We attack

"Well... that didn't go as planned." I was wincing from pain as the arrows were being extracted out of me.

"There was a plan my Lord?" Ser Gerold entered the room.

In his dirty armor, with few additional dents from where he was hit while leading the defense he looked like the seasoned commander he was.

The angry look on his face didn't make me feel any better.

"You don't have to say anything Gerold. I know and learned my lesson." I said feeling guilty.

The whole fiasco helped me finally change from my previous mindset. Men, my men... will die and I can't save everyone even if I wanted to.

"I hope you did my Lord. You might not be so lucky next time around." he placed his helmet on the table next to my bloodied bandages. "The men are there to die for you my Lord and yours would do so without hesitation. Not the other way around..." he continued while the medical staff worked on my wounds.

"I know." I replied, but what he said made me feel worse again.

"If you are not there to lead us, then there is no point in fighting..." he continued as if he didn't hear me before.

"Enough!" I shouted making even the medic flinch. "I learned my lesson Ser Gerold. It won't happen again." I lowered my voice again to the normal levels. "What happened after I left?" I didn't know if they were still fighting, but since the commander was here I assume it's over. The last thing I saw before being brought here was the seven men I saved kneeling and begging for forgiveness.

I remembered fondly as they smiled in relief when I said that I saved them just because of the 3 golden dragons of debt that they had because of the coins they borrowed from me to use in one of our pleasure houses in Dorne. Looking back at my Knight I saw him regretting his actions.

"I'm sorry my Lord." he apologized first. "After you were taken away they tried one last push and retreated. We will not see them trying again today, leaving about 6000 bodies behind." Gerold was visibly tired, it shouldn't be a surprise looking at his age.

"What about our losses Ser Gerold?"

"It's not that bad my Lord, the worst was for the civilians, the first report placed the dead at 842 and three times as much wounded by arrows. The 1st Legion has it better on the shield wall side, no Elites dead, some wounded. 470 new recruits dead, almost everyone wounded, but they did good holding the wall. 34 from our heavy cavalry confirmed dead." The last part wasn't the nicest to hear, yet for some reason I don't feel that much grievance as I did before my reckless actions today.

Is it because I started to value my life more than theirs? Or maybe I just finally understood the reality of it all...

"Thank you." I nodded to the medic that patched me up while I stood up. "I want all of our dead to be send to their families, get Ser Arthur to inform the logistics officers to update the status of our troops and start paying out the gold to their families. I don't want their spouses to beg or whore themselves for food or living necessities." I said while I tried to put a shirt on my back while sitting on the bed as I couldn't even stand without pain because of the wounds on my legs.

" Don't worry my Lord, the usual procedure will be followed for everyone. They will receive their due every month, their kids will have free education and the Support Office will take care of the jobs arrangements if needed." He stood up and came up to me holding my shirt so that I could put it on.

"Give me some painkillers please." I said to the medical staff that was still with us packing his tools.

"My Lord, I would advise you to rest for few days, the wounds are not life threatening, but your body is still growing." even while he was speaking from concern for my wellbeing I still held my hand out waiting for the pills, which he reluctantly handed to me while grumping under his nose.

When the man was leaving the rest of my people came.

Arthur, Noya, Bryce, Mirri who only after checking my wounds calmed down, Maya and Rina, Cerea and even the Lhazareen council and my blood riders.

I heard again how I shouldn't be so irresponsible, bla bla bla.

"You did see that they didn't take us seriously right?" I said and looked at everyone. "Ser Gerold, I want to end it today." my words puzzled them as they didn't know what I meant.

"Can you be more specific my Lord?" He asked after looking around.

"We will stab at their heart, we will kill the Khal." remembering how they played with me, laughed, joked around not taking the battle seriously I was furious. Was this an emotional decision? Fuck yeah. Was it feasible? Yes!

I thought about the plan the whole time while I was here.

It was a disgrace for me to be brought here on a shield. I do know the saying "Come with your shield or on it." but I'm sure as hell it's not what it meant.

"I know the looks. Let me explain and if you think it's impossible... you're my trusted men for a reason. Council me then!" I explained the plan and more of them were surprised at it.

It wasn't really anything specially new, but it was time to change how the game was played, I had an advantage and I was going to use it.

We made small adjustments to the plan, it was crazy, but we still decided to go with it.

Few hours later I was resting on the ground with one of our messenger falcons snuggling close to my face.

The night was illuminated by the moon making it perfect for our night raid.

"They are ready my Lord." Noya, Arthur and my three blood riders were with me.

I looked at the majestic bird as my hand brushed over his feathers.

"It's up to you now buddy..." I said as my eyes went white and my body slid on the blanket.

~~~

The three young Dothraki watched as their Khal again did something incredible.

"It's magic!" the words of one of them were not said with the usual contempt like they should, as Dothraki hated everything that had even a small connection to that thing.

They knew that the blood of their blood was different, he was strong, smart and yet could still be reckless as the child he was, but the thing that made them follow him was the feeling he gave them.

Yes, the fact that there was no horse, even the ones that no warrior could ride that were like a trained pet around him helped, but still the feeling of fire that they felt burning inside of them when they were with him was addicting.

It was like a promise of glory, freedom and greatness in one.

Even the pleasure that they received from the slave women before couldn't compare to it and it only got stronger in the last days.

No one said anything, but they could see their new Tribe beginning to change and it was all because of him.

They were ready to live for him and die for him, that was normal as they were his brothers, blood of his blood... Yet the time before when the argued and fought with everyone from their old Khalasar slowly passed.

Now wherever they went they could hear praises from the same mouths that were planning against their Khal before.

The three orphaned boys didn't say it out loud, but their heads raised high in pride a clear testimony of their feelings as they watched the falcon take of after a moment in the direction of the enemy camp.