A/N: Hi there! Just came back from vacation and I really needed to get out of the house. But I was able to recharge, see nature, and do some hiking. So worth it!
Sorry for the slight delay.
RHAENYS XI
Rhaenys took out her knife and carved the small branch she found in the mountains as fast as she could. Bits of the branch were shaved off, as she fashioned it into a tool that Arata Haru showed her that made her wonder how many ways existed in killing a person.
What she was trying to make from the branch was called a tongah, which was a hollow shaft utilized whenever archers used an aegijian, which meant "baby arrow." As the name would suggest, it was a type short arrow or bolt that would be released using the tongah. The wooden shaft would allow the archer to draw a short arrow at a full draw length with a full-sized bow, as its main function was to be an overdraw device. When Rhaenys first saw a demonstration by Arata, she got confused, as a tongah used with a bow looked very similar to a crossbow.
But as she would discover, there were several advantages that came when shooting a shorter arrow, or aegjian. The shorter arrow was lighter, which meant that they could travel faster through the air, and it allowed for more arrow to flow past it smoothly. They were released with a higher pace, which resulted in greater range and could hit the target more quickly. Their speed and small size also made it harder for any prey to see them coming. Their higher speed and traveling efficiency meant that they had a better chance at penetrating armor at long range, although they still could be stopped with enough distance. Any broken arrows could also be made into the short arrows.
Rhaenys learned that in the type of war practiced in the Golden Empire of Yi-Ti, archers routinely used boys behind the front line to run and collect the arrows released by the enemy that missed their marks. This would quickly resupply the frontline bowmen with the missiles used against them that went too high or to the sides of the unit. A number of efforts over time were invented to prevent the enemy from responding with the arrows fired against them. The aegijian was one method, as opposing forces who lacked a similar device as the tongah would be unable to use the short arrows on the field, and there was no chance that the enemy had bowmen who were familiar with what they were facing.
Rhaenys witnessed the power of the aegijian device when Arata took her hunting one time. When they were in the Crackclaw Point, there was a deer that was too far away for them to hurl a traditional arrow with. But it was a long day and they both needed to eat, so Arata showed her how to make the aegijian from scratch. Once it was done, Arata aimed carefully and released. To her surprise, not only did it strike its mark, it went through both sides of the deer's neck and into the bark of another tree. Arata then told her that it was perfect for ambushes, as her potential foes would not be able to both use her arrows against her and know for sure where it came from.
The reason why Rhaenys decided to use those arrows was because Brandon told her that a Vale army was coming from Heart's Home. With Meraxes still recuperating from her injuries and with the existence of the scorpion making flying riskier, she had to rely on Brandon and Autumn in scouting the enemy. Fortunately, they both proved up to the task, as they were able to witness the Valemen assembling at the seat of House Corbray and ascertained that their target was Strongsong.
As House Belmore willingly bent the knee to House Targaryen, Rhaenys had an obligation to protect her new vassal in the Vale. Lord Belmore was understandably worried about his brethren coming towards him, as any loss for Rhaenys would directly and negatively affect him. Nothing good happens to those who turn their cloaks.
"One of our best options is to fortify our positions here at Strongsong," Ondrew Poole suggested. "We have a castle in a good defensive position, and we can use the valley and the mountains on the north and south banks of the river as a chokepoint, negating whatever numbers that our enemy might have."
"Their numbers equal ours. If we wait for them, we have a good chance in repelling them," Lord Darry agreed.
Rhaenys knew enough of strategy to understand that when attacking defensive positions, the attackers always had to outnumber the defenders and that was not the case for the upcoming fight.
"I would not argue against defending Strongsong, since we can also wait them out," Bethany Mormont concurred. "However, this castle might not be their objective. If you look at where Heart's Home is, it's closer to the Eyrie than we are. Also, it controls the other half of the valley and is the entrance to the sea from this part of the Vale. If we really want to put pressure on the Arryns, we have to seize the entire valley and threaten Heart's Home itself."
"If we present ourselves as too threatening, that could have the Vale send troops against us and not Princess Visenya," Lyanara pointed out.
Rhaenys was proud that her sister had taken Ironoaks without much loss of life, as the Waynwoods proved quite easy to cower into surrendering. With the capture of a major castle in the Vale, the heirs of two major houses, and the defeat of an army, all within the Vale proper, she was showing that she was a warrior and leader all on her own two feet. She was accomplishing her purpose of drawing the Vale's attention towards herself and not the other advance.
Brandon spoke up. "Waiting for the enemy is not a path that I would recommend right now. It is true that we cannot draw the Valemen's gaze away from Princess Visenya, but we have to seize the advantage wherever we can."
"What are you suggesting then, Lord Snow?" Lord Belmore asked.
"We take a portion of our forces, set up positions at this tributary, and attack from multiple sides via the mountainsides," Brandon pointed on the map.
"That could work," Sijurn nodded. "A few well-placed archers within the mountain faces will be enough to stop the lowlanders in their tracks."
"Not helping matters for them is that many will be equipped with heavy armor and weapons too cumbersome for close combat in the mountains," Lyanara said. "They'll find themselves very troubled if they were to continue the advance on us."
"That's leaving an awful lot to chance," Ondrew Poole was unsure. "We still don't have all of the mountain clansmen on our side and we need to not only even out our numbers, but to maximize our knowledge of the terrain in this kingdom. If we are to use the mountain sides to set up an ambush, we have to ensure that no one might attack from us behind and thus throwing all of our plans into disarray."
"You have no need to worry about that," Sijurn assured him. "There are only two choices that us clansmen have in this fight: join you or to stay on the sidelines. For those that join, we can get our lands back. For those that don't fight, they can see lowlanders kill other lowlanders. We benefit one way or the other."
Rhaenys was uncomfortable at that notion, but she realized that the value in the clan chief's words. Better to have them sitting out, if they won't side with us.
"Sijurn also offers a good option regarding bowmen," Brandon concurred. "Using the mountainsides, we can release arrows from multiple angles and cause enough casualties for our main forces to engage them. But the question now is which place can we use to attack them?"
Rhaenys looked over the map, which was spread out in Lord Belmore's main solar. After Strongsong bent the knee, it didn't take long for the rest of the army to assemble and rest after an arduous march through the mountains. But this was probably the most difficult part of their campaign in the Vale, as the trick in storming the Eyrie with the most surprise came from how well-timed their attack was. If they attack too early or too late, they would be delayed and would lose precious time in the war. The situation in Westeros was still precarious for them and they needed to be as careful as they could.
That's when an idea came to Rhaenys. "What about… drawing them out?"
"Your Grace?" Bethany asked.
"Maybe we don't have to take them all out at once. It is as all you have said. We cannot just let the enemy control the other half of this valley, but we also cannot wait for them to attack us. With my dragon still needing time to heal, we have to choose our targets wisely," Rhaenys stated.
"You make valid points, Your Grace, but what are you trying to say, if I may?" Lord Darry inquired.
"From what I can understand, the most important parts of any army are any that could move fast and are maneuverable. Applying those two traits, that would point to the archers and mounted troops. While the footmen provide the backbone of any force, they'll be exposed without knights or archers."
The top commanders in the solar of Strongsong looked at each other, slowly understanding what she was getting.
"You're suggesting that we find a way to take out the enemy horse and bowmen?" Lyanara spoke up.
"Should the enemy facing us lose all of the troops who could ride a horse and shoot bows, they won't be able to advance against us," Brandon answered.
"But how exactly will that be accomplished, Your Grace?" Lord Belmore queried.
"We use bait and we dangle it in front of Heart's Home," Rhaenys responded. "Provide too tempting of a prey that they will have to pursue it."
"What prey are you thinking of using, Your Grace?" Ondrew Poole questioned.
"Myself."
Silence filled the solar, everyone stunned by what she just said. Several moments passed by, as the idea of a queen willingly risking herself in battle had never occurred to any of them
"Your Grace, I must strongly protest against that," Lord Darry stated his objections. "A queen cannot be in the midst of battle, especially since you are carrying an heir."
"I have to concur with Lord Darry, Your Grace," Ondrew Poole joined him. "Your dragon cannot fly yet and you are carrying the future of House Targaryen at this moment. Should you attempt to enter battle in your condition, it could only spell disaster."
"Ondrew, would you say that to Torrhen if he wanted to go into battle but was missing an arm or a leg?" Bethany crossed her arms. "You are wrong to assume that pregnancy has made Queen Rhaenys less potent. In fact, she became more motivated and stronger because of it."
"That's right," Lyanara also spoke in defense of Rhaenys. "You are right to be concerned with her condition, but that is her child. She wouldn't be offering to do this if she really wanted to put her babe at grave risk. It appears that you all have much to learn on how strong the bond is between mother and child."
Rhaenys looked at the Mormont sisters, grateful of their support and how they defended her choice.
"And you lowlanders seem to forget that she's quite something with the bow and arrow," Sijurn remembered how Rhaenys bested him in archery. "She can take care of herself, and I for one want to see a queen fight for once. I've seen enough lowland queens who just let others fight for them, which is such a waste."
Rhaenys nodded her thanks to the clan chief.
"Well, us 'lowlanders' have an understanding of what inheritance is," Lord Belmore countered at Sijurn. "Her Grace is Queen of Westeros and her husband is king. One of the most important things of ensuring a throne is to make sure that there are heirs who can sit on that throne. And she is currently carrying what is hopefully the first of many heirs to come. If she brings herself into the thick of battle, the stress might endanger the babe and would thus endanger our sovereign rulers. If they are at risk, what's to happen to their supporters?"
Rhaenys could not believe what she was hearing. Even though House Belmore was of First Man origins, they acted so much like the southern houses that she grew tired of. What's more, Lord Belmore behaved like all other men in the south in that they didn't think women could handle combat, if that was his implication.
She tried very hard to control her temper, but her biting down hard on her teeth made that difficult to do.
Fortunately, Brandon stepped in before it got worse. "My lord, your concerns are understandable, and I should be glad because you are worried. You should be, because if we win, you stand to gain much. But I will say this in response. Rhaenys Targaryen has seen battle. She fought ever since Darvin Hoare tried to invade Dragonstone. She burned the ironborn at Wailing Willows and at Harrenhal, and she helped defeat Argilac Durrandon at Bronzegate. She also took part in close combat at Raventree Hall and has proven herself above her peers with the bow and her ability to lead. The only ones who can match her in terms of combat skill and leadership are her brother-husband the King, her sister Princess Visenya, her older brother Lord Orys, and her good-brother Prince Jaenyx. She is more than capable of fighting in battle, but also, she knows what she's capable of. Very few are blessed with the ability to be aware of their strengths and utilizing them to their full potential, and you're looking at one of them."
Rhaenys wasn't surprised that Brandon came to her defense. But she was still appreciative of how her future family was championing her in front of others.
"With that out of the way, might I suggest that we continue with the strategy? I'm sure that after Queen Rhaenys has made her case, we can see how to accomplish our goal in more detail," Brandon finished.
After the solar was emptied, Rhaenys sat down in the lord's chair across from Brandon. "I have to hand it to you, Brandon. You really know how to defuse a very bad situation."
"I honestly wasn't aware of how angry you became," Brandon admitted. "But I'm glad that I could help."
Rhaenys rubbed her forehead. "Gods… I just have to accept that this is going to be my life. But that doesn't that I will like it."
"Rhaenys, being a ruler is not as glorious as the songs and tales say. You have to deal with the toil that comes with commanding others, and most of them will not like you. In fact, a few might try to usurp you, as that is the usual response whenever predators smell weakness. Take it from me. I was castellan of Winterfell and I had to deal with so much headaches on Torrhen's behalf," Brandon explained.
"I understand all of that, but I still didn't expect ruling to be so thankless."
"That's what responsibility feels like. You will not like most of what you have to do, but when you look back on the hard times, they won't matter eventually. They'll just… be overshadowed by the triumphs and successes that you will enjoy as a ruler."
Rhaenys sighed. "I can only imagine that Vis, Egg, Jae, and Orys are going through the same things that I am. I scared those lords with Meraxes for being so hesitant in supporting us, but I have also to show that I am capable of rewarding loyalty."
"You will eventually find your balance as a ruler, Rhaenys. And if you think that your present struggles are bad, imagine what ruling in peace will be like. At least in war, they have to stand by you, or they die. Peace doesn't afford such a luxury."
"Like when you had to deal with Rogar Bolton before this war started?" Rhaenys asked.
"Exactly," Brandon nodded. "The Boltons and Starks had tensions that lasted for two thousand years. While we both came to terms, that doesn't mean that the conflicts between our houses went away. The reason why I admire Torrhen is because he can be a great warrior and also heed sound council when it comes to ensuring peace in the North. We might not be involved in many squabbles as in the south, but we still have to be vigilant and yet wise when it comes to the use of force."
Rhaenys nodded in understanding. "I think that's part of what we're doing now. We can use the dragons anytime we want, but we also show that we can be merciful and offer chances for those to come to our side. We'll be generous to those who see what we are trying to accomplish, and we'll hard-hearted to those who persist in resisting us. And they will see the consequences in fire and blood."
"Well said," Brandon bobbed his head in approval. "But we must hurry, as they need us further south."
Rhaenys knew what he was referring to. Despite winning a victory at Longtable, the advance had now stalled. They could not further advance against Highgarden, as Cider Hall was too heavily fortified. And Orys was now sailing around Dorne with his fleet, attempting to strike from the sea. Aegon, Jaenyx, and Orys needed her and Visenya and as much as troops as they could bring, since they could help tip the balance against the southern contingents of the Faith coalition to their favor. The longer they waited, the more time that their enemies had in preparing against them.
And that was the main reason why she had decided to offer herself as bait, since the enemy would find the chase of a queen too tempting to resist. Of course, she didn't move against the enemy by herself. Brandon, Autumn, and a group of both northmen and Vale mountain clansmen had accompanied her, helping to set up the ruse.
The first part of her plan was to seize the initiative. Sijurn knew about certain mountain passes and caves that allowed for their trip from Strongsong to be quicker and less strenuous. Following his lead, Rhaenys, Brandon and Autumn, and fifty bowmen then came upon the Vale encampment at Heart's Home. From her count, there were ten thousand men, much less than the ones concentrated in the Vale proper but still a threat. But curiously, with the exception of House Corbray and House Lynderly of Snakewood, most of the army was made up of lesser houses, of which Rhaenys was not aware of. She would have expected the Coldwaters, the sistermen sworn to the Sunderlands, or the even the Eleshams from the Paps to make their appearance, all of whom were absent.
Rhaenys went over the implications of their absence. Geography certainly played a role, as there was simply no way that that those houses would quickly send their men to assist their king. But a more serious suggestion would be that the Vale was running out of men to throw at them and now had to get the minor lords to assist. If that was the case, they either had caused more damage to the Vale than previously thought, or more powerful houses such as the Hunters were not committed to the fight.
Rhaenys remembered from the message sent by Visenya that part of the conditions she offered to Lord Royce in return for his son's safety was that he would work to persuade Longbow Hall to be neutral, or to join them. Both would work very much to their favor, as that included one more powerful house on their side. And people say that Vis doesn't know how to persuade people. She just isn't soft, which is what many would expect.
Going back to the Vale army, Rhaenys quickly found the parts of the encampment that had the archers and those who fought from horseback. She signaled for the archers with her to take positions while she and Brandon would appear in front of the camp.
Many would understandably call her actions crazy, or even mad, but such an action was necessary. "Ready?" Rhaenys asked Brandon.
"Ready when you are," Brandon unsheathed his sword while Autumn bared his teeth in preparation.
Moving down the mountainside and appearing in front of the camp, she and Brandon stood calmly, although she had to admit that she was a bit afraid at facing such a force with just her friend and his trusted companion at her side. Anyone who says they're not are either lying or need to check themselves.
Slowly, every man in the Vale camp turned their eyes to the pair. Many were confused at the newcomers, not sure of what to make of a northerner, a direwolf, and a Valyrian archer.
"Who the fuck are you?" one of the Valemen, a Lynderly judging from his surcoat, shouted.
"I am Rhaenys of House Targaryen, Queen of Westeros. And this is my Hand, Brandon Snow of House Stark, along with his direwolf Autumn. We demand that you take us to your commander!" she declared.
To say that many of them were shocked beyond words would fall very short in fully describing their reactions. Some of them had seen Meraxes be wounded and had hoped that her rider was dead, but not only was she very much alive, she had the audacity to show up in front of their camp with nothing but a bow and arrow with her. Brandon raised his sword, preparing to defend himself, while Autumn growled.
A knight with the Lynderly sigil pushed through a group of Valemen, apparently one of the leaders from how he carried himself. "Didn't know a queen could be so reckless with her life, especially one who is carrying a child," he sneered.
"Would you like to find out just how reckless I can be?" Rhaenys nocked an arrow and aimed it at him, prompting the other Valemen to ready their weapons and draw their bows.
The Lynderly knight turned to the men. "What are you waiting for? Capture the pretender queen and kill the rest. Do I have to spell it out for you all?!"
A few Vale footmen stepped forward, but arrows flew down and struck their torsos, killing them. The Valemen looked around, surprised of the sudden volley, before more arrows landed on top of them. Rhaenys released one arrow and struck another, a man-at-arms from the looks of him, before she, Brandon, and Autumn ran back towards the mountains.
"After them! Do not let them get away!" she heard one of them order.
Good. They're taking the bait.
Rhaenys and Brandon ran up a part of the mountainside, deliberately going at a pace where the fast-moving elements of their army would be able to catch up. Unlike the other parts of the mountain, this particular portion was not steep, making it easier for warhorses to climb it.
This part of the mountain was also thick with forests, which would allow them to hide amongst the trees once their Vale foes were close enough and could not easily get out.
But as soon as they hit the tree line, Rhaenys saw an arrow land into the bark of a tree next to her. Turning around, she saw that besides the mounted knights, the Vale archers had begun hurling their arrows at her, Brandon, and Autumn.
Whipping around, Rhaenys readied another arrow and released it, striking one in the neck. As they got deeper into the forest, more arrows were exchanged between them. Meanwhile, Brandon and Autumn were doing their best to duck their heads and avoid being struck. Unlike Rhaenys, they had no means to which they could respond to the arrow volleys thrown at them. Whenever an arrow landed in the ground or tree next to them, Brandon jerked towards it. He was betting that the arrow would not strike in the same mark twice, so that was his best chance at being pierced.
While Rhaenys drew another arrow, she felt a shove against her belly. Falling backwards from the force, she rubbed her stomach and was relieved that she and her child weren't hurt. Gods… if Jae wasn't married to Vis, I'd kiss him. These dragon coats are so well-made.
Brandon got Rhaenys back up and hid behind her, knowing that her dragon coat would protect him from the arrows. Indeed, all of them bounced off of the Valyrian steel plates and the dragonblood-coated threads that made it up. Turning around, Rhaenys pushed Brandon forward. "Come on! It's now time to lose them!"
Once they reached a certain point in the forest, they now had to hide. Part of the natural response from a hunter was that after going a particular distance, the hunter would be so invested in the hunt that they would not stop until they captured their prey. And after seeing their prey disappear, they would not just give up. Considering that their game was a queen, they would consider any efforts and energies expended on their part as worth it.
Looking behind and satisfied that they had lost sight of their chasers, Rhaenys and Brandon split up. "Get into position, Brandon. We'll see each other once this is all over."
"Be careful, Rhaenys," Brandon pleaded.
"You too," and with that, she disappeared behind some bushes.
After preparing the tongah and fashioning the aegjijian from a few Vale arrows that she picked up as she ran, she looked at the sun and squinted. From what she had learned of hunting, sunlight could turn a hunter from an indistinct shadowy figure into someone who could easily be seen from a distance. Even with a thick canopy, enough sunlight on her could make an easy mark for other bowmen or cause her prey to run away.
Mapping out her area, she found some large boulders and enough bushes and trees to hide herself. Putting the tongah on her bow and readying her first aegijian, she kept her ears open and eyes peeled while steadying her breath. If these Vale bowmen were good, they would know to follow her tracks, which she left behind purposefully. But she was also careful to erase any others that would compromise her location.
Rhaenys had to remember that she was no longer hunting traditional game. Although animals had more developed senses than people, people could strike back and cause her harm. The key to her survival consequently lied in her ability to kill her attackers and preventing them from landing a mark on her. Take it easy, she told herself. You trained for this. It's just another hunt.
All of a sudden, she picked up the faint sound of a footfall on the dirt. Sensing where it came from, she turned to her right and readied her tongah. Taking in more deep breaths and slowing her heart rate, she remembered from Arata that if she calmed herself enough, she could hear the breathing of a man, and her ears picked it up. They're running from how heavy their breaths sound.
Sure enough, one Vale archer was running fast through the brushes, grunting as he jumped down from a small boulder and moving past Rhaenys without noticing her. But there were more coming, from what she could pick up with her ears.
The first archer, covered in chainmail, was followed by a group of four. When it came to hunting, one would need many in order to cover as much ground as possible, not too much where the hunting area gets crowded and thus scaring the prey. There are probably more groups coming.
Hearing a twig snap to her left, she turned and saw another group of Vale bowmen moving rapidly through the trees. Second group.
Looking ahead, she spotted yet another group coming her way, but they were taking their time and looking through the bushes carefully.
Fifteen men, three angles… let's do this.
Drawing her bow, she raised the tongah towards the rear man of the second group. Carefully aiming, she released the arrow, the small arrow moving rapidly through the bushes and lodging itself in the ankle. The man cried out in pain as he fell to the dirt.
As expected, the others were alerted and took cover behind the trees and bushes. While the man wasn't dead, he couldn't move anymore and could not point to where Rhaenys was. But taking precautions, she moved to another spot to get a better angle.
Readying another aegijian, she scanned the area and saw a man on the far left of the third group. She released another, hitting the man in his eye.
"Someone! Where is she?!" one of the Vale archers shouted.
"I can't tell. She's not using regular arrows!"
Rhaenys went for the least obvious targets, as the first instinct was to find the front man or whoever was giving commands. But guessing that these men were expert bowmen and very knowledgeable of hunting, she would be spotted as soon as she went for the most noticeable of marks. Also, hitting the rear man maximized her chances of not being discovered.
Nocking one more aegijian, she went for the rear man of the first group she encountered, piercing his throat after she released it.
"This bitch! She's gonna pay!" one of the bowmen shouted in desperation.
My gods, such short tempers, she thought dismissively.
Rhaenys also had to make sure that every arrow resulted in a kill, while her first target was meant to attract anyone who might help him. Observing the wounded Valemen closely, she saw one of them trying to drag him into cover. Pulling out a regular arrow, she nocked it, drew back as hard as she could, and released. The arrows she used were specifically designed to pierce plate armor and she could only guess what that would do to chainmail.
To her shock, not only did the arrow punch through the chainmail, it entered the wounded man and the one trying to drag him to safety, killing them both while lodging in a tree back. A double kill… that's something I never expected.
"Shit! Find her now!"
As Rhaenys was moving to another spot, she just missed by struck by an arrow hurling her way. Oh no.
"Got her! Over there!"
Seeing that her position was compromised, she put away her tongah, raised herself from the bushes, and released a regular arrow, finding its mark in the heart of a Valemen. She managed to jump behind some boulders as arrows bounced off the stone.
"Let's go! After her!"
Emerging from the boulder, she released another arrow and claimed another kill, but one arrow bounced off of her shoulder plate. Knowing that the enemy would close in on her if she remained in one place, she ran into the trees again.
However, one of the Vale bowmen got close enough and tried to force her into the ground. Thinking quickly, she unsheathed her Valyrian steel dagger and slashed across this throat, his body just barely missing hers as it fell onto forest floor. But she ducked just as quickly, as more arrows were released against her.
With the enemy hot on her tail, she ran further into the forest, shooting arrows in response as the Valemen tried to close the distance. It was getting difficult for her to do so, as her babe added much weight. But fortunately for her, they were in quite difficult terrain and that bought her time, as the Valemen struggled to reach her.
When she looked forward, she heard a whistle. Quickly scanning the trees and bushes, she saw the form of Bethany Mormont, who gestured to her behind a shrub. Quickly moving there, she sat beside the Lady of Bear Island.
"Everyone is ready?" Rhaenys asked her.
"Yes, Your Grace. We're waiting for your signal."
"Where's Brandon?"
"Engaged with their cavalry. You could almost hear them from here."
With more footfalls coming their way, Rhaenys could see the remains of the group that she had engaged. Bethany unsheathed Longclaw while the twenty or so Mormont men drew their swords and axes. They were positioned around the Vale group, waiting to strike.
Standing up, Rhaenys drew yet another arrow and released, getting another kill. Seeing the signal, Bethany emerged from the bushes, as did the other Mormont men. She let out a war cry alongside the others as they collided into the unsuspecting archery group.
Bethany cut through three bows, leaving the three archers unarmed, as she proceeded to stab one, decapitate another, and bring Longclaw down like a hammer, splitting the last one's skull. With depleted numbers and thoroughly exhausted from the pursuit, it didn't take long for the rest of the Vale bowmen to be killed by fresh troops.
Surveying the carnage, Rhaenys and Bethany led the Mormont men towards the sound of the other fight. Stepping carefully through the loose rocks and moving quickly through the bushes and trees, they finally came across the struggle, as more northmen and Vale mountain clansmen were stuck in a vicious struggle against more bowmen and knights in heavy armor.
Pulling out another armor-piercing arrow, she felled one knight, knocking him off of his horse. Bethany charged forward with Longclaw, running a knight's mount and causing it to fall onto its side, crushing the knight's leg before Bethany finished him off.
Rhaenys continued to hurl arrows into the mix, as she wasn't as skilled in close combat as her other siblings and thus had to remain at a distance for her own safety. She then spotted Brandon and Autumn, the direwolf ripping a bowman into shreds with his jaw while Brandon was about to pull the poleaxe from a dismounted knight.
But she saw an archer draw his bow and take aim at Brandon. Seeing that he was an important target, the archer was not going to waste his shot at glory. However, Rhaenys was not going to let that happen, even though she couldn't get a direct line of sight.
It was then that she remembered what Konno Haru taught her. Aiming her bow away from the archer, she twisted her arrow and curled the string. Konno said that it was a trick that would allow her to shoot at a curved angle and at an indirect mark, but it was not to be used constantly as it caused strain on the bowstring.
Twisting as hard as her fingers and palm would allow, Rhaenys then released the arrow. To her surprise, it curved and went straight through the sides of the archer's neck, killing him before he could shoot an arrow at Brandon. While Brandon was too busy to notice, Rhaenys let out an exhale, feeling a rush at what she had just accomplished.
With the forest and mountain working against them, the Vale archers and knights were slowly but surely overwhelmed. A few were able to retreat, but the forest floor was littered with dead Valemen and horses. The northmen and Vale mountain clansmen began to pile the bodies while stripping off their armor, weapons, and anything else that could be useful.
Rhaenys walked through the bloodbath of the aftermath. She didn't know how successful her plan would have been, but this went beyond her expectations. Visenya is still the warrior between us two, she reminded herself. She could easily accomplish this on a very good day.
Brandon and Autumn moved next to her, the bastard son of Harald Stark covered in blood and dirt while Autumn's jaw was lined with red.
"You did it, Rhaenys. You showed to all that you don't need a dragon to be deadly," Brandon said with glee.
"But I want to ride again," Rhaenys thought of Meraxes. "I'm getting a little tired of all this waiting around."
"We won't have to wait for long," Brandon promised. "With their missile troops and mounted troops decimated, the army at Heart's Home will either have to step back or fight us on our own terms. Either way, we now have all of the advantages."
"At the same time, we also have to work on getting more clans on our side. I think you and Sijurn should approach the other chiefs. It'll send a message to the rest of the Vale," Rhaenys told him.
"Will get right on it, Rhaenys. I also think we should more closely coordinate with your sister in the Vale proper. She's fulfilling her purpose, and now would be a good time to really put pressure," Brandon suggested.
Rhaenys smiled at that, as she would see her sister again after a long while. "I like that, Brandon. Send a message to her and Lord Umber."
"As you wish. And now, we must strike the Eyrie. We can also go after Heart's Home if you want to."
Rhaenys looked southwards, towards the mountains that had the Eyrie built upon them. She couldn't see it, but she could sense the triumph that will soon come. Patience, she thought to herself. If the timing is right, we can take the Eyrie with no casualties? But the how was what bugged her.
Just then, an idea popped into her mind. "In your message, Brandon, have Visenya send another to Jae. He might have an idea on how to storm the Eyrie."
Brandon quickly picked up what she was referring to. "You mean the Harus?"
Rhaenys nodded, as the basics of a plan as daring as hers that day was forming. Either this will work very well, or very badly. But we have to try.
A/N: The arrow scene was inspired by the Korean movie WAR OF THE ARROWS (2011), which is one of the my favorite films of the past decade. I also had to research the techniques used by hunters, which was not easy to write in simple terms (it's a science onto itself). Hope it worked well.
I wanted to show you all one of the peaks of Rhaenys' skill with the bow and to detail her thought processes. Also, the tongah is a real device and I suggest you all to look it up. She's not skilled with a sword, but she thoroughly compensates with cold calculation and expert use of hunting aspects to draw in the enemy. I also wanted to show how much her courage had grown, as that stunt of hers in appearing in front of an enemy camp was really audacious. As it was stated, no queen before Rhaenys had ever done that.
Whatever Rhaenys is thinking of, it's going to be just as bold. But what would it be?
Next, we see the stormlands making another important move.