Chapter 519: First Battle

The lingering call of a war horn fills the air.

The forces of the Stormlands had set an ambush in the Kingswood, launching an attack on the Targaryen vanguard. Intense combat unfolds by the Wendwater River.

"Charge!"

Sir Bruce Buckler of Bronzegate led the Stormlands soldiers, emerging from the woods with his sword drawn, carving through the Targaryen ranks with ease.

From within the woods, rows of archers unleash a barrage of arrows, causing significant casualties amongst the Targaryen troops.

"Maintain formation!"

"Stay calm!"

The commander of the Targaryen vanguard, Sir Benard Bar Emmon, clad in the golden armor of the Golden Company, confidently issues orders from atop his steed. His beard is rugged, and his eyes sharp.

Facing the sudden onslaught, he remains composed, drawing his sword and commanding his men to hold their ground, preparing for a counter-attack.

Clashes of metal echo throughout the battlefield, arrows strike shields, and the cries of war are deafening.

At that moment, a soldier of the Stormlands charges at Sir Benard, identifying him as a Targaryen commander. However, he underestimates Sir Benard, a former sellsword of the Golden Company, whose ancestors were once knights of Westeros. Having distinguished himself in the First Conquest War, he had been knighted.

With a swift motion, Sir Benard cuts down his assailant.

This marks the first encounter between the Targaryen and Stormlands forces in the Second Conquest War.

Overlooking the battlefield, Stannis Baratheon, leader of the Stormlands and the conservative nobility, would have been crowned king had his elder brother and nephew not been imprisoned. For now, he's seen as a rebel.

Clad in a cloak and riding a majestic black steed, Stannis stands on a nearby hill, observing the fray.

"Davos, do you think we can win this battle?" he asks with a stoic expression.

His trusted advisor, the Onion Knight Ser Davos Seaworth, is taken aback by the question. While many in the Stormlands are confident, having not witnessed the horrors of the war against the White Walkers and the dragons, Davos knows the might of the Targaryens all too well.

Stannis interrupts before Davos can reply, "Never mind, Davos, just a passing thought." He then signals a retreat.

The forces of the Stormlands begin their withdrawal, leaving the field littered with bodies. While they had the element of surprise, the Targaryen soldiers proved formidable due to their drive for rewards and honors.

Both sides suffer heavy casualties and retreat to set up camps.

The Stormlands army, consisting of over thirty thousand men, women, and children, make camp south of Bronzegate, atop the hills. They're well-prepared, with large crossbows aimed at the skies, ever-watchful for the feared Targaryen dragons.

Night falls and heavy rain starts to pour. The Targaryen army, led by Viserys Targaryen, halts their advance due to the weather conditions.

Riding a white horse, lightning illuminates Viserys' face, his silver hair wet against his Valyrian steel armor.

He gazes at the Stormlands camp, signals for his army to halt, and declares, "I need to step out; don't come looking for me."

Before his guards can react, Viserys disappears into the rain, leaving them in bewilderment.