The Old God's Fill Our Sails

by ArticFox11

The Ironborn were once descendants of the First Men. They turned their backs to the Old Gods and started to worship the Drowned God. Angered by this the last First Man House of the Iron Islands decides to take stand. By swearing a sacred oath before the weirwood tree House Stormbreaker will see this injustice punished. Will they succeed or will they fail it all depends on them?

8. Chapter 8: Retaliation or Death

Chapter 8: Retaliation or Death

6500 Years Before Aegon's Conquest, Island of Orkmont

Darren POV

The fading stench of burnt bodies and the cries of crows was what awakened Darren to the world of the living. The bloodlust which fueled his body had evaporated once he had slew the man wearing Orkwood livery. The shocked eyes of his opponent were still in his mind as he fully woke up. The battle would be sung about for ages as this was the start of his campaign. While Blacktyde could be considered the start he felt that was more righting the wrongs of his former liege. Darren could feel his limbs shake off the dredges of sleep as he finally willed his body to move. He gazed around his surroundings with an inquisitive stare as he looked upon the destruction his men had caused.

The once thriving settlement of House Orkwood was brought low. It reminded him of the husk of Castle Blacktyde with the charred remains of homes and businesses still smoldering around him. The bodies of the vile Ironborn warriors and smallfolk alike were being picked clean by the crows and ravens. The avians would be feasting for days upon the flesh of his enemies. He held no love for the Ironborn though he refused to let the animals have a taste of his fellow First Men's flesh. After the battle had concluded he had ordered proper burial rites to be performed for his slain kin. Darren would not doubt that he would become a monster to eviscerate his mortal foes, but he would not stoop to bury his people before they gained their ill-gotten loot.

Ivar and himself had ordered his men to separate the bodies of the slain First Men from the pyre the Ironborn had used to burn his people. Some of the bodies were burnt, maimed, and mangled beyond recognition. The slain bodies of his kin were burned with honor as they would be joining the Old Gods soon. He could still remember his men scavenging for salvageable wood from the settlement to use for the mass funeral. They had torn apart the once thriving settlement to be used for this holy purpose. While he would have preferred to bury his brethren, he knew they did not have the luxury of time. With the pyre finished being set up and the bodies of their kin settled on it would only take one spark to send them to their rest. Darren could remember grasping the torch as he gazed upon the bodies of his fellow First Men. While he could not make it in time to save them he would see them honored in death. With a river of tears flowing down his hardened cheeks he threw the torch onto the pyre.

The pyre erupted in a huge ball of red, yellow flame as it ate up the people upon it. The sight of people he could not save would forever be etched into his mind. Yet a more cynical part of him knew he could not save everyone. Darren could only hope to save as many of his remaining people as he could. Though he felt great remorse and even sorrow for their deaths he would continue his fight to free the living. Though he would not show the same compassion to the Ironborn. It was decided that their cold dead-eyed bodies become food for the animals and earth. The Ironborn would be denied the Halls of the Drowned God, but they could be used to nourish the ground they once lived upon.

While the time to grieve was over he knew there was still work to accomplish. The raid of Orkmont had been a resounding success for the First Men rebels. They had succeeded in raiding the arms workshops and stockpiles within the settlement ruled by House Orkwood. Darren could only grin slightly with pride as his troops were outfitted with proper weaponry and even some armor from their captured gear. There had even been some shields which would be used to outfit the over three hundred men force. Though it pained him to use them as they had the dark green pines strewn closely together on a field of yellow of House Orkwood painted on them. If his forces had more time he would order them to be stripped of the coat of arms and be replaced with that of his own. Yet it could be used to confuse the remaining Ironborn on the island as it would like one of their own was attacking them. It would be food for thought later as he had greater things to accomplish.

With his forces equipped he had the advantage to strike both House Tawney and House Goodbrother of Orkmont. With the destruction of what forces House Orkwood had stationed here it would be best to attack what remained of the Ironborn here while their movements were still undiscovered. Darren, while feeling his blood once again rouse to the call of battle could also feel some doubt grow within his heart. His men had praised his ingenuity of the strike of both Blacktyde and here, yet he could only feel that it was due to luck. If the full forces of the Ironborn were stationed here his small army would be slaughtered to a man. He would have to keep these doubts to himself as he looked upon the joyous faces of his warriors. It would do no good to cause doubt to spread within their ranks. Darren needed to consult with Ivar as they needed to plan out their next action. Dismissing the growing doubt within himself he set out seeking his companion.

Ruined Settlement of House Orkwood

Ivar POV

Ivar could feel the air within the ruined remains be filled with a palpable of the men surrounding him. They had accomplished something he hoped to see throughout the Iron Islands. They had successfully brought down the Old God's judgement upon the unsuspecting Ironborn the previous night. Though while he felt a sense of fulfillment looking upon as the carcasses of the heathens were feasted upon by avians, he could not help but feel a sense of loss as well. They had once again failed to save their people before it was too late.

He had barely slept the night before as he was continuously haunted by the blank faces and the accusatory eyes of the slain First Men. The guilt he felt at once again surviving while those who were slain flared up within his chest. Ivar was afraid he would fail more of their people like the ones who entrusted him to see them to safety. He could still remember those cruel orders from his father as he hoped to extinguish the people they once were. Fear and righteous fury had seen him rally the remaining First Men warriors and smallfolk en masse in order to see them escape that dreadful fate on the shores of Harlaw.

He did not know when he would overcome this guilt and grief, but he knew he could not let it rule him now. The thought of more of their people surviving helped lull his guilt to a more manageable level as he focused on the present. With the raid successful they were able to arm and armor more of their troops, yet it was still not enough for their remaining forces stationed on Blacktyde. Furthermore, the other Ironborn Houses of Orkmont would need to be dealt with. The First Men rebels had the upper hand due to them not being discovered though how long could that last. He would need to discuss their next course of action with Darren as they were balancing on a knife's edge with what remaining time they had.

He made his way through the throngs of soldiers even as they cheered and roared his name throughout their temporary encampment. Their blind faith and trust in him, while dearly appreciated would not sway him from finding Darren. As his icy, blue eyes roamed the crowd he could finally spot the imposing form of his leader.

Darren was surrounded by the soldiers as they chanted his name which brought a small smile upon Ivars lips. He could not deny the joyous atmosphere was helping soothe his own fears. Here stood a man who sought to rally their people against the tyranny of the Ironborn. Ivar could feel that their actions today and throughout the rest of their campaign would be talked about for years to come. The legend of House Stormbreaker and those who followed them would be immortalized even if they failed. Darren was someone he would follow even if it meant death. He could feel it in his bones as his leader's presence seemed to invigorate all the men gathered around them.

Path Towards House Orkwood Domain

The dirt path towards the settlement of House Orkwood was filled with the mass of men as they transversed the path. Clouds of dusty littered the air as the forces of Houses Goodbrother and Tawney made their way towards House Orkwood's domain. The lords of all three Houses had agreed to send their to reinforce the weakened settlement. The current war against House Greyiron had been prolonged longer than any House in the coalition could have foreseen.

Their remaining forces numbered between four hundred to five hundred hardened warriors along with the remaining forces of House Orkwood. With most of their full strength sent along with their ships to attack House Greyiron. The Greyirons had started to wage a campaign of conquest amongst the southern and eastern isles of the Iron Islands. The growing strength of the Greyirons had seen a coalition of the northern isles against them. The Houses of the Northern Islands had pledged to send forces en masse to the south.

The current marching forces hoped to link up with the forces of House Orkwood to deter any retaliation forces House Greyiron would send their way. The clanking of metal thundered across the column of soldiers as they continued to march along the beaten dirt paths towards their destination. The Ironborn warriors equipment, while numerous was not uniformed as the sheen of bronze and iron armor and arms gleamed in the rising sunlight. Some warriors even bore the black scourge of red nettles emblazoned on a shield of white of House Tawney and the black warhorn of House Goodbrother upon their shields.

It was said it would be a matter of two to three days to reach the rendezvous point. The column of armored men continued down the path unaware of the threat which lay before them. In the distance of the sky above the caws of seagulls were all that greeted them along the path. Yet the Ironborn never noticed the intelligent gleam of one of the gulls as it broke away from flock. The lone seagull flew farther away towards House Orkwood's domain. The Ironborn would soon be facing the rage of the First Men. The winds were changing and soon the Old God's would have their due.

First Men Encampment

The warriors of the camp shouted out his name as he felt himself become the epicenter of their encampment. His pride grew within him as he stared upon the people who swore to follow him. Darren felt his pride continue to grow as he gazed upon the men who would follow him to the deepest hells to fight against their mortal foes. He did still feel the sting of doubt, yet it would have to wait as he could remember the mass of bodies moving towards them. He would still see the faint visages of the unaware Ironborn faces as they marched to their deaths. His men would need to make their stand here or all of what they have accomplished would become undone.

He could feel his connection with his bonded animal strengthen as the beast continued its flight back to him. He would need to reveal the Ironborn movements and even his existence as a skinchanger. Darren had feared to be exposed as a skinchanger as while not looked down upon by his fellow First Men it was reviled by the Ironborn to be one. The existence of being either a skinchanger or greenseer was a death sentence to those who followed the Drowned God. With a deep breath Darren would tell the truth to his men and the Old God's would be there to guide with through this revelation.

"My warriors we stand on the precipice of our culture and religion being torn asunder upon our ancestral lands. Where we were once a united people of First Men, we are now split between us and the vile Ironborn," said Darren as his voice boomed throughout the camp.

"Our ways are being violently repressed and those who resist are slaughtered like cattle. I stand before you as a beacon to rally too. For those who join my crusade will see the heathens who call themselves born of iron eviscerated," shouted Darren as he looked upon the silent crowd, "We will show them that our ways will not die for we embody the spirit of vengeance of our slaughtered brethren."

His men soon shouted out with their own war cries at the reminder of their people's plight. Darren knew with every fiber of his being they would see the path chose through. As the thundering shouts ceased as they looked upon he soon revealed what he feared for many a night.

"The Ironmen march for us my warriors. I know you may be skeptical as we have achieved another great victory over them like we did Blacktyde," said Darren as he saw the uncertainty beginning to form in his men's faces, "You may doubt my words, but the Gods have seen to give us more Ironborn to pay for their crimes."

His men's faces grew even more skeptical till they all heard the call of a gull ahead. His bonded animal had seen to return at the most opportune time. It circled the gathered host thrice before flying towards him. Darren could only laugh raucously at the spectacle his partner seemed to be performing. His seagull landed in front of him and squawked once at the stunned look of his men.

His joy receded inside him though from the slight smirk on his face it was still present. How could he not as he looked upon the confused and baffled faces of the warriors before him. His eyes, which were normally filled with a grim determination, were alight with amusement as he looked at them. His joyful stare soon locked onto the stunned visage of Ivar as his companion seemed to be the only one who grasped what he was.

Ivar could only roar with laughter at this development. It seemed the Old God's had truly favored Darren. His laughter was the only thing breaking the silence of the men. The ringing peals of laughter soon ceased as he turned his full attention to the man he pledged himself too. It seemed he was the only one to figure out what was happening before them. With a deep breath Ivar roused himself to speak.

"Hahaha, it seems you have caused quite the predicament milord. Our men cannot seem to understand that we have been following a skinchanger. It seems the Old God's favor not only our quest but also your sense of humor," said Ivar.

The gathered men around Darren soon seemed to understand what was happening before them. Though it would not be known till later to those out of earshot.

"Indeed, my friend. My men I have been chosen by our Gods to see our quest fulfilled. For how can the Ironborn suspect what they do not know. They have forsaken the gifts of our Gods and have seen the slaughter of many green seers and skinchangers," shouted Darren, "Yet here I stand in defiance of them. For I have scouted our way towards Orkmont and delivered us victorious. I now see their movements which they suspect unimpeded."

"Follow and trust in me to see you through this. For we have the upper hand to win against them. We will destroy the host of Houses Goodbrother and Tawney like that of House Orkwood and Blacktyde," said Darren with such a sense of conviction it exhilarated his men confidence.

With the continuous roar of his men Darren felt his confidence soar as he moved the men into action. With the morale of his troops soaring, it would be nothing but a slaughter for the incoming Ironborn to face them. Though while we would have preferred to face them in open battle it would be foolhardy. Their forces were less than the Ironborn forces though it was by around one hundred or so men. Darren would need to be smart as his forces were still sparsely armored compared to the Ironborn. Yet his forces were more maneuverable, and his men held the advantage in ranged weaponry. It would be prevalent of his forces to ambush and even skirmish the better armored forces of the enemy. The lighter armored forces would have a greater chance of retreating before the enemy could form a retaliatory strike against them. With a rudimentary strategy in mind, he would just need an ideal location to implement it.

Darren POV

His skirmishing forces numbered around eighty men which were handpicked due to their skill shown earlier with the sling. While he originally wanted to incorporate the limited bowmen, he had at his disposal it would eat up their limited supply of ammunition. He felt it was greater to use the slingmen since their ammunition was in readily supply.

The strategy was for Darren and Ivar to each lead a force of slingers numbering around 180 men between them. Darren had chosen to lead the smaller unit as his was more of a diversionary force. With at most one or two volleys thrown into the bodies of the Ironborn it would cause them to form up a defense on his side of the thick forest.

If all went to plan it would leave the Ironborn rear defenseless to the volleys of Ivar's forces. He did not doubt that the armor of most soldiers would be able to withstand a few shots from the slings, but it would be the surprise of these attacks which would provide a devastating effect. If they could cause even some casualties among the Ironborn it would even out the total number of troops more into their favor. While Darren was confident his men were equal to thrice the warriors the Ironborn were it was their lack of protection which would see his forces slaughtered.

The gleam of the Ironborn hosts armor reflecting the sun made them easy targets. The host trudged through the thicket of the forest as the Ironborn remained unaware of his hidden forces. He had positioned the two skirmishing forces of either side of the path and under the cover of the thick foliage of the trees above them. It certainly helped that the First Men forces were unarmored with only their clothes and pilfered shields offering them some protection.

Darren could feel his heartbeat faster and faster as the mass of Ironborn continued down the beaten dirt path. The stomping feet caused light clouds of dirt to obscure their forms somewhat, but it would not be to their benefit. As long as his forces shot enough rocks into them the Ironborn would taste the Old God's vengeance. He could see the men formed around him tense with each thundering footstep, yet it was still too soon to start the attack.

It was not till at least a third of the enemy column made it past them that Darren signaled his men. With a sharp whistle which was sounded by others his force soon began to load their slings. Darren grasped the sling to his side as he loaded the rock into it. His forces had found many rocks to use yet the most ideal were round, smooth rocks which could be used more accurately. Utilizing his strength Darren swung the sling behind him in a circular motion which was copied by his warriors. The twirling of the slings created a weeerring sound on his side of the forest which seemed to distract their unsuspecting victims. With great strength we whipped his sling towards the enemy formation. His stone flew through air followed by its compatriots. The Ironborn ahead of them could only remained stunned as the projectiles struck their formation.

Darren could see the stones impact the exposed body parts and even some of the heads of their unfortunate victims. Before they could even react his force had already loaded their slings for another volley. The weeerring sound soon came again as the Ironborn became frightened of it. For it was easier to understand where an opposing force they could see was firing upon them rather than a hidden foe.

The enemy before them scrabbled to form some form of shield wall yet the defensive formation was lessened somewhat before everyman could raise and lock their shields together. Soon more Ironborn fell to the stones, yet Darren and his forces had exposed themselves.

Darren could only shoot over the infuriated roar of the Ironborn as he addressed his troops, "Retreat men make haste before they are upon us."

The shield wall of the Ironborn loomed towards them as Darren and his men as they started to withdraw from their hidden positions. Now the Ironborn could make out the barely obscured forms of the men which attacked them. With a thunderous battle cry of , "What is dead may never die." The Ironborn soon with great haste made their way towards the exposed position of First Men.

Ivar POV

Ivar could make out the charging forms of the first line of Ironborn as they ran after Darren's force. This was the signal his men had been waiting for. With a sharp whistle from his lips his men soon began to load their slings. In unison his line of skirmishers swung their slings till with a shout of, "Loose," the stones were sent into the unprotected rear of the enemy formation.

The sight of one hundred stones flying towards the Ironborn stunned Ivar as he looked upon some of the Ironborn collapsing due to some lucky headshots. Moreso he could make out some of the Ironborn collapse to the ground with fractured legs and arms from the impact of the stones on exposed limbs. The cries from the rear of the formation seemed to cause most of the charging Ironborn to wheel around to the other side of the forest in a panic. As the men in front of them whirled into action to form a secondary shield wall, his men let loose another volley from their slings.

Though given that they had revealed their position to the enemy the second volley of stones impact was greatly lessened. Most of the projectiles were nullified as they bounced off the interconnected shields of the enemy shield wall. Yet the wooden shields were cracked and dented from the velocity of stones. His forces were even lucky as they had impacted upon some of the unarmored heads of the dazed looking Ironborn.

With a deep breath in, Ivar shouted out to his men with a desperation upon seeing the enemy beginning to move towards them, "Retreat. We must retreat men."

His desperate order was heeded by his men as they scrambled further into the forest as the Ironborn gave chase. Ivar could feel his lung explode in pain as he and his men continued further into the thick foliage. He could make out the forms of some of his men as they ran past him. He could feel the panic spread through his men as they raced away from the Ironborn. In this moment it brought him back to the exodus of Harlaw.

The smoke of the burning ships clogged the air as his fathers forces clashed with what remained of the rearguard of those loyal to him. His eyes were obscured as the few ships which were able to escape sailed away from the shore of his home. He could vaguely make out the last of those who followed him being driven back towards the sea as the Ironborn cleaved through them. Ivar would forever be haunted by their adamant decision to sacrifice themselves to see what remaining First Men could escape the culling of Harlaw. He did not know what caused tears to fall down his cheeks, whether it was the smoke or the dedication those warriors had in him to see their people safe.

Ivar once again was shaken from his panic-induced memory from the screams of those behind him. As he continued to run he dared take a look behind him. He could make out the few men who had chosen to act as a rearguard stand firm against the oncoming Ironborn. Their forms turned distant as the remaining forces of the First Men ran as if the Long Night had come again. He knew that some sacrifices had to happen to ensure the survival of most of the warriors and even himself. As Darren and himself were the commanders leading the skirmishing forces. Yet it did not help dull the sting of guilt he felt for leaving those men behind.

Ivar felt that he would never get over these tough decisions, yet he knew that some sacrifices were made in order to keep their campaign going. It ate at him, but he would have to stomach the consequences his orders caused. With a last sparing glance over his shoulder Ivar ran along with those of his men who survived. For they needed to link up with Darren and continue the fight against the Ironborn curs.

Ironborn Encampment, Days After the First Skirmish

The encampment of the remaining Ironborn was rife with tension after the past few days. The continued skirmishing attacks of the First Men had whittled their numbers down to around 350 men remaining. The ambush in the forest had seen the most casualties out of their campaign so far. That blasted ambush had seen between fifty to seventy of the total warriors injured or dead. And the continuing attacks had seen those causalities rise to almost a third of their total force.

While they had suffered many hardships the Ironborn had returned it in full of the First Men forces. At first the forces had assumed it was House Orkwood fighting them as some of the warriors they fought during the pursuit of the first battle had carried the sigil on their shields but had talked when given some tender care of their captors.

The forces of First Men were led by someone called Darren Stormbreaker and his second in command Ivar Harlaw. While this House Stormbreaker was unheard of it did not bode well for them to learn of a betrayal of House Harlaw. Many throughout the camp questioned the motivations of why House Harlaw would betray after the genocide they committed. Some even questioned the dubious loyalty the house had in worshipping the Drowned God. It would not mean much to dwell on these questions as the Ironborn had driven the rebellious forces towards the settlement of House Orkwood.

It would seem the First Men rebels had struck there first prior to engaging their forces. Knowing that they had trapped the First Men raised the spirits and morale of the gathered warriors. For on the morrow, they would march and end the rebellion before it could spread to other parts of the island. The thought of crushing those damn tree heathens delighted many throughout the camp. For what greater purpose could those heathens have but to become worthy sacrifices for the Drowned God.

Ruined Domain of House Orkwood

Darren POV

Darren could feel the winds blowing in their favor as he gazed upon the enemy forming up before his forces. He could see that the damage they inflicted upon the Ironborn had bore fruit, Where before his forces were outnumbered it now favored them more evenly. Though while at most his forces numbered around 200 – 250 as his skirmishing forces had not been unscathed. It did show from the exhausted and tense faces of the enemy before him that it took a toll on them as well. His forces had continually harassed the forces of the Ironborn throughout their journey here. It still hurt to think of all the men that were sacrificed to provide them a chance at winning this day.

His men had not been idle waiting though throughout the field from the possession of his force, the field was littered with hidden dug holes. He hoped they would impede the enemy as his forces whittled away at them through the use of their ranged weaponry. Darren felt it was smart of him to keep his archers away from the raids as they were still fresh and had full ammunition to use. The few battles they had also helped make his forces somewhat battle hardened and had even helped them increase the number of volleys they could do. His heavy armored troops also remained fresh as most of them were men who followed him on Blacktyde.

Ivar had not remained ideal either as he grew gradually into his role as a commander. He had performed admirably throughout the raids and had become someone Darren could trust as much as Rolly. His muscles tensed underneath his armored torso as he gripped the handle of his shield harder. He had decided to command the heavier infantry as he left command of the slingers and light infantry to Ivar. His archers were under orders to fire freely as he did not the time to have choose someone to lead them. He feared they would route if caught in melee combat though. That was one of many things to consider when the battle was concluded.

His blood boiled in his veins as he could hear the pounding of his heart at the thought of finally finishing off the Ironborn of Orkmont. He wanted nothing more than to change into and smash apart their shield wall with his axe as he cut into them. Yet he could not let his bloodlust rule him as he had men to command. It was something he would need to work on as his first thought was to run into their line and tear it apart. 'Maybe with time my bloodlust will cease,' thought Darren as he looked upon the advancing Ironborn shield wall.

The enemies had learned well as they had already locked shields before they advanced towards his forces. He had decided to have the mix of slingers and archers take the left and right wings of his army as it would be more useful to loose their projectiles upon the enemy when they fell for his traps. He could hear the hefty breaths of his men as they waited in anticipation.

The advancing Ironborn continued unimpeded as they drew closer to the first of the hidden holes. So confident were they that they did not even bother to scan their surroundings. The front line of the Ironborn finally fell down as the holes caused men to trip and even fall over one another. As soon as the frontline fell Darren could hear the commanding voice of Ivar order the ranged units to fire with a resounding, "Loose."

The disarrayed Ironborn formation was pelted with the stones of the slingers and the arrows of his small force of archers. So shellshocked at being tricked yet again the Ironborn bore the full brunt of the first two volleys of stones and arrows. Darren could not see how many of the enemies they felled but it burned the fire of righteous vengeance in his breast into a raging inferno.

The Ironborn desperately tried to install discipline back into their line even as they were continuously under fire of the First Men ranged units. For what felt like an eternity yet was only a few short moments the Ironborn shield wall once again was formed. The shield wall held firm under the attack even though Darren could see and hear the creaking noise of wood splintering from the stone barrage. The occasional yell of a wounded warrior was heard either induced due to arrow fire or stone thrown, yet it was ignored by the Ironborn as they held firm and continued to advance.

It would seem that these Ironborn were more disciplined than Darren had thought, yet it meant nothing as they had suffered quite a few causalities and injuries from his ploy. He grew more confident as there was till two more lines of hole traps waiting for them before they finally made it to their position. His face grew into a smirk at the sight of the Ironborn as they desperately tried to advance to him. He threw back his head and let out a raucous laughter which was joined by the jeers and cheers of his men. The Ironborn did not know just yet what they unleashed upon themselves.

They crossed over the second line of traps, and this was met with mixed results. At first the shield wall wavered and had allowed some of the men to be struck by the continuous missile barrage. Yet the Ironborn held firm as they made it over the second line. While they were more unscathed than the disastrous first crossing some still fell victim to either arrow or stone.

Finally crossing over the third line with less casualties than the last two crossings. The Ironborn were almost upon the center of heavily armored First Men infantry. With a war cry the Ironborn formation fell upon the shield wall of the First Men as Darren could make out the white of his enemies eyes. He hefted his shield up in front of his as the mass of bodies crashed into the unyielding line of his warriors. He felt the immense impact of their charge along with the other men in the front line. He swore he could smell the salty breath of the bastards in front of him. His forces held firm as the Ironborn sought to overwhelm their line with numbers.

The skirmishing between the right and left wings ceased as the Ironborn clashed with the center. The Ironborn kept the momentum up and seemed to be pushing back the center as it moved farther away from the wings. With each step back the Ironborn gained more ground. Darren could feel the pressure building onto his warriors, yet he held firm.

"Warriors stand firm and hold these curs back. For each step back we will repay them twice in blood. Hold firm my warriors our time of retribution has come," said Darren. His voice was heard throughout the line as they held firm. Darren could feel the odd graze of an enemies weapon upon his armored torso as he repaid them with a slash from his axe. His blade grew bloody as he sought to attack without giving an advantage to the enemies before him. He could feel his body tiring from the constant effort being ushered in to keep their formation steady. His men around him were feeling it as well, but it would soon turn into their favor.

The Ironborn were unaware of the changing formation of the enemies left and right wings as they were so consumed with bloodlust. They had felt the battle going their way as they constantly kept pressure upon the First Men center. To them when the center broke and fled so would the remaining forces. They were so tightly packed that they did not realize till it was too late that they were being enveloped.

Soon the left and right wings had fully encircled the Ironborn in. There would be no option for them to retreat all they could do was now fight for a hope of causing an opening to form. The Ironborn fought without abandon as they desperately tried to break free. Yet since they were so densely packed in they ended up causing more damage to themselves. Darren could feel his plan come to fruition as the Ironborn attack turned into a desperate frenzy. His forces surrounding them on all sides cut into the enemy and slowly caused the Ironborn to become even more packed in.

His forces continued their renewed assault on the Ironborn. Cutting down all who faced them with swords, daggers, and axes. The battle had turned into a slaughter as the First Men satiated their anger with the corpses of the Ironborn. Darren had never felt more alive as he and his men sliced into their mortal enemies. The glee he felt when he would cut down the desperate look of his enemies was euphoric. It seemed his men were just as fired up as they slaughtered the Ironborn to the last. The air was palpable with the joy his men felt at their accomplishment. Blacktyde was a small victory yet this one here was truly the start of their campaign of vengeance. Everyone let out a shout of triumph as the sun grew brighter. It would seem the future was not as bleak as Darren had feared.

Docks of House Orkwood's Domain

Darren gazed upon the mass of people heading towards the docks. His men had not stayed ideal and had seen to free the enthralled First Men in both House Tawney and House Godbrothers domain. While he would have loved to have participated in freeing his fellow First Men, he was needed here for the preparation for the return journey back to the island of Blacktyde.

From the Battle of Orkmont his men had delivered a stunning victory against the Ironborn, yet not without many causalities in both wounded and dead. The tally after the battle had seen him left with around one hundred and fifty men left able bodied. Most of the men wounded in the battle had passed away from their injuries and included the ones expected to survive it would see around two hundred men return to battle. The freed First Men numbered around one thousand and two hundred freed people. This had drastically increased the number of people who would be led back to Blacktyde. Thank the Old God's they were able to secure the remaining fleets of House Tawney and House Goodbrother. With the additional ships they would have enough to transport everyone and also a good portion of the arms and armor they were able to scavenge. The concern he had sought to address was the supplies needed to support such a large group. Already he had men gather the foodstuffs and what medical supplies the Ironborn houses had hoarded.

Yet it seemed to not be enough, so he had ordered his men to fish and even hunt what remaining wildlife there was in the forests on the island. They had gathered the bare minimum of supplies needed though if they had more time Darren would have preferred using it to gather more. He and his people were already preparing to leave today. They had already loaded the supplies onto the ships and all that was needed was to see everyone board the vessels. His train of thoughts were soon interrupted as Ivar entered the tent he had commandeered.

"Dareen all the supplies has been loaded onto the ships," said Ivar, "The noncombatants have boarded the vessels too."

"Aye that is good news. We cannot remain here much longer. It was a stroke of luck for us to see our enemies dealt with here."

"That may be, but I do not believe we will see the last of the Houses we faced. Before I had left Harlaw there was news of the Greyirons stirring in the south. We were lucky we faced what remained of their forces," said Ivar inquisitively .

"Aye that is why we cannot linger here any longer. Soon news of our actions will be spread throughout the rest of the Iron Islands. I fear we will be what causes the Ironborn to rally around," said Darren thoughtfully, "For we represent something all Ironborn wish to be rid of."

"They may look at us as heathens, but we are heathens which would see them all join forces," said Ivar worriedly.

Darren could only lean back in his seat at the thought of the problems ahead. Realistically he knew they would not have the manpower, nor the resources needed for a prolonged campaign. The number of those who still considered themselves First Men and followed the Old God's was dwarfed by those who called themselves Ironborn. Along with what men he had left stationed on Blacktyde and what they could recruit from the freed thralls would not be enough to weather the united Ironborn. They still possessed the advantage of their actions being undiscovered. Along with the Greyirons seeking conquest down south it helped that the Ironborn would remain divided for a time.

It broke his heart to think about his people leaving or even leaving behind their brethren in the accursed hands of the Ironborn. Yet it would not sit right with him if he did not at least continue their campaign longer. They still had options on where to strike next, yet he felt it would be more costly than here on Orkmont. The next course of action he could think about was to either attack Harlaw or Old Wyk as they were closer to Blacktyde.

"Ivar what would you suggest our next course of action be? I feel that our time on our homeland will be shorter than what I wish," said Darren as he looked at his trusted companion, "After returning to Blacktyde we may have time for one or even two more strikes against the Ironborn."

Ivar looked thoughtfully at Darren as he too knew they were working with limited time. They did not have the manpower to continuously strike out at each individual island. And the forces from the northern islands would return from what was occurring down south anytime.

"Where would you suggest my Lord? I must tell you that Harlaw would be too defended and more alert after my exodus. If you mean to strike somewhere that would send a message it would need to be somewhere special," said Ivar.

"If Harlaw is not an option I mean to strike against the Ironborn on Old Wyk. It is a religious site held highly by the Ironborn. We could attack them there and send a message to them," said Darren as a wild smile grew onto his face. The burning in his heart stirred at the thought of slaughtering the drowned priests and delivering retribution on the Ironborn there.

"Aye that would send those drowned cunts into a frenzy. They would not expect for their holiest of sights to be attacked," said Ivar as his own grin graced his lips.

"Old Wyk is where we'll strike next. See to that the men are boarded onto the ships. We sail for Blacktyde immediately," said Darren passionately.

Ivar could only nod as his body filled with excitement and a sense of dread. They would be able to hurt those fucking Ironborn like they did when they tore down the weirwoods. Yet he could not feel a sense of foreboding. They had been lucky with their retaliation on Orkmont, but Old Wyk would definitely be a tougher nut to crack. With those mixed feelings Ivar sought out to see Darren's orders fulfilled.

As Darren looked upon the retreating form of Ivar he could only pray that the Old Gods were looking upon them. They had succeeded in their actions here, but he prayed for guidance in the assault of Old Wyk. He could only hope that they accomplished as much here as they could there. With that he sought out his bonded partner now may be a suitable time to scout out around the island. It would not do for them to be caught unaware as they finished preparing to depart.

House Goodbrother of Orkmont: House Goodbrother of Orkmont is a cadet branch of the main branch of House Goodbrother of Hammerhorn. In the future they would join a coalition made up of other Ironborn houses and Andal adventurers to overthrow House Greyiron. After the attack of their holdings by House Stormbreaker they along with Houses Tawney and the remnants of House Orkwood would forever have a blood feud with House Stormbreaker.

House Goodbrother of Hammerhorn: They are the main branch of House Goodbrother. They rule land on the island of Great Wyk. House Goodbrother of Hammerhorn is one of the most powerful Houses in the entirety of the Iron Islands. The wealth of the house comes not from trade but their iron mines. They also rule over three other cadet branches of their House. While most claim to be descendants from the mythical Grey King they are said to be descended from the leal older brother of the Grey King.

Blood Feud: A lengthy conflict between families or groups involving a cycle of retaliatory killings or attacks. An example of this is the legendary conflicts between House Bracken and House Blackwood. Another example of this will be the legendary blood feuds House Stormbreaker would have throughout their grizzly campaigns with the Ironborn.

House Greyiron's Southern Slaughter: This event would be later known as House Greyiron's Southern Slaughter due to the vicious attack upon the southern islands of the Iron Islands. This would see a reinvigorated House Greyiron start to expand and consolidate their rule of the Iron Islands. Later some maesters would come to the conclusion that this event helped see the rise of House Stormbreaker and the uniting of the remaining First Men of the Iron Islands. As the northern islands were sending men and material to the war effort in the south, it allowed Darren Stormbreaker to start his rebellion against Ironborn rule.

House Stormbreaker Slingers: A type of men-at-arms which served House Stormbreaker for thousands of years. The slingers were first utilized during the early days of Darren's Uprising. The use of stone projectiles was effective on early First Men and Ironborn armor as bronze was still predominantly used throughout Westeros prior to the Andal Invasion. The force was lightly armored with a shield and sword or even axe as a side-arm. The slingers were at first armored with only the clothes on their back yet were soon armored in bronze breast plates from scavenged equipment. While the iron armor of the Ironborn was tougher it was skill overcome due to shots of the slings being aimed at less armored areas of the body. The use of these units would be sadly abandoned with the coming of the Andals and the spread of steelmaking.

Author's Note: Just a heads up this will be a long Authors Note. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter and thanks again for everyone who voted on the poll. It is decided that Darren's next course of action will be to attack Old Wyk. I am really excited to work on that next since it will mean that Darren will be fighting upon on the most holy of Ironborn holy sites. Will he succeed or will he be faced with hard opposition? You can only find out in the next installment of The Old God's Fill Our Sails. Something I will also be doing now is including parts of the lore/information of the story on the bottom of each chapter. Someone had mentioned in a different story that I kind of lore spam in some of my writings and I agree with them. I feel that it takes away from the story as looking over some of my writings it goes on for a while and takes away from the characters themselves. I will try and work on it so I can incorporate it more into conversations between characters. I will also continue to use the writings of Maester Riddick since I like how in this story we have the recorded events of House Stormbreaker while also having the events be from the characters perspective. On a less than happy note my update schedule will be more random since my semester will be starting soon. I am currently in the works of working on the next chapter of both my Roman and Greystark stories though and I do plan to update them soon. Work has picked up again too so I me be busy for a while. I am currently deciding whether I should do biweekly updates of each story or doing weekly updates of one story at a time. I have really enjoyed writing my stories and the responses of them all have been really supportive and have helped me grow as a writer. I will try and keep everything going smoothly if I have the time and I just wanted to thank everyone for the continued support. I also have a poll up for my Roman story. If you want you leave a vote for the poll or pm me if you are having trouble with it.