Chapter Seventy-Nine
….
The Battle of Blood and Tears
Lady Delianah Tully vs The Knights of the Vale
…..
Gryphons are unlike dragons. They do not have the strength that dragons have. A dragon's power is its massive size, its near impenetrable hide, its ability to fly, and most of all, its firepower. Dragons are sledgehammers of power. Their role is to fly in the front lines like a god bringing punishment from the heavens able to lay waste to armies with impunity.
A Gryphon does not have such an advantage.
Unlike dragons, Gryphons are smaller, way smaller. Sure they are mighty beasts and would be able to tear through armor and the thickest of hides this world has to offer with ease, but compared to a dragon, they are less as a species. They do not have its size nor its powerful hide and neither does its firepower, no. Gryphons are not sledgehammers like the flying lizards, no. They are scalpels and spears, shoot it at the right direction and even the best of armies will fall like flies.
The Battle of Blood and Tears would be proof of that, or rather as the future historians would call it: The Massacre of Blood and Tears.
Atop Godric, Delianah observes the gathered approaching Valemen below. She has to admit that Yohn Bronze Royce managed to pull the Knights of the Vale together even from the…roadblock she tried to put up.
The Valemen have started their advance with forty-thousand men and that includes camp followers and levies from the Eyrie. Now they are less than twenty-thousand thanks to the small welcoming committee she has done. Of course five thousand died from that small avalanche of misfortune but many are rather wounded and the ever chivalrous Knights of the Vale left rather a large portion of their army to help their fellows back there at the mountain pass. She has to admit that Royce and the Lords with him might be considered protagonists if it is ever written in a book. A good leader, knows how to command and not willing to abandon his men to whatever fate that await them while they lie helpless and wounded. Well his bleeding heart is something that Delianah is more than happy to take advantage of. It takes more than one man after all to carry a wounded knight unarmored and thus the reason why so much of their retinue has been forced to be left behind.
One fact remains however and that is the Valemen still outnumbered the Seven Thousand and Five Hundred Rivendell soldiers that are with her right now.
Just as Delianah plans it. By the end of this day, her name would once more be mentioned in the Annals of Westerosi history.
Myrcella might have the majority of the Black Guard Legions and the levy supports of Rivendell's homesteads, but Delianah has personally chosen the cream of the crop of her preparations for this moment. With her right now are the Silver Order members in the entirety of its retinue, the Death Dealers in full force and of course, the sworn knights of Rivendell who by duty is here. Say what you will of the Riverlands but many of her former father's vassals are simply good men who are not lying idiots if you treat them right. All in all they are the army she has chosen that would add another coin in her path to being Delianah the Great.
Still Twenty Thousand Men with the entirety almost made up of horse is a niche that would not be easy to bring down. The Vale is proud of their Knights and unlike the Crownlanders, they actually have the skill to back it up. Long and bitter history of her old life teaches her that any army faced with heavy cavalry in an open field would likely be trampled underneath its mighty hooves and lances. The Vale army approaching her knows that as do every lord in Westeros. That is what Myrcella actually is banking on.
The greatest strengths of the Vale are its knights. Proud, skilled, well-armoured and strong, they are indeed a strength to be reckoned with in any army and a force multiplier. A couple of dozen knights can ride down an army of levies five times its number and still be ready for another fight. Unfortunately for them, that is also their weakness. Knights are proud, almost as proud as lords in fact. There is also the little hiccup that the Knights of the Vale are strong believers of the Seven and rather hate them for the humiliation during the War of the Faith. That that is where Delianah would hit them hardest.
Their hubris.
Angling her Gryphon down, she flies down to where her army is already waiting. Ironically, none of Delianah's men despite being skilled riders themselves have their mounts with them. With a small nudge of her foot, Godric glides gracefully before landing with a small thud on the front of her army.
"They are coming, is everyone ready?" Delianah asks looking at the grim and resolute faces surrounding her. Unlike the forces commanded by Myrcella who would be right now engaging probably the Lannister force. The bands that Delianah commands are the best of the best that Rivendell has to offer. All of them are experienced and have seen death and war. Plus there are also the loyalty potions that they have been drinking daily. Anyone of them would rather saw off his own arm than even think of disappointing her.
"Ser Leomord, you know what to do," Delianah nods to the head of the Silver Knights who salutes in silence before gesturing for the entire Order of Silver Knights to move forward into a walk towards in the direction of their enemy. Delianah signals for the rest of her forces to stay as the nearly three thousand Knights of the Silver Order stride forward with their swords, axes and maces at the ready. No one is holding a spear or a lance as they move in a constant pace towards the direction of the Valemen who have finally finished marshaling their twenty-thousand strong force outside the Bloody Gate.
Estimating that the distance walked by the Knights of the Silver Order is enough, Delianah turns with a simple nod at Ser John who shouts at the top of his lungs.
"ARCHERS! KNOCK! DRAW! LOOSE!" two thousand archers, basically men-at-arms of the regular Knights sworn to Rivendell fire upward with their archers. They are not expert archers by any standard, no. They are just regular men taught to shoot with basic bows (heavily enchanted in secret to have the range of longbows). As it is two thousand arrows fly to the air heading like rainfall at the Knights of the Vale. The distance is far but the enchantment of the bows make it so that they are able to reach their destination.
…
Knights of the Vale
Ser Matthews Waynwood growls as he can espy the slowly approaching group of heretics dispatching itself away from the rest of the main force. Even from this distance it is pathetically obvious that those are the so-called Silver Knights of Rivendell. He wants to scoff internally at that. Like all good Knights of the Seven, he abhors the Order of the bastard of Rivendell. With their requirements that you have to be a bastard in order to join and not swearing to the Seven but to the heathen gods of wind, tree and stone instead. It practically after all spits on everything about being a true knight blessed by the Seven.
When the call for the First War of the Faith happened, Matthews is one of those who answered the call as his faith demands. He is also one of the lucky ones to be able ,to escape the carnage that is now the Forbidden Forest. He can still recall that day when abominations and monsters from out of wood, stone and air rip good men limb from limb while feasting on their blood. He lost two brothers, a lot of his friends and a dozen cousins from different houses then. Now here he is again ready to avenge the long awaited destined death he plans on the heathens that worship such demons.
Around him he can hear the rest of the knights whispering in anger and he can't fault them. The bastardized Order of Knights of Rivendell are slowly approaching them…on foot. It is a great insult!
When they first set out under the orders of the rather (Suspectingly Mad) Lady Arryn to avenge her precious "friend", Petyr Baelish who is dead; the Knights of the Vale have been expecting that they would be going lance to lance against the Silver Knights Order. While the young knights see it as a chance to show off their prowess and merit, the older ones know that it would be a grueling fight. Despite the golden opportunity to put the bastards in their place and show them how real knights fight, none after all can deny their merit and skill. They have single-handed pacified the Seven Kingdoms after the attempted assassination of the Bastard Lady of Rivendell (which is such a shame she survived) whence the Kingdoms are a thread away from full blown chaos.
Now here they are, walking towards them ON FOOT. It is as if they are being given a slap to the face saying that they are not even worth riding against. It stings at his pride greatly and it is taking all his self-control to teach the bastards a lesson. Lord Royce, the defacto leader of this expedition has specifically stated that there be no impromptu charge and Matthews agree with him. The lady Delianah is a veteran of battles which she all won by cunning and tactics. Howsoever this battle would end, Matthews would bet his family sword that it would not end before the cunning deviant springs some ungodly surprise on them.
Lord Royce, Seven bless his soul also anticipated this and has sent outriders beforehand to scout out the open terrain. The last thing they need after all is a wet patch where a cavalry charge be proven disastrous. The scouts however repeat nothing of interest to report other than the fact that it is dry ground all over due to the dry spell that the Summer is bringing.
If one would look at it, all in all it is almost a perfect setup for the Knights of the Vale. An open field where they can use their cavalry to full effect, their enemy is on foot and underestimating them, they outnumber said enemy and there is only one of those flying monstrosities above the sky that can be seen.
The end result is a lot of Vale Knights itching to ride over their once traditional enemy who has so greatly humiliated them before. The fact that Yohn Royce doesn't give the order to charge is causing a lot of unhappy murmurs all over the front ranks especially. Their enemy is after all right there in front of them ready to be served in a silver platter. Matthews himself desires nothing more than to spur his horse to a gallop and bring the might of the Vale Knights to the pretenders in armor. Only the wariness of the Lady of Rivendell's schemes is giving him pause.
At least until arrows started falling like rain all over them.
Horses and men scream out in panic and fear. Many a squire fell dead as they have their helmets off and the arrows find easy pickings. Men are thrown off their horses and more than one is accidentally trampled to death by his own horse or a panicking one of his comrade. Still majority of the arrows find little purchase either missing or bouncing off metal plates of the Knights. At least dozens are dead and many more are wounded. It is the last straw that snap the patience of the Knights of the Vale.
"For the Vale! Fort the Seven Charge!" one of the knights roared and before the Bronze Lord can stop it, the roar sweeps up from one throat to the other and in the matter of seconds, a full blown charge has risen as Knights urge their horses towards their hated foes.
"FOR THE VALE!" Matthews can hear himself roaring with the rest as his horse carries him forward through into glory.
…..
Knights of the Silver Wings Order
Leomord has always seen his position as Grandmaster of the Order as the highest of privileges. Once he has been an initiate, but now he is in charge of the finest men that Westeros has to offer. They are all of different blood but they are bastards all, brothers in soul through sheer experience and distrust imparted to them thanks to the sins of their fathers. The Order however made them brothers in all but blood. Not everyone can survive the ordeal of being a Knight of the Silver Order. They have to claw, crawl, drown through blood and sweat to be able to survive and transform to one of the most respected to live with the name. They have to shed all that they are and be reborn as something new.
As the words of the Lady Delianah inscripted on their majestic hall: "They shall be my finest warriors, these men who have given themselves to me. Like clay I shall mould them and the furnace of war forge them. They will be of Great Will and Strong Muscle. By the finest armor I shall clad them, with the most deadly weapons found they shall wield against the foe. They shall be above plague and disease, sickness they shall endure. They will have tactics, strategies and the finest horses that no foe can best them in battle. They will be the Wings against the terrors outside our majestic land. They are the defenders of Rivendell and its Lady. They are my Knights and they shall know no fear!"
They have proven it again and again on each and every encounter from the great battle of the Faith till today. Right now as he sees almost half the Valemen charging towards them in full gallop, none of them hesitates, none of them break rank. Any lesser men-at-arm or even a Knight might have tucked tail and ran already. It is folly after all to face a full head-on charge out in the open riderless and with no spear or pike to stop the enemy cavalry from trampling you or skewering you with one of their lances. Right now none of him or his men have a long armed weapon, only sabers, and the occasional pike, cudgel or sword. His lady has ordered it so. To his credit none of his men ran or break rank even as the enemy approaches. The Lady has not been specific as to why that is her orders that they face the enemy as they are right now. The only reassurance that they have is that she has a plan and they be assured of that fact.
Now he watches the very angry Valemen come closer and closer to his men enraged as they are due to the rain of arrows pelting them. Is he afraid? Yes, he is but it is the nature of a Silver Knight to stand firm and to overcome fear.
"EVERYTHING HAS A PURPOSE! OUR LADY ORDAINS IT SO!" roars Leomord as he can literally see the whites of the eyes of his enemy coming close.
He simply grits his teeth expecting the heavy powerful hits that would come from an enemy knightly charge. He never receives it though.
With surprise shouts and exclamations of surprise and horror the entire enemy charge suddenly starts slipping and sliding with men being thrown off their horses in alarm. The reason for it is becoming pathetically obvious. The once hard ground of ground and dirt are now muddy and sogging wet, the worst thing that could happen to a cavalry charge. Horses are balking all over and knights are screaming as their mounts throw them off to the ground. All in all it is a disaster for the charge. The ones at the back of the charge are forcing the ones at the front forward even more and those that have the minimum amount of success at putting their mounts to a halt are being pushed onward to the disaster that is the making.
In the matter of minutes, almost ten thousand men are skidding and losing their feet as their heavy armor encumbered them. Many are already unmoving, courtesy of death through falling off a horse in full plate, or being trampled while a large number are moaning in pain as they try to crawl through the mud and wet earth. Contrary to popular belief, it is extremely unhealthy to outright dangerous to lose your seat out of a full galloping horse unlike the movies where one simply regains his footing and go on fighting with only a loose of breathe.
Cheers erupt all over the line of the Knights of the Silver Order as the Valemen stumble around helplessly. Leomord only smirks inwardly despite knowing very well that it is their Lady's doing. For starters, the Knights of the Vale would usually never fell for such an obvious trick. They alongside Rivendell scouts before the start of the battle have already scoured nearly every inch of the battlefield for the possibility of wet surfaces. The scouts have found not an inch of wet ground. Thus to have suddenly such a large muddy area, there is only one person who can do such miracles for that. She has done it once, she has done it again.
"The Lady Delianah and the Old gods have come through for us again! Now it is our time to do our part! For Rivendell! For our Pride and Joy! Charge!" Leomord roars out leveling his sword at the mud covered Knights of the Vale trying and failing to regain their footing.
With an animalistic roar, the Knights of the Silver Order fell upon the unprepared and exposed Knights of the Vale with a savagery that can barely be seen. The Knights of the Vale are probably the most pious after all to the Faith of the Seven when it comes to the Andal Kingdoms of Westeros, and the Seven are probably the ones who have the most beef when it comes to bastardry. In a sense, a large portion of the misery suffered by a majority of the Knights of the Silver Order is thanks to the religion that the Vale fervently believed in.
Thus it is no surprise that they spared no effort on felling down the poor bastards.
Weapons land on the poor fools trying and failing to get their bearings in order. The few lucky sods that manage to either retain their seats or pull themselves back are pulled down to the muddy ground. Unlike the Knights of the Vale, the Silver Order Knights are lightly armored (thanks to the enchants waved by the Green Men). Their weapons are also designed more for melee with sabers, short swords, dirks, knives and maces designed to break through armor. The Knights of the Vale on the other hand are using cavalry designed weapons with a hand and a half long swords, lances and the occasional battle-axe. With a horse, they are dangerous weapons, but here in the mud? They are less than useless.
Silver Knights with knives and dirks targeted the many premium targets of screaming Valemen writhing on the mud unable to get on their feet. Weapons are jammed up bungholes, spaces within the plate armors and mostly at the visors of the helmets. Those who broke their weapons by accident on trying to cut through the metal plates, simply contended themselves by drowning their enemies on the mud. Many a struggling knight also has their neck broken by feet accidentally stepping on their heads as they struggle and scream. A few more invented members of the Silver Knights have taken into using helmets scattered all over as missiles by throwing them at Valemen who are atop their horses.
All in all it is a bloody massacre and though the struggle claims the life of a Silver Knight here and there, hundreds are dying by the seconds in the side of the Vale. It is becoming obvious if the prone unmoving forms of metal plated knights are any indication.
As Leomord saws the neck of a screaming squire covered in blood and mud, the thundering of horses makes him look away from his grisly work. His countenance turns grim. It seems the rest of the Knights of the Vale are making their move already.
…..
Up Above the Air
Delianah laughs loudly (if rather evil) as she sees the decimation of almost half of the Valemen down below. It seems so easy. A bit of timed runes here and there to receive and rebound magic and with a slight bit of Transfiguration and voila, muddy ditch. It seems so easy, so simple for even the most basic of magic to be used and change the course of thousands of lives.
The sound of thundering hooves once more however makes her turn her eyes to the rest of the half remaining Knights of the Vale who are turning to a full gallop towards their archers. She's not surprised at all. It is a classic move after all here at Westeros and taught to every high lord. Cavalrymen when the opportunity presses itself would target the lesser armored and vulnerable archers or infantry. There is also the fact that most of them probably have a brother, cousin or a friend currently being cut to pieces by the Silver Knights, they are raring for vengeance. Of course they can't stupidly (and unwillingly) charge on the muddy battlefield at the front, thus they circle it and target the next best thing, the archers and the remaining reserves which are the Knights under Rivendell's domain and the Death Dealers posing as archers.
In a normal battle it would be a tactically sound situation. Any commander would panic at such a quick maneuver of horse. Magic however changes the board. Not only does it change the pieces but rather it juggles it and throws it overboard.
As the Valemen covers the distance between them and the thin line of archers and reserves, the men below acts. With a shout of "NOW!" from Ser John, everyone grabs the hidden pikes covered in dirt and leaves specifically to hide them. In the span of seconds, the Valemen are facing a wall of wooden sharpened spikes, another worst nightmare of a full on cavalry charge.
It is not the spikes however that claimed the first blows, no. Rather it is the Disillusioned ground covered in stakes and like before, the ground also turn to mud. With panicked screams, horses and men die as they fell on their death by the dozens in the first second. Many try to put on the brakes but once more the charge prevents that as their fellows push them forward to their doom. The charge breaks as the once massed ranks break apart as men force their horses to jump over the death traps and straight to the jaws of the pikes. Horses stumble and skid throwing their riders straight to the pikes who either skewers them or turns them to bloody men with holes.
Gangways however that Delianah pre-prepared are crowded by Knights as they try not to fall to the deadly spikes at their right or left. Skidding and slipping Knights however are claimed by the Stranger as those at the front face the spears and pikes of the Death Dealers who strike at the very opportune moment of chaos.
Many are already shouting about how it is a trap even as more Knights force their horses to jump over the deadly stakes and their writhing and dying brethren. The muddy ground however and the sudden deceleration force the charge to a grinding halt. Like all charges, a cavalry's best offense is its full tilt charge where the horses immense' size can trample and break enemy formations with knights protecting them at the back. Stuck however in a cantering pace in their efforts not to fell, the Knights at the back are easy target for the forces of Rivendell to pull down their horses.
As if to add fuel to the fire archers at the back pick up their bows and in unison, fired point blank at the mass of nervous knights at the edge of the ditches. Panicking they of course try to find a way around the front line of spikes and ditches only to fell in even more Disillusioned ones repeating the bloody process all over. Some are becoming wiser and are getting off their horses to engage in foot combat. The thing is, it is too late though. There are too few of them and as the army of Delianah pushes forward, they are being isolated one by one versus the more well-ordered ranks of Rivendell.
Trusting her men to finish the battle without her, Delianah turns her attention to the remaining riders at the opposite side. Despite the charge after all of the remaining Valemen, a small group have been left behind not a far off from where the battles(or massacres) are commencing.
She smirks as she zeroes in on them. Her men have done their part in this battle. It is time for hers.
With a simple nudge of her legs, Godric goes from hovering in the air to diving down before, his wings tucked beneath him. The Gryphon has been on edge ever since the start of the battle, the anticipation of finally releasing his strength making him taut as a bowstring. Now with Delianah giving him the green light, he charges forward with all the strength and speed that made him the leader of his herd.
As said before, Gryphons are not like dragons. They are not the blunt hammer that would be used to smash an army to splinters, no. They are daggers, poised to strike when a vulnerability shows itself. Solid, small, quick and true.
With a piercing shriek, Godric slams into the gathered riders surrounding the commandant banner of Bronze Yohn Royce. It is as effective as lightning piercing through clouds as the orderly group of at least twenty riders.
Men scream and panic as the Gryphon crashes into them squawking and tearing, a wall of muscle, claws and beak renting even the best armor. The once formed lines of the Knights are scattered giving off a clearing which Delianah jumps unto. Aeglos immediately jumps off from its sheath and the spear goes into her hands.
She has to admire Valyrian Steel despite the common knowledge that it never dulls and can be sharp as hell, the true secret of the thing lies in the fact that it can carry an ungodly amount of enchantments. In short, it is designed to be powered up by magic of every kind, even dragon fire.
As it is, the pointy end of the spear lands on the toes of an off balanced squire, his screaming is cut short as the spear cuts him from chin to brain. A knight tries to attack her only to have the spear cut through his breastplate, the heavy plate failing to protect him at all. A friend of his roars as he charges at Delianah's other side, but the butt end of the spear parries his sword strike before a swipe that brings with it intestines and bloody tissues swipes through his throat adding even more crimson splashing over the air.
Behind her, Godric does his own bloody work, pouncing over running knights, horses. Those unfortunate enough to be catch by the giant half-lion, half-eagle hybrid are subjected to a whirlwind of beaks, claws, and muscle strength of the Gryphon. For something so large, Godric has the dexterity of a snake as he lunges and paws. The giant beak plucks man after man as easy as one would a weed leaving nothing but bloody mauled pieces of metal bits and flesh.
In the span of less than five minutes, the retinue of twenty-full armored knights plus accompanying squires are strewn all over the face, their dead bodies staining the green grass crimson.
Covered in bits and pieces of man, Delianah smirks as she levels his spear at the shivering form of Bronze Yohn Royce on the ground lacking his left arm.
"Now Lord Royce, I guess we can negotiate a surrender can't we?" she simply speaks leveling the pointy end of her spear at the exposed chin of the Lord of Runestone.
…
The Eyrie, The Vale.
The sound of bells tolling at the main hall of the Eyrie can be heard. For the residents that work and call the Eyrie home, it is a common occurrence ever since the majority of the Lords went off to war. The Lady Arryn or as some of the servants call her, "The Mad Arryn" due to the woman's tendency to rave and rant with the way she talks and walks, plus her abysmal way of running the castle as Lady Arryn. It is her tendency rather to throw "Suspicious Men" on the Moon Door whom she believes is a threat to her precious Sweet Robin which is the reason for the bells. The woman has ordered that the bells be rung every time she throws someone down. It is apparently to "remind everyone" not to dare threaten her precious son. Of course it is unsaid that majority of the poor blokes being made to fly are rather innocent schmucks who caught the paranoid eye of the madwoman.
Right now however it is different. There among the crowd of onlookers, a combination of small folk, minor nobles and landed knights, a white hooded figure stands like would any onlooker. With precise movements, the figure pushes man after man heading to the center where the Moon Door awaits and where the Lady Arryn stands with her bodyguards.
Barely than ten meters away, and the odd figure is picked out by one of the Arryn guards as suspicious who immediately shouts, while pointing a finger at his direction. The figure simply moves fast, exchanging stealth to speed as he pushes man after man to the side, closing the distance quickly between him and his prey.
Within seconds, he clears out of the crowd of onlookers. One of the Arryn guards gets in his way but the crossbow at his back goes to work immediately planting a quarrel on his throat. Another guard tries to stop him by leaping at him but he simply sidesteps and pushes the man away before finally leaping over the last man where he gets to become eye to eye with his panicking target.
Using the last man's back as a jump board, the figure goes airborne looming over the panicked looking Lady Arryn as the figure shadows her for a split second, it's left arm, poised. With a mechanical click, a hidden blade appears.
The left hand slams into Lyssa Arryn's neck, the weight of the man slamming her also down on the cold hard ground. Everyone is in silence as the left hand is pulled out showing the crimson staining the steel. His right hand almost solemnly closes the eyes of the dead woman as would a monk in a prayer.
It is absolute silence as everyone's brain try to comprehend what their eyes have seen, a succesful assassination in full view at the morning. Just as the first of the guards open their mouth to shout, the assassin is already sprinting and with arms wide open on the left and the right jumps down like a diver unto the opened Moon Door and free falling in the air.
None could see the absurd large amount of hay stacked below for him to land on.
…..
Alternate Ending for the Leap of Faith:
The rest of the Hidden Ones watch as their comrade, Alistair makes the faithful jump from the Moon Door. Everyone "ooooh's" and "aaaaahh's" to add more epicness to the scene. He flies like an eagle, dives like a crane and…..
"SPLAT!"
Bones, tissues and bits of pieces of Alistair are scattered as he missed the large hay target where he is supposed to land. Now whatever that is left of him, white robes and all with limbs askew in odd angles in a puddle of crimson are lying motionless a few feet away from his intended landing zone.
The sounds of a raven cawing in laughter can be heard in the background.
The Grandmaster simply sighs as he rubs off one eyeball sticking off his hood. "By under no means will we tell our lady about this,"
Everyone attending simply nods in morose silence.
…
Author's Note:
So that's that for this chapter. Hope ya like it. This is the second to the last of the War of the Kings Arc. Next up is the last hooray before we go to the final Arc.
Anybody get the AC Spoof? Hehehe
For those who have been able to play Hogwarts Legacy, question. How do you Avada Kedavra your classmates? Also I tried using it on Boss fight with Rookwood but the spell won't work against him. It just sparks.