A/N: Hi, guys! Hope you are still doing well.
Been busy as of late, but I am still trying to update as regularly as I can. Any understanding from you would be appreciated.
ORYS VII
Orys looked out and saw the full moon shine through the clear night skies and the deep calm waters. He looked from the captain's place on the ship and it was his trained eyes and remembering where his ships were that allowed him to see the fleet that would take part in the next stage of their struggle. He felt his fingers and hand twitch, the anxiety evident to him. But by this point, he learned to embrace his worries, for they kept him alert and reminded him of just how large the odds were stacked against him. Anyone who says that they're not afraid are either lying or something is not right with their head, he told himself.
After sinking those few dozen ironborn ships using speed, surprise, and overwhelming force simultaneously, Orys found himself a bit disappointed that the Redwynes and ironborn didn't continue to attack him since they still enjoyed the numerical advantage. However, he started to apply the tried-and-true method of thinking like his enemy using what he knew of their tactics and mindset. He also used his time as the Lord Paramount of the Stormlands well to understand politics, allowing him to have another angle on the situation of the enemy before him.
It was a fact that the ironborn and Redwyne fleets vastly outnumbered his own, and that their captains and sailors had more seaworthy experience than he commanded. Moreover, they were close to their homes and thus had a strong reason to offer stiff resistance to Orys' movements while being able to call on their knowledge of the local landscape. He knew very well that he was heading into waters that he did not control, and he did not enjoy most of the advantages that he had while commanding land armies against the Reachmen.
But two factors worked in Orys' favor. The Redwynes and ironborn might have enjoyed a massive fleet, but the Redwyne vessels were not directly controlled by the king in Highgarden and their captains only followed the orders of Lord Redwyne, who enjoyed discretion in how he used his ships. That meant that while King Mern might have wanted the Arbor ships to be used aggressively, Lord Redwyne could instead use them to protect his home island and in more defensive purposes. And as stated before, relations between the Redwynes and the ironborn were poor, with well-documented animosity. Division amongst the commanders works in our favor.
So far, the vessels sworn to the Arbor remained either anchored at Ryamsport or protecting the Shield Islands against both him and the ironborn should they decide to double-cross them. That split their strength over great distances, but both halves still outnumbered him and enjoyed the defensive advantage.
Orys knew that if he wanted to have a chance at winning, he needed to force the enemy fleets to fight him on his own terms. But he would have to employ certain strategies for that to happen, which included diversion and deception. Calling a meeting of his captains on his flagship, Orys outlined the situation and asked for suggestions.
"We cannot directly assault the Arbor," one of the captains started with. "We don't have the manpower to storm and hold Ryamsport, Starfish Harbor, and Vinetown."
"And the Shield Islands are too far away and attacking them would leave us vulnerable against both the Redwynes and the ironborn," another captain pointed out.
"We certainly can ignore a storm on Oldtown, for the same reasons that we cannot storm the Arbor," another captain added. "However, given our numerical differences, attacking the Whispering Sound allows us some options."
"And what would they be?" Orys asked.
"By getting close to Oldtown, we'll be in a position to threaten the city and thus forcing the Redwynes and the ironborn to come to us, because they both know that should Oldtown be cut off, their hold on the Sunset Sea would be in danger. We can then wait and thus use the narrowness of the bay to funnel them and thus take away their numerical advantage."
"That might only work if we were to take both Blackcrown and the Three Towers," another captain pointed on the makeshift map. "With both of those castles in our hands, we can control the approach to Oldtown and thus put more pressure on the Reach."
"The enemy will also know that and will accordingly reinforce those castles to prevent us from successfully taking them," yet another captain stated. "And storming castles require siege equipment and time, both of which we do not have unless you want to make siege towers and trebuchets from the very ships we need."
As Orys listened deeply to the discussion, he saw that everyone had a point. Everyone in the war was aware that a good way to make the Reach collapse was to put pressure on the lands along the Honeywine, the most populous and wealthiest part of the kingdom, and the key towards that was to either threaten or cut off Oldtown. Whatever the fleets were, all of them would sail towards Oldtown in order to protect it.
But even with the captain's suggestion of using the tightness of the Whispering Sound to negate the enemy's advantage in numbers, that still left them vulnerable for the bay was still large enough for big fleets to maneuver around. And there were no isles in the bay itself, which would force them to fight in open waters and that was a situation that Orys had to avoid, for his smaller fleet would be overwhelmed.
While he was thinking that, a thought entered his mind. Maybe we don't need to sink all of their ships. Just enough of them and ships captained by those in high regard in the Reach in order to cripple their strength at sea. Thus, a plan was formed, causing him to turn to Erik. "Erik, how quickly can the ironborn raid a certain place before leaving just as fast?"
Everyone was surprised that Orys asked that, more so that he addressed an ironborn turncoat. However, they all paid him the attention that was due. "My lord, ironborn would only require a few hours to conduct their reaving before getting back on their boats and moving on?"
"And how quickly can the ironborn move from one place to another?"
"It all depends, but the fastest that I've seen them move between places was between a day and two."
Perfect. "How many men would you need to pull off a reaving in towns rich in bounty?"
Erik did not expect that. "I'm not sure. Which towns are we talking about, my lord?"
"Any town along the shores of the Whispering Sound," Orys answered.
Erik thought about that. "If we want to strike one town, maybe fifty men. But if you're aiming for multiple towns, I would need at least five hundred."
"My lord, why are you asking this?" a captain spoke up.
"Everyone knows that Oldtown is the key to victory in these parts. We don't have the strength to attack that city, but we can make them think we are, and they'll have to respond, especially if they see ironborn reaving it."
Erik immediately caught on to what Orys was suggesting while it took the captains more time to understand. "You want us to employ subterfuge against the enemy?"
"And it will achieve two results: more distrust of the ironborn by the Reachmen, and the enemy will have to assemble their fleets to sail to Oldtown. Meanwhile, our objective would be the fleet anchored at Ryamsport," Orys pointed to the major port of the Arbor. "Surely, that fleet is led by those closely associated with House Redwyne and possibly those who have blood relations there, while they are all under the personal command of Lord Redwyne. If we can send every one of those ships to the bottom of the sea, the Arbor will be exposed and easier to tackle. And like with the Whispering Sound, we can use the terrain to our advantage, as both approaches to Ryamsport will have to sail pass Mermaid's Palace. Once they start to sail pass that island, that will be our chance."
"My lord, how do you know which one is the pass that the Redwyne fleet will take?" a captain inquired.
"There's only one pass that leads directly to Oldtown," Orys pointed to the east side of Mermaid's Palace. "Now, the key to this plan is to make the enemy believe that we will move on Oldtown while concealing our true purpose. That is where the raids will come in, for nothing is more convincing in war than clashes near your objective or supposed, in this case. But more importantly, we will offer the enemy something that will make them respond."
"And what would that be, my lord?"
Orys pulled out a quill and a piece of parchment, quickly scribbling something down before stamping his seal on it. Passing it to the captain of his flagship, he read out the contents, which stated in no uncertain terms the fleet's intentions to move on both Blackcrown and the Three Towers.
"Won't that be an obvious ruse to the enemy?" a captain asked.
"We'll plant it during one of the raids and this letter, combined with the reaving, will force the Reach fleets to act. And that's how we will lure the fleet out of Ryamsport."
And that was the plan that the captains had agreed to, since they had no better ones to follow. Many were openly distasteful of using ironborn tactics, but they trusted Orys and watched as Erik sailed towards the southern shores of the Reach with his other ironborn defectors. Although many feared that they would engage in reaving and go back to their brethren at the first chance, Orys had made it clear to them all that should they betray them, "There will be nothing in this world that will stop me and the dragons from finding you and delivering to the deepest circle of hell where traitors and mutineers belong" were his words.
Another part of the deception relied on the fleet being moored just off the Isle of Pigs, as if poised to move on Oldtown. Orys counted on the Arbor inhabitants to see him and thus inform Lord Redwyne, who in turn would send a raven to Oldtown regarding the developments.
For a moment, Orys didn't recognize himself. He mostly considered himself a warrior first and a lord second, but he never thought that he would have to engage in deception and subterfuges to achieve his goals. Both of that are Jaenyx's areas, not mine. But he also remembered how his father ran Dragonstone and how even as the undisputed ruler at Storm's End, he could not fully trust his sworn lords to serve him without employing a little savvy to keep them in line. I have taken a step in a necessary direction.
Two weeks later, the ironborn defectors returned to the fleet as promised. Besides bringing back much booty to share, Erik had planted Orys' letter on one of his crewmen, who was unfortunately killed. To ensure that the Redwynes would act as intended, Orys had Erik and one ship act as a scout at Ryamsport, where they would closely monitor the situation and see if the fleet was preparing to move.
Looks like I'm becoming more like you, Jaenyx, Orys thought. He could never claim to be as good in the secret arts as his goodbrother, but he sure hoped that his lessons so far would be able to help him win the battle ahead.
A week after Erik and his men came back, he returned to the anchorage off of the Isle of Pigs. Rushing aboard his flagship, Erik said to Orys, "Supplies are moving through the port and the ships are being loaded with cargo and men. They're about to move out of the harbor."
Orys stood straight at the information given. "Any idea on where they are headed?"
"I heard one of them shout that they had to move immediately to Oldtown."
They took the bait! Orys didn't expect the ruse to work so well, but he wasn't going to question his choices and he immediately sprung the fleet into action.
To mask their movements, Orys had them sail by night only and use the stars to find their way. By his estimations, the fleet at Ryamsport would pass by Mermaid's Palace just before they arrived there, allowing them some time to move into positions. To increase their chances of success, Orys intended a night battle, for the enemy would be more disoriented. And he forbade any of his captains to engage in melee combat until they could deal as much damage as possible through their missile weapons.
Learning to leave nothing to chance, Orys had also sent a message to his family in the stormlands, telling him of his current position and to help if possible. While he was sure that his plan had a good chance of success, there could no room for error and any of his family in the south had to fly down to him to burn the fleet with the dragons. Just like at Gulltown, there really is nothing to stop a fleet from avoiding the flames of a dragon.
Eventually, his fleet arrived at the Mermaid's Palace, splitting into two as Orys took command of the eastern flank. He had the crewmen each cover their mouth with cloth, so as to prevent the enemy from even hearing their breathing. Orys also kept the fires hidden, to be used only when the first missiles flew through the air. They had to strike with surprise, for that was the only way that they would win.
Dropping anchor and signaling to the fleet to hide their sails, Orys waited as the hour of the wolf came, but the skies were clear, and the moon and stars could be seen. Scanning the surfaces of the waters around the Mermaid's Palace, he squinted his eyes at the bustling port of Ryamsport, its lights visible. Orys was careful to have the ships hugging as close to their respective shores as possible, using the shadows to hide them.
Eventually, Orys saw the sails of the Redwyne fleet emerge from the harbor, the grape sigil still visible against the moonlight. Gesturing for his crew to get ready, he trusted the other half to know when to strike.
When the enemy fleet were then made by the narrow pass by the Mermaid's Palace to funnel their ships and when they still didn't detect Orys' fleet, he turned to his captain of the flagship. "It's time. Commence the attack!"
Unsheathing his sword, he ran across the deck. "Attack! Attack! Release missiles!"
At once, the fires emerged from below the decks of the ships and after being lit, the crews hurled balls covered in oil and bolts tipped with flames towards the unsuspecting enemy vessels. As soon as the first missiles hit their mark, masts and sails became engulfed and shouting erupted across the fleet. Meanwhile, the other half of Orys' fleet, upon seeing their commander begin the attack, also proceeded forward.
From what Orys could make out clearly from the fires, the Redwynes had their fleet divided into three parts: one at the right flank, a main group in the center, and another at the left flank, both of the flanks nearest to the coasts. The faster and more maneuverable of the ships were at the vanguard and rearguard while the heavier vessels were in the center, a normal formation. But caught in the narrow crossing at the Mermaid's Palace, the advantage they had in numbers was negated.
Orys' fleet faced the enemy, with the other half closing on in enemy's other flank. With the ships under his direct command, Orys commanded the rest of the fleet, with the more maneuverable ships closing in on the enemy's center and rear, while Orys saved the two turtle ships for a later purpose.
Immediately, the Redwyne fleet proceeded to attempt to force their way past the Mermaid's Palace, but soon they founded themselves in a jam and tried to recover a minimum of alignment. Seeing through the darkness thanks to the flaming missiles hurled against them, the two wings of Orys' flet threw themselves on the disordered enemy formation while releasing more missiles against them. At the same time, Orys kept the fleet back since the time to engage in melee combat was not yet. We need to inflict more damage.
In the narrow space formed by the Mermaid's Palace, crowded by hundreds of ships while surrounded by less than a hundred of the enemy, which they didn't know at the moment, crews and specialists at the service of the Redwynes were unable to put to use their superior training and their greater seaworthiness. Years, decades, even centuries of mastery over the sea proved useless in the face of surprise, the night, and fires.
A crewmember ran up to Orys. "My lord. We're running low on missiles."
Orys nodded. "Understood. Signal the turtle boats. Tell them to show their worth."
"At once!"
The captains of the turtle boats received Orys' signal, a beating of the war drum to a certain rhythm and pressed forward with help from their oars. Ignoring the flames of the ship, he saw several of the enemy crew try to board the turtle ships once they got close enough. But alas, they found no crew on the deck and were instead impaled by the spikes waiting for them at the top.
Through the fires, he saw a vapor being released from the phoenix heads, cover their immediate area with deadly smoke, while bolts and other types of missiles were being released from the portholes. Due to its design, the turtle ship proved very maneuverable, as it made tight turns between each of the ships while the enemy was unable to board it.
"Looks like Master Kajiwara should expect a nice reward for his contribution," Orys smiled. With the turtle boats causing confusion, he saw his opening and held up his war hammer before pointing it to the enemy ships in front of them. "Press forward, men! Attack!"
Eager to finally engage the enemy up close, Orys' ships complied and let out their best war cry as the distance between their vessels closed in. Each of the crew pulled out their weapons, a mix of swords, axes, maces, spears, and crossbows, while many others readied hooks and ropes.
Orys' flagship punched through the opening created by the turtle ships, which the other captains under his direct command also did. Coming up on their first target, he picked up a javelin and threw it against an enemy crewman who tried to board them, the force knocking him off of the ropes and back onto the deck. His crew threw the hooks and ropes onto the ship's railings, allowing them to board and seize the initiative. Seeing his men fight, he raised his war hammer, Thunderfist, and jumped on board.
Fighting his way through the enemy crewmembers while crushing skulls and ribs with his war hammer, he finally confronted the captain of that ship. He avoided the captain's swing with his sword before bringing his hammer down onto the blade, forcing it on the deck of the ship before it snapped in two under the hammer's weight. Before the captain could defend himself, Orys struck the captain in his jaw, undoubtedly crushing it before he fell onto the deck. Orys finished him with a strike against his skull, brains splattering and bone cracking against the wood. Seeing a bucket of tar, he grabbed it and threw it on the deck.
"Back to the ship, men!" Orys commanded. He did not leave the enemy ship, now emptied of its crew and captain, until the last of his men was back. Grabbing a torch, he launched it on the tar, igniting and causing the entire ship to catch on fire.
But as soon as Orys' ship had enough distance from their mark, they were soon set upon by two other Redwyne vessels simultaneously.
Acting quickly, Orys reorganized his men. "As soon as they are close, jump on their ships! Take the fight to them!"
Once both had neared his bow and his starboard side, Orys's crew jumped back into the fray. With the fires raging all around them and with their ship in danger of being captured, the crew fought harder than before, swinging and slashing wildly.
As for Orys, he picked up another javelin and threw it, forcing another enemy crewman back. Jumping onto the ship on his starboard, he swung Thunderfist in a circular fashion, driving off the enemy from him and giving him some space. He struck a cheek of one, broke a knee of another, smashed the breastplate of another, and so on. Like his men, he was fighting for his life, as two enemy ships next to his flagship could very easily turn bad for him.
Then, three enemy crewmen charged at him at once with axes. He was able to kill one by crushing his skull, but he had to move quickly with the other two since they were on his sides. Narrowly missing an axe swing, he punched that one in the face while kicking the other. Before both could recover, Orys crushed the first one's jaw and then landed a blow on the other's neck.
However, his crew on the flagship were becoming slowly decimated from the pressure. Many were dying and others were tiring from all of the efforts that they had to give from fighting multiple adversaries at once. For Orys, he too was getting exhausted. From the smoke in the air, the brightness of the fires, and the screams… never before had such a battle been so overwhelming to the senses.
Orys couldn't stop, since his life was at stake. And it wasn't just for his own sake that he was fighting, for he did fear death. He was thinking of the woman he had back in Storm's End, the one who showed him her secret places, and the one who taught him to never underestimate anyone. I'm coming, Argella.
Before Orys got back to fighting, a screech pierced through the night. To anyone who was familiar with his family, they would know that only one creature had such a sound. "Dragons!" he heard someone shout.
As if on cue, dragonfire burst onto the enemy fleet, the flames as black as coal. It wasn't as powerful as Balerion's, pointing to Orys which dragon it was and who was riding? Father?
But realizing that he had no time to think more on his father's arrival, Orys ran straight for the captain of the other boat. He was too shocked at the arrival of the dragon and therefore missed Orys striking him in the back. "Push, men! Push!"
The crew fought back with a newfound fervor while their enemies were demoralized at how much damage the dragon had caused to their comrades. It was at that time that Orys saw the other half of his fleet show up.
In this great confusion, a large number of Redwyne ships ended up being boarded and, once at close range, the contingents of well-trained and angry stormlanders embarked on each of the ships eventually overcame the sailors and other soldiers of the Reach. The Redwyne crews, stimulated by the presence of their homeland, fought well, but the odds had shifted in favor of Orys. Bottled and unable to maneuver in the waters next to the Mermaid's Palace, the Redwyne vessels fell one by one under the blows of the stormlanders and the arrival of the dragon.
After some more moments of resistance, the captain of the ship on bow of Orys' flagship came forward. Approaching him, the captain asked, "Are you Orys Baratheon?" He nodded, wiping the sweat and ash from his brow. "I wish to surrender. I refuse to fight when you have an actual dragon in the sky."
Orys took his sword and bobbed his head. "I accept your surrender, captain."
In time, the rest of the surviving captains either surrendered and sailed back to Ryamsport, all of them too demoralized to fight further. By the time dawn came, over a hundred ships on the enemy side had been sunk with at least fifty captured and the rest falling back, while Orys' fleet suffered no ships lost and about a hundred men killed. Amazing, Orys tried not to count his blessings, but especially he could see what he had just achieved.
Seeing Vermidrexes land on the sandy shore of the Mermaid's Palace, Orys got a boat to row to him while he ordered his captains to blockade Ryamsport. When the boat touched the sand, he ran up to his father and hugged him.
"Kepa!" he cried out.
"My son," Aerion patted his back. "I'm so glad that you are all right."
"I am, considering the battle," Orys surveyed the damage on the seas. "I'm happy that you're here, but where's muña?"
"She's currently leading the troops from Ashford, which we recently took. Aegon and Jaenyx had to remain in the Reach while your sisters are coming down from the Vale."
Orys couldn't be prouder of his sisters, for they had achieved what many had thought would be impossible. But they both knew that with the Vale out of the war, the situation had changed for the better for them.
"So, my son, what plans do you have for Lord Redwyne?" he looked at Ryamsport. "I am quite thirsty for some Arbor gold."
"Aye, I shall get you some," Orys promised. "But first, I need to make sure that Lord Redwyne will be forced to talk with us. Considering that he just watched his fleet burn and that some of the captains in this battle were closely related to his house, it might be easier for him to talk to us."
"It will be. We must be quick, though. Your brothers and sisters need you further north."
Orys exhaled before nodding. "And I shall see them soon. But not before the sea belongs to us." At that moment, Orys began to think what he could do to coerce Lord Redwyne from staying out of the war or better, joining them. With his father at his side, that task would be easier. Shame if I have to see the best winemakers on fire should they be obstinate, he thought.
A/N: The battle was based on Salamis, with a little something from Noryang Point. And for those who knew what the purpose of the turtle ship was, I hope I showed that well.
It would not be realistic strategically if all of the Redwyne ships were sunk, but just enough ships and close to home would deliver the desired effect. Plus, they're going to need the extra ships for the future. And yes, the father helps the son!
Next, the dragon reunion!