29 The Bloody Keep

After they had established a foothold on the island of Pyke, the combined army of houses Targaryen and Stark were now laying siege to the castle of Pyke. The army had occupied the harbor of Lordsport, and the Viking ships filled the piers, while the warriors were busy unloading weapons and supplies. In the meantime, others were erecting tents and barricades.

While the prospect of attacking from isle to isle over flimsy rope bridges did not appeal to many of the warriors, the situation inside the stronghold was grim as well. The attack had surprised the garrison, and as a result the stores were far from filled to full capacity. And while the battlements and the strength of the garrison would likely beat back any attack, their numbers would deplete the stored food quickly. The soldiers under the kraken sigil were aware of this, and they knew that their only chance was to hold off and hope for relief in time.


The leaders of the Viking army had assembled in the tent, to discuss the plan for the attack. Bjorn, Dany and Robb were all sitting around a table around on which a map of the islands had been placed. Even though she was not part of the war council, Sansa had joined them as well.

"When do we attack?" Dany asked the others, "Soon, I hope?"

"I would like nothing more", Bjorn told his wife, "But I've seen those walls. I don't want to lose half our men in the assault."

"During the Greyjoy rebellion, they brought down the walls with siege engines", Robb offered, "And then they took the castle in a direct assault."

"It will still cost us man men", Bjorn pointed out, "And we don't have any big siege engines with us. Their supplies won't last forever. We could simply starve them until they surrender."

"I don't think this is the best way", Sansa finally took the word for the first time, "Remember that not only are we fighting against the Greyjoys, but also against the Lannisters. If we spend a year besieging the castle here, we give them time to get stronger."

For a moment, her objection hung in the air, as the others were judging the point she had made. Eventually, Dany nodded, "I think this is a valid concern. Can we take the castle with as little blood spilled as possible and still quickly?"

"I wish there was a way", Bjorn told her, "But if there is, I don't see it. Unless they surrender without a fight."


"This is not a good idea", Bjorn thought to himself, as he readied himself under the cover of a barricade. The warriors had been busy erecting barricades to protect the besieging force, but after a couple of days for preparation, the decision had been made to try and attack the castle from the landside.

He carefully checked his gear, the edges on both his sword and his axe, and made sure his armor was fitting correctly. He glanced over to where a few feet away, Robb Stark was preparing himself as well. The King in the North was wearing his usual coat of plates and his sword, but had opted not to carry a shield, instead he would rely on the protection of portable barricades.

Finally, by mid-morning, everyone was ready. Bjorn was commanding the archers, while Robb would lead the assault this time. The looked at each other, each hoping that the day would go as planned.

"No time like the present", Robb finally shrugged, "Cover us, and we will do the rest."

"I hope you're right", Bjorn nodded, before turning to his archers, "Nock!"

Arrows were pulled out of their quivers and put onto the strings of the bows.

"Draw!" Bjorn ordered, and the archers took aim, "LOOSE!"

A salvo of arrows came down on the battlements of the gatehouse, forcing the defenders to seek cover. At the same time, Robb stepped forward: "To the walls!"

Dozens of warriors, men both from Kattegat and the North, began their charge to the most exposed part of the castle. Some were carrying long ladders with which they hoped to scale the walls, others were pushing a ram, hoping to bring down the gate.

Even though the defenders were held down by the archers on the ground shooting at them, they began to loosen some arrows at the attackers. And arrows were not the only things launched from the top of the walls, javelins, axes and rocks mixed in as well.

Warriors dropped dead to the ground as they were hit, yet the assault towards the walls kept going. The warriors formed their shieldwall to protect themselves, while the ram was brought forward. The iron spikes crashed into the wooden gate, and the door wings shook violently.

"Again!" Robb ordered. The warriors pulled back the ram, and punched it forward once more. The wood was creaking and the reinforcing iron bands began to show scratches. A couple more strikes, and the planks began to splinter.

"Keep going!" Robb encouraged his men, "We're almost through!"

Again and again, the ram impacted the gate, and finally, the cracks started to widen. Finally, it started to swing around, as the battering took its toll on the beams locking it. A cheerful cry roared rom the warriors, as they started to charge through the gate.

They were soon stopped by a portcullis, which blocked their way. While the first ones already began to use their axes to cut through the wood, the other warriors had to wait behind them. But as they waited, no one noticed the men in the murder holes above them.

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A/N: Well, I'm still alive… Seriously, I am incredibly sorry for letting you wait so long, but I've been incredibly busy since the new year began – in fact it's only this weekend I've finally managed to sit down and take the time to write for the first time since mid-January.

Nevertheless, I hope you liked this chapter, and don't forget to review!