A/N: Hope you all are staying safe in these uncertain times. Also, quick update. Things will be continue to be busy due to many other things. But please bear with me if I don't seem consistent in my postings.
Without ado, enjoy!
ORYS V
Orys remained seated on his horse, Thunderfist resting against his shoulder, as he watched the carnage unfold before his eyes. He had to wait for the right moment before he could unveil the most crucial maneuver for this fight, and arguably for the struggle against the Seven thumpers from the Reach.
But this required much patience from Orys and his stormlord commanders, since a tactical design of such complexity had not been executed before. Even though they might have had some time to develop the plan in the command tent, to actually carry it out was a different story given that no plan survived first contact with the enemy. And despite the losses incurred by the Reachmen, from the death of Gawen Gardener to their most defeat at Stonebridge, the Gardener bannermen in the stormlands still represented a threat against the former kingdom of the Durrandons and they retained enough strength to threaten Storm's End if they fell into a false sense of security.
"When do we attack, my lord?" Lord Dondarrion asked eagerly. "We will lose our side of the Slayne if we don't stop Prince Edmund now."
"Wait until they have moved all of their heavy horse across the Slayne," Orys said. "Then, the infantry will follow. Once that's done, we'll attack."
"But they're dying down there, Lord Orys!" Ser Bruze Tarth pointed frantically at the battle below them.
"I want to charge in there and save them from death also," Orys started into Ser Bruze's eyes. "But if we are to break the Gardeners and do some real damage against the flowers of the Reach, we have to wait. This is a chance to drive the greenhand back across the Slayne and then the Red Mountains. With their destruction, we can retake the lands we've lost."
Just a few days earlier, Orys ordered the stormlanders who had entrenched themselves on the east bank of the Slayne to begin withdrawing from their positions while ordering some lighter cavalry to attack against the Gardener positions on the west bank. Naturally, some of the lords and the serjeants were skeptical of his plan, since it seemed as if their lord paramount was about to needlessly sacrifice some of his own troops on a needless charge.
"It's the same approach used when I fought against Gawen Gardener," Orys explained. "We're not getting anywhere with the present situation, but we have to end the deadlock on the Slayne now. Both of my sisters are fighting in the Vale and both of my brothers are fighting in the Reach itself. If we want to make a significant impact on the war, we have to break the Gardeners here."
"I don't see how risking the lives of one thousand men achieves that purpose," Lord Wylde stated.
"I will only ask to the engaged with the Gardener line head on, then withdraw back to the west bank towards the unguarded areas of the river. Once they see that, the Reachmen will commence their own attack and they'll probably use all of the strength they have to exploit what will be seen as a major gap in our lines," Orys outlined.
"It's still risky, my lord, with all due respect," Lord Caron pointed out. "There's no telling if the Gardeners will take the bait."
"They will, Lord Caron," Argella joined in. "The Gardeners are an emotional bunch, as seen from how they held grudges against my father after he killed Garse Gardener at Summerfield. And they must be feeling what you all are feeling now regarding the present circumstances. They're tired of being stuck at the bank and combined with how much they really want to kill my husband, they'll take any chances they see without further consideration. Prince Edmund might be suited for court, but he's no tactician like his younger brother, whose armor was crushed and shattered by the very man who stands before you now." She put her hand on Orys' shoulder. "He has done very well among us, and for us. But is that enough for you all to trust him?"
The lords were silenced, still amazed at how Argella defended her husband despite the circumstances of how they married in the first place. Their thick heads need more time to understand what loyalty looks like, Orys thought. But eventually, they all came around to Orys' strategy and thus prepared themselves accordingly.
The Lord of Storm's End selected the men of Houses Caron and Connington to lead the assault. They would strike from a relatively accessible area of the west bank, as there were no forests or rocky hills that marked that particular part. Therefore, any withdrawal from that area would tempt any warrior to make a move on there. And once enough Gardener bannermen had crossed the Slayne through that area while heavily engaged with the Caron and Connington men, that was when Orys would deliver the hammer blow.
In the early hours of morning, the mounted Caron and Connington men charged across the river and crashed into the unsuspecting Gardener bannermen that were still asleep. Their sentries were too late to warn the rest of the camp, as the faster-moving stormlanders attacked with speed and chaos ensued. Men were confused as to who was attacking and even some began to fight each other, from what Orys could hear.
But, as Orys expected, the Caron and Connington horsemen did not enjoy the element of surprise for long, as that the Gardener bannermen slowly but surely regrouped and organized into battle formations. Over time, the Caron and Connington bannermen began to take casualties, as the enemy started to effectively defend against their charges. Once they fought long enough, a stormlander blew a horn, which signaled the Caron and Connington men to withdraw back across the Slayne.
Of course, their withdrawal was far from organized, as they had to negotiate with the treacherous waters of the Slayne and be able to continue on as the Gardener archers rained arrows on their backs and some even tried to cut down by following them into the waters. Fortunately, a good number of Connington and Caron men were able to make it back across the Slayne and reform their own formations. But they were soon faced by a full-scale onslaught by the Gardeners, with their heavy cavalry and their infantry charging across the river and towards them.
Orys gave them strict orders not to move from their positions until at least half of their cavalry made it onto the west bank. Once they did, the Caron and Connington men moved further away from the Slayne and towards more even ground.
The tactical design was contingent on the Gardeners focusing on the Carons and Conningtons, thus exposing their flanks. They could never be able to last in a direct frontal engagement with the Gardeners, some thirty-five thousand strong, with twenty thousand stormlanders, especially since the Gardeners had more cavalry to call on. So, they had to bring them out into other positions where attacking them would be easier to pull off.
Orys squinted his eyes as he counted how many of the Gardener bannermen had crossed the river, fighting the urge to charge prematurely, as the lessons from the battles against Gawen Gardener and Rook's Rest remained fresh in his mind.
Once he saw the footmen being crossing, Orys turned to his personal herald. "Now!"
The footmen nodded eagerly, finally being allowed to do what he could do, and blew as hard as he could on the war horn.
The reason why the Gardeners would be tempted to attack was because behind the Connington and Caron men was a mountain pass that led through the other mountains that outlined the Slayne and thus represented an easy way to Storm's End. But what they didn't know was that Orys assembled all of the cavalry and bowmen he could muster and hid them at various points in the mountains. Once enough of the Gardeners had crossed onto the west bank of the Slayne, the horn acted as a signal for the cavalry and the bowmen to emerge out of their concealment and attack at their flanks.
Knights donning the sigils of Houses Swann, Selmy, Dondarrion, and Morrigen among other houses charged out from their places in the smaller mountain passes and galloped towards their Reach foes, while stormlander archers used their superior elevation to rain down their own arrows onto the large mass of Reach knights and men-at-arms.
Disorganized and not expecting such a large number of troops to suddenly appear, panic spread among the Reachmen. The stormlander cavalry collided into the side of their mounted opponents, their lances either forcing them off of their horses or the power granted from the momentum being enough to pierce through the fairly weak parts of a knight's armor on his sides. The same was said of the those not mounting horses, as they were out of formation and thus easy marks.
Just like against the Tarlys and Peakes, Orys commanded the reserves, which would be brought out only when their charge would result in a sure crush of their Reach adversaries. But he was not going to commit all of his forces into the fray yet, as he knew that there were more Gardener bannermen to contend with and it would be unwise to show his entire hand early.
"My lord! Look!" Ser Bruze pointed to the south. His eyes following his master-at-arms finger, Orys turned his head and saw more Gardeners advancing through the river and onto the west bank to reinforce their beleaguered comrades. He exhaled, but not out of relief that his decision to hold back his reserves turned out to be a good one.
The enemy must be thinking that this is the decisive battle and are putting all that they can against us here, he assessed. Remembering what Argella said about the Gardeners being emotional, they decided that their numbers would win them the day and accordingly gathered all that they could for the final push.
Thinking quickly, Orys turned to one of the scouts. "You. Go around the mountain and river and see how the enemy encampment is defended. Quickly!"
"Yes, Lord Orys," the scout nodded before mounting his horse and riding as fast as he could towards the south.
"You," he turned to another rider. "Get a message to Lord Swann. Tell him to the enemy occupied and to withdraw closer to the pass. He has to keep them distracted."
"Yes, my lord," the rider galloped off.
"What do you plan on doing?" Lord Dondarrion asked. "My men are dying there."
"We have to end the Gardeners' presence in these lands once and for all," Orys declared. "And what's happening now might give us a chance."
"Are you sure about that, Lord Orys?"
"It's a chance we have to take, or we'll never get Edmund out," Orys answered.
Lord Swann must've got his orders, as the stormlander line and cavalry moved closer to the pass that allowed a direct way to Storm's End. While the risk of letting the enemy penetrate there was substantial, it was a risk that they had to take. I know you told me not to take risks, Quenton, but this time, I have to.
Fortuitously, the rider eventually came back, after what seemed like an hour of inaction on Orys' part, and he could sense the frustration from some of the commanders that were at his side. Any longer, and they might have really challenged me.
"My lord, I got here as soon as I could," the rider was out of breath.
"What did you see?"
"My lord, the enemy camp is largely empty of soldiers. Only a few thousand from what I could count."
The commanders glanced at each other, now seeing what Orys was looking for. "My lord, I am sure that we can cross the Slayne with the men we have," Lord Mertyns said. "With the Gardener men occupied down there, we have a chance at attacking their camp."
"I concur," Lord Dondarrion agreed. "If we are to attack their camp, the time is now, Lord Orys."
Orys took another moment to assess his options. He could take the reserves and attack the camp in full force, but that would leave the rest of the men on the west bank of the Slayne to fend for themselves. Also, since they would be on the other side of the river, they would not be fast enough to strike from behind.
The other option was to strike with the whole reserves and smash into the flanks. But there would be no telling if that would inflict the intended damage. Whatever happens, the Gardeners must be broken here, or we will never drive them out.
Orys then knew what he had to do. "Ser Bruze, I think it's time that I give you some actual responsibilities."
"My lord?" the master-at-arms of Storm's End raised his eyebrow.
"Take the lightest horsemen with you, cross the Slayne, and strike at the enemy encampment on the east bank. Since they have no knights or men-at-arms there, destroying their camp should be very easy," Orys told him.
"What about you?"
"I will take what's left of the men here and charge down at them," Orys pointed to the battle below. "I think they've waited long enough for us."
"My lord, I'm honored, but—"
"Save it!" Orys shushed him. "We have no time for that. Just do it!"
Surprised by the sudden urgency in his voice, with some touch of fury, Ser Bruze bobbed his head in compliance and did what he was told. With just over two thousand men, the Tarth knight led them south and across the Slayne to strike at the Gardener encampment.
As for Orys, he and six thousand others readied themselves for what would be the final push. "Men, today we show these fucks that flowers cannot grow here! Who's with me?!" The men cheered, as their weapons were thrusted up high. Putting down his helm, Orys readied Thunderfist and tightened his grip on his horse's reins. Pointing his Valyrian steel war hammer downwards, he yelled, "FOLLOW ME!"
Despite the slight downward angle, the stormlander reserves followed their lord paramount as they gained speed against the Gardener flanks. Lances lowered, swords drawn, and axes and pikes readied, they all did their best to stay focused, as the slightest misstep might negate the advantage granted to them by the final charge.
Miraculously, the Gardener bannermen had overextended themselves by advancing too far from their side of the river in their need to avenge the death of Prince Gawen and to end the war quickly. Thus, there were too many gaps between the greenhand's footmen and cavalry. And they noticed too late the threat coming at their sides, as Orys twirled Thunderfist and used the force gained to strike at his first kill of the day. Since that man had no army, he could even hear the ribs crushing while galloping past him.
The six thousand men of the reserves also found easy marks, as the speed gained from their downhill charge allowed to be ram through the disorganized Gardener ranks and accomplish what their comrades did earlier in the battle. But this charge was more devastating than the first, as they could not see where the rest of their enemy's army was.
Orys felt his horse shove Reachmen aside, while he continued to swing Thunderfist against any unlucky enough to feel its touch. He slammed his war hammer straight down on one's head, more than likely crushing his backbone and cracking his skull. He swung it upwards against another's chin, smashing his jaw and probably knocking more than a few teeth out. He also hit another Reachmen on his temple, squishing his eye among other things. Whatever damage he had incurred, he eventually lost track as he the battle made him kill or maim without thinking too much about it.
Orys then saw one knight, bearing the sigil of House Roxton, come in front of him. The traded blows with their weapons, but Orys' was the heavier and was able to knock his sword out of his hand before stunning him with a strike against his helm. He finished him with a diagonal swing downwards, forcing him off of his horse while he could hear his neck being broken.
Another knight, this one armed with an axe, tried to use the distraction gained from Orys' close encounter to maybe plunge his weapon into his back. But Orys saw him just him in time and used a move similar to the one he used against Gawen Gardener, using his horse to spin around and hit the knight square in the chest, causing his breastplate to crush and by extension his ribcage.
Finally, a Reachmen tried to stick him with a pike, and was close to piercing his neck. But by some miracle, he just missed Orys' head, allowing him to grab the shaft while bringing Thunderfist to his cheek, leading to a very unpleasant sight that the Lord of Storm's End did not wish to remember.
Looking around, he saw the rest of the Reachmen either retreating or just too dazed from the combined charge to continue fighting. Most of the latter merely dropped their weapons after seeing how many of their comrades were corpses on the field, not expecting their own army to suffer such a loss.
He found Lord Dondarrion and Lord Swann as he moved thorough the remains of the battlefield, which had quieted down. He then felt another presence, and smiled after seeing Ser Bruze approach him, his armor covered in dirt and blood.
"My lord, the encampment has been destroyed. I couldn't find Prince Edmund, however," Ser Bruze reported.
"That's all right, Ser Bruze," Orys patted his shoulder. "I'm sure with the damage we have done, we have achieved what we needed to do."
"I see at least ten thousand men lying dead, mostly from the side of our foes," Lord Dondarrion noted. "You have achieved a great victory, my lord."
"We have done it together, my lord," Orys reminded him. "As I said, we have to work together. And look what happened."
"Agreed," Lord Swann nodded. "And now, with the enemy destroyed and on the run, we can begin to retake the lands we have lost."
"Soon, Lord Swann. First, we must regroup and get rest. Afterwards, we can cross the Slayne and then begin to take back our lands," Orys said.
Orys was granted usage of Crow's Nest, the seat of House Morrigen and the closest major fortress to the Slayne. As Stonehelm was too close to the lines, it couldn't be used as their headquarters. Although not made of stone, Crow's Nest was placed on a very advantageous position in the mountains, offering a commanding view of the land for miles around, including both banks of the Slayne.
As Orys said, the stormlords had to rest and recuperate before they could advance across the river. However, he could not remain at Crow's Nest for long, as he got word from Argella that the fleet that he had so carefully built and used was ready and now needed to be boarded by himself and his troops.
Orys had never saw himself as a sea captain, but his expedition against the corsairs of the Stepstones showed him that he did have some potential at sea combat and could thus be used when Daemon Velaryon was busy elsewhere. And it only occurred to him how important combat on the high seas really was, as the enemy could be resupplied from the ocean even while they suffered constant defeats on land.
He therefore decided that he himself needed to lead the fleet against their adversaries' own, which mostly consisted of the Redwynes and the ironborn. But getting to the west coast of Westeros was easier said than done, as he had to sail around the southern part of the continent past the Stepstones towards the Arbor and then Oldtown in order to challenge the combined ships of the Reach and the Iron Islands. Such a journey with untested ships and crew warranted a leader who believed in the importance of the fleet. Since Orys was the first Lord of Storm's End to being the orientation of the stormlanders towards the sea, he himself had to do it since no one else could. Ser Bruze might have achieved merit against the corsairs, but he doesn't yet have the conviction to sail on my behalf.
And that left the question on who would lead the rest of the army through the Red Mountains. He could trust Ser Bruze and Lord Dondarrion to act on his behalf, but he had to be sure that they would actually achieve their objective by traversing the Red Mountains and towards the Reach itself. Like the rest of his siblings, he knew that taking the Kingdom of the Reach was the key to winning the war, as it was the center of the Faith and of chivalric tradition. The Kingdom of the Rock might have had gold reserves, but gold was useless if one didn't have farmland, and the Reach was the breadbasket of the entire continent south of the Neck.
So, he sent a message to Dragonstone and asked for his father for help. He might not be a tactical genius, but he does know how to control lords. With Vermidrexes, it'll be very easy for him to do so.
Hearing twin roars in the distance, Orys saw two large shapes approaching Crow's Nest. He smiled as the unmistakable forms of Vermidrexes and Oceanwave came closer before outstretching their wings and landing in front of the wooden castle.
It felt as if it had been months since he had seen his father, as the occurrences from when he felled Gawen Gardener had gone by so quickly in his mind. And now that he had achieved probably their most important victory yet, he felt himself change on many levels. But no matter what happened, he wanted to remain his father's son.
Aerion slid off Vermidrexes, his control over the previous cannibal clear as he patted the coal black dragon and it snorted happily. As for Valaena, she kissed her grey dragon's snout, causing what Orys could swear was a smile from Oceanwave. What surprised him the most was that Aerion and Valaena kissed each other deeply, the kind of kiss that he had only seen between Aegon and Rhaenys, and Jaenyx and Visenya.
Orys was not going to complain that his father and stepmother was enjoying a more openly passionate marriage, but this was quite the change since they had only reserved such feelings in private. Maybe being dragonriders themselves must have something to do with it.
Pulling away from their kiss, Aerion strode towards his son. Orys and his father embraced each other tightly, the familiar feelings of their touch coming back to them.
"My son," Aerion whispered in his ear.
"Kepa," Orys called him in High Valyrian. He turned to Valaena. "Muña."
Valaena smiled at him remembering what she had asked him to call her after she finally accepted him. "Orys," she kissed his cheek. "It seems as if victory comes naturally to you."
Orys blushed at his stepmother's praise. "I do what I can, muña. Nothing more to it."
Aerion chuckled. "Looks like being a lord taught you much regarding humility. But don't be too humble, as I want my son to brag more about his exploits."
"I will, kepa," Orys nodded.
"Now, show us to the great hall," Aerion gestured for his son to lead the way. "Although I must admit, I'm a little disappointed at how the castle."
Indeed, there was no other castle in Westeros to match Dragonstone in its glory, with Storm's End a close second. Orys might have heard some things about other castles such as Casterly Rock and Winterfell, but he never been to either and thus agreed with his father. Dragonstone and Storm's End are home, so there's nothing better for me.
Pouring his father and stepmother some Dornish red, Orys sat down across from them as he explained the situation. "After my commanders did the final count, we were able to crush the Reach army led by Prince Edmund Gardener with a total of twenty thousand dead and many more wounded and captured. From what we could guess, those were the most able troops that Prince Edmund had under his command and their destruction caused them to lose morale. Soon, the army will cross the Slayne to retake their lands and eventually invade the Reach itself."
Aerion and Valaena nodded in understanding.
"But we cannot ignore the treat from the sea," Orys continued. "The key to winning this way is to take the Reach and we ignore the number of ships that the Gardeners can command at our own peril. What's to stop them from sailing all the way around Dorne to attack us on the eastern coast of the continent and eventually threaten Storm's End and Dragonstone?"
"What will you do to address that threat, Orys?" Aerion asked.
"I have led ships into battle before, but I intend to really test my crews on how well they can perform on the sea. And since the creation of the fleet in these lands was my own idea, I have to lead it."
"Are you sure you're up for the task? Not that I doubt that you can lead your fleet around Dorne towards the west coast, since you always did have a unique type of persistence," Valaena placed her chin on her hands. "But you sure you can contend with the numbers assembled by Redwynes and the ironborn?"
"From what we could gather, the ironborn and those who had answered the Starry Sept's call have only engaged in an alliance with each other for convenience," Orys answered.
"That makes sense," Aerion pursed his lips. "Darvin Hoare wants to have family's lands back, while the Starry Sept is willing to make some concessions in order to utilize the ironborn's naval strengths. But that still doesn't erase the fact that the ironborn periled the Lannisters and the Gardeners for a long time before they even conquered the riverlands."
"And that knowledge is what we can use to our advantage," Orys stated. "They won't share command, and they won't cooperate. Numbers are useless if there is no unity among the leaders. And because I will be leading the fleet, we will be in a better position to fight."
"But why do you need us here, Orys? As far as I can see, you're doing fine all by yourself," Valaena asked.
"I can trust Ser Bruze Tarth and Lord Dondarrion to lead the army on my behalf while I sail around Dorne to the Arbor. But without my presence and given how they gave Argella a hard time while I was a prisoner, I can't trust them to behave while I'm gone. And that's where you both can comie in."
"Ah," Aerion nodded, understanding. "You want us to keep the stormlords in line. Because I have experience in dealing with those who were disobedient towards us and we have two dragons, they'll be easier to control while you command your fleet."
"Exactly," Orys confirmed. "You don't have to actually command the army, as I have men who are skilled at tactics and battle strategy. But keep them in line and focused towards the goal. We cannot afford any scheming among the lords at this point, because our first priority is to win the war and we can accomplish that by staying united."
Aerion grinned while Valaena could see that the bastard who spent much of his time whoring in Dragonstone had really matured into an able lord and commander.
"All right," Aerion drunk his Dornish red. "We'll keep the troops focused and motivated while you're gone. If the stormlords are as who you say they are, then it should be very interesting. I was looking forward to getting back into plotting anyway." Orys raised his eyebrow. "I was being sarcastic, son," Aerion assured him.
"Good to hear," Orys nodded slowly. "On a more personal matter, I'm glad to see you that you and muña are being more expressive with your marriage, but I wish to know what exactly happened that made it so."
"Well, Orys, I think it's because we are truly dragons," Valaena grasped Aerion's hand. "We might have had dragonblood, but only after we tamed our own dragons were we able to understand that being the blood and riding our mounts allows us to be what we are supposed to be. And age doesn't determine passion, as long as we have both and each other," Valaena kissed Aerion's cheek. "It makes us wonder what we have missed when Egg, Rhae, Vis, and Jaenyx had dragons and enjoyed such fervid unions."
"I am sure you were like that even before you had dragons," Orys tried to comfort them.
"We did have a good marriage, son," Aerion crossed his arm with Valaena's. "What we are trying to say is that having dragons made it better. It unlocked the fire that might have been mitigated since we didn't have mounts of our own."
Orys sighed, thinking about what his marriage to Argella was like. There were feelings and she did love him, but they still haven't consummated it yet.
"I trust that your love life is as passionate as ours," Valaena eyed Orys knowingly.
"We're getting there," Orys replied with a truthful statement.
"Well," Aerion also knew what he was implying but decided not to press him further. "I'm sure that once this war is done, I can expect some dragonstags."
With Aerion about to be a grandfather of two babes, it was only naturally that he wanted more grandchildren. "They'll come," he promised.
"You sure?" Valaena cocked her head at him.
"I'm sure."
Gods, I might have some explaining to do to Argella. We might have to progress our marriage further, or kepa is going to very disappointed. While Orys knew better, he didn't want to deny his father a chance at more grandchildren. But take it slow and don't force it. After all, that's why she loved me because I considered what she wanted.
But besides that, Orys had to begin the journey back to Storm's End and then the preparations for the voyage around Dorne. Whatever his part may be, he knew that everyone will play a vital role towards the final victory. And we shall triumph, or it's over for us.
A/N: The battle's basic plan was based on the Third Battle of Kharkov (1943), but condensed to highlight some of the key tactical maneuvers that the Germans pulled off against the Soviets.
With the Gardeners' strength in the stormlands now broken, Orys can lead the stormlords towards the Reach. But he will also fight on the seas, since the Redwynes and the ironborn remain a threat. To control the Reach, the dragons have to destroy every part of their strength to show who is control. Besdies the ironborn, the Redwynes represented one of the biggest threats to the realm since their fleet makes them very influential and thus takes away power from the crown.
And I thought how Aerion and Valaena having dragons would affect them, and we see the positive effects of having their own dragonmounts. Plus, I feel that for Aerion and Valaena to have voice in the affairs of the Westeros, they have to pull their weight. While not military commanders, they will be useful in ensuring that the stormlords remain focused on the common goal, given that they have not proven trustworthy. With dragons, it will be easy.
Next, we revisit the Vale.