Chapter 25; Battle on the River
Characters of the chapter
Daenerys Targaryen, The Mother of Dragons, the Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, the Unburnt, the Breaker of Chains, Queen of the of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men of the South, Queen of the South Kingdom of the Twin kingdoms and Protector of the Realm
Gendry Baratheon, Lord of Storm's End, Master of Laws on the Small Council
Grey Worm, Master of War on the Small Council of Queen Daenerys, High Commander of the Royal Army
Hamar Blackstar, Head of the upstart House Blackstar
Grey Worm looked around himself, at the troops of the royal army arrayed into battle formations. The Queen and the dragon were not with them. He had waited for her as long as he could, and now there was no more time to spare. The fight to defeat house Blackstar and get across the Trident river had to happen now.
"First wave, advance." He commanded in the common tongue. A horn sounded, and the first units of infantry began to make their way to get to the other side of the river.
He was following the Queen's plan, only adjusting it for the absence on the dragon. As a substitute he had the Unsullied leading the assault, accompanied by dismounted Westerosi knights. He hoped that sending his best troops first he could minimize casualties during the first phase of the fighting. Sending cavalry into a fortified area could easily result in them losing momentum, then potentially facing a massacre by well positioned defenders, so beginning with an infantry assault was the only option open for him. Once the storming of the fortifications began other infantry would be following them in with the second wave, reinforcing any position where the army began breaking through the enemy defenses. Mounted knights and other heavy cavalry were standing ready to charge enemy units that emerged into the open. Archers would be suppressing the enemy and softening them up before the attack would hit home. Light Cavalry would screen their flanks during the attack, the dothraki foremost among them.
Scouts had still not found the missing units of House Blackstar, so the possibility of an attack in the flanks or rear was very real in his mind. He hoped that the light cavalry units would be able to keep the army protected during the battle, particularly their baggage train, the most vulnerable and precious component of their army. If the baggage train was damaged or destroyed, the loss of supplies would hurt the army more than anything else today could. It was the one way this day could still be a failure. As such he had moved the baggage train closer to the central portion of the army, away from harm. The potential complications aside he was very confident of his odds today. He had a large army at his command, against a force that was positively miniscule by comparison.
As soon as the first soldiers reached the waterline, arrows fired from the fortifications began peppering their lines. As soon as the first arrows began hitting them the Unsullied responded according to their training, closing together, the first rank locking shields and the ranks behind them raising their shields above their heads, into an impenetrable roof above them. The Westerosi knights were in somewhat looser order, but they had the advantage of far heavier armor than what the Unsullied used. The arrow fire proved largely ineffectual. Here and there a few were dropped when an arrow found a chink in the armor or a hole between the shields, but most survived, and continued to advance, nearing the opposite bank, while the archers of the Royal Army returned fire.
With some puzzlement Grey Worm noted that arrow fire was lighter than he had anticipated, wondering why that was. Still, it was a good start, and if the enemy offered less resistance than expected, it meant more of his men would live and that was something he would take gladly.
A harder part of the battle was coming up soon, when the first wave would assault House Blackstar's fortifications. Unsullied were used to fighting in well-ordered formations, each soldier supporting his fellows at his sides, creating a single cohesive entity, more than the sum of their parts. Their equipment and training all reflected this. But in the narrow winding mess of fortifications their formations would have to break up into smaller groups. Even alone or in small groups the Unsullied were extremely skilled fighters that feared nothing, but even so they were not as imposing a foe as a full, well ordered block of them would be. In small groups, in loose order, they were still as tough as nails, but they could be beaten. In the narrow spaces spearmen like the Unsullied would have hard time turning to face foes that came from directions other than their front, leaving them vulnerable to flanking attacks and ambushes. Once they entered the underground parts it would make things even worse, low lighting and likely very cramped spaces hard to navigate and fight in. The Unsullied would have to rely on the knights for support, their weaponry being at least a little more suited to the conditions they faced.
This was a complicated situation that could easily turn bloody if things went wrong. This was what concerned him, not because of the possibility of defeat, he knew his troops better than to worry about that. No, for him the concern was about the cost in lives to his men, particularly the Unsullied.
The Unsullied were his people, the ones he had known and trained and fought besides since the beginning. As such they were very important to him. There had only been one person he cared for more than this soldiers, and she was long gone from his life, stolen from him by the world and cruel enemies. Nowadays his soldiers and the work he did for Queen Daenerys was all he had to live for. Perhaps that was not the healthies way to live, but for him there existed no alternative.
Eight thousand fully trained Unsullied there had been on a fateful day in Astapor when the Queen had set them free and brought them to her service, many years ago. Since that day, a few at a time, battle after battle, their numbers had dwindled. The Battle of Nightfall was where the Unsullied fellowship had sustained their worst wound, half of their number evaporated in a single night of brutal slaughter. More had been lost after that day, and more would be lost in this war. And who knows how many conflicts there were yet to come, each demanding a blood price.
Knowing that their numbers diminished with every battle, Grey Worm had been in talks with Lord Tyrion and the Queen about a new kind of training regime that would allow him to begin training replacements for the Unsullied. Their mutual goal was to have a system that would keep the quality of the Unsullied intact, while removing castrating, child killing and other more brutal aspects of training devised by the Masters of Astapor. The final result would be training that would be tough and challenging in the extreme, but no longer unnecessarily cruel or potentially lethal to the participants. But that was a practical consideration, the means to ensure the Queen would not be running out of her best soldiers. Ultimately it would not bring back the the original Unsullied, merely substitute them with something that had approximately the same level of performance. It was not the same thing.
Grey Worm wondered just how long it would be until he would be the last of the original Unsullied left alive. The odds of him being the last one had significantly increased since becoming the Queen's Master of War. He would have gladly shared in the danger with his troops, helping them fight, but this was not a possibility. As the commander of the armies on the ground he had to stay back and observe the battle unfolding, so he could better direct the army to respond to developing situations. It was how it had to be, but not as he wanted it to be. How envious he was now of Gendry Baratheon, who had been given command of the first wave.
The first feet of the advancing units touched the opposite shore of the ford, and the first wave charged, running to reach the enemy fortifications as quickly as possible. Arrow fire from the Royal Army's archers slackened off for fear of hitting their own troops.
"Second wave, advance!" Grey Worm commanded. The horn sounded once again and the second wave departed. Larger than the first wave, the second wave consisted of regular Royal Army infantry and the men-at-arms of houses allied with the South Kingdom.
As the first wave neared the fortifications, Grey Worm noticed the enemy soldiers beginning to stream away from the position they had been holding, fleeing to the open field behind the fortifications. "They're abandoning their positions?" Grey Worm thought, now utterly puzzled. If the enemy wanted to give them a fight, then staying in a fortified position seemed to be their best option. If on the other hand the enemy had decided their circumstances here were untenable, why were they on the field at all? Was this display the enemy losing their nerve, or was there a strategy behind their actions?
"Tell our forces not to advance beyond the fortifications." He commanded, his instincts warning him to be on guard some trick the enemy were planning on. The horn blew a pair of notes, signaling for the first wave to halt its progress. The Unsullied and most of the Westerosi knights heard the signal and stopped as ordered but a few knights kept going, chasing after House Blackstar troops, caught in their own eagerness for battle. Grey Worm cursed, angry that his commands had been ignored, all the more because it created a dangerous situation for those who had ignored them. Their lines had been utterly broken by their rush and their passage through the enemy fortifications. Now they were just as scattered as their fleeing enemies. If anything deigned to attack them now…
It was just at that moment that another horn sounded on the battlefield, coming from across the river, answered shortly by another. At first Grey Worm thought Gendry was trying to signal something back to him. Then he realized that the tone was off. The second horn in particular was louder, more bombastic. And they were blowing no signal that he recognized. These were not the signaling horns used by the Royal Army, and to his shock Grey Worm realized that at this moment they weren't delivering any commander's orders to their troops, but rather they sounded in challenge.
Only moments after the horns sounded the first enemy units appeared, cavalry followed closely by infantry moving through the woods around the river. Most rode under a white banner carrying a black eight pointed star, but several units of cavalry rode under a golden mask on a sky-blue surface. From among these riders a shout could be heard joining the sound of horns: "Orlais, Orlais, Orlais!"
"The Orlesians are here too?" Grey Worm realized, the revelation making him curse again. This was not something that had been expected. Just before the battle had begun he had received word that an Orlesian force had been encountered at the twins, just before the bridge crossing the river had been destroyed by unknown means. After that they had lost sight of the Orlesian force, lacking the means to track their movements. Grey Worm had believed they would return to the Orlesian main force, but instead they had chosen to come here. Fortunately there did not seem to be that many Orlesians reinforcing their enemy, perhaps a regiment's worth all told. Still, for all he knew this was just a vanguard, with the rest of the Grand army right at their heels. If that was the case, with the dragon elsewhere and his army bottlenecked trying to cross the ford… it could be very bad.
The bulk of the attacking enemies, including all the Orlesians, were making a pincer movement, circling around their own fortifications, hitting the lead elements of the second wave in the flanks. In the center a smaller force was making its way straight to the fortifications, joined by the troops of house Blackstar that suddenly stopped running, turning on their surprised pursuers. Caught off their guard and disordered the Westerosi troops that had been pursuing the enemy turned around and tried to head back into better positions inside the fortifications. Those who were closest had a decent chance of making it, but many others were getting cut down as they retreated, paying for their overenthusiasm with blood.
"Reinforce the first wave's position with our reserves. Hold your ground and beat back these attackers at all costs." Grey Worm ordered. If the enemy broke through and cut off the first wave, the Queens strongest infantry units would be isolated and surrounded on all sides. If that were to happen the first wave faced potentially devastating casualties before the second wave's counterattack forced the enemy back. The men of the first wave did have the advantage of the fortifications they had just captured, but House Blackstar had a reputation for good quality troops, as did their Orlesian allies and if they did their job well they still had a chance to deliver the hurt.
"My Lord, look! Behind us!" The hornblower at his side suddenly shouted, pointing. Grey Worm turned and saw that a second enemy force had appeared just behind them, making straight for their baggage train. This second force carried no banners, no horns or battlecries had announced their arrival, which explained how they had been able to get this far without being detected.
"Damn. Order or light cavalry to engage the second enemy group at once! Keep the away from the baggage train!" Grey Worm commanded at once. The hornblower to his credit signaled the correct orders immediately, but he needn't have bothered. Khal Haggo had already spotted the second enemy group and led his people to face them, the Dothraki eager for blood and pleased that they were finally getting some action. A volley of arrows preceded the Dothraki charge, killing many House Blackstar troops, badly disrupting the enemy line before the Dothraki screamers smashed into them, spears stabbing and arakhs slashing. In a matter of moments violence erupted in the Royal Army's rear as the Dothraki made contact with the enemy, the bloodriders quickly beginning to surround the smaller enemy force. At some other time Grey Worm might have been irritated at the unruliness of the Dothraki, of them engaging without orders to do so. Right now though he was pleased by their initiative. Their swift response had likely saved the baggage train from destruction, which meant the worst outcome of this battle had been avoided. Now it was up to him to handle the rest. He continued directing his forces as best as he was able, continually turning his head to keep track of both battles.
"Hold your ground and let them have it!" Gendry bellowed, standing atop a low mound with sharpened stakes all around its edges, House Blackstar cavalry and infantry streaming into a trench leading into the fortifications just to his left, moving to engage the Unsullied company positioned some distance deeper along the trench. Behind their locked shields and their forest of spears the Unsullied were holding their ground for the moment, the enemy having a hard time breaking their lines in such a narrow space. Meanwhile Gendry and the knights that were with him had a good position to strike at the enemy as they passed by, just as the builders of this place had meant.
As an enemy knight rode past Gendry swung his hammer at him, caving in his helmet and crushing the head within. Bringing his warhammer around he managed to strike the next passing rider in the shoulder. While a glancing blow that didn't do much, the impact was nonetheless enough to knock him off balance, making his horse fall over and the rider himself land on the ground at the feet of the Unsullied, where he was promptly speared to death. Enemy infantrymen reacted to the threat at their flanks, trying to clamber up to engage the knights, although the steep slopes and the narrow spaces between the stakes made this a difficult prospect for them. Gendry kicked one down, then turned and smashed the back of another who was trying to climb up to the top.
Again and again Gendry swung his warhammer, each impact crumbling armor like paper, sundering flesh and bone into a pulp. As he fought he felt invigorated, energized, feeling his power behind every blow he landed. He was scared of cource. Only idiots and the dead felt no fear in battle. Yet he also found that he was enjoying himself. Briefly he wondered if this was what his father had felt in battle. Probably so, since he had heard that in his prime Robert Baratheon had been an incredible warrior, nearly unchallengeable in combat, someone who had a reputation for having a fondness for fighting, a craving for it. Gendry still characterized himself as more of a smith than a warrior. Back in Storm's End much of his time not spent governing was spent at the forge, working at one project or another. The armor he wore into battle he had made for himself, and those of his soldiers who performed their duties well and earned his favor were frequently rewarded with high quality weapons and armor forged by his hands as well. Yet at a moment like this he could not deny the allure that battle had for him.
Gendry caved in another foe's skull, then raised his hammer above his head, bellowing his fury into the sky.
Somewhere along the line he became aware that the enemy was starting to break off and retreat. Looking behind himself he saw that the second wave had managed to hold its ground, keeping the enemy from surrounding his people's position, the standing army created by Queen Daenerys proving its mettle. Meanwhile his first wave had managed to withstand the enemy assault very well. Other than the ones caught by surprise outside the fortifications the casualties sustained by the first wave were limited. Now the enemy had had enough fighting for one day and began a general retreat. The Royalists had triumphed over the Imperials this day, without the help of a dragon.
"At them! Don't let them regroup! Take them down!" Gendry shouted before jumping down into the trench, coming face to face with an enemy footsoldier who immediately sought to attack him. Gendry blocked the soldier's swordblow with the handle of his warhammer, smashed the butt of his weapon against his opponent's helmet, then completed his move by swinging towards his enemy's chest. The soldier raised his shield in time, but it did him no good. The warhammer simply sundered the shield and the man behind it. With no other enemy remaining in his immediate range he turned his attention back to directing his troops:
"First wave, advance! Reform once we we're out of the fortifications!" He ordered. And so the Unsullied and knights of Westeros moved forward, cutting down any soldier of House Blackstar that was too slow to get away from them. Behind them the second wave was moving forward as well, seeking to cut off the House Blackstar troops between them and the first wave before they could retreat from their failed encirclement. Many enemies were trapped and slain there, and the rest routed, scattering in all directions. House Blackstar troops in the center retreated in better order, though their lines were still left broken from their assault on the fortifications.
As they exited the fortifications, the companies of the first wave took a moment to reform themselves, not wanting a repeat of what had happened to their fellows in the early part of the battle. Reforming their lines took time however, giving the enemy a headstart in getting away from them. To his disappointment Gendry realized that most of the remaining enemies would be getting away. They had managed to put some distance between them, and infantry was ill suited to pursuing a fleeing enemy. If only he had some cavalry of his own here, it would make the cleanup operation much more successful. But all of those units were currently in the rear of the army, some fighting the second House Blackstar force, others unable to press their way through the masses of infantry separating them. The enemy force had been defeated this day, but they had failed to deliver a decisive blow that would take them out of this war. That would have to wait for another day of battle.
It was then, as if as an answer to his thoughts there was a loud roar above and behind him, accompanied by loud cheers from the forces of the Royal Army. Gendry turned and saw the familiar shape of Drogon flying low over the battlements, heading straight for the retreating enemy force. With the sight Gendry smiled and joined the cheers of his fellow soldiers, shouting her name.
The Dragon's wings were able to do what feet or even hooves might not have been able to do, overtaking the enemy forces in a few seconds of flying As soon as she passed the enemy force Daenerys made a sharp turn, Drogon unleashing a blast of flame. With no rain for many weeks the grass and other plants caught fire instantly, creating a powerful inferno. Flying onwards the Dragon carved a semi-circle across the enemy's intended path. Some foes were set one fire, but more importantly the maneuver cut House Blackstar's intended line of retreat, leaving them nowhere to go with fire on one side, the rapidly closing units of the first wave on the other and a full grown dragon circling overhead. A few were able to scatter and flee through the sides before the jaws of the trap closed, but the majority of the enemy were left in it.
Walking at the head of his troops, Gendry spotted the Lord of House Blackstar, on horseback trying to organize his remaining soldiers into a defensive formation. Gendry stopped his troops right in front of the enemy, then addressed this Upstart Lord.
"Hamar Blackstar! This battle is done! There is no escape, nowhere you can run! Surrender now, and you and your men might be shown mercy!" He shouted, his finger pointing straight at the rebel Lord.
In return Hamar scoffed. "Your attempt at deception insults us both, Lord Baratheon! I know the Queen's laws! Victory or death! Those were our choices from the moment we aligned ourselves with the Empire. My men know this! If we are to die here, then I for one choose to die as I lived, with a defiant shout at my throat and a score of foes at my feet! Who stands with me?!" Said he, and to Gendry's displeasure there was a significant number of affirmative shouts from House Blackstar troops.
"Don't be absurd! You'd be throwing all their lives away for nothing!" Gendry tried to shout him down.
"Lives already lost! This way we'll be heroes! May our sacrifice win this war for our allies!" Lord Blackstar countered.
"Men! Fight to the death! Attack!" He then commanded his soldiers, drawing the ax he wielded and galloping forward.
"Wait!" Gendry shouted, but the master oh House Blackstar would hear none of it.
"The world has changed!" Lord Hamar bellowed the words of his House as a warcry as he charged forward, his soldiers at his heels. Even those who did not share their Lord's suicidal attitude apparently decided that they had no choice but to follow, probably thinking the Royalist forces would not discriminate between willing and unwilling now.
"Arrogant, overdramatic moron…" Gendry muttered under his breath. "Engage! Take them down!" He then shouted, raising his warhammer once again. Then the enemy crashed into their ranks, and the fighting began again. Outnumbered and outmatched House Blackstar troops began losing numbers at a rapid rate. Still, they fought with the fury of men determined to sell their lives as dearly as possible, managing to take down several opponents. Seeing what was happening Daenerys joined the fray as well. But with her own troops so close by she had to limit her attacks to avoid burning her own forces. As such she was only able to destroy some of the enemy troops at the edges of the combat.
During the course of the fight Gendry came face to face with Lord Blackstar. Upon spotting him the rebel Lord turned his horse around and charged straight at him. Gendry stepped aside from the horse's path, ducked under the ax that swung at him and struck the horse in the flank as it passed him. The horse went down screaming, throwing its rider. Almost as soon as he touched the ground Lord Hamar was back on his feet, charging at Gendry. The Lord of the Stormlands blocked the first blow that was coming his way, then took a half step back so he'd have room to wield his hammer. His first blow crumpled the corner of his opponent's shield but failed to hit the man himself. Nonetheless the attack was enough to stagger his enemy, forcing him back. His next attack went low, shattering his foe's knee, making Lord Hamar scream and fall over. Then, as Lord Blackstar clambered to a sitting position and raised his arm for one last attack, Gendry's third strike dislocated the Upstart Lord's shoulder, making him scream a second time, unable to attack as his arm fell limp to his side.
Around the two the fight was coming to an end. The final stand of house Blackstar had ultimately lasted for only a few bloody minutes. In the end only a handful of rebel soldiers disobeyed their Lord's final command and surrendered to the Royalist forces.
Hamar looked around himself, visibly deflating as he understood the situation. "Well, that is it then. Well fought my lord. You are an exceptional fighter." He said between his grimaces, his still functional hand holding on to his injured shoulder. Obviously he was in significant pain.
"My compliments also to the Queen and commander Grey Worm for their innovative strategy. It was clever of them to save the dragon until later. Completely messed up my strategy, made me improvise. I had left only a token force to hold the fortifications, thinking to evacuate them before the Queen brought her beast on our heads, then counterattack as you worked your way around the inferno. Fight in narrow lanes, where your numbers count for less. Fight close, so the dragon cannot attack us without incinerating your own troops. Send a force to attack from behind to distract you and hit targets of opportunity. But you had anticipated it all." He added. Then he noted Gendry's expression.
"Oh. The dragon not being there in the beginning was not intentional was it? Something happened. I guess I'll never get to know the specifics." He said, amused.
"No, I guess you won't." Gendry said, stone faced.
"You fool. You absolute fool. None of this needed to happen. You could had at least saved your men." Gendry scolded him.
"On the contrary, I maintain that this had to happen. This battle, the rebellion of the New Houses, all of it. Anyway, it's done now. And so, I believe, am I. I knew this day could end badly. I had prepared myself for that." Hamar said. "At least my wife and children are safe." He added with a sigh.
"Safe?" Gendry asked.
"With my father, to be moved to Orlais at the first opportunity. Perhaps already on their way there. They will be safe there. The Queen's arm is long, but not so long that she could reach them there I think. You may get me. You may even get my father. But you will not get the rest of my family, whatever happens." Hamar explained.
"Lord Baratheon, I would now ask that you finish what you started. Give me a clean end." He said then.
"I'm not sure it's my place to judge you." Gendry replied.
"I am already judged by you, and her. Give me to the Queen and it will end the same exact way, except I'll have to listen to a lengthy lecture about my *foul* deeds. With my injuries I think I haven't the patience to listen to it. I am done, and all I am asking for is an end. I fought hard and bravely, if I do say so myself. I think I've earned the dignity of a quick death if nothing more." Hamar countered.
"You are the Queen's Master of Laws, Lord Baratheon. Dispense the judgement her laws demand for my deeds. Please." He urged.
Gendry considered. "As you will." He then said with a shrug, then without another word he brought his hammer down on the rebel Lord's chest, ending his life in an instant.
Gendry looked around himself, noting that Drogon had landed now that the battle was over, and that the Queen was no longer on the Dragon's back. Gendry walked off to seek her out. He found her walking amongst the bodies, observing the aftermath of the battle. When she noticed him approach she nodded at him:
"Gendry. It seems I got here just as you got this battle wrapped up. My apologies for being late. How did things go?" She said.
"It got a little bit more complicated than was intended, but I think we did okay, no serious casualties for our side. We will know for certain once we hear from Grey Worm. He probably has a much cleaner picture of the overall situation." He replied.
"And your delay may have actually worked in our favor based on what Lord Blackstar told me." He added.
"Really? And where is Lord Blackstar?" She asked.
"He is dead." He said at once.
Daenerys looked mildly surprised. "Oh. Your doing?" She asked.
Gendry nodded. "Well. I might have wished to deal with him myself. But at least it's done. Good job." She said then.
"Your Grace… I was wondering… what do you wish done with House Blackstar troops that surrendered to us?" Gendry asked.
Daenerys's face darkened somewhat, as if this was a subject she didn't want to talk about. "I believe our laws are clear on the matter. Treason cannot go unpunished."
"The law is clear." Gendry agreed. "But even so I thought we should consider other possibilities."
"Why? Explain." She asked.
"These people fought to the death because they thought they were going to get executed anyway. If all the Upstart Houses think the same this will be considerably more difficult for our side. A man who believes his choices consist of victory or death will fight harder than any other. I think we will want to establish that standing down is an option, at least for the rank and file." He said.
"It… is not a terrible point." She said. "A bit more calculating than I expected of you. But that is not the only reason you brought this up is it?" she added with a smirk.
Briefly he smiled at how perceptive she was, then shook his head. "No. As far as my opinion goes the person most responsible for this House's betrayal has already paid for his crime. The rest are in my view less responsible, and so deserve a less severe punishment. As someone who was once part of the common folk I know some end up on the wrong side because of happenstance. Most are only invested in fighting to protect their families and their livelihoods, while often ignorant of the highborn politics involved in these wars. Some don't even get to choose that."
The Queen went quiet at that. "To tell you the truth I have been wrestling with myself with what to do when this day came. Treason is the worst of the crimes one can commit. Treason tears us apart, rots the very foundations we have worked so hard to build. It's the one thing I cannot allow. There has to be a response to that. One severe enough that Westeros understands that this will not be tolerated. At the same time I understand what you are saying. These people are not the ones that led them here. Their crime was in the following. And as you pointed out I don't know their reasons for so doing. So what to do?" She said finally.
Another lengthy pause followed as she considered what possibilities were available to her. "There is a place though; a place where to send them." She said then.
"Tell these prisoners they have choice before them. They can choose the ax, or they can choose to live in exile in the lands beyond the wall, forbidden to return here on the penalty of death. These days those lands are not as inhospitable as before, and it turns out the lands beyond the wall are largely unsettled. Those who choose to go there will be free to survive if they can, and away from our lands they will trouble us no more. At the same time they will have to live apart from their families and the lands they were raised in. That is penalty enough for their crimes to send the message I need to send, and it is as lenient as I dare be." She told him.
"Then that is what shall be done." He said with a grim nod.
"Of course we will have to wait until the war ends and the travel routes clear to carry out this sentence. Those who pick exile should be sent in the direction of the capital. Maybe they can be put to work in the meantime. Our kingdom could certainly use the labor." She added.
"Say, is that the weapon that I think it is?" Daenerys changed the subject, pointing at his hammer.
"It is indeed." He said, showing the weapon to her.
"I remember giving the order to lift it from the armory and deliver it for you. But this is the first time I have seen it with my own eyes. It does look menacing, doesn't it? And not just because of its history." She said.
She raised her hand to touch the head of the weapon. "The weapon that ended Rhaegar's life. At this very river crossing no less. I can almost picture the battle in my mind. If we had an eyewitness or a Maester here they could probably point out the exact spot where the killing blow was landed. And in the service your father I have no doubt it would have ended more Targaryen lives had it found them." She said in contemplation.
"But I am glad the weapon has found a better purpose in your hands. Perhaps there is a form of poetic justice there. That a weapon used to slay a Targaryen has now been wielded in the same place to serve another Targaryen. One more way to mend the past. And a good way to celebrate the new friendship between our houses." She added with a smile.
Gendry smiled as well and gave a bow of his head.
"Take care of matters here. Afterwards I will see you in the next war council meeting." She said, then departed back towards Drogon. Gendry returned to work, moving his troops back to their main force, tending to the needs of the army alongside Grey Worm. Upon returning to camp they discovered that it had been ravaged. Apparently the flanking House Blackstar forces had hit the camp before trying their assault on their baggage train, destroying several tents and killing some of the civilians that had been following the army. Fortunately the enemy had swiftly realized that their main prize was elsewhere and had moved on, causing only sporadic damage to the camp. Still the damage inflicted did cause a slight morale dip amongst the troops. But the survival of their supplies soon restored their spirits, particularly as an extra ration of beverages was authorized to celebrate the day's victory. Gendry was quietly thankful that Grey Worm had realized that enemy troops were unaccounted for and had planned accordingly. Otherwise the situation might have been much worse.
He delivered the Queen's terms to House Blackstar prisoners that evening. It was then that he discovered that those that had surrendered to him were the only prisoners of House Blackstar that they had. The flanking force had been massacred to the last man by the Dothraki, the bloodriders apparently seeing no reason to spare lives. The majority of the remaining prisoners preferred the choice of exile, which did not surprise him. They had chosen life in surrendering, so they chose life now. A few thought exile a death sentence as well, and so refused the offer. Gendry had the soldiers attend to their deaths quickly, cleanly, but with no great enthusiasm on his part. It was an unpleasant task, but one that nonetheless needed to be done.
The law was clear, after all.