Hey!

It is Thursday where I am now so enjoy my attempt at describing a sea battle! The side characters come out to play in this chapter :)


Chapter 67: Lullaby of the Sea

A few days later ...

On the Deck of the Iron Victory, Lordsport, Northern coast of Pyke, Seat of Power of House Greyjoy in the Iron Islands


"Uncle you know what my father's orders were," Yara berated, as she chased Victorian around the deck of Iron Victory.

"Your father has gotten soft in his old age," Victorian rebuked back before shouting an order for the sails to be let down.

"You are a great Captain Uncle but the fleet that is coming for my father's head is at best double the size of the Iron Fleet and at the most triple. You can't win against those odds."

Victorian stopped suddenly and turned to face his niece so that his impressive frame towered over her smaller one.

"Don't tell me what I can and cannot do, I was raiding and reaving before my brother even squirted you out of his balls," Victorian said fiercely.

Yara's set of black eyes narrowed at her Uncle's one and her hand twitched above her belt.

Victorian kept his niece's hands within sight as he asked, "You know how the Iron Fleet was defeated in the Rebellion?"

"You got trapped against the cliffs of Fair Isle and the mainland in the Straits of Fair Isle," Yara said without mercy still fuming about the earlier insult, "Stannis Baratheon smashed the Iron Fleet that day and his brother was able to land at Pyke and defeat the Rebellion the next."

"I rue the day I ever decided to sail into the Straits of Fair Isle but I have learnt from that mistake. That is how I know I can defeat the Southern Fleet facing us now."

"How?" Yara leaning against the ships railing, seeking a little bit of space from her robust Uncle and observing all the other Iron Fleet ships surrounding them preparing to sail.

Victorian joined her on the railings with a serious face, "If we do not engage the Southern Fleet and allow them to pass the Iron Islands, they will pick up their armies at Seagard. We can come up behind them and trap them against the mainland in Ironman's Bay. They won't be able to manoeuvre easily with so many ships in such a small space, they will be an easy target and if they do form an attacking formation the Iron Fleet would be able to retreat to avoid any significant losses and strike again later or sail to Essos."

Yara looked out into the roaming waves, it was a good plan, a doable plan, one that if successfully executed would be talked about for generations to come. One that Yara would love to be a part of but she had promised her father to go East and seek out the Dragon Queen.

"That might work Uncle but I cannot sail-"

"Stop doing what your father has commanded of you and prove that you are his heir and the next inline by doing what a Greyjoy does best sail and plunder .. or lose that privilege to me in the next Kingsmoot," Victorian said with a toothy grin.

Yara's eyes lit up at the challenge in her uncle's voice and she squared up to his large frame.

"The Black Wind will sail with the Iron Victory but once we have secured their defeat, we will sail onwards to Meereen and pledge House Greyjoy to the Dragon Queen."

Victorian stretched out his arm, "Let go make them rue the day they decided to sail in our sea."

Yara clasped her uncle's forehand with her own in a handshake motion and nodded firmly.


A few days later …

On the Deck of the Arbor Queen, Ironman's Bay, near Seagard, North West Riverlands


"Your plan had better work," Paxter Redwyne said sternly to Lord Grafton, "We could lose a lot of ships otherwise."

"It isn't just my plan, it was King Robb's, Lord Tywin's and Lord Royce's. If we had played it safe Paxter, we would lose a lot of time chasing the Iron Fleet instead of sieging Pyke," Grafton said keeping his annoyance in check.

The two men were old friends having both honed their seafaring skills in the waves beyond Old Town together, they had formed a bond that so often appeared between sailing companions but that didn't stop them from niggling at each other. Where Paxter Redwyne was cautious and methodical in his planning Gerold Grafton was bold and reckless in the fight.

Paxter huffed at Grafton's answer as only long-term suffering friends could and turned to oversee his fleet that was harboured a mile off Seagard waiting on the many cogs and longboats to reach them that were transporting the combined armies of the Westerlands, the Vale, the North and the Golden Company along with their respective leaders.

A sudden cry alerted the two seafaring men and they both turned to see the lookout above waving frantically out into the open sea.

Lord Grafton smiled at what he saw. The Iron Fleet in all of its horrible black and golden glory thundering towards them through the rolling waves. Lord Paxter was less pleased but Victorian Greyjoy had played into their hands even if he didn't know it yet.


Victorian and his men roared in delight at seeing the combined Redwyne and Arryn Fleets stationary ahead of them, he could even see the smaller cogs and longboats transporting the soldiers, many of whom wouldn't know how to swim. This was going to be a glorious day.

He looked to his left to see his niece's ship, Black Wind following in the Iron Victory's charge. Many ships would fall to their combined will.

By the time the Iron Fleet reached Lord Grafton and Lord Redwyne's ships they had set up a defensive line and arrows were being fired at them but nothing would stop Victorian's charge.

The Iron Victory smashed into the idle Arbor Queen with a sickening crack with its silver Kraken ram, entangling the two ships together. Victorian saw the thin looking Lord Paxter at the wheel and another armour-clad Lord who bore the colours of the Vale by the Reach Lord's side.

Victorian unhooked his great axe from his belt and roared as only a true born raider could, "Let's take them."

He crossed over to the Arbor Queen from the conjoining point of the Iron Victory's ram and landed on the Reach ship's deck with dozens of Ironborn at his back.

The Arbor Queen's crew engaged and Victorian enjoyed every swing of his great axe that felled a man and laughed in delight as more came forth to replace the ones he had dispatched. This was what being an Ironborn was all about. Paying the Iron Price, taking what you wanted and Victorian wanted revenge for his defeat at the Straits of Fair Isle. The man mainly responsible for the destruction of the Iron Fleet fifteen years ago was standing on the quarter deck with his sword out.

"Paxter Redwyne I am coming for you," Victorian bellowed in delight as he advanced to the quarter deck, shredding anyone that got in his way with brutal strength and vicious strikes.

"Victorian Greyjoy," Lord Paxter greeted with animosity as the large raider approached him with his great axe.

"You and Stannis destroyed the Iron Fleet now it is my turn to destroy the Redwyne Fleet," Victorian growled as he swung his axe.

Paxter nimbly dodged and kept his defensive stance, it seemed he was weary of the battle hardened and formidable Captain that stood across from him. They were both the same height but where Lord Paxter was thin and light-footed, Victorian was muscular and heavy handed.

It took Victorian just a few more swings to corner Lord Paxter against the railings of his own ship.

"Nowhere to go now," Victorian snarled with glee as he raised his great axe and brought it down.

Paxter tried to block the blow but the axe smashed through his sword and bit into his shoulder pinning him to the wooden railing behind him as he cried out in pain.

Victorian looked down at the thin Lord as one would on a rabbit whose neck you were about to snap. But before he could wrench his axe from Lord Paxter's shoulder and deal the finishing blow he felt a presence to his right rush at him.

He quickly jumped backwards out of the arc of the sword that skimmed his face and quickly took his sword from his belt to face his new foe.

"You are a biggin aren't you?" Lord Grafton said looking up at the Greyjoy brother.

"And you will be a deadin soon," Victorian replied as he swiped out with his sword which the Vale Lord easily parried and responded with quick reflexes to draw blood from Victorian's torso with a long but shallow cut.

The Captain of the Iron Fleet let out a shout of frustration but kept coming at Lord Grafton and eventually the tactic that had worked with Lord Paxter worked again as Lord Grafton was trapped against the wooden railings of the ship on the other side to where Victorian had trapped the Reach Lord, limiting his ability to manoeuvre out of Victorian's powerful strikes. And so, the contest became one of strength as Victorian pushed down on Lord Grafton's sword so the smaller man was on the edge of being pushed over the side of the ship.

A sharp feeling in his rear had Victorian crying out in pain as he pulled a dagger from his side. He snatched out with his sword catching Lord Paxter in the torso. The Reach man fell to the floor holding his stomach with his good arm while his other was incapacitated by the large wound the axe had bitten into his shoulder.

The momentary distraction had allowed Lord Grafton to leap clear of Victorian and in an effort to keep the Ironborn's attention on him and not the vulnerable Lord Paxter who was shuffling away from the fight on the floor, Lord Grafton laughed.

The sound had the intended reaction and Victorian squared up to Lord Grafton again.

"You are too bull headed to see defeat, evening if you are staring it in the face," Lord Grafton chortled.

"Defeat?" Victorian scoffed as he took a few steps towards Lord Grafton, "My men have nearly taken over this ship and the Iron Fleet is tearing apart your armada. This time it is the Iron Fleet that will be triumphant, not the Redwyne's"

"You always were short sighted weren't you," Lord Grafton chuckled as he kept his distance from the bigger man.

Victorian took a moment to look around him, his Ironborn raiders were doing just fine fighting the remaining Reach sailors onboard the Arbor Queen but then his one eye spied in the distance of the sea mist one ship, then a few more, then an entire swarm of ships appeared out of the mist in a long line that was designed to trap all those in the Ironman's Bay.

To trap the Iron Fleet, and in that dreadful moment he realised he had been played. The very advantage he had thought was with him was now with the new fleet that was bearing down on his.

"We split out our ships," Grafton explained enjoying the crestfallen look that had come over Victorian's face, "We knew you would never resist the opportunity to trap us in Ironman's Bay the way you were trapped at the Straits of Fair Isle so we accounted for that possibility."

That look of anguish didn't last long as it morphed into a snarling rage.

Victorian pulled his axe from the bloody wooden railing and welding his sword in the other hand he went after Lord Grafton. With his black eyepatch, his large frame and weapons in both hands combined with the fury etched on his face he was a scary sight to behold and Lord Grafton could see how many men had fallen to his might but he was determined not to be among their number.

Victorian's rage was formidable, Grafton had no opportunity to attack as the Ironborn's frenzy didn't provide one.

Lord Grafton put one hand on the wooden railing for support after being backed up by a powerful sword strike and as he pushed off the railing to launch into a dodge he found his body not moving as Victorian's axe had landed hard on his hand, cutting off two fingers and leaving him vulnerable to the follow up sword strike.

Luckily for the sea weathered Vale Lord, Victorian never had the chance to ram his sword through him as he himself found the point of a sword bursting through his wide chest. The point was retracted and the great Captain fell to his knees before Lord Grafton who gave a thankful look to his saviour.

"Took your time," Grafton said as he skirted around the mortally wounded Victorian who collapsed with his back against the side of the ship.

"The wind was against us," Artys smiled, knowing his mentor was just relieved to be alive.

"You look like Euron's ghost," Victorian gasped from his lowly position breathing heavily.

Lord Grafton kicked away the Ironborn's sword and was about to do the same with his axe when Artys picked it up with both hands.

"I am Artys Arryn. Euron rapped my mother," Artys announced to his uncle as he stepped closer to the downed man with a hard look on his face.

Victorian lifted his head with the last remaining announce of strength he had in his failing body, "Euron would have liked you, he always wanted all of his brother's dead, now you can continue what he started Nephew."

"I don't do this for Euron, I do this for my mother, Alyssa Arryn" Artys said as he brought the axe down with all his might.

The axe tore into Victorian's neck and made its way down to his chest almost connecting with the puncture wound there. Victorian let out a loud gurgle of indistinguishable noise and then slumped to one side with his own axe still embedded in him.

"Lad …. Lad," Lord Grafton called out to him, seeing the tremble in Arty's hands as he looked down at his dead uncle.

Artys turned slowly to see Ser Davos holding Lord Paxter upright and Lord Grafton's worried eyes fixed on him, "It is not enough."

"What isn't?" Grafton asked taking two steps towards the knighted youth.

Artys pointed towards Victorian's butchered body, "His death was too quick. My mother had to endure months of torture and god knows what is happening to my Aunt."

"Calm lad, all the Greyjoys will pay for what they did. Victorian was only the beginning and we will get Kenna back."

Artys nodded and walked towards his mentor, he scanned his surroundings as he did. The Golden Company and Lannister ships had successfully flanked the Iron Fleet and with the aid of the Redwyne and Arryn ships they had totally destroyed the Iron Fleet caught between them. Archers from all still floating ships were picking off the Ironborn attempting to swim to the shore with little mercy.

"The Iron Fleet is destroyed," Artys announced as he saw Lord Grafton cradling his bloody hand.

Lord Grafton noticing where Arty's attention was waved his crippled left hand proudly, "I am only missing two fingers, still have my thumb, forefinger and middle finger. Practically no difference but I fear we will need to get my old companion Lord Paxter looked at."

"Old?" Paxter managed to grit out through the pain as Ser Davos gripped him round his waist, "I am younger than you."

"It is a term of endearment," Lord Grafton cheered as only a joyful man could, "and thank you for saving my life back there. I thought Victorian had me then."

"Perhaps you could return the favour and find me a Maester before I bleed out on the deck of my own ship," Lord Redwyne said with urgency as his hand pressured the bleeding cut on his stomach while the wound at his shoulder bled freely.

"That sounds like a job for you Ser Davos," Lord Grafton smiled at the smuggler as Lord Paxter's eyes widened.

"You are the Onion Knight?" he spluttered but didn't wait for an answer as he saw the man's deformed hand round his waist, "You saved Stannis Baratheon from my blockade on Storm's End."

"Aye and now I am attempting to save you," Davos said not taking the combative tone of the injured Lord seriously as he tugged the stooping man forward into the lower decks of the ship in search of a healer.


Both Lord Grafton and Artys leant back on the railings of the Arbour Queen, opposite to where Victorian's body laid, taking in the floating carcasses of the Iron Fleet that surrounded them.

"Did the smuggler help you at all?" Lord Grafton asked watching the mentioned man disappear below deck.

"He is a good sailor, commanded the Golden Company's ships well but he claims to be a bad fighter," Artys shrugged not prepared to give a more in-depth answer.

"Well I probably fit into that category now don't I," he said lifting his decapitated hand which was still dribbling blood onto the ship's deck.

"You fell into that category before Victorian took half your hand," Artys couldn't resist teasing.

Lord Grafton attempted to playfully kick Artys but he easily bounced out of range, "Cheeky shit."

Artys laughed in response, still a boy at heart even if he had the body of a man and just killed his uncle.

"Onward to Lordsport, then Pyke castle," Grafton declared excitedly with adrenaline still drowning out the pain in his hand.

"Your hand?" Artys said looking at the forgotten two fingers on the floor beside his uncle's dead corpse.

"Fine, I will get it seen too but get the entire Fleet ready to sail to Pyke," Lord Grafton huffed good naturedly as he followed the path Ser Davos and Lord Paxter had taken, "It has been too long since I set my eyes on my Queen."

"Yes," Artys agreed while staring out at the waves in the direction of Pyke, "Hold on Aunt, we are coming."


Author's Notes

As this entire chapter was about a sea battle, I choose to concentrate on the main seafaring characters – Lord Grafton, Lord Paxter Redwyne, Victorian Greyjoy, Yara Greyjoy, Ser Davos and Artys. I know none of them are the main characters but I hope you enjoyed their quirks and time in the spotlight :)

I enjoyed fleshing out Lord Grafton with his playful nature, his friendship with Paxter Redwyne and the nice mentor mentee thing going on between him and Artys.

Lord Grafton and Lord Paxter Redwyne survived here by the skin of their teeth! But I have …. other plans for them. Hope Lord Paxter Redwyne's introduction was good, he nearly didn't survive this chapter to make a second impression XD

Artys doesn't seem to be satisfied with Victorian's death ….

Regarding the Fleet numbers and how they were split for those into the details:

Iron Fleet = 100 ships commanded by Victorian and Yara Greyjoy

Redwyne & Arryn ships commanded by Paxter Redwyne & Lord Grafton that were harboured near Seagard = 200 + 50

Artys & Davos commanded the remaining 20 Lannister ships and 50 Golden Company ships that sandwiched Victorian and Yara in Ironmans's Bay.

Victorian and Yara never sought to confirm the number of ships that sailed against them so they didn't notice when the main fleet was missing a few they just expected to face a combined Redwyne and Arryn fleet.


RIP:

Victorian Greyjoy (Died by a combination of Paxter Redwyne stabbing him in the side and Artys thrusting his sword point through his chest as well as chopping into him with his own axe)

It essentially took three men (Redwyne, Grafton & Artys) to take him down which I think is appropriate for Victorian as he was supposed to be a great fighter but tactically a bit thick. Unfortunately, it looks like he dragged Yara down with him or maybe she sealed her fate by being lured into sailing with him for the glory and having one eye on the Kingsmoot that would come with Balon's death.


Reviews:

Supremus85 – Yes but I stress the minimum bit in your comment and even that didn't work LOL. I don't want to spoil anything but yes Arty's heritage comes into the story in the next few chapters as it did this one with his confrontation with Victorian. Thanks, Supremus!

NightlyRowenTree – Thanks for reading it :)

Lord Demolitions – Your name is appropriate, isn't it? :P You a WWII buff by any chance? This story will firmly stick to wildfire being the only explosive manmade element but I do recall a story in the fandom that was written around the concept of gunpowder being discovered in Westeros but I have forgotten the name. I think it was really popular though and, in the description, it was all about gunpowder.

Guest (commented 13/10/2020) – Unfortunately no arms are going up asses but there will be suffering MWHAHAHA (diabolical laughter) :P

DannyBlack70 – Yes, he should have but not everyone does as they should but do as they want. I think he just doesn't really incorporate long term consequences into his thinking it is just - I want that so I will take or do that, and in this story he wants the people who made him suffer to suffer themselves and only Kenna is left from that group of people and he wants to draw it out as once she is dead there really is nothing left for him. Oh, I love it when something unexpected draws you into a story :D Cersei/Meereen plot will be back soon, maybe two or three chapters away and we will get a good look at Cersei without her family to support her and what she is capable of on her own.

Thank you for taking the time to think on my writing and giving me your feedback on it :)

Laisrmartinelli – Aw thanks my dude or duddette! I know when I am reading a story I want to know instantly where geographically I am and what time it is so I put those details in all of my stories. I always think I am not putting in enough detail but thank you for observations on my writing style and I value your opinion on it :) Glad you like the changes to the universe because I got a hell of a lot more to carry out XD The key word in your last sentence here is eventually because Jorge and Yohn (jnr) are in Winterfell with Sansa while Kenna and Tywin are in Pyke so they will be reunited (or in Tywin's case introduced) but that is many chapters away :(

Shadow Wolf 15846 – I know it is brutal but I felt that Balon would be brutal in his punishment and he would favour physical torture like whipping over what Euron did to Alyssa. I know Balon is a true Ironborn and he took salt wives but I think when it comes to an actually adversary or opponent he wouldn't subject them to being his salt wife, as he said to Victorian Kenna is just unsuited to that life style, but would go for inflicting as much pain on them before killing them.


Next Up: The trio of Robb, Tywin and Lord Royce reach the shores of Pyke, Balon refuses to barter while Jaime and Kenna find themselves trapped together.

The next few chapters will focus on what is happening around Pyke because a lot happens there in a short space of time so it doesn't make sense to split it with other plot scenes but don't worry Meereen, Beyond the Wall, King's Landing, Dorne, and the North will come back soon :)


If you are enjoying this story please *Toss a coin to your writer, Oh valley of readers* and review, follow and favorite!