A/N: Hey, all! How you all doing? I've been busy as usual, but I've been writing continuously and also began original work on top of finding jobs. This is a rather short chapter compared to the others, but it focuses on an important part of the new Conquest. Enjoy!
Kenzou III
Kenzou was not one to shy away from a challenge, or his father would disown him for displaying cowardice. However, he was not blind to the reality that was in front of him and knew with certainty that taking the Golden Tooth would be the most difficult task he faced thus far.
The seat of House Lefford, the Golden Tooth was built in location that most defenders could only dream of. Although the Golden Tooth was a small castle, it was a strong keep commanding the land artery between the riverlands and the Kingdom of the Rock. Lord Reyne told him that every lord under the rule of Casterly Rock knew that in order to attack the eastern border, one had to take the Golden Tooth in order to have a secure passage. No doubt about that, Kenzou thought as he looked upon the castle.
A direct assault was out of the question. Despite the scouts reporting only a small garrison of two and fifty hundred men manning the walls, the scouts reported that their food stores were filled and able to withstand a siege while they had full stocks of arrows and spears among others. Any attack on the castle would result in casualties and more importantly, time. We have to move as fast as possible, before enemy reinforcements arrive.
With the start of the rebellion by Lord Reyne and the men sworn to his house, timing was critical. The uprising of one of King Loren's most influential lords would certainly shake up the political fabric of the Kingdom of the Rock. However, at this point and save for a few ravens sent to the camp from minor lords declaring their support for the red lions, Lord Reyne stood alone. He might have commanded the second largest army in the Kingdom of the Rock, but he was still grossly outnumbered by the other houses that for now remained loyal to the Lannister kings. What's more, Lord Reyne was away from his power base and if he wanted his rebellion to have a very good chance of succeeding, he needed to return to Castamere and fast. Lord Reyne just couldn't wait, Kenzou cursed.
Their reinforcements quickly came in the form of Lord Blackwood bringing many thousands of men to assist Lord Reyne. However, the Lord of Raventree Hall and the Lord of Castamere viewed each other with suspicion, for it was only yesterday that they were clashing steel over the many banks of the riverlands. Colren Blackwood told Weslar Reyne that many Blackwood men died because of Reyne men, while the latter told him that many Reyne died because of Blackwood men. Kenzou scoffed at their argument, for both of them were technically traitors and had only kept their lives because they made the right choice to stand with the dragons.
Kenzou was very aware that war was a political matter as much as it was a struggle whose outcome would be determined by battles. So far, Lord Reyne did not enjoy popular support for his rebellion and unless he had some way to win more influential houses to his side, it wouldn't matter if he took the Golden Tooth and returned to Castamere. He didn't consider politically experienced, but even he knew that simple fact. Unless Lord Reyne presents a better option than the one in King Loren, he's not going to last long.
Kenzou brought up his concerns with Lord Reyne and Lord Blackwood at their camp before they entered into the mountains. Colren Blackwood understood his meaning, which made him work very hard to build up his support network among the riverlords. However, Lord Reyne was surprisingly myopic, only adding to Kenzou's doubts.
"Lord Weslar, you might be able to take the Golden Tooth. You might be able to return to Castamere. You might, by some miracle, take Casterly Rock, however unlikely that possibility. But if you cannot bring a majority of the lordly houses to your side, it won't matter if you bring thousands of men. You are not going to last long at the top."
"I can just give them a portion of the gold that is underneath Casterly Rock as part of the loot. What I learned about people is that they will wag their tails at the sight of gold. The Lannisters managed to maintain their rule and their crown because they just happened to have the most gold among the other lords. And that's exactly what I will continue doing."
Kenzou shook his head. "That's not a good idea, Lord Weslar. Just because something worked with the Lannisters doesn't mean it'll work for you. You can't just buy the lords with gold."
"Why not?"
Kenzou also knew how people worked. "All right. Let me tell you a story. There was this one man back in my home who owned a gambling den. Now, he was not the type of man that you would buy fruits from because if you said anything that he considered offensive, he would cut your hand off. Eventually, he got greedy and decided that it was a good idea to try to take over another gambling den, this one controlled by one of his rivals. He could that he could buy them out and they would work for him."
"What's your point?" Weslar was impatient, which only frustrated Kenzou further.
"What that man didn't understand was that his rival took care of his followers. He made sure that every one of his patrons was well-treated, even though he was taking their coin in the end, and they in turn were loyal to him. After all, he fed them and clothed them when they were still in the streets. Do you know why I'm telling this story?" Weslar shook his head. "From what I can understand of King Loren, his family made the lordly houses and built the kingdom from the ground up. If it weren't for his ancestors, the lordly houses that we encounter would've remained petty commoners and thus they owe everything to Loren. You're going to have to offer them something more to entice them to your side."
"Such as?"
Kenzou sighed. "Am I correct in guessing that there will be a large range of houses who will be neutral between you and King Loren?" Weslar nodded in confirmation. "Will they be in minor in terms of power and land?" The Lord of Castamere also nodded. "Reach out to those minor lords and offer them land and gold alongside positions of power in your new rule. Just as King Loren's ancestors essentially created the kingdom by empowering certain men, you're going to have to do that also. That's the best way for you to build up your support base."
"I concur," Lord Blackwood agreed. "Even though my current position is because of the dragons, I have been hard at work developing my networks. I have reached a very good understanding with the Lord Mallister and have also came to terms with the riverlords who sided with King Loren. I am not that vengeful in overturning the riverlord order completely so that the region will only have houses who are to me alone, but I am also balancing out the consequences for those that have chosen the wrong side. It's still a work in progress, but I have every confidence that I shall succeed in my endeavors."
"My, my," Weslar scratched his head. "I have much to consider regarding my new realm, right?"
"I would have thought that you would have considered such questions before you decided to overthrow the Lannisters, but no worries. At least you have voices who will advise you on how to do so," Kenzou said.
Weslar looked at the only remaining son of Konno Haru and brother of the deceased Arata Haru. "You know. I might need that voice on a permanent basis. May I offer you the position as my political advisor?"
"Don't misunderstand," Kenzou reminded him. "I will only help you as much as it will accomplish the purpose you have. The main struggle is further south and only after they've won will your success be certain. You are to draw attention and ensure that King Loren's army becomes smaller because he cannot ignore a rebellion in his own lands. And once he is defeated, then there will be more reinforcements. Until then, you are on your own."
"You mean 'we,'" Weslar stated.
"No, you," Kenzou made clear. "Remember, you approached us, and we have use for you. But if you do not deliver, we will abandon you."
Weslar exhaled, appreciating that Kenzou didn't mince words but also not liking his position. "I do hope that there will be more trust between us when I am the new overlord of the western lands and your masters the new rulers of Westeros."
"They're not my masters," Kenzou corrected. "The bonds that I have with Jaenyx Belaerys is something that only blood can match, which is much more than what you will enjoy in the new order of things. I would suggest you don't botch this, for if you waste my time, my friend will be quite indignant and he's not the most tolerant when it comes to failure."
After elaborating on where they stand, the combined armies of Lord Reyne and Lord Blackwood marched through the mountains. Some of their scouts were able to slip past the Golden Tooth at night and penetrate the mountains, but without the castle in their hands, they would be stuck in a critical chokepoint and become delayed. And there was no way that they could sail around the mountains, not while the ironborn were in full strength.
Kenzou brought forward the Rahitheon man who was sent by Aevor Rahitheon to assist in their advance towards the western coasts. Instructed by his senior relative, the man was able to concoct a substance that was to change the course of warfare supposedly.
A sample was brought with them, with Kenzou noticing that it was a murky green liquid. The Rahitheon man said that once it was set aflame, it would burn with dark, emerald and jade green flames. He couldn't really explain the properties of the liquid, but he said that cold air would thicken its liquid form, but hot air would make the liquid flow like any water.
The Rahitheon man told them all that extra precautions had to be taken when handling it. Once it took fire, it would burn for a long time, beyond the control of any mortal being. Even a thin layer of it would burn for an hour, based on its observations. The substance could burn on water and seep into most materials like cloth, wood, leather, and steel, all of which would then go up in flames. The Rahitheon man even claimed that only dragonflame, the fires beneath the earth, and the summer sun burn hotter than it, although Kenzou learned to take fantastical claims with caution. I might have seen dragons, but I still have much to see before I really begin to believe in the supernatural.
The Rahitheon man also told them that based on his calculations, a large amount of time would impact the substance as well. While he stated that any new batches could still somewhat be controlled, even a batch that went unused for days would become unstable. Any flame or spark could set them off. Too much heat, such as being exposed to sunlight for even a short time, could lead to a fire. Once the fire began, the heat would make the substance in its liquid form expand violently. Older batches of the substance were to be transported from place to place only by night, in carts filled with sand to lessen jostling at all, and then sealed in wax and placed in rooms pumped full of water. And he brought ten barrels of it, all of it mixed and finalized within the last moon.
"Had this actually been tested in combat?" Lord Reyne was skeptical.
"No," the Rahitheon man admitted. "But let's just say that the flesh of an ironborn willing to test it was unrecognizable from its original state after it touched it."
Lord Reyne knew that the Rahitheon man was being very generous when it came to that description. "But how do you know that it will accomplish its intended purpose?"
"Do you know the finer details of potion-making? Alchemy? Even how to balance two different substances and ensure that they truly become one?" Lord Reyne kept silent. "I have served Prince Jaenyx's family for over a century and anything that required potions was tasked to my family. Trust me when I say that I have much experience in this type of work."
Lord Reyne was still skeptical, but he quickly learned to allow anyone associated with the dragons to play their part and not ask too many questions. "All right. I will take your word for it. But tell me, how do we use this?"
Kenzou studied the layout of the Golden Tooth. It was rather simple in design, a classic fortress stands on the peak of a hill, dominating the valley below it, and the passes that wound through and by it. The fortress had a central keep or tower, and an elaborate ring of crenelated walls and narrow windows. A road twisted around the mountain to the gate. But the daunting heights from the base to the summit would make any assault too difficult. They could not use ladders or siege engines and the only way up was covered by archers, so an assault would result in heavy casualties.
"We use the cover of night to lodge the samples as close to the walls as possible," Kenzou said. "The most effective way for doing this would be to dig tunnels and bury it underneath, but that'll take too long. However, if we can place it close enough and light it with fire arrows, we might have a chance."
Lord Reyne tapped his fingers and stroked his red beard and then assented. "All right. Do what you must."
Lord Reyne reluctantly small bands of his troops to charge up the side of the mountain, in order to give the Rahitheon diggers cover. The whole process was difficult and dangerous, and several of the men were dying because of the efforts of the castle's defenders, who fired on them with arrows and the castle's two trebuchets and dropped rocks and debris on their heads. To reduce casualties, any of the groups of local peasants who were unfortunate in being in their path were used, at Kenzou's recommendation. While this action minimized losses among Lord Reyne's own troops, many of the peasants perished in the effort. It's simply war.
On the second night, the diggers were able to complete the process of burying their caches just in front of the mountain. However, it couldn't be fully buried since that could set them off prematurely. Complicated matters was that Lord Reyne decided to see if the castle's defenders would surrender.
"Lord Reyne, I don't think that's a good idea," Lord Blackwood said. "We have the advantage. Let's press it."
"I might be in rebellion, Lord Blackwood, but these are my brethren. I want to give them a chance."
Oh, gods. A rebel who is also sentimental. Kenzou had to fight the urge to rub his forehead at how foolish he was being. Why did we decide to side with him in the first place?
Lord Reyne sent an emissary to ask the castle's defenders to surrender. Fortunately, the messenger returned unharmed, but the garrison replied with the following: "We do not know the meaning of the word. We have orders to hold this place until the last man, for we do not consort with traitors. Take this castle by storm if you must, but you will suffer." The messenger also added that after they gave that defiant reply, the defenders went back to their meals and told him to piss off.
They certainly got courage. I have to give them that.
Angered, Lord Reyne ordered four hundred men to prepare the charge once the caches were lit. The remainder of the cavalry and foot soldiers were to wait in the passes below. As for Kenzou and the men he brought with him, he was going to let Lord Reyne's troops take the brunt of the battle since it was his rebellion after all. Better save myself and the others with me for the more serious struggles ahead.
However, he was given the honors of lighting it. Once Lord Reyne told him that all of the troops he had intended to use in the battle were in position, Kenzou lit his arrow, pulled back on the string, and took aim. He used an armor-piercing arrowhead to ensure maximum penetration in the buried caches and the fire should be enough to set it off. After ensuring that his aim was true, he released the arrow and watched it fly upwards and downwards on a slight curve.
What happened next was something that Kenzou and the other troops couldn't dare to imagine. Upon that arrow striking through the wood and setting the caches alight, a strong green flame burst outwards and upwards from the ground. He could swear that the sheer brightness and size of the flame were seen for miles around even with the mountains, and the vibrations that occurred just after the initial burst shocked the horses while all of the men used their swords, spears, bows, and shields to keep themselves from stumbling onto the ground. But once the flame and the dust created by the caches were cleared, half of the walls of the Golden Tooth were gone. Stones had fallen and the ramparts that had managed to avoid the initial burst had large visible cracks in them. There were also screaming, as Kenzou saw at least of a few of the garrison aflame but any attempts to brush out the green fire were futile.
Kenzou glanced at the Rahitheon man. "Was this what you intended?"
Even he was shocked at what he had concocted. "I only tested it in small quantities, like vials. I never thought it would do this much damage in barrel sizes."
Once the shock of the concoction's effects wore off, Lord Reyne ordered the advance. Amidst the flames and rubble, the combined troops of Lord Reyne and Lord Blackwood tried to storm the castle, but Kenzou saw that they found their way blocked by masses of debris created by the very substance that allowed them to storm the Golden Tooth quite easily. Furthermore, although Kenzou estimated that close to half of the garrison had perished in the explosion and the subsequent collapse of the walls, those who remained began to offer stiff resistance by throwing rocks on the approaching attackers, causing a large number of casualties. Can these men become more stubborn than they are?
In frustration, Kenzou noticed that the castle's latrines were emptied on the hillside. Ignoring the obvious stench that came with it, he ran down with his men plus twenty more Blackwood men towards that opening. Very quickly, they tied together two ladders and crawled through the sluiceways of the latrines, which were unsurprisingly empty and thus allowing them access to the interior of the castle.
Once inside, Kenzou and his men engaged the remainder of the beleaguered garrison. Drawing his katana, he easily sliced through the wooden pole of a spear, kicked that man in the balls, and pierced his dagger into his exposed throat. Someone else tried to take him by swinging his axe, but Kenzou reacted quickly and cut that man's hand off before driving his dagger in his eye. As for another, he ran towards that man, jumped high enough for a side kick that was strong enough to push him backwards, and sliced off his head before he could get up. Lastly, he was almost stuck by a knight who rushed at him from behind, which he responded with avoiding his sword strike by crouching and using his back leg to swipe his exposed legs, causing him to fall backwards. Since the armor was too thick, Kenzou stepped on the left side of his head and the force was so strong that his neck snapped.
By his own tally, Kenzou and his men eliminated twenty of the defenders in quick order. Seeing their comrades taken down in such an efficient manner must've frightened the remaining defenders, all of whom retreated and sought refuge in the castle's keep. As for Kenzou, he didn't sustain any losses in the small incursion and couldn't do anything about the now barred keep without the proper equipment. Fortunately, Lord Reyne's men at last gained unopposed access to the fortress, as shown from how they were to enter in force without suffering any more losses.
"You really are the great warriors that managed to storm Casterly Rock and also take Sharra Arrryn hostage," Lord Reyne noted his handiwork. "And I must apologize for every doubting the capabilities of yourself, your men, and that of that potion-maker."
"We only did as much as what was required, Lord Reyne," Kenzou answered. "And now, we have either two choices."
"And what would they be?"
"We can either smoke them out of there," Kenzou pointed to the keep. "Or you can enter negotiations. Whatever the case, the battle's already won."
"Agreed," Lord Reyne nodded. "And I shall offer them mercy. All of them shall be hostages until Lord Lefford can pay their ransoms, which I will set at very high prices."
"I have no arguments against that course of action," Kenzou assented. "However, we cannot linger here for long. We have to get out of these passes and onto flatter ground before Loren's reinforcements arrive."
"Right," Lord Reyne bobbed his head. "Do what you must. In the meantime, I shall call out those in the keep."
By the next morning, the garrison commander who happened to be Lord Lefford's nephew, his castellan, seventy men, and dozens more women and children had surrendered and placed somewhere else while Lord Reyne and Lord Blackwood established their temporary headquarters at the remains of the Golden Tooth. To their credit, they wasted no time in getting their troops on the march and over ten thousand men were now passing by the fortress.
After informing Lord Reyne and Lord Blackwood of his intentions, Kenzou journeyed through the mountain passes ahead of the armies. He also had the Rahitheon potion-maker inform Jaenyx of what happened and there was no doubt that more will be made. We're going to need more, if we intend to take on the more daunting fortresses.
The next target was Ashemark, home of House Marbrand. It controlled the approach between the Golden Tooth and the Crag, which in turn was located not far north of Castamere. If they wanted to secure Castamere, they had to secure Ashemark. At the same time, Kenzou had also heard others describe the castle as having a similar layout to the Golden Tooth. But unlike the last one, this castle was in more flat ground and they would be exposed.
There was no way that they would be able to advance directly on Casterly Rock, because it was too far from the Golden Tooth and the reinforcements would definitely reach there before they could. Now, the next best course of action was to take Ashemark and then either secure Castamere or storm the Crag, both of which would cut the Kingdom of the Rock in two. And it would be the most that they could do, for they could make no make further progress until the battle further south was won. Before that occurred, all of this was just to divert men and resources away from the main battle and Kenzou knew that they were about to accomplish exactly that. That, and the armies of Lord Reyne and Lord Blackwood could pillage and burn as they saw fit.
He would have preferred to fight alongside Jaenyx, but he knew that his current actions were of great importance and a side benefit was directly killing the very people who had a hand in his brother's death. If only I could get into Casterly Rock and burn it down, he thought as the silhouette of Ashemark finally appeared after venturing days through the mountains.
A/N: This battle was based on the siege of Godesberg (1583). For those who picked up on it, yes the substance is wildfire, the prototype version. But instead of gunpowder, it's used to decimate the Golden Tooth, which they were able to take with ease once it was used.
And Kenzou is becoming much more than the swordsman he thinks of himself. Given time, he'd show abilities in other areas while Lord Reyne has his cut out for him.
Next, we return to the Field of Fire.