A/N: Hey, guys! Hope you are continuing to be safe and healthy.
Just recently got around to watching HAMILTON. I don't usually watch musicals, but as the American Revolution and its characters are among my favorite periods to study, I had to indulge my curiosity. If you can focus on the historical elements of it, I recommend you all to check it out.
JAENYX X
Having encircled the seat of House Merryweather and cutting off all routes of supply and reinforcement, all they needed to do now was to starve them out, burn them out, or assault directly. But unlike Stonebridge, they needed the castle intact, as it was positioned atop a commanding position over the confluence between the Mander and the Blueburn. Once the castle was secure, practically all of the Mander north of Highgarden would be in their hands.
However, Lord Glover pointed out a future problem on the map. "Your Graces, my lords, while it is important that the Mander is secure, we must not ignore the threat that comes from the Northmarch, particularly from the Marshalls in House Osgrey."
Jaenyx had read about the Osgreys, arguably the most powerful house in the northern Reach. Loyalty to the Gardeners ran deep in their family, who owned three castles besides their main one at Coldmoat, and one of their ancestors, Ser Wilbert Osgrey, killed but was also killed himself by Lancel IV, King of the Rock. And at least five houses were connected to the green lions of Coldmoat by blood, which were the Florents, the Swanns, Tarbecks, Hightowers, and Blackwoods. Whoever ruled from Coldmoat certainly knew what he was doing, Jaenyx thought since he had to give credit where it was due.
"Your concerns are well-founded, Lord Glover," Aegon looked at Coldmoat on the map. "We all know that there is little chance of us striking at Cider Hall, since it is very probable that Mern Gardener has reinforced probably the last great fortress before Highgarden itself. Like us, he knows that if Cider Hall is exposed, his capital will be endangered. Longtable must be secured if we are to maintain our foothold in the Reach, but after that, we have to choose between a push towards Ashford or the Northmarch."
"Egg, I suggest we go for Ashford," Jaenyx recommended. "It'll accomplish two goals for us. We secure our southeastern flank and provide a viable route from which the stormlanders under kepa and muña can join us."
Both Jaenyx and Aegon had received the messages from Aerion and Valaena, in which they would lead half of all of the stormlanders to retake all of the lands west of the Slayne and march through the Red Mountains to support the main attack on the Reach. Meanwhile, Orys would set sail around Dorne once the fleet was ready and attack to the south.
Attacking from the land and sea… a good strategy, Jaenyx thought.
"That'll overextend our forces, Your Grace. Increasing the risk is the fact that Longtable, Cider Hall, and Ashford are all located on the same bank of the Mander and have no rivers separating them. We would then be in danger from Mern Gardener sending his forces from Cider Hall," Lord Manderly stated.
"The same could be said if we sent our troops towards the Northmarch and against the Osgreys," Torrhen countered. "However, we'll be dealing with a much larger area to cover and we'll have to worry about securing another river. Our efforts will be for naught if we ignore Coldmoat and Goldengrove."
"At the same time, we'll be increasing our hold over the entire northern Reach," Lord Bolton said. "We'll be protecting our other flank and also keep the Gardeners from concentrating all of their forces over a small area. We might be stretching our resources, but so will they."
"Don't forget, Lord Rogar," Ethan Reed joined in. "This is their home. They have the defensive advantage and the numbers. Until the stormlanders under Lord Aerion and Lady Valaena can join us, we cannot afford to spread out our troops over a large portion of land. More importantly, we'll be going in a more roundabout manner if we try to take Coldmoat and Goldengrove since they're a considerable distance away from Highgarden."
"Our goal, Lord Ethan, is not to take Highgarden at this point," Aegon spoke. "As you and the others have noted, we have very limited resources. Our supply concerns have been somewhat alleviated with the crops and livestock we were able to procure as we marched through this kingdom, and the idea of flying straight to Highgarden is a tempting one. However, we have to make definitive gains on the Reach."
"And for that to happen, Egg, we need more men. That's why I propose we go after Ashford once Longtable has been taken," Jaenyx advocated.
"Prince Jaenyx, we cannot ignore the threat from the Northmarch, even though your reasons for taking Ashford are sound," Lord Manderly argued. "As long as the Osgreys have a place from which to launch attacks, we are vulnerable."
"At the same time, my lord, any success that could be gained from an attack on the Northmarch will depend on securing the Horseshoe Hills," Jaenyx circled his hand over the land feature. "Those hills contain not one, not two, but three castles: Coldmoat, Steadfast, and Stackhouse. And we would need to attack them simultaneously to maximize the chances of success, which we realistically cannot do with the men we have. Whereas for Ashford, we would only need to take one castle and one market village, which would require less resources and secure a good route for the stormlords. From these factors alone, which do you think is the most perferable?"
It wasn't hard to answer that question, but something in Jaenyx's mind told him that he shouldn't just disregard an attack on the Northmarch simply because it would tie up resources.
"With respect, Prince Jaenyx, I'm very sure that's something that Mern Gardener would also expect," Torrhen pointed out. "He probably knows that if the stormlords managed to get across the Red Mountains, we'll be to attack him with confidence. Besides Cider Hall, he could also reinforce Ashford to prevent that from happening."
Jaenyx rubbed his chin in thought. The more he thought about it, the more Torrhen Stark's words made a lot of sense.
"Also, an attack on the Northmarch will secure our northern route to the riverlands," Lord Bolton added. "At this moment, the only way that we can hope for resupply or retreat is through Tumbleton. In the event that Tumbleton falls, we'll be trapped. We have to make sure that we have more than one avenue of supply and retreat if necessary."
"Hmmm," Jaenyx tapped the ground with his foot.
"What… about… Blackwood?" Konno asked in the common tongue. "Can… he… send… men?"
"Lord Blackwood's main duty is to protect the parts of the riverlands under our control from attack from Loren Lannister," Aegon told him. "If we take troops from Raventree Hall and from the region, we'll be opening up the riverlands to attack again. After all of the efforts we put in retaking it, that's not something we want happening."
"Maybe… he… can… spare… a… few," Konno spoke slowly, but everyone could understand his point.
"Egg, maybe it's time we reveal what's going on," Jaenyx whispered to him. "They might keep asking us to have Lord Blackwood send troops to help us."
"I don't know if that's a good idea. They might not take the fact that an enemy commander is working for us," Aegon was skeptical.
"We won't say names. After all, we wouldn't want probably our most valuable asset in the enemy camp to be exposed because of some loose lips."
Aegon sighed before nodding. "You're the master of whisperers. You do it."
Jaenyx nodded. "My lords, we have recently received an indication about this war changing in our favor."
"What do you mean, Your Grace?" Torrhen Stark was curious, as well as the rest of the northern lords gathered and Konno Haru.
"For the safety of our man, we won't reveal his name. But he's a senior commander in Loren's army and one of his most powerful bannermen."
Torrhen's eyelids fickered while the northern lords whispered amongst themselves. As for Konno Haru, he spoke to Jaenyx in nihongo. "Who is he?"
"I'll tell you in private," Jaenyx replied back in nihongo.
"Your Grace, why weren't we told about this?" Lord Bolton asked.
"Because it only recently happened, and we had to prepare for the envelopment of Longtable," Jaenyx answered. "What you all need to know at this moment is that he gave us key information about a new weapon that the Faith has developed to counter the dragons and is in a position where he can sabotage Loren Lannister once we give him the word."
"But for that to happen, he needs the men that can be gathered by Raventree Hall as well as the other houses for his role to be accomplished. Therefore, we cannot ask Lord Blackwood to send troops to our aid, for that will both put our positions in the riverlands at risk and take away the help that our man in the enemy's camp needs when the time comes," Aegon included. "So, for now, we have to work with what we have."
Torrhen clicked. "Still, Your Grace, I don't like the idea of consorting with an enemy lord, especially one who is a turncoat."
"Lord Torrhen, if we denied this man's offer of help, this war would be prolonged," Jaenyx stated.
"But we must be cautious, as this man might turn on us if he saw more benefits in staying true to King Loren," Torrhen cautioned.
"If he betrayed us, I'll leak his name to King Loren, and he can kill him for us. So, we have nothing to worry about," Jaenyx assured the Warden of the North.
Torrhen and the rest of the northern lords still had doubts, but knowing Jaenyx's abilities in the secret arts, they knew better than to question him further.
"Going back to whether to move on either the Northmarch or Ashford, I think it best if we used a diversion," Aegon's eyes moved over the map. "Once Longtable is taken, I will direct Lord Manderly, Lord Karstark, Lord Tarareon, Lord Reed, and Jaenyx to move our light troops and many of our horsemen to forage the land and harass the enemy. In that way, we can keep the Reachmen off-balance while we go for the true target."
"Your Grace, which will be the diversion, and which will be the target?" Torrhen asked.
"I have decided that after Longtable, our focus is to take Ashford," Aegon sided with Jaenyx. "We have to secure the line from the former Storm kingdom, so that the stormlords would have a clear path from the Red Mountains. But… Lord Bolton's and Lord Manderly's words on the Northmarch cannot be ignored. Therefore, six thousand footmen will march towards the Horseshoe Hills and begin putting those castles under siege."
"Your Grace, six thousand men is hardly sufficient to assault a castle, let alone the lands under House Osgrey," Lord Manderly stated the facts.
"At this point, I am not asking you to take any of them. Until the stormlords arrive, we cannot move onto the other fortresses. Perhaps if one castle in the Horseshoe Hills fell, then that could confuse Mern Gardener," Aegon suggested.
"In that case, we should take Stackhouse. Not an entirely strong castle, but its position near Coldmoat makes it a very good place from which to threaten the Osgreys," Jaenyx pointed to thee location of Stackhouse. "I can take Lord Konno and some of his men and do a repeat of what happened at Haystack Hall."
"That can work," Aegon agreed. "Now, we have to focus on how we're going to win at Longtable. I don't expect the Merryweathers to be dislodged so easily from there."
Jaenyx marched with his forces under the cover of night as they moved into position further south of Longtable. With him was Konno Haru, Ethan Reed, Aevor Rahitheon, Rhaedar Tarareon, and Larence Karstark, as their role in the attack required a mixture of strength and speed for them to triumph. But where they would end up carried great risk, as they were probably in one of the most fortified areas of the Reach at that moment. As before, time was against them and they couldn't afford to spend it on sieges and the like.
Jaenyx remembered what was discussed at the camp outside of Longtable after deciding on the overall strategy. In order to dislodge the Merryweathers from Longtable, Aegon and Torrhen Stark would attack the castle in a pincer movement. In the process, they would cut off all routes of escape except for one, which led directly to Cider Hall. Knowing that the Merryweathers were badly depleted from Stonebridge, they would either have to fight to the last in order to defend their castle or fall back to their brethren at Cider Hall.
Should the former occur, it wouldn't take long for the castle to fall. They commanded overwhelming numbers and an assault at night would have more success during the day because most of the garrison would be sleeping.
Should the latter occur, Jaenyx would be able to meet them head on and prevent their escape to Cider Hall. There would be disarray from the retreat from Longtable and they would not be in a formation to fight them. They would then maximize their gains and minimize losses.
The attack would begin when Balerion set the second highest tower of Longtable on fire, where the northmen would be very close to walls to begin scaling them by ladders. If everything went according to plan, it would be an easy victory.
But only if it were so easy… Jaenyx cautioned himself. Despite the successes that they were able to enjoy, they could not remain complacent. They also had to take into account that the enemy might have obtained a better idea of how they fought and would not fall for the same tactics twice.
Adding to his anxiety was the mist that had suddenly fallen onto the field. It was much too thick, as Jaenyx could barely see past a few inches. Consequently, the troops under his command moved much slower. Visibility was one of the key aspects of success on the battlefield and they didn't have that. Why did a mist show up out of al places?
"I don't like the way this looks," Konno spoke in nihongo while keeping his voice down. "A mist before battle is never a good sign."
"I know," Jaenyx said.
"No, you don't know," Konno answered. "Plenty of nasty things can happen whenever a mist appears. I would know because I made the mistake of trying to kill in a mist."
"Wouldn't something like this be perfect to jump on your target?" Jaenyx asked.
"The thing is, if they can't see through a mist, you can't also. I might have got my target, but I was almost caught because I couldn't see my escape route. That's how dangerous a mist like this is," Konno warned.
Jaenyx exhaled. "Nothing we can do about it now. We have a battle to fight."
"Just keep your eyes open, as I taught you. You never know what could happen."
"Right," Jaenyx affirmed.
They spent a good chunk of the day before dawn trying to get into the correct position. Jaenyx and the others knew that they were on the correct bank of the Mander, but they couldn't tell how far away from Longtable they were. If they were out of position, their plans would have been jeopardy. He reached out to Cloudwynd, who was flying above just in case. Cloudwynd, girl, can you see anything down here?
The mist is too thick. I can't see where you are, she responded.
Any word from Balerion? From how long they were moving, the attack was about to happen soon.
The troops are moving on the castle, but it's too quiet. Something's not right here.
Keep circling above us. I don't think the mist will last much longer, but there's no telling what will happen once it lifts.
Got it.
Fortunately, the troops were able to stay in formation and the cavalry remained close to the footmen. But more time passed and Jaenyx could hear neither the roars from Balerion nor the sounds of swords clashing against each other. Like Konno and the rest of the troops, he caught on that their battle plan was already not going the way it was supposed to be, as it was too quiet, and the mist certainly didn't help matters.
In time, as the morning grew later, the mist slowly lifted from the field and visibility improved. As the land became clearer, Jaenyx's eyes scanned rapidly, looking for any sign of the enemy. Gradually, the outline of Longtable was revealed to the troops. To their shock, it remained as it were the day before. Not even a scratch on the stones or a smoke plume. Why haven't Egg and Lord Stark attacked?
A single metal clink echoed through the dying mist. Alarmed, Jaenyx looked from Longtable and down onto the field. His eyes widened as the silhouettes of mounted knights, men-at-arms, and footmen appeared through the thinning mist. As they moved closer, he could make out the sigils of House Merryweather, House Appleton, and House Meadows.
Wait a moment. How did the other two houses get here?
"Your Grace, look!" Ethan Reed pointed to behind them.
Jaenyx turned around and saw another force coming towards them. He could recognize the sigil of House Fossoway, House Oakheart, and even the red spider of House Webber.
Wasting no time pondering on how they were misled and encircled, Jaenyx shouted, "To arms! Defensive formation!"
The troops assumed identical formations, the phalanx, which were faced back-to-back, while the Karstark horsemen would provide the troops with the protection they needed from the mounted knights.
Jaenyx assessed the situation. Not only were they outnumbered, they were caught in an unfavorable position, in which their foes could easily overwhelm them. Standing on open ground was very dangerous and that's where they were now.
"Lord Reed, Lord Karstark, hold our northern flank. Rhaedar, Aevor, hold our southern flank. I'm thinking that the others are just discovering that there is no one in the castle and they will come to us. Until then, we have to hold them. Understood?"
"Yes, Your Grace," they all answered.
"Good luck. Stay close to me, teacher," Jaenyx stood next to Konno.
"Worry about yourself, Jaenyx. I can fight," Konno tried to assure him.
"This is only for my peace of mind. We need to stay close since we're about to be encircled if we're not careful."
Konno drew his katana. "You know, Jaenyx. I'm always careful."
Horns blew from their approaching adversaries, which signaled the first wave of knights to charge on horseback.
"Pikes down! Archers ready!" Jaenyx ordered. The Rahitheon and Tarareon men lowered their pikes while other Tarareon men and crannogmen equipped with bows and crossbows took aim. "Lord Larence, once the knights have been engaged, sally forth with your cavalry. Engage only their flanks!"
"Yes, Your Grace," Larence nodded before galloping to prepare his men.
The Reach knights lowered their lances while their horses gave them more momentum with each inch passed. Knowing that they were not on favorable terrain and that they had to save as much of their strength for the next wave of Reachmen, Jaenyx looked over the formations once more. Each of the captains had organized their men into squares, with pikes arranged in two rows and the missile troops of the Tarareons and Reeds positioned between them, while the Karstark cavalry were holding in between the phalanxes. He also told each of the battalion captains to step back a few paces after the Reach knights crashed into their lines.
Once they got close enough, Jaenyx nodded to Ethan Reed, who wiped the sweat from his brow. "At two hundred paces, ready arrows!" he ordered.
The first wave of armored knights entered the effective range of their bows and crossbows, the lances not doing much to intimidate a small but battle-hardened force. "Loose!" Ethan Reed gave the command.
A volley of arrows crossbow bolts flew through the air before striking at the knights, cutting down many and forcing several of their horses to stop. But the sight of so many of their brothers dying, which were partly caused by the armor-piercing arrow tips that Jaenyx's troops were equipped with, did little to deter them. Pressing on their charge, they collided into the waiting pikes. As expected, many were unhorsed while many of their mounts were injured once their skin and flesh were pierced.
Jaenyx swung Seablaze onto the coming torso of a Merryweather knight, knocking him over as he tried to make a pass at him on his horse. The force was so strong that it knocked the armored man off of his mount, allowing him to get close, move Seablaze through the gap between his helm and breastplate, and kill him with a stab in the neck.
Jaenyx turned around and saw that his other formation had also made contact with other force of Reach knights. Arros and crossbow bolts flew through the air and more of practitioners of chivalry become corpses on the ground, allowing the burden of fighting on multiple sides to be lessened. However, they were still about to be encircled and Jaenyx worried for the men once the enemy infantry engaged them.
Searching through the field, Jaenyx saw the Karstark horsemen, alongside the Tarareon cavalry, combating with the Reach footmen. The Karstarks fought their way through the pikes and struck at the flanks as instructed, while the Tarareons assumed their traditional formations and rained down a continuous stream of arrows on horseback.
"Push, men! Push!" Jaenyx shouted. Once the knights were locked in close battle, the infantry used their pikes to drive them back while stepping over the bodies. But he was smart enough to have the formations not move so far out of position and out of formation, since that would put them at increased risk of penetration by the enemy.
Once the pressure from the pikes became too much to handle, the Reach knights fell back, only for the infantry to move in. The Tarareons were continuing to put arrows in them, but they kept marching forward.
"Archers, resume volleys!" Jaenyx pointed to the infantry closing on them. Reed and Tarareon foot bowmen joined the mounted archers in hurling projectiles at their foes, but they were in tight formation and well-protected by their shields.
Realizing that they would not last long if the enemy was able to enclose them, Jaenyx reached out to Cloudwynd. Girl, we need help. Burn them!
With pleasure, Cloudwynd responded. Soon, a screech pierced through the sounds of the battle, as the blue dragon descended from the still dim skies and unleashed her blue flames onto the field. Dragons might have struggled with nighttime conditions, but the clash of metal was enough for them to determine where to burn. In one stroke, the Reachmen infantry coming from the north were incapacitated as their rearguard was set aflame.
Jaenyx heard Cloudwynd's wings flap in the distance. Come on, girl. One more time.
Hold on. He's coming, his dragon spoke in his thoughts.
Soon, another set of wings could be made out, this one being louder. "Balerion," he recognized. His loud and deep roar echoed as black flames poured onto the rearguard of the other Reachmen footmen formation.
"They're coming," Konno observed. Another roar from Balerion confirmed his teacher's words.
Energized about the help coming, Jaenyx and the men redoubled their efforts against the enemy. At the same time, the enemy continued to advance, with their reformed mounted knights also joining the charge.
The Reach horsemen broke into a gallop towards the parallel lines of Jaenyx's men, while the Reach footmen double-timed their advance. Jaenyx's men held tight and then, as the mounted Reach knights were almost upon them, the first line dropped to their knees, pikes lowered, axes raised, and swords unsheathed. When the Reachmen hit them, those weapons are speared into the breasts and legs of horses that fall and thrash on them.
Reach knights are thrown into the mud, footmen throw themselves on their foes, and all hell had broken loose. The field outside of Longtable quickly became a seething mess of mud and flailing knights, confused thrashing horses, and men locked in a desperate struggle for survival. Men are trampled and bashed. A knight, fallen in the dirt, got stuck face down and crawled around helplessly. He tried to lift himself, but a horse fell on top of him, pinning him to drown in the hard earth. A Rahitheon raised his axe and finished him.
Jaenyx found himself crawling on the ground, wrestling with a Reach knight. He held the knight's helmet, took it off, and began bashing him into the ground. The earth became sodden with blood, eventually suffocating the poor knight, while he himself was started to become pummeled by men and horses. When the knight stopped struggled, he tried desperately to get back to his feet, but found the task near impossible with men and horses right on top of him.
He managed to grab onto a horse's stirrup and lift himself up, only to find himself jammed between the rumps of two other terrified horses. Desperate for breath, Jaenyx managed to get his helmet off. He lifted his face to the sky and sucked in the air.
Oh, gods. How did this happen? He might have been experienced in battle, but never before was he so stuck between corpses.
It was not different in the other places, as the Reachmen and his own troops were choking and clawing at each other like drunken brawlers. Jaenyx had seen desperation bring out sides of a man in battle, but this time was different. For the first time, he legitimately felt afraid for his life, because he had more people to be responsible for and more people who needed him. He thought of Aegon and Orys, who would struggle to move on if he had died. He thought of Rhaenys, who became the sister he never knew he needed. Most importantly, he thought of Visenya and their unborn babe, since sorrow would be insufficient to describe what they would feel if he died right there.
Kepa and muña left me alone. I will never do that. I'm coming, Vis. Just wait!
Forcing himself to stand up, ignoring the blood and muck that covered every inch of his armor and hair, Jaenyx raised Seablaze and looked upon the chaotic field.
As men are cut down around him, Jaenyx threw himself back into the fray, confounding the Reachmen with his speed and agility. He slid and fell, but nimbly gets back to his feet, dodging and moving, cutting and stabbing. Armored Reach knights fall and flail, as the intensity showed no sign of letting up. Unsheathing his dagger, he jams it into their throats as he is sucked into the swirling pit. Jaenyx got dragged to the ground by a floundering Reach knight. He responded by caving the knight's helmet in with the hilt of his dagger and then crawled beneath a horse's belly to get back to his feet. He manages to suck in air like earlier.
Looking into the sky, Jaenyx as another barrage of arrows flew overhead, but this came from different direction. Wiping his eyes, he saw that the reinforcements led by Torrhen Stark had finally arrived. He also saw Balerion land not far from the battle, breathing black fire onto anyone that was foolish to come close while Aegon dismounted, drew Flame Screecher forth from his back, and engaged the enemy.
Relieved to see his goodbrother, Jaenyx smashed his way through the throng of metal and flesh. But he found his path blocked by a man sporting the apple sigil of House Fossoway. Turning around, the man readied himself, his face indiscernible from behind the helm.
Jaenyx charged forward, swinging his sword. The Fossoway knight blocks and deflects him easily causing him to stumble. The apple knight remained calm and seemed cocksure as Jaenyxed regathered himself.
"Come for me, blue dragon," the Fossoway knight challenged him.
"So, you know who I am," Jaenyx gripped Seablaze tighter.
"I am Ser Victor Fossoway, brother of Lord Talbert Fossoway. Didn't expect us to use the mist against you, huh?"
"Clever on your part, but I have no intention of dying today," Jaenyx shot back.
"What are you waiting for then? Fight me, to live."
Jaenyx attacked again, this time steadier, more sure-footed. They trade blows. Ser Victor was a powerful and battle-fit warrior. Jaenyx was a bit more troubled by the contest, struggling to keep his feet while trading blows with him. They fight, separate and circle each other.
Despite his ascendency, Ser Victor seemed surprised by the fight Jaenyx offers, with the brother of Lord Fossoway having so much faith in his abilities that he didn't expect his opponent to have agility.
Another vicious exchange took place, with Jaenyx headbutted Ser Victor. The men break, watching each other and catching their breath as they circle one another.
"Come for me again, dragon," Ser Victor dared.
Jaenyx raised Seablaze and stood firm as he waited, while the battle raged around them.
Ser Victor coldly fixed on him before charging. The exchange becomes brutal, as Jaenyx found himself struggling under the push strike from the Fossoway knight's sword. Feeling his arms about to give out, he bent backwards and heard his sword ring as their blades slid past each other. Pulling his dagger from its scabbard, he readied himself once more. Ser Victor laughs from behind his visor before he charged again. Jaenyx ducked and spun around, causing Ser Victor to trip and fall. Jaenyx wheeled around and thrusts his dagger straight through the Fossoway knight's throat. Ser Victor's corpse falls to the ground, dead. Jaenyx could only stand over him, heaving for breath.
Eventually, the sounds of the battle dissipate, as the combination of the northmen reinforcements and two dragons burning them proved too much for the Reachmen. Jaenyx bends and lifts Ser Victor's helmet off, contemplating his lifeless face as the rest of the Reachmen retreat.
Too much could have gone wrong, and it almost did for Jaenyx and the men. Caught in the open, only by their fingernails and romping in the blood-soaked earth were they able to survive. He surveyed the field, the dead littering it all over. He guessed that they suffered more casualties than expected. How did this happen?
"Jae," he heard Aegon call to him before putting his hand on his shoulder. "You all right?"
"Yeah," Jaenyx mumbled, clearly in shock.
"Jae, none of this anyone's fault. Who knew that the flower boys would be this clever?" Aegon tried to make light of the situation, but he found it difficult to do so considering what could have happened.
"How could we have been so careless?" Jaenyx thought aloud. "We clearly didn't expect our foes to use surprise against us."
"We learn, and we adapt," Aegon reminded him. "That's what you've taught us and that's what we're going to do. In addition, you have a prize today."
Jaenyx looked again at the corpse of the Fossoway. "Ser Victor Fossoway, brother of the Lord of Cider Hall."
"What do you want to do with him? He's your kill, after all."
Jaenyx swallowed. "Let's remove his armor and his sword. We'll send his body back, if they want it."
"Good idea. You two," Aegon called two northmen over. "Strip this man of his armor and bring that and his sword to Prince Jaenyx's tent."
"Yes, Your Grace," the two complied.
"Come on. Let's get you washed. Can't have you be filthy when you do see Vis again," Aegon pushed him towards Longtable, now in their hands, as they passed by their troops collecting the dead and piling all of the weapons while pillaging the corpses.
Just wait, Jae. You'll see her again, Jaenyx told himself. "Aye. Thanks, Egg."
A/N: The battle of Longtable was based on the Battle of Kawanakajima (1561), one of the most famous battles in the Sengoku period of Japan. And I wanted to show that Jaenyx was not completely immune to other people using surprise against him. This will be a good reminder to not be complacent, as many things could have gone wrong. On the flip side, Jaenyx adds another notable kill to his achievements and helped win the day.
Also, we have more strategic considerations, both of which have merit, while the northmen are understandably concerned about Lord Reyne's defection. But as Jaenyx said, they're not in a position to be choosy.
Next, we reach a turning point further north.