*The following chapter was written by reader sensfan90. Thank you sensfan90, for adding to this little world!
(Bay of Ice: 297) Asha II (by sensfan90)
"How many?"
"They look bloody identical but the Drumms were smart enough to gauge them by the look of their flowing banners. Three confirmed with who knows how many longships they've repurposed since the rebellion." She chewed her glove to hide her irritation at the words. Once again father's pride had cost the Ironborn more than it should have. Scores of ships from the Iron Fleet were left to rot in retreat, a decent commander would have scuttled them immediately. The Butcher had seen fit to take them for her own, they had had seen at least thirteen patrol the Bay of Ice during their voyage. A hell of a wedding gift for a no name sailor to his precious She-Bear.
"We can take three bloody ships." She liked her cousin Eerl but days like this she remembered he favored his Myre mother over his Harlaw father when it came to brains.
"One ship took down the entire bloody Redwyne Fleet in a night. Worse the hulls are sturdy enough for them to fight as if they were on land. Have any of you lads payed any fucking attention to the rebellion? Unless we have complete surprise or an actual damm Kraken we have no chance winning at sea. We scout to find a way to take the port or we don't bother at all." Some of her greenboys grumbled but the veterans of the rebellion nodded swiftly. They remembered the swift humiliation of the Iron Fleet when they thought themselves invincible after the burning of Lannisport. As the years moved by and seas turned against the Drowned God in favor of the Storm their numbers had only grown.
"You don't sound confident Captain." She turned to Maron Volmark, the lad had scarcely seen real combat outside a few wildlings but never lacked for confidence. There were a dozen better men she could think of to man her ship but her n'uncle had convinced her of taking a different path. Volmark was a vassal of Harlaw yet equaled the entire power of House Farwynd. Donnel Drumm, Baelor Blacktyde, Tristifer Botley , Jane Shepherd and Ser Aladale Wynch all sailed with her or took to the sea alongside the Black Wind. When her father eventually chose to challenge Westeros like anyone with a brain knew he would she would have the strongest voice. Not that she suspected her father would have a strong voice in any case, too many mothers and sisters lost their brothers and sons to stay quiet. Another point her Uncle had been quick to force down her throat, things like that cost Lords and Kings their seat.
"I had three brothers, two dead and a third all but cast out from the family. I had three Uncles, all dead or lost at sea. It's bloody telling the only one to accomplish something in life did so fighting with Lady Azula Baratheon. Dagmer Cleftjaw a sailor I learned and respected since I was a wee little girl chose the Frozen Shore rather than sail against her! Of course I lack the confidence to win such a battle, without some sort of plan I would be stupid or touched in the head." The crew laughed at her statement of the obvious as she signaled to head further North. The holds were filled with spices and it was more than enough to get them docked on Bear Island. A few fishermen with loose tongues had spoken of a large set of buildings in the deep forests of Mormont lands and she needed to know what it was. If it was another yard for naval constructions the North would need no longer fear the Ironborn. She needed a fucking drink.
"Donnel you fought in the Stepstones did you not?"
"Aye but I sailed east as soon as I heard even a whisper of the Royal Navy. Good thing I did, never heard a word from those men we left behind since. My father learned firsthand how fucking fast those Iron Vessels are in the rebellion. Best fucking lesson he ever taught me."
"How long do you think it will take before those ships could reach Blazewater Bay if the needed to, say in response to raiding?"
"Hard to say, we sail into the bay itself and they'd be good and ready to cut us off. Along the Stoney Shore we have the advantage of maneuvering on the coast but any winds that take us at sea won't be near enough to avoid the Firelord's ilk. Why do you ask?" So that was it then, unless they took Lyanna's Bay in the first attack they were sure to fail. There was a few ways to approach it by land in the south under cover but she doubted there chances of victory over the natives. They had so many bloody hills and bogs to cross and traverse they could lose an entire army in the advance.
"The only bloody chance we have is to catch them out of position, even so the odds are poor. I will be no Oakenfist in these seas. Man the helm, I am done for the day." A sinking feeling in her gut told her Bear Island would be no better for her mood.
(Bear Island, Nameless Tavern: 297) Asha II (by sensfan90)
"Play it again!" Ignoring the glares from the odd Mormont soldier she raised her glass as the Bear and the Maiden Fair played for the umpteenth time. Just because she had eaten their salt and bread did not mean she could not have a little fun at their expense. Besides looking the like the spiteful Greyjoy always made it easier to move in the open. Not even flinching as her childhood friend slid into the booth she brought the mug to cover her lips from prying eyes.
"Aye Botley any news from our mead loving friends?"
"More than I thought but less than I'd hoped. Bloody worse than we thought if the Mormont Keep is anything to go by." That had been an unsettling sight, the old and weathered wooden longhall replaced with hard stone, the earthen palisade thickened and fortified by two lines of fresh timber. This land was supposed to be dirt poor after the infamous failures of its former lord, where did they get the coin?
"The smallfolk aren't exactly hiding their joy. The slaver Jorah Mormont left the family with little, his niece however moved in without missing a beat. She brought those Fire Nation types and suddenly there was work everywhere. I know my accents though, someone has been breaking chains in Essos and dumping them here. Lys, Myr and Volantis by my ear. Good with their hands and tools no doubt. Fucking Red Priests are everywhere though, I did not push my luck with em too much." And no one would question too deeply how they arrived. Why ask a freed slave how'd he suffered? Or where all this gold and silver for stone and wages appeared?
"I take it Sea Dragon Point is doing better than we had thought. Lady Dacey had a son a few years past, she may be readying his seat."
"Likely, or perhaps they are fortifying the island in preparation for the future. The Firelord turned a land of hills and bogs into a fortress in a single summer. I'd wager she could do more with a land such as this given the chance. Or maybe the Stag on the Iron Throne gave her the coin for more glory, the entire realm knows how he and the Falcon have placed in Dragonstone." She downed her drink at Shepherd's words and silently agreed the lass was right. But there was something they were missing, the port had been the same as she remembered from her youth. Oh it looked cleaner and the people with Yi Tish and Essosi features gave their origin away but not like Lyanna's Bay. That was a garrisoned naval holding with a town to support it, this was something different.
"Mommy, look at what I got at school today!" Surprised by the voice she looked at the barmaid join her daughter, a piece of parchment in hand. Looking around she noticed a score of children join their parents with similar pieces.
"Oh did you pass your test?"
"Uh huh, best in the class! I got a perfect score for the lands and castles of the North!" She motioned for another drink in order to get closer and oh so suddenly things fell into place. The girl was probably a bastard or a fisherman's brood but she had her letters and numbers incredibly young! Such a thing was unheard for Westeros and the state Jorah Mormont left this land in sure as hell meant the coin for tutors did not exist. They were building no ships, they were building a bloody army. Not warriors perhaps but the merchants, craftsman, cobblers and smiths to support it, in many ways so much worse. Boys and girls who thought like Azula wanted them to, just like the Drowned Men filled the Isles with their speeches in the harsh days along the shore. It was insidious as it was brilliant and she highly doubted King's Landing or Winterfell appreciated just how deeply this could affect the people.
"Botley, Shepherd tell the crew we leave in the morning, I got what we came for."
"A girl knowing her keeps and banners is the key?" Ignoring the lack of foresight from her companion she felt the smooth liquid of the mead ease her mood. Well not treasonous or even blasphemy it was startling the Firelord could do such a thing in Westeros. And it spoke of so much more than the world thought. A legendary warrior, a powerful navy and a group to mold the people into an ideal, replace Old Ways with the Butcher's ways and it was almost poetic. She sighed as it seemed her path in the future was set whether she liked it or not.
"Fucking n'uncle was right I'm gonna have to talk to the bloody fire bitch."
