"Straight ahead as she goes, buckos," Clogg ordered. "Pound that ole door to splinters. Charge!"
The Waterlily was a heavy ship, but working together, the vermin had no trouble pushing it along the sand. They were heading for the gates of Marshank at ramming speed.
Dany's troops had joined her on the walltop. Tyrion, Ser Barristan, Ser Jorah, Gingivere, Gonff, Martin and some other slaves, and Log-a-Log and his shrews all awaited orders.
"Get your slings and arrows ready," she said. "Rose and Gingivere, you get down below and see that the gates are well shored up with rock and rubble. That'll make it harder for them. I'm going down to get the dragons."
Whump!
The prow of the ship met the door of the fortress with a splintering crash. "Ho-ho, cullies," said Clogg. "Back 'er off an' let's do it again!"
But before they could, Ser Barristan shouted a command of his own to the beasts on the wall. "First rank, shoot and drop!"
A volley of shafts and stones hissed through the sky, felling many vermin where they stood.
"First rank, reload! Second rank, shoot and drop!"
Another hail of death followed in the wake of the first.
"Second rank, reload! Third rank, shoot and drop! Ready, first rank!"
Many of the foes below had fallen, but there was still plenty left, and they had arrows of their own. They stopped trying to break the door down for the moment and began shooting back.
Ser Barristan Selmy was about to give another command when a barbed arrow pierced his skull. Tyrion watched in horror as he slumped forward.
Then the beating of dragon wings filled the sky. Dany reappeared at Tyrion's side. She had released Rhaegal and Viserion from their pit!
"Dracarys!" Dany called, and the two dragons shot two enormous blasts of fire at the battering ram. It burst into flames.
"Glad I didn't use me own ship," Clogg said.
Then Rhaegal and Viserion started flying around, burning individual vermin soldiers. Rats, weasels, ferrets, stoats, foxes, and lizards were running in every direction, trying to avoid the flames. Tyrion gaped in awe. This was his first-time seeing dragons in action.
"We've got 'em on the run!" Gonff cheered.
But Jorah was worried. "Where's Tsarmina? I haven't seen her anywhere this whole time."
"Right behind you," said Tsarmina. Jorah whirled around. She was standing right next to him! She and the Gawtrybe squirrels had used grappling hooks and nets to climb up the back wall while everyone had been distracted dealing with the battering ram. Before Jorah could do anything, Tsarmina ran a sword through his chest.
Dany saw Jorah fall. "You monster!" she shouted. "You killed Ser Jorah!" She ran towards the cat, pushing past her own soldiers.
"Well, you killed my father," Tsarmina said.
"That's a lie!" said Dany. "Gingivere told me you killed him yourself. But now I will kill YOU!"
She was face to face with Tsarmina now, and she had a sword of her own. The two queens began an epic duel. Sparks flew off their blades as they strained and flailed at one another.
Meanwhile, the savage squirrels were swarming all over the walltop. They were quite a handful for the defenders. They used no weapons, fighting with only their teeth and claws, but they were fierce. One of them leaped on Felldoh and started working him over. Felldoh hadn't expected to be attacked by another squirrel, but he fought bravely, kicking out with his footpaws and sending his assailant flying over the wall to the ground below. He got to his feet and looked over the edge of the wall to see his opponent lying dead on the ground. "You're a disgrace to your species!" he shouted down.
Another squirrel sank his teeth into Martin's arm. "These squirrels fight like madbeasts! I've never seen anything like them before!" he cried to Tyrion. Tyrion couldn't answer. He was busy trying to fend off two squirrels at once.
With the hand that wasn't holding her sword, Tsarmina raked her claws across Dany's face, narrowly missing her eyes. Dany's sword clattered to the ground as she reflexively brought her hands up to her face. Tsarmina raised her footpaw and kicked Dany in the stomach. Dany dropped to her knees. Tsarmina kicked her again in the side. Dany collapsed.
Tsarmina raised her sword for the final strike. "Good night, Daenerys. Dream of the kingdom you never had."
WHAAOM!
A fireball incinerated Tsarmina where she stood. Dany looked up. Drogon was flying just above her! He had returned at just the right moment and killed Tsarmina!
Drogon picked Dany up in his claws and started carrying her through the air. He flew over to where Tyrion was and picked the dwarf up in his other hand. Then he began flying west, taking Dany and Tyrion with him.
Martin saw them leaving. "Where are you going?" he shouted. "Come back!"
But Drogon kept flying until he was just a speck on the horizon.
Tyrion turned his head and saw Dany being carried along beside him in the dragon's other hand. "Where on earth's he taking us?" he shouted to her.
"I have no idea," Dany said.
