Chapter 254: Griffin’s Roost

At dawn, Lord Randyll Tarly and Samwell Caesar each led an army and departed from Storm's End, one heading north and the other west.

Samwell's force consisted of 4,000 infantry and 500 cavalry. They marched westward along the bay, reaching the eastern foothills of the Red Mountains. From there, they turned south and followed the base of the mountains for a day before arriving at their destination:

Griffin's Roost.

This castle belonged to House Connington.

Once a wealthy and powerful Stormlands family, the Conningtons had fallen into decline.

During Robert's Rebellion, Jon Connington, Lord of Griffin's Roost, served as Hand of the King under the Mad King Aerys II Targaryen, tasked with suppressing the rebellion of the Starks, Tullys, Baratheons, and Arryns. At that time, Robert Baratheon had suffered a crushing defeat at Randyll Tarly's hands at Ashford and fled north, taking refuge in Stoney Sept in the Riverlands while awaiting aid from the northern lords.

Jon Connington besieged Stoney Sept, searching for Robert. With the rebel reinforcements nearing, some advised Jon to burn Stoney Sept to smoke Robert out and end the rebellion. However, Jon refused, unwilling to harm innocents.

This moment of compassion allowed Robert to hold out until his allies arrived. When the bells of Stoney Sept's sept began to ring, signaling the arrival of reinforcements, the rebels launched a coordinated attack from inside and outside the town, routing the royal forces.

The Battle of the Bells became a turning point in Robert's Rebellion, marking the rebels' ascension to dominance.

The Mad King held Jon Connington responsible for the defeat, stripping him of his lands and titles and exiling him across the Narrow Sea.

After Robert claimed the Iron Throne, he returned Griffin's Roost to the Conningtons but denied them their lordship and most of their lands.

Thus, House Connington had dwindled to a mere knightly house. As for Jon Connington, the former Hand of the King, he was rumored to have died of drinking in Essos.

But Samwell knew this to be a lie spread by Varys, the Spider. Jon Connington was very much alive, operating under the alias Griff, and serving the Golden Company in a plot to restore the Targaryen dynasty.

As Samwell gazed at the castle, his thoughts wandered. If the Golden Company learned he had hatched a dragon, how would they react?

Would they seek to ally with him or see him as a threat?

These questions, however, were unimportant for now. The Golden Company's actions would only matter once they crossed the Narrow Sea to Westeros.

Griffin's Roost stood on a towering, dark red cliff along the coast of Cape Wrath, surrounded by the sea on three sides. The only approach was a narrow western pathway.

This path put attackers at a severe disadvantage, as they would be exposed to fire from the castle's twin round towers flanking the main gate.

As the Reach soldiers advanced under their shields along the path toward the gate, they expected fierce resistance. But surprisingly, the defenders offered only feeble opposition.

The gatehouse was overgrown with shrubs, providing cover for the advancing Reachmen, who crept to within a hundred paces of the gate before they were finally spotted.

A belated horn blast echoed from the battlements, followed by a scattered volley of arrows.

Realizing they had been discovered, the Reach soldiers abandoned stealth and charged forward. They raised ladders against the walls while a team of men wielding a battering ram advanced on the gate.

Boom! Boom!

It only took two strikes for the decrepit gate to collapse.

Hovering on his white dragon above the battlefield, Samwell could scarcely believe his eyes.

True, House Connington had fallen far from its former glory, but this level of incompetence was staggering. He even wondered if bringing such a large force to besiege the castle had been overkill.

"Griffins forever! Griffins forever!" came the defenders' feeble war cry from the walls.

The garrison numbered no more than twenty or thirty men, utterly incapable of holding back the Reach army. The gate was already breached, and soldiers poured into the castle.

The battle was over in a matter of minutes.

Samwell descended on his dragon and landed atop the battlements.

"Search the castle," he ordered. "Gather everyone in the courtyard, but don't kill indiscriminately unless they resist. And if you find any members of House Connington, bring them to me immediately."

"Yes, my lord."

Samwell entered the main hall of Griffin's Roost and took a seat on the Conningtons' famed gilded Griffin Throne.

It was hard and cold.

He thought wryly that the Iron Throne was probably even worse. Perhaps this was good practice.

As he lounged on the throne, boredly studying the tapestries and animal skulls adorning the walls, his soldiers brought in the remaining Conningtons.

Samwell learned that Griffin's Roost's current lord, Ser Ronnet Connington, was not in the castle. He and the castle's main garrison had been captured and held in Dorne.

The only Conningtons present were Ronnet's younger siblings: his brother Raymund and his sister Alynne, both of whom were still children.

Alynne Connington had fiery red hair, a slender frame, and a pretty face. However, she was trembling with fear, bursting into tears upon seeing Samwell.

"Please don't kill me! I beg you, please don't kill me!"

Am I really that terrifying?

Samwell had no intention of harming two defenseless children. Throughout his campaign in the Stormlands, he had deliberately minimized bloodshed to avoid earning a reputation for cruelty.

Although he had yet to capture Storm's End, Samwell already saw himself as the future ruler of this land.

"Enough crying," Samwell said gently. "As long as you behave, I won't harm you."

"Really?" Alynne sniffled, her voice pitiful but hopeful.

"Really." He waved to his soldiers. "Take them to a room and keep them there. Make sure they're fed, but they're not to wander."

After sending the children away, Samwell dispatched envoys south to establish contact with the Reach's southern army.

If Lord Mathis Rowan hadn't yet subdued the Stormlands' southern lords, Samwell was prepared to assist.

Three days later, the messengers returned—not with updates on the southern campaign, but with grim news.

"Highgarden has fallen?"

Samwell stared at the messenger in disbelief.

"Yes, my lord. Reach rebels have allied with the Ironborn to capture Highgarden. I encountered a messenger en route to the southern army. Lady Olenna has ordered a full withdrawal."

"If Highgarden has fallen, how did Lady Olenna issue orders?"

"Lady Olenna was at Bitterbridge with Lady Margaery when it happened. They escaped unharmed."

Samwell exhaled in relief. At least the Tyrells hadn't been wiped out, and Margaery was safe.

But this turn of events left him frustrated and uncertain.

A withdrawal now would likely squander months of hard-fought victories.

Though they had seized most of the Stormlands, the territory was far from secure. Time was needed to consolidate control, win hearts, and, most importantly, capture Storm's End.

As long as that stronghold remained in Baratheon hands, the Stormlands' loyalty would remain divided.

But he couldn't ignore the chaos in the Reach.

The Reach was his foundation—his base of power. Losing it was not an option.

Samwell's instincts told him the fall of Highgarden was no coincidence. There had to be traitors within the Reach.

If the Stag Party had broken the rules, he wouldn't hesitate to use an iron fist in return.

His decision made, Samwell ordered his forces to withdraw from Griffin's Roost.

Before leaving, he summoned Todd Flowers and instructed:

"I'm leaving you three hundred men to hold this castle."

Griffin's Roost was a key strategic point linking the northern and southern Stormlands, and Samwell had no intention of abandoning it.

"Yes, my lord."

"And…" Samwell added with a sly smile, "take good care of that crying girl."

Todd blinked, then realized Samwell was referring to Alynne Connington.

The implication was clear: marrying the Connington heiress would solidify Todd's claim to Griffin's Roost.

"I understand." Todd blushed but nodded.

Though much older than Alynne, Todd recognized this as an opportunity to rise far above his station.

Griffin's Roost, even in decline, was a prize beyond the dreams of a bastard from the Reach. Now, it seemed within his grasp.

With these arrangements made, Samwell turned his army northward, retracing his steps toward Storm's End.

(End of Chapter)