Chapter 8

Looking around the burning village as the flames reach sky and the snow dyed red with the blood of those who fought and all u can ask myself is this necessary followed by my more logical side justifying it. After all, with my actions, I lessen the pool for the enemies of my people to recruit from and bolster our own at the same time.

Perhaps.... No, I have to do something to lessen this unnecessary killing. Maybe insole some code among my people so we don't act like complete savages.

Looking around as the fighting dies down and all living people to become thralls or salt wives are gathered on the beach with new captures joining them. Looking back to the burning village, I see an ironborn pry a babe from a dead mother.

Walking up to the man, I stare into his eyes as he holds the babe until I see him become almost uncomfortable.

"Who did this and why?" I ask the man as I point to the dead mother that looked to be around twenty possibly older.

"He did, captain.... said she would shut the babe up, so he cut her down. stuttered the man, pointing to one of victarions men who was currently counting his loot in the sand.

"The babe is now your responsibility, raising it as your own for we need new blood to join our ways." I say as I leave the nodding man and gather a few men from my crew. Before long, I had the bastard forced to kneel in front of me.

"Why did you kill the mother? She could've birthed more sons and daughters as a thrall or saltwife."

"She wouldn't shut her babe up, so I silenced her permanently since I couldn't kill the babe." Answered the man smiling before I socked him in jaw, sending his face into the sand.

" I specifically ordered you all to capture women and children not to kill any, but you did so any way so I'll give you two choices surrender the loot from this raid to the babe and its new caretaker or I take it with the iron price." I coldly state as I draw my axe and use its head to make him look at me.

"You can't do that. I'm not part of your crew it's not your call to punish me!" yelled the man as murmers erupt from the slowly gathering group of sailors.

"But it is for the goal was not just plunder but to gather and build the future of our people and to replace all those who died in the rebellion." I state as I kick the man in the stomach before he can get up.

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!" Shouted Victarion, pushing past the crowd of sailors.

"Punishment lord Greyjoy, unless you wish to face me again in combat since I won our little duel for leadership of this raid," I state, turning to the large man in plate armor

"He is my man I should be the one to give him punishment not you boy!" Yelled the man as the idiot charged me.

"Hold that sack of shit until I deal with this idiot," I tell my men before turning to the charging man

Deciding to end it quickly, I slow time as he's mid stride and simply kick his grounded leg from under him and shove him into the sand, sending sand into the air as I undo my ability and when the sand clears I kicked his axe and sword away as I hold my axe to his throat just under his helm and judging from his wide eyes he wasn't expecting this and to be honest that man was built like a fridge if it wasn't for the strength boost when using my ability my kick would have lickly did no serious damage and barely moved him.

"Stay down, Lord greyjoy, or you may find yourself a foot shorter." I cold state as I dig my axe a little into his neck just enough to draw blood.

"Fine, punish him how you see fit," spat Victarion with anger in his eyes but also respect as he swats away my axe as I help him up.

I guess what I read about the more marshall of Lord Quellon's sons being an idiot that respects strength and valor above all and judge how he actually looked pained to turn his back on one of his crew he loyalty to his own was not exaggerated either.

After simply chopping the whimpering fools head off, it didn't take long to get everyone's loot sorted, and the prosoners loaded onto the long ships, and we set off for the next village and then the next after that as a routine formed and before I knew it by the end of the week we raided eight villages netting us about two hundred thralls and double that in soon to be saltwives. Problems arrose when we spot three ships in the distance, each bearing no sigil, and at first, I paid them no mind until they got close enough where I saw the glint of a myrish far eye glinting reflected light.

They probably thought us easy prey with so few men above deck. Standing upon the deck of the Iron Victory next to Victarion as we watched the ships get closer.

"Think they be merchants? I do have a need for a new ship since the ice destroyed my own ship." I state

"Perhaps they are merchants, but if....."

Before Victarion could finish his sentence, I caught sight of a bow man drawing a bow and using my ability to slow time. I caught the arrow before it could pierce his eye

"ATTACK!" Shouted one of the sailor onboard the now enemy ships, and with shock, they pulled next to our seven ships. The fools thought they could take our ships with so few, but regardless, the iron victory was one of the ships that was bored with a yell both me and Victarion drew our axes and charged the boarding pirates and it was a massacre as both I and Victarion cut a bloody swathe through the men eventually even boarding their ship killing all that stood in our way. On the other ships the battle wasn't so one sided and if the pirate got the jump on anyone else they would've been victorious but we were ironborn and no man could fight better on the sea then us.

"I killed thirty men, so I should get most of the loot,"I state, sitting upon the rails as I I lean back, enjoying the sea air before Victarion drove his axe into the back of the twitching corpse next to me.

"There I've killed thirty as well, so we split it." stated Victarion, smiling as he removed his helm.

"He was already dead."

"He moved,"

"he's twitching because I got my axe buried in his spine," I state, slapping the handle of my axe, causing the corpse to twitch.

After a heartbeat, we both broke out into laughter as in this one battle fighting back to back, we became somewhat friends as through the massacre, we started a bet of whoever killed more got the loot in the ship.

"With all seriousness, Ragnar, you saved my life so as payment. I'll have a longship made for ya for no true ironborn would sail anything other than a longship." Laughed Victarion as he patted me on the back as our crews sorted the loot as any loot of his kills he kept but the rest was handed over to me as we found out that the ships were slavers paid in gold to capture wildlings and even a order try to catch a giant but regardless I just gained alot of gold and supplies due the pirates stupidity and once all things of value on the ships were claimed, we sunk the ships sending the dead both friend and foe to join the drowned god in the sea as to an ironborn its considers a curse to be layer to rest anywhere else besides the sea as the body and soul join the drowned god and with all the blood in the water sharks came. With the sharks feasting, the whole crews of the fleet watched as the sharks ignored the ironborn bodies as they sank to the deep while they ate the corpses of the pirates and when one got close I felt a connection as I leaned over the side as the spark breached the waves as its fin dragged across my hand and with a better look it looked like a large great white shark but some how I new the shark was still young.

"I shall call you red for the great amounts of stained blood over your snout."I stated with a smile as the shark began to lap around the ship as my vision with each blink would switch between my own and red's. it's seems I'm making lots of friends this day, dangerous friends but friends all the same. Surprisingly, the shark followed us all the way to white harbor, and once anchored, I made sure red was fed and loaded as many supplies we could hold trading out some captured things taken from the villages we raided from toys to furs and with the coin we bought the supplies needed with said coin and by the time we set off towards the twins we still made a profit for future expeditions so much so that I made almost more coin then I received from the tourney and with the the broken arms and armor I have plenty of things to smelt and repurpose for better use. Who knew being a raider could be so rewarding if the cards were played right.