Ser Raymond surveys the enemy position, three quarters of a mile away, observing them from his saddle. The mud sucks at his charger's fetlocks. He turns to his commanders. "The ground is unfavourable for our cavalry. Grey Worm wants us to attack. I won't oblige him. We'll wait them out. Lack of supplies will force them to withdraw. Then we'll harry them". As luck would have it, Norrey rides up excited.
"We have them in our power! We can destroy them for good!" His face shines with glee.
"What do you mean?"
"Come and see! I have a score of deserters, including half a dozen Unsullied. And what a tale they have to tell!"
They ride to meet the latest batch of deserters. In truth, it is encouraging. Over sixty men have deserted from the enemy in the past week. Most of them are Ironborn, but morale among the enemy must be very low, if even Unsullied are now deserting. They all tell a similar tale.
"It's not our war" says one of the Ironborn. "Our Queen has been pushed to one side by Grey Worm, and treated like dirt. He's fighting this war purely for vengeance. The Dragon Queen means nothing to me. "
"What about you?" Ser Raymond asks one of the Unsullied. The man shrugs. "I fought for the Dragon Queen. I'd fight for her again if she still lived, but what's the point now? This isn't our country. Naath is".
"I recommend we attack" cries Norrey, filled with enthusiasm. "And look!" he points to the enemy lines. The Unsullied are drawn up in the centre, unmoving. But the Ironborn and the Northern rebels, to either side of them look distinctly ill at ease. "See how their spears and banners are trembling" comments Tallhart. "That's never a good sign." Ser Raymond muses. Can the enemy really be about to break? If so, it would be madness not to attack. On the other hand, is it best to be cautious? The ground is unfavourable.
"The Queen's Grace would take it ill, if we missed our chance of victory today" comments Norrey. He glares at the man, but he sees it has an effect on Tallhart, Manderly, Cerwyn, even the captains of the sellswords. They know that a word from Norrey can see any one of them detained. "Very well, we attack. We have seven thousand horse. There is no point trying to gallop through this mud; we'll attack at a slow canter, and the foot will follow close behind. We'll bludgeon our way through.
"They're getting ready to attack". Grey Worm smiles , as he hands his spy-glass to Yara Greyjoy, who surveys the enemy forces, moving into position. "Our "deserters" have played their part," he comments. The volunteers are taking a terrible risk, by pretending to desert. They will have to take their chances of escaping. Each has been promised a rich reward, to be paid to their next of kin if they are killed. Grey Worm smiles again, as he surveys the right and left wings of the army, stretching for a mile and a half. "Your men look suitably demoralised." He, Yara, Qarl, Maege Mormont, and various of the commanders are having a last conference on horseback, behind the Unsullied in the centre of the line, the Targaryen and Kraken banners fluttering in the wind above them.
"I've got some good news as well" replies Yara, and tells them what she has heard from her spies in the early hours of the morning. "The wolf comes but once to the trap, and he shall not escape" Grey Worm replies. He takes back the spy glass, and surveys the battlefield again. It is quite level. He would have preferred a gentle slope in his favour, but his flanks can't be turned. No, he'll await the enemy charge, and the surprise that he has prepared for them. "Your Grace, please take your post. " She rides off, with Qarl, to join the cavalry on the right wing. They are heavily outnumbered in terms of cavalry, with no more than a thousand on each wing of the army, but on this battlefield, he does not expect it to be a problem. His Unsullied hold the centre, just short of four thousand, drawn up in four regiments, their ranks five deep; the Rescuer, the Lady of Victories, the Thunderbolt, the Conquering Meereenese. They are armed with a mix of pikes, pole axes, war hammers, and bills; armoured in plate of the highest quality , they do not carry shields. Eight thousand foot in total, comprising ironborn and Northern rebels are formed up on either side. They include more than a thousand archers, who will shoot from the flanks. He keeps a thousand Northmen in reserve, together with the fifth regiment of the Unsullied; the Mhysa, made up of his longest-serving veterans, every one of whom was liberated at Astapor all those years ago. The regimental standard bears an image of the Dragon Queen. He rides over to them and addresses them:
"Comrades, we have spent our whole lives together, almost. Every one of you remembers that day, when Daenerys Targaryen set us free. She led us to victory time and again, liberating men, women, and children wherever she went. She came to this country, and saved its people from different slave masters; demons of ice that would have enslaved them for eternity. And her reward? To be betrayed and butchered by those we fight today. Our Queen has waited fifteen years for justice, but today she shall receive it. We fight for freedom and for justice. Our enemies serve a tyrant for gain. Victory will be ours, and the people of this land will be set free for good. Are you with me!" The soldiers roar with approval. He turns his horse, and sees a great wave of enemy cavalry breaking out of the enemy lines, bearing the banners of their lords and commanders. The die is cast!
Notes:
1. The Lady of Victories is a goddess worshipped by the Unsullied. It would be natural for a regiment to be called Mhysa, (and some would worship Dany as a goddess). The other three have names similar to Roman legions.
2. The "Deserters" are the equivalent of the Forlorn Hope, men who would lead a party to storm a breach. They would be expected to be killed or wounded, on the understanding that if they survived, they would be richly rewarded, and if they were killed, the reward would go to their next of kin. One can always find people who will risk their lives if the reward is great enough.