing into the enemy formation. Another couple of foes from the shield formation are killed on the spot or stuck under the corpse, while their formation itself is further destabilized. Shortly after, our archers finish off the other four. Now, there are no more enemies seeable on the roofs.

If It was part of a tactic of some sort, I must say that it was pretty useless. But hey, good for us.

''ALRIGHT, NOW EVERYBODY MOVE FORWARD ! WE'RE ENDING THIS !''

As I'm reaching the town square, I suddenly notice the silhouette of an armed individual in one of the houses. What, now…

''THE HOUS-''

But I am cut off from my words by the loud sound of a horn coming from the rooftops. New soldiers then arrive on these and launch a dozen small containers made of ferns in each corner of the town square.

As it falls a bit everywhere, what comes out are… Huh ? What the heck is it… Oh, sh*t ! They're throwing hundreds of tiny f*cking black snakes at us !

While I'm watching all these snakes falling everywhere, my danger sense activates and I manage to dodge some of them as they were about to fall on me. But eventually, four of them end up on my armor.

''SEVEN HELLS !''

The first two aren't able to stay on it and end up falling to the ground. Wanting to get rid of the remaining two, I try to grab one of them somehow. But the snake reacts violently and inserts its two long fangs into the flesh of my hand.

The following sensation is similar to the various poisons I trained with. Its venom is fastly beginning to flow through my veins and invade my entire system.

''ARGH ! F*CK !!!''

I barely have the time to scream when I feel a second painful bite along my other arm.

''HAAAAAA ! GODS DAMN IT !!!''

In a fury caused by all this pain, I then make a series of sudden movements and manage to get rid of the snakes after a third bite.

''By the seven… I HATE SNAAAAAKES !''

After only a few seconds, my senses are disoriented and my vision is becoming more and more blurred. I see the world with a slight tint of purple and some images are getting multiplied. The f*ck is this strong venom… I harshly trained myself for this type of sh*t !

With some effort, however, I manage to focus on my surroundings again and watch what is happening around me.

This rain of snakes frightened our men who broke their tight formation, making space between them to be able to get rid of these tiny demons.

A young man beside me, from house Prester, seems to have been bitten just before and begins to shake before falling to the ground. Then, his body spasms violently as his saliva keeps dripping out of his mouth. In the end, he stops moving and looks already dead.

I was barely able to see this as it unfolded, but I can clearly hear the following cry of lord Prester.

''NOOOOO ! MY NEPHEW !!''

Around us, other men are bitten and end up knowing the same fate. I understand better why I have so much trouble staying conscious, now. My training and my gift made me the only one able to stand after being bitten. And in my case, three times.

But it's not over, because a second blow is given in the enemy's horn and armed people begin to come out of every other house.

The noise and its echoes hurt my eardrums and I find myself even more disoriented than before. But despite my calamitous state, I force my eyes open and regain a proper posture again.

Some of the people emerging from the houses are soldiers in light armor with swords and axes, while others look like smallfolks and chained individuals wearing rags. Those are either wielding pitchforks, knives, or stones. The smallfolks look either old or sick, while the chained ones seem to be in complete despair.

Gods… If I'm not wrong, they're throwing the dying people and some of their thralls at us. Those may even be of our lands. I swear, their viciousness knows no damn bounds.

In a rush of anger and adrenaline, I brandish my sword and go to help my men defeat as many foes as possible right and left. They were supposed to be far less than us, but it's all gone to sh*t.

Blood is spilled left and right, with some of it ending up on my armor and my face. I'm showered with the blood of my enemies, friends, and soldiers. My limbs are aching and getting harder to move with each passing second. But I completely ignore this feeling, continuing to fight with all my strength no matter what.

My rage mixes with my overwhelmed senses and all my feelings to change my moves into a wild frenzy of furious blows that bring down every single enemy I fight one after another.

If anyone is watching me fight at this moment, they must have mistaken me for a wild beast with brutal and random gestures. At this point, everything is just a complete mess.

In the distance, I partially see Killian, one of Vincent's two older brothers, being caught by a soldier and having his throat slit. Before he collapses to the ground, his blood spurts out of his throat and sprays the alley and the people around him.

But no time to lament on anything happening here, because I see another good knight being surrounded by smallfolks. Ser Beric Hunrey is a man of honor, a knight fair in his choices and exemplary in battle. He has always dutifully served lord Lydden and I got to know him well while I squired at Deep Den. But faced with two old men, ser Beric begins to hesitate for long seconds to kill him. He is just too upright to finish an old man without any hesitation.

I start running towards him to help him, but his time of hesitation turns out to be crucial and costs him his life. A soldier approaches him and removes his helmet from behind.

Once the knight is at his mercy, the Ironborn stabs his axe in Beric's throat. Ser Beric thus meets the same fate as Killian and dies in the filthy main alley of that town. The corpses are beginning to form big and bloody piles, now.

After he falls, I rush towards his assailants and kill them one after the other. It is extremely difficult for me to do so, because of their number and my condition. But with my brutal state, I manage it all the same. At the end of our fight, they are all dead and I rush to other enemies to continue like this for more than an hour and a half of madness.

When our foes are beginning to be fewer and fewer, the last couple of dozens end up surrendering on their own.

It's… finally over.

All my fatigue, my pain, and the ignored effects of the venom come back to me and make me grit my teeth to keep me from screaming all out.

Very slowly, I plod along the alley to go outside of the town while almost tripping two or three times on the way. My knees are getting weaker and my breathing becomes more difficult. I almost feel like I'm choking, except that I manage to breathe just enough to not fall unconscious.

I pass next to James Lydden who looks injured and tries to talk to me, but I can only ignore him. Reaching for a rock to sit on is taking all my energy for now.

After a few endless moments of suffering, I finally manage to sit down properly. I can finally rest my body and mind.

''Argh. That's… better.''

Closing my eyes, I take advantage of this short moment to try to recover as best as I can. Some of the symptoms eventually slowly fade away, making it more bearable for me.

Moments later, I notice Roland approaching me. Using every bit of energy it takes to achieve this, I set out to look as healthy and fit as possible. I absolutely don't want to look weak or sick in front of any of them. They need their leader to be in a good shape.

''Are you alright, my lord ?''

My eyes meet his in all seriousness, while I'm still working on looking somewhat healthy.

''I'm fine. Just fine.''

In the end, I take additional seconds of silence to rest a little and recollect myself before talking again.

''So… an idea of our casualties, Roland ?''

The notion of our dead men makes Roland a little sullen, as he turns to look at the countless piles of corpses completely covering the alleys. It all stinks of blood, guts, and sh*t.

''Not really. We haven't finished counting, my lord. But without including the smallfolks, we should have lost a bit more soldiers than lord Saltcliffe has. Possibly even a thousand, I would say.''

Well, sh*t.

''Seven hells. They got us good, huh.''

They would have never won, but they had enough apparent despair and will to make a heavy blow on our troops.

That's a bit pathetic on our side, but we are playing on their chessboard and did as well as possible with the cards that we had in our hands. It's a bitter victory that left more than one saddened and angered, though…

The cornered snake turned out to be a dangerous and vicious foe.

They knew what they were doing. And their plans even involved beasts, smallfolks, and thralls. There was just no limit set on their strategy. They were aiming to kill our men after spreading chaos among our ranks. And unfortunately, the f*ckers succeeded to do so.

Roland takes me out of my thoughts by speaking again.

''My lord… The men want blood. I saw it in their eyes, I saw how intense their anger is. Notable knights and nobles died in this battle. And they haven't only suffered here. The raids have been merciless, just like for house Estren and his lands.''

Yeah… I just saw several casualties amongst the nobles and their relatives or trusted men. In addition to those who died next to me, the man who used to be lord Tytos Brax's regent is now dead, I believe. And a couple of others are too…

But there are plans to respect. I can't just throw away everything because of anger.

''I know. They have every right to feel that way. But I have strict plans which are still to be fulfilled here. If possible, I want to get lord Saltcliffe alive and we must limit smudges so as not to attract unwanted attention. The king and his northern friends are a couple of kilometers away. So we won't go overboard, for I don't want lord Stark to inquire the king to put penalties upon us. The king heeds the words of his long-time friend more than ours. You can see how this greatly restricts our actions, I trust.''

We aren't on some Lannister Crusade, right now. We are fighting alongside our king and allies, and have duties to correctly fulfill. The demands on Pyke are the biggest objective of our involvement, after all.

''And I understand it, my lord. The men will obey you, as it is their duty to do so. I'm just saying that from what I saw and heard, a lot of people won't be satisfied without some measures. That's all.''

My vision is getting blurrier and my left hand is shaking slightly. I place my hand on my leg and force it to stay still with my sheer will.

Argh, as if I don't want blood ! Damn it.

''You think of me as any less angered than them ? RIGHT NOW, I WANT TO SHED BLOOD AND GUTS ALL OVER THE PLACE. MAYBE EVEN MORE THAN THEY DO ! But we have reports to make and eyes watching us. That's not to say that I won't take action in retaliation to that vicious tactic of theirs and the raids. I'm just working on making it seem acceptable for any ally who would put his nose in our affairs. And I would also like it to benefit us one way or another.''

''Then, it should be enough to appease them. What do you think would do the trick, my lord ?''

After his question, a short moment of silence elapses. This is something I should consider as fast as possible. If I want to be quick, I don't have the time to come up with an overly elaborate idea.

''I'm a bit uncertain. In truth, there aren't many things that can be done as of now. The problem is that I would like it all to be quick. I want to handle the siege later today and be done with it. So… *sigh* You know what ? I'll just have them sack the damn town.''

Another moment of silence passes, as I think about the details to have this sack turn somewhat acceptable for the allies. Once I'm done, I shortly elaborate on the matter.

''The lords and knights will have at it however they want, but without killing anyone unnecessarily or burning anything. Any deviation from these rules will be sanctioned accordingly. This must be clear to them that following my words to the letter is in their best interest. And there are other matters to take care of… I shall see to it now. Roland, call the lords here, as well as Aegys and my uncle.''

Roland nods and does as he is ordered to.

''Yes, my lord.''

A few moments later, the lords are all gathered around me. On my side, I took this time to rest a little more and try to forget about the venom.

Now is the time for me to address myself to them. I stand up and assume an upright posture before giving my instructions on how to proceed with our operations here.

''Now that everyone is here… Lord Estren, I want you to organize the sack of this town by following certain rules. Roland will tell you more about it just after. From what I heard of your resentment towards Saltcliffe, taking part in it should be enough to vent yourself.''

After seeing a simple timid nod from Lord Regenard Estren, I turn to Roland.

''Roland, when you are done explaining that to lord Estren, I want you to gather your unit and have our men prepare the siege weapons. Everything must be ready to lay siege on the castle in the next hours after the sack. I trust you to be ready on time, soldier.''

With these words, I turn to the lords present here to give them the rest of my instructions.

''Meanwhile, lord Windhill and ser Kevan, the both of you are to carry out the torture of our prisoners. I want them to spill everything they know about the castle. And I mean EVERYTHING. Should they resist the standard torture, ask the men to use the one involving the rats and the torch. After having a couple of chunks of flesh bitten off, they should break down and talk. I'll be coming to aid you later and see if you miss any information.''

It would be a pity to not use my gift, as detecting lies is quite useful in this situation. But I don't mind waiting until a good couple of the prisoners are tortured. They deserve to suffer.

Another important aspect must be overseen before the siege of the castle. So I turn towards the man I once squired for and my trusted silver-haired guard.

''Lastly, lord Lydden and Aegys, I want you to oversee the basic treatment of our wounded men as quickly and efficiently as possible. A maximum of them must be ready for the siege to come. That's imperative.''

That leaves us with the last part of the lords.

''As for the rest of the lords, you can choose among yourselves to help with either of these objectives. But decide in this instance, because we don't have all day. I don't have to remember any of you that everyone is to lay siege on the castle just after. Understood ?''

After receiving nods and everything being organized, I decided to end it before sitting back down on the rock.

''Now, go. You are dismissed, All of you. Go and fulfill your tasks. Except for ser Kevan, stay here a moment.''

This situation forced me to get harsher than I would first have been. But, let's face it…

I just ordered a sack to take place, with everything it entails except for some little rules solely related to the current situation. That will cause a lot of suffering, as will inevitably cause my plans to elevate my house. No gains come without suffering, and I'm fine with it.

But that tiny unpleasant feeling is coming back to annoy me… What a drag. I never thought about limits thoroughly. Should I put a few fixed limits in the future ? I don't know for sure… Right now, I frankly don't feel like it. But… Kevan may have an opinion to share on the matter.

To find out more about his opinion, I turn to him and ask it directly to him.

''Do you condone my choices ? Do you condone the sack ? Have no doubt, that I'm resolved to do what is needed. Yet, I find myself to be thinking about the very edges of justice. I'm not entirely sure as to know where its exact limits are, and if there should be any at all.''

This sudden question plunges my uncle into half a minute of thought, taking his time to answer me to the best of his ability.

''Of course, I condone it. Your lord father left you free to decide the fate of both the town and the castle. You wouldn't be the first to order the sack of a town or city, and neither will you be the last. Some do it in far harsher ways, with less mercy or none at all. I am not exempt from that truth. I was there, you know. I was there both for the fall of the Tarbecks and the Reynes. I passed most of that war collecting debts, taking hostages to make sure that indebted lords were going to pay us back, and taking care of a lady's custody who is now my wife. But when the Rains happened, I stood alongside Tywin…''

Kevan seems to take a short pause as if to remember that time and what he felt.

''That day, I heard hundreds upon hundreds of desperate cries echoing from the dept of Castamere. It lasted until their last breath, and a heavy silence then weighted upon us. It was the silence of knights, but also of elders, children, wives, and other innocents. So yes, justice can be cruel. And it often is. But as long as you know what you are fighting for, there shouldn't be any limit to it. Your justice resides in your goals, not the means to attain them. Do you fear the sack not having valid reasons for it ? I see plenty of valid ones in what the Ironborns did to us. You are no more cruel than they are. And even if you were, it would all be justified.''

I take a short moment to swallow everything he just said to me, before answering him.

''Thank you. Once again, you are right. But after all of this, I still need a moment alone… some fresh air before the siege.''

''I understand, Leo. As for me, I have some men to torture, it seems. And you can count on me for that. See you later, nephew.''

After these words, I see Kevan moving away to join Lord Windhill and going further away from the town.

As for me, I feel my whole body weakening again and making my head spin nonstop. Gods, How awful…

A few dozens of minutes later, I see a whole section of my men heading towards various houses in the town. Some have a look full of greed, others full of anger or lust. But each of them has a part of grievance in their eyes, for about one-tenth of our troops mobilized here perished in this cursed town.

The high-pitched screams and cries that follow it make my stomach turn a little. Although the blood doesn't affect me much anymore, this kind of cry has remained something disturbing for me. I just don't like it, I guess. But who would, except for Lorch and Clegane ?

As these noises grow louder, I realize that I need to focus my attention elsewhere while this lasts. After closing my eyes, I stifle all this infernal cacophony by imagining a sweet melody, the melody of my house.

As soon as the song starts playing in my mind, it captures my full attention and plunges me into a deep trance where all I can hear are the Rains.

The Rains of Castamere.

-

And who are you ? The proud lord said

That I must bow so low ?

Only a cat of a different coat

That's all the truth I know

In a coat of gold or a coat of red

A lion still has claws

And mine are long and sharp my lord

As long and sharp as yours

And so he spoke

And so he spoke

That lord of Castamere

But now the rains weep over his hall

With no one there to hear

Yes, now the rains weep over his hall

And not a soul to hear

And so he spoke, and so he spoke

That lord of Castamere

But now the rains weep over his hall

With no one there to hear

Yes, now the rains weep over his hall

And not… a soul… to hear

-

When the melody stops, so have the cacophony of cries. There is nothing left but silence. A nice and peaceful… silence.

As for my mind, it is somewhat getting clearer. Even still, that nasty venom kept some effect on me. It's just so tiring, sigh.

While I'm slowly standing up, I realize that my knees aren't so weak anymore. But I can't say the same for the rest of my body. My vision is still a bit blurry and I feel colder than I'm supposed to. But I'm fine.

If I let my uncle know of my condition, he would undoubtedly oppose my involvement in the siege. That won't and can't happen. Last time, my leg prevented me from properly participating in the battles of the hills. I won't let this venom impose such a fate on me again.

For now, I'm their leader and I can't show any weakness in front of my soldiers and foes. So I shall bear with it for as long as need be. And I will only allow myself to entirely rest once everything is over.

I must stand tall among my men and feel the grace of the seven strengthening me for the rest of the rebellion.

As I feel once again the sea wind blowing on my face, my resolve comes back stronger than ever and gives me the final push to step forward.

Nothing good is to be expected in this world, not when power requires one to do 'evil'. I shall finally leave my remaining ethics deep into my attic for it to take the dust until the end. No limits, only goals.

While walking towards where my uncle is, I set my eyes on the cliff and the castle standing on its edge. As I watch it with intensity, I can already imagine the siege to come and the multiple outcomes.

You didn't play by the rules, lord Saltcliffe… Neither will I.

Let's see who is more dangerous, whose claws are longer and sharper.

The snake or the lion ?

We shall see.

——————

Yo, small vote here !

Not that important, but I have an hesitation for the future name for Mc small army aka guards. So you can make your choice for the next 1-2 weeks (I'll still be writing the next chapters in the meanwhile) :

-Gold Shields

-The typical stuff: Lionguards

-Lion Cloaks (I don't really like this one)

-Stormtroopers (The problem I get from this one is that it's more compatible with the Storm lands than the Westerlands)

-'Something else'troopers (like Goldtroopers, Liontroopers, Clawtroopers, Rocktroopers,…)

-Or other suggestions to put here

If the most voted one is a dumb-sounding suggestion, I won't put it. Otherwise, I'm okay with whatever you guys choose.