Chapter 80: ' Spoils and Strategy '
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Chapter 80: ' Spoils and Strategy '
Hello everyone, here is a new chapter.
I would like to thank to [moku8]!!! I don't know who you are, but thank you very much for your support on Ko-fi!!!
For the remaining 14 days of freedom I have left, I'll attach below the link to my Buy me at Ko-fi page. /duncanrandargotpaladin
Thank you all for your comments and advice!
Of course, none of you are under any obligation to donate.
Donating is a spontaneous, unforced gesture. Otherwise it would be more like coercion. Ahaha
P.S.
If you can leave a review for my Fanfiction, I'd appreciate it. Thanks in advance!
-14 days!!! ( Damn how time flies!!! AAARGGHH!!!)
Happy reading!
------------
POV: Tywin Lannister;
In a mansion in Lannisport, Hall of War Council.
Year 289, the twelfth day of the fifth moon. Some twelve days after a man secretly became King...
The Protector of the West was inside the hall set up for the council. A large table with a large, finely detailed map above it, specific to the westernmost lands and coastlines of Westeros was spread out on the table. Along with it, there were miniatures of ships and shore troops to symbolize allied and enemy forces.
It was just past noon on that cloudy day with the sea as flat as aboard.
Present with the Lord of Casterly Rock was his son-in-law King Robert, the King's brother and Master of Ships, Lord Stannis, Lord Paxter Redwine, and two of the King's Kingsguard: Ser Barristan Selmy and his son Jaime.
All of them were awaiting the arrival of two other members of the council: Lord Eddard Stark, the commander of the army, and Lord Jorah Mormont, the admiral-in-chief of the Northern naval forces.
The Northern army was already camped outside the city. A Stark emissary had already announced the arrival of the two members of this council.
The wait was unnerving. Tywin found the King of the Seven Kingdoms annoying. The most powerful man in the West was forced to put up with the King's every stupid joke.
Fortunately, Tywin had already been tempered many times by his brother Gerion, and his son Tyrion.
The man had acquired a remarkable resilience for such annoyances.
Stannis Baratheon was almost a living statue, far more tolerable and composed than his brother.
Barrystan spoke only when spoken to, and Jaime followed his example, remaining silent and hiding his disdain for having to serve and protect such an idiot.
A knock was heard on the door.
"Lord Eddard Stark and Lord Jorah Mormont, Your Grace." Said Ser Mandon Moore, another member of the Kingsguard who was guarding the doorway.
"Let them pass!" Robert thundered, smiling happily. The man, almost 6 feet 6 inches tall, a stout, muscular build with the beginnings of a swelling on his abdomen, pitch-black hair, and beard, walked briskly towards the doorway, stopping about 10 feet from the entrance.
No doubt Robert wanted to be the first to greet Lord Eddard Stark, his childhood friend.
A man two inches shorter entered the hall, he had long brown hair pulled back to the sides, a long face well shaved, dark grey eyes that could change depending on that person's mood. Those eyes could become soft and calm like fog, or hard and cold like stone...
Tywin remembered well the cold, contemptuous, judgmental look Ned Stark had given him after the sacking of King's Landing. What appeared to be Lord Jorah Mormont followed close behind.
Lord Eddard entered. As soon as he saw Robert, he bowed and said:
"Your Grace." Ned.
"Your Grace." Jorah quickly followed suit.
"Lenti...
Slow to bow to your king and answer his call to arms.
Come here only when the battle is done... "Robert kept a hard look on his face, but Ned Stark was not intimidated. He played Robert's game until the end.
"Pff!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAH!!! COME HERE YOU!!!" Robert vigorously hugged his dear friend, and Ned responded with pleasure to the gesture of affection.
"How long did you want to keep me waiting! Huh?! You know how boring my brother and father-in-law are!!! Ahahahaha!" If he hadn't been the King, but just a lowly Lord Protector of the Stormlands, Lord Tywin would have had his throat cut open right then and there...
"Too many have answered the call, the bigger an army is the slower it is. Ahaha.
Your Majesty... Do you remember Lord Jorah Mormont?" Ned asked immediately after breaking the embrace with Robert.
"An honor to meet you again, your majesty." Jorah.
"Of course, I remember! You fought valiantly in both the Battle of the Bells. It is a pleasure to have you with us, Lord Jorah." Said Robert in a more serious, and respectful tone.
The Fighting Stag appreciated and respected true warriors, and recognized Jorah as such.
Jorah nodded silently showing signs of appreciation, but also humility.
"Come forward, the council awaits. Help me teach those octopuses what a True War is." The two nodded and prepared to follow their King to the center of the hall.
"Lord Tywin, an honor to meet you again. Thank you and your House for hosting us within the city of Lannisport." Surprisingly, Ned Stark showed respect, humility, and courteous gestures towards him.
"Lord Stark... House Lannister is honored to welcome all of its friends and allies to its lands.
You and all your retinue will be our esteemed guests for as long as you wish." Tywin replied, still holding a tone and gaze as hard as the foundations of his castle.
"Thank you, my lord. We will ensure that we cause as little disturbance as possible in your lands, and hope in the future to be able to return the favor you are offering us." He replied in a sincere and respectful tone, Lord Stark.
Tywin had greatly appreciated the man's gesture of peace.
House Stark, and all the lords of the North, were growing stronger and more influential. They did not yet equal the lands of the West in wealth, but they could certainly hold their own militarily. The North had fewer men, but they were also fiercer, more loyal, and better prepared than his own.
Winter had just tempered another batch of warriors.
It would have been unwise to antagonize the North. Especially not now that they were forming excellent trade relationships with many Northern Houses.
Thanks to the compasses, the Tallhart ships, and the fine produce harvested in Waterdeep, House Lannister had quadrupled its naval trade revenue in the last two years.
House Tallhart had been true to its word. It had never failed to meet a single commitment of their agreement. And that meant a great deal to Tywin of House Lannister.
"Lord Stannis, Lord Paxter, it is a pleasure to meet you again, my Lords." Ned.
"Lord Stark." They both returned the greeting in succession.
"Ser Jaime, Ser Barristan, it is an honor to see you as well." Said Ned in the same tone, and courteous manner.
Both Jaime and Tywin were noticeably surprised and somewhat confused by Eddard Stark's unusual attitude.
It was well known, that the honorable Lord Eddard Stark, had no sympathy or regard for the ''Kingslayers''...
Barristan replied promptly, but Jaime was undecided for a moment.
Perhaps his son wanted to understand if there was deception in Ned Stark's actions and words.
"Lord Stark... the honor is mine." Jaime.
The Quiet Wolf did not seem bothered by the lack of trust Jaime showed. Immediately he said:
"Well, my King and my Lords, Lord Jorah and I apologize for our late hour. Please let us begin... "
About three minutes of formality later...
"How many Northern men and ships can we count on, Lord Stark?" Stannis asked, drawing the curiosity of many.
"In total, not including crews, we have 18,900 men-at-arms.
3,000 mounted lancers, 10,000 pikes or swords, and about six thousand archers and crossbowmen. Lord Jorah, I will leave the specifics of the fleet to you." Lord Eddard.
"Yes, my Lord. We have 110 Ships, 79 in excellent condition, 25 in good, and 6 in fair condition.
30 War galleys, 12 of which are equipped with long-range catapults, and the remaining 18 primarily with harpoons.
"BUT... We need gold and riches! I'd like to remind you of Moat Cailin and the demands ' Four ' and ' Five '..." Ned.
"No Ned, for us gold is not the most valuable thing in those islands at the moment. The crown and the Lannisters will aim for that for sure. There'll be at least two or three million to raid in those Islands... but we're after something nobody wants.
The people--
Think about it, Ned. The North has the most land of all the six kingdoms. There's plenty of uninhabited farmland. And in the Iron Islands, many are used as slaves but are not, by right...
The Thralls, Lord Stark. The servants caught in the ironborn raids.
The Thralls, the salt wives... On the seven main islands, there must be at least 400-500,000 people captured in the past, or children of them.
All of them perform the bulk of the labor in those lands. They do the work that the ironmen consider 'Unworthy' of their lineage and strength...
Miners, farmers, craftsmen, fishermen... and many other professions. And most of them know the sea... They're skilled sailors and shipbuilders... They're worth more to us than gold, Ned.
We will offer those poor wretches freedom, protection, equality, a home, and honest wages.
In doing so we will not only strengthen the North, we will greatly weaken the Iron Islands by forcing them to give up the 'Old Way' ... They will have to adapt to a new and more laborious way of life.
The House, true to the motto [We do not sow], will no longer be able to lead the Ironmen. The Iron Islands will no longer have to live by raiding.
They will have to roll up their sleeves. Bend over and adapt to the new way of life, or die and be forgotten along with it." The Kingmaker.
"You mean we'll have to exterminate all of House Greyjoy? Even the younger sons of King Balon?" Ned asked visibly disturbed by the idea.
"No, not exterminate... But to cripple and weaken it so that it can never rise again.
Even if Balon and Euron were to bow the knee to King Robert, they would not hesitate for a second to rise and rise again as soon as Robert perished...
The only option is [Death] or [The Wall].
If it were up to me, I'd send Balon to North of the Wall to freeze his balls off.
If he survives the next battle, his eldest son Maron will have to be sent there as well. He has just turned sixteen.
Theon Greyjoy and Yara Greyjoy must be held as protected hostages.
The future of the Isles will be entrusted to a new Lord Protector of the Seas. A much more cultured man, a lover of books and commerce... " The boy waited for Ned to guess the individual.
"You mean... Lord Rodrik?" Ned.
"That's right, my lord. Lord Rodrik Harlaw ' The Reader ', is our key to curing this plague of the realm called [Ironborn].
House Tallhart and House Harlaw have been working together secretly for four years. It was Lord Rodrik's men who first informed our agents of the attack on Bear Island.
Lord Rodrik does not want to fight this war. He hates and despises King Balon's methods, and has long since learned that 'The Old Way'... ...is just old.
It will have to be one ironman who leads other ironmen to change. This is crucial, Ned." Eddard nodded in agreement. He found the boy's plans acceptable and reasonable.
If they could deal with the Ironmen problem once and for all, then in addition to a safer North, they would also achieve a more prosperous North.
The naval trade would grow by leaps and bounds without the risk of iron marauders.
Although the plan was a good one, Ned was still reluctant to claim even a small amount of gold. At least the amount to recoup the costs of the campaign!
Ned tried to attempt...
"Are you sure we shouldn't demand even a small portion..." Ned was interrupted.
"FORGET THE GOLD, NED! It's not gold we need anymore! We need people!
They will yield ten times as much in the long run!
The North barely grows past 3.5 million, Lord Stark.
Even Dorne has more people than we do.
The Andals have decimated us for the last two millennia.
Do you know that I've found very old census records dating back 600 years before Aegon came?
Do you know how many of us there were in the North then, Ned?" Ned shook his head.
"THIRTEEN MILLION!... THIRTEEN, NED.
Now we are three and half...
In the Reach alone there are more than 20 million inhabitants. They outnumber us six to one... and they have a land three times smaller than the North...
We need to get that number down to 'Ten' Million within the next eight years at the very least." Said Bloody Snow without any possibility of negotiation.
Ned nodded sadly.
Lady Barbrey had already alluded to their future meeting for the [Loan Application and Approval]...
The woman seemed impatient and elated with anticipation of that event. She looked like a hyena ready to receive her due pound of flesh...
The flesh of the poor King in the North...
Ned was afraid of her.
"... All right. No gold...
As for strategy?" Ned asked after shedding an inner tear.
End POV.
--------------------------------------------------
POV: Stannis Baratheon;
In a mansion in Lannisport, Hall of War Council.
About three hours after a boy explained an attack strategy.
"Come on Ned, you have our full attention.
Surprise me as you did ten years ago in the Valley." Incited Robert, remembering the good old days when he and Ned, along with Lord Robar Royce rode to Jon Arryn's aid.
"I will try, Your Grace...
First of all, I would like to ask how many ships in poor condition are we in possession of?" Ned asked, turning to Lord Paxter and Stannis.
"The royal fleet has seven ships that require urgent repairs.
Lord Paxter... Ten if I'm not mistaken, correct?" Stannis.
"Correct, Lord Stannis." Paxter Redwine.
"I see... With the captured Iron Fleet ships, can we get to at least 50 expendable ships?" Ned.
"... Possibly. What do you have in mind, Lord Stark?" Stannis.
"Assuming Victaion Greyjoy returned to Pyke with those forty ships. The Iron Fleet should have no more than 200 ships remaining in its entirety.
Balon Greyjoy will surely use them as his main means of defending Pyke.
Ironmen always boast of their superiority in water combat. They will not squander this advantage.
Landing on Pyke will be our greatest difficulty.
But we can minimize our losses if we sacrifice fifty badly damaged hulls.
All we'll need is some black paint, oil, a hundred good sailors, and... an onion knight.
We'll need your best man, Lord Stannis...
The one who managed to escape the eyes of the Redwine fleet and save Storm's End from starvation, my Lord." Ned looked up from the map, seeking the gaze of Robert's brother.
"Ser Davos?"
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
Chapter 80: ' Spoils and Strategy '
Hello everyone, here is a new chapter.
I would like to thank to [moku8]!!! I don't know who you are, but thank you very much for your support on Ko-fi!!!
For the remaining 14 days of freedom I have left, I'll attach below the link to my Buy me at Ko-fi page. /duncanrandargotpaladin
Thank you all for your comments and advice!
Of course, none of you are under any obligation to donate.
Donating is a spontaneous, unforced gesture. Otherwise it would be more like coercion. Ahaha
P.S.
If you can leave a review for my Fanfiction, I'd appreciate it. Thanks in advance!
-14 days!!! ( Damn how time flies!!! AAARGGHH!!!)
Happy reading!
------------
POV: Tywin Lannister;
In a mansion in Lannisport, Hall of War Council.
Year 289, the twelfth day of the fifth moon. Some twelve days after a man secretly became King...
The Protector of the West was inside the hall set up for the council. A large table with a large, finely detailed map above it, specific to the westernmost lands and coastlines of Westeros was spread out on the table. Along with it, there were miniatures of ships and shore troops to symbolize allied and enemy forces.
It was just past noon on that cloudy day with the sea as flat as aboard.
Present with the Lord of Casterly Rock was his son-in-law King Robert, the King's brother and Master of Ships, Lord Stannis, Lord Paxter Redwine, and two of the King's Kingsguard: Ser Barristan Selmy and his son Jaime.
All of them were awaiting the arrival of two other members of the council: Lord Eddard Stark, the commander of the army, and Lord Jorah Mormont, the admiral-in-chief of the Northern naval forces.
The Northern army was already camped outside the city. A Stark emissary had already announced the arrival of the two members of this council.
The wait was unnerving. Tywin found the King of the Seven Kingdoms annoying. The most powerful man in the West was forced to put up with the King's every stupid joke.
Fortunately, Tywin had already been tempered many times by his brother Gerion, and his son Tyrion.
The man had acquired a remarkable resilience for such annoyances.
Stannis Baratheon was almost a living statue, far more tolerable and composed than his brother.
Barrystan spoke only when spoken to, and Jaime followed his example, remaining silent and hiding his disdain for having to serve and protect such an idiot.
A knock was heard on the door.
"Lord Eddard Stark and Lord Jorah Mormont, Your Grace." Said Ser Mandon Moore, another member of the Kingsguard who was guarding the doorway.
"Let them pass!" Robert thundered, smiling happily. The man, almost 6 feet 6 inches tall, a stout, muscular build with the beginnings of a swelling on his abdomen, pitch-black hair, and beard, walked briskly towards the doorway, stopping about 10 feet from the entrance.
No doubt Robert wanted to be the first to greet Lord Eddard Stark, his childhood friend.
A man two inches shorter entered the hall, he had long brown hair pulled back to the sides, a long face well shaved, dark grey eyes that could change depending on that person's mood. Those eyes could become soft and calm like fog, or hard and cold like stone...
Tywin remembered well the cold, contemptuous, judgmental look Ned Stark had given him after the sacking of King's Landing. What appeared to be Lord Jorah Mormont followed close behind.
Lord Eddard entered. As soon as he saw Robert, he bowed and said:
"Your Grace." Ned.
"Your Grace." Jorah quickly followed suit.
"Lenti...
Slow to bow to your king and answer his call to arms.
Come here only when the battle is done... "Robert kept a hard look on his face, but Ned Stark was not intimidated. He played Robert's game until the end.
"Pff!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAH!!! COME HERE YOU!!!" Robert vigorously hugged his dear friend, and Ned responded with pleasure to the gesture of affection.
"How long did you want to keep me waiting! Huh?! You know how boring my brother and father-in-law are!!! Ahahahaha!" If he hadn't been the King, but just a lowly Lord Protector of the Stormlands, Lord Tywin would have had his throat cut open right then and there...
"Too many have answered the call, the bigger an army is the slower it is. Ahaha.
Your Majesty... Do you remember Lord Jorah Mormont?" Ned asked immediately after breaking the embrace with Robert.
"An honor to meet you again, your majesty." Jorah.
"Of course, I remember! You fought valiantly in both the Battle of the Bells. It is a pleasure to have you with us, Lord Jorah." Said Robert in a more serious, and respectful tone.
The Fighting Stag appreciated and respected true warriors, and recognized Jorah as such.
Jorah nodded silently showing signs of appreciation, but also humility.
"Come forward, the council awaits. Help me teach those octopuses what a True War is." The two nodded and prepared to follow their King to the center of the hall.
"Lord Tywin, an honor to meet you again. Thank you and your House for hosting us within the city of Lannisport." Surprisingly, Ned Stark showed respect, humility, and courteous gestures towards him.
"Lord Stark... House Lannister is honored to welcome all of its friends and allies to its lands.
You and all your retinue will be our esteemed guests for as long as you wish." Tywin replied, still holding a tone and gaze as hard as the foundations of his castle.
"Thank you, my lord. We will ensure that we cause as little disturbance as possible in your lands, and hope in the future to be able to return the favor you are offering us." He replied in a sincere and respectful tone, Lord Stark.
Tywin had greatly appreciated the man's gesture of peace.
House Stark, and all the lords of the North, were growing stronger and more influential. They did not yet equal the lands of the West in wealth, but they could certainly hold their own militarily. The North had fewer men, but they were also fiercer, more loyal, and better prepared than his own.
Winter had just tempered another batch of warriors.
It would have been unwise to antagonize the North. Especially not now that they were forming excellent trade relationships with many Northern Houses.
Thanks to the compasses, the Tallhart ships, and the fine produce harvested in Waterdeep, House Lannister had quadrupled its naval trade revenue in the last two years.
House Tallhart had been true to its word. It had never failed to meet a single commitment of their agreement. And that meant a great deal to Tywin of House Lannister.
"Lord Stannis, Lord Paxter, it is a pleasure to meet you again, my Lords." Ned.
"Lord Stark." They both returned the greeting in succession.
"Ser Jaime, Ser Barristan, it is an honor to see you as well." Said Ned in the same tone, and courteous manner.
Both Jaime and Tywin were noticeably surprised and somewhat confused by Eddard Stark's unusual attitude.
It was well known, that the honorable Lord Eddard Stark, had no sympathy or regard for the ''Kingslayers''...
Barristan replied promptly, but Jaime was undecided for a moment.
Perhaps his son wanted to understand if there was deception in Ned Stark's actions and words.
"Lord Stark... the honor is mine." Jaime.
The Quiet Wolf did not seem bothered by the lack of trust Jaime showed. Immediately he said:
"Well, my King and my Lords, Lord Jorah and I apologize for our late hour. Please let us begin... "
About three minutes of formality later...
"How many Northern men and ships can we count on, Lord Stark?" Stannis asked, drawing the curiosity of many.
"In total, not including crews, we have 18,900 men-at-arms.
3,000 mounted lancers, 10,000 pikes or swords, and about six thousand archers and crossbowmen. Lord Jorah, I will leave the specifics of the fleet to you." Lord Eddard.
"Yes, my Lord. We have 110 Ships, 79 in excellent condition, 25 in good, and 6 in fair condition.
30 War galleys, 12 of which are equipped with long-range catapults, and the remaining 18 primarily with harpoons.
"BUT... We need gold and riches! I'd like to remind you of Moat Cailin and the demands ' Four ' and ' Five '..." Ned.
"No Ned, for us gold is not the most valuable thing in those islands at the moment. The crown and the Lannisters will aim for that for sure. There'll be at least two or three million to raid in those Islands... but we're after something nobody wants.
The people--
Think about it, Ned. The North has the most land of all the six kingdoms. There's plenty of uninhabited farmland. And in the Iron Islands, many are used as slaves but are not, by right...
The Thralls, Lord Stark. The servants caught in the ironborn raids.
The Thralls, the salt wives... On the seven main islands, there must be at least 400-500,000 people captured in the past, or children of them.
All of them perform the bulk of the labor in those lands. They do the work that the ironmen consider 'Unworthy' of their lineage and strength...
Miners, farmers, craftsmen, fishermen... and many other professions. And most of them know the sea... They're skilled sailors and shipbuilders... They're worth more to us than gold, Ned.
We will offer those poor wretches freedom, protection, equality, a home, and honest wages.
In doing so we will not only strengthen the North, we will greatly weaken the Iron Islands by forcing them to give up the 'Old Way' ... They will have to adapt to a new and more laborious way of life.
The House, true to the motto [We do not sow], will no longer be able to lead the Ironmen. The Iron Islands will no longer have to live by raiding.
They will have to roll up their sleeves. Bend over and adapt to the new way of life, or die and be forgotten along with it." The Kingmaker.
"You mean we'll have to exterminate all of House Greyjoy? Even the younger sons of King Balon?" Ned asked visibly disturbed by the idea.
"No, not exterminate... But to cripple and weaken it so that it can never rise again.
Even if Balon and Euron were to bow the knee to King Robert, they would not hesitate for a second to rise and rise again as soon as Robert perished...
The only option is [Death] or [The Wall].
If it were up to me, I'd send Balon to North of the Wall to freeze his balls off.
If he survives the next battle, his eldest son Maron will have to be sent there as well. He has just turned sixteen.
Theon Greyjoy and Yara Greyjoy must be held as protected hostages.
The future of the Isles will be entrusted to a new Lord Protector of the Seas. A much more cultured man, a lover of books and commerce... " The boy waited for Ned to guess the individual.
"You mean... Lord Rodrik?" Ned.
"That's right, my lord. Lord Rodrik Harlaw ' The Reader ', is our key to curing this plague of the realm called [Ironborn].
House Tallhart and House Harlaw have been working together secretly for four years. It was Lord Rodrik's men who first informed our agents of the attack on Bear Island.
Lord Rodrik does not want to fight this war. He hates and despises King Balon's methods, and has long since learned that 'The Old Way'... ...is just old.
It will have to be one ironman who leads other ironmen to change. This is crucial, Ned." Eddard nodded in agreement. He found the boy's plans acceptable and reasonable.
If they could deal with the Ironmen problem once and for all, then in addition to a safer North, they would also achieve a more prosperous North.
The naval trade would grow by leaps and bounds without the risk of iron marauders.
Although the plan was a good one, Ned was still reluctant to claim even a small amount of gold. At least the amount to recoup the costs of the campaign!
Ned tried to attempt...
"Are you sure we shouldn't demand even a small portion..." Ned was interrupted.
"FORGET THE GOLD, NED! It's not gold we need anymore! We need people!
They will yield ten times as much in the long run!
The North barely grows past 3.5 million, Lord Stark.
Even Dorne has more people than we do.
The Andals have decimated us for the last two millennia.
Do you know that I've found very old census records dating back 600 years before Aegon came?
Do you know how many of us there were in the North then, Ned?" Ned shook his head.
"THIRTEEN MILLION!... THIRTEEN, NED.
Now we are three and half...
In the Reach alone there are more than 20 million inhabitants. They outnumber us six to one... and they have a land three times smaller than the North...
We need to get that number down to 'Ten' Million within the next eight years at the very least." Said Bloody Snow without any possibility of negotiation.
Ned nodded sadly.
Lady Barbrey had already alluded to their future meeting for the [Loan Application and Approval]...
The woman seemed impatient and elated with anticipation of that event. She looked like a hyena ready to receive her due pound of flesh...
The flesh of the poor King in the North...
Ned was afraid of her.
"... All right. No gold...
As for strategy?" Ned asked after shedding an inner tear.
End POV.
--------------------------------------------------
POV: Stannis Baratheon;
In a mansion in Lannisport, Hall of War Council.
About three hours after a boy explained an attack strategy.
"Come on Ned, you have our full attention.
Surprise me as you did ten years ago in the Valley." Incited Robert, remembering the good old days when he and Ned, along with Lord Robar Royce rode to Jon Arryn's aid.
"I will try, Your Grace...
First of all, I would like to ask how many ships in poor condition are we in possession of?" Ned asked, turning to Lord Paxter and Stannis.
"The royal fleet has seven ships that require urgent repairs.
Lord Paxter... Ten if I'm not mistaken, correct?" Stannis.
"Correct, Lord Stannis." Paxter Redwine.
"I see... With the captured Iron Fleet ships, can we get to at least 50 expendable ships?" Ned.
"... Possibly. What do you have in mind, Lord Stark?" Stannis.
"Assuming Victaion Greyjoy returned to Pyke with those forty ships. The Iron Fleet should have no more than 200 ships remaining in its entirety.
Balon Greyjoy will surely use them as his main means of defending Pyke.
Ironmen always boast of their superiority in water combat. They will not squander this advantage.
Landing on Pyke will be our greatest difficulty.
But we can minimize our losses if we sacrifice fifty badly damaged hulls.
All we'll need is some black paint, oil, a hundred good sailors, and... an onion knight.
We'll need your best man, Lord Stannis...
The one who managed to escape the eyes of the Redwine fleet and save Storm's End from starvation, my Lord." Ned looked up from the map, seeking the gaze of Robert's brother.
"Ser Davos?"
Chapter 80: ' Spoils and Strategy 'Hello everyone, here is a new chapter. I would like to thank to moku8!!! I don't know who you are, but thank you very much for your support on Ko-fi!!! For the remaining 14 days of freedom I have left, I'll attach below the link to my Buy me at Ko-fi page. /duncanrandargotpaladin Thank you all for your comments and advice! Of course, none of you are under any obligation to donate. Donating is a spontaneous, unforced gesture. Otherwise it would be more like coercion. Ahaha P.S. If you can leave a review for my Fanfiction, I'd appreciate it. Thanks in advance! -14 days!!! Damn how time flies!!! AAARGGHH!!! Happy reading! ------------ POV: Tywin Lannister; In a mansion in Lannisport, Hall of War Council. Year 289, the twelfth day of the fifth moon. Some twelve days after a man secretly became King... The Protector of the West was inside the hall set up for the council. A large table with a large, finely detailed map above it, specific to the westernmost lands and coastlines of Westeros was spread out on the table. Along with it, there were miniatures of ships and shore troops to symbolize allied and enemy forces. It was just past noon on that cloudy day with the sea as flat as aboard. Present with the Lord of Casterly Rock was his son-in-law King Robert, the King's brother and Master of Ships, Lord Stannis, Lord Paxter Redwine, and two of the King's Kingsguard: Ser Barristan Selmy and his son Jaime. All of them were awaiting the arrival of two other members of the council: Lord Eddard Stark, the commander of the army, and Lord Jorah Mormont, the admiral-in-chief of the Northern naval forces. The Northern army was already camped outside the city. A Stark emissary had already announced the arrival of the two members of this council. The wait was unnerving. Tywin found the King of the Seven Kingdoms annoying. The most powerful man in the West was forced to put up with the King's every stupid joke. Fortunately, Tywin had already been tempered many times by his brother Gerion, and his son Tyrion. The man had acquired a remarkable resilience for such annoyances. Stannis Baratheon was almost a living statue, far more tolerable and composed than his brother. Barrystan spoke only when spoken to, and Jaime followed his example, remaining silent and hiding his disdain for having to serve and protect such an idiot. A knock was heard on the door. "Lord Eddard Stark and Lord Jorah Mormont, Your Grace." Said Ser Mandon Moore, another member of the Kingsguard who was guarding the doorway. "Let them pass!" Robert thundered, smiling happily. The man, almost 6 feet 6 inches tall, a stout, muscular build with the beginnings of a swelling on his abdomen, pitch-black hair, and beard, walked briskly towards the doorway, stopping about 10 feet from the entrance. No doubt Robert wanted to be the first to greet Lord Eddard Stark, his childhood friend. A man two inches shorter entered the hall, he had long brown hair pulled back to the sides, a long face well shaved, dark grey eyes that could change depending on that person's mood. Those eyes could become soft and calm like fog, or hard and cold like stone... Tywin remembered well the cold, contemptuous, judgmental look Ned Stark had given him after the sacking of King's Landing. What appeared to be Lord Jorah Mormont followed close behind. Lord Eddard entered. As soon as he saw Robert, he bowed and said: "Your Grace." Ned. "Your Grace." Jorah quickly followed suit. "Lenti... Slow to bow to your king and answer his call to arms. Come here only when the battle is done... "Robert kept a hard look on his face, but Ned Stark was not intimidated. He played Robert's game until the end. "Pff!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAH!!! COME HERE YOU!!!" Robert vigorously hugged his dear friend, and Ned responded with pleasure to the gesture of affection. "How long did you want to keep me waiting! Huh?! You know how boring my brother and father-in-law are!!! Ahahahaha!" If he hadn't been the King, but just a lowly Lord Protector of the Stormlands, Lord Tywin would have had his throat cut open right then and there... "Too many have answered the call, the bigger an army is the slower it is. Ahaha. Your Majesty... Do you remember Lord Jorah Mormont?" Ned asked immediately after breaking the embrace with Robert. "An honor to meet you again, your majesty." Jorah. "Of course, I remember! You fought valiantly in both the Battle of the Bells. It is a pleasure to have you with us, Lord Jorah." Said Robert in a more serious, and respectful tone. The Fighting Stag appreciated and respected true warriors, and recognized Jorah as such. Jorah nodded silently showing signs of appreciation, but also humility. "Come forward, the council awaits. Help me teach those octopuses what a True War is." The two nodded and prepared to follow their King to the center of the hall. "Lord Tywin, an honor to meet you again. Thank you and your House for hosting us within the city of Lannisport." Surprisingly, Ned Stark showed respect, humility, and courteous gestures towards him. "Lord Stark... House Lannister is honored to welcome all of its friends and allies to its lands. You and all your retinue will be our esteemed guests for as long as you wish." Tywin replied, still holding a tone and gaze as hard as the foundations of his castle. "Thank you, my lord. We will ensure that we cause as little disturbance as possible in your lands, and hope in the future to be able to return the favor you are offering us." He replied in a sincere and respectful tone, Lord Stark. Tywin had greatly appreciated the man's gesture of peace. House Stark, and all the lords of the North, were growing stronger and more influential. They did not yet equal the lands of the West in wealth, but they could certainly hold their own militarily. The North had fewer men, but they were also fiercer, more loyal, and better prepared than his own. Winter had just tempered another batch of warriors. It would have been unwise to antagonize the North. Especially not now that they were forming excellent trade relationships with many Northern Houses. Thanks to the compasses, the Tallhart ships, and the fine produce harvested in Waterdeep, House Lannister had quadrupled its naval trade revenue in the last two years. House Tallhart had been true to its word. It had never failed to meet a single commitment of their agreement. And that meant a great deal to Tywin of House Lannister. "Lord Stannis, Lord Paxter, it is a pleasure to meet you again, my Lords." Ned. "Lord Stark." They both returned the greeting in succession. "Ser Jaime, Ser Barristan, it is an honor to see you as well." Said Ned in the same tone, and courteous manner. Both Jaime and Tywin were noticeably surprised and somewhat confused by Eddard Stark's unusual attitude. It was well known, that the honorable Lord Eddard Stark, had no sympathy or regard for the ''Kingslayers''... Barristan replied promptly, but Jaime was undecided for a moment. Perhaps his son wanted to understand if there was deception in Ned Stark's actions and words. "Lord Stark... the honor is mine." Jaime. The Quiet Wolf did not seem bothered by the lack of trust Jaime showed. Immediately he said: "Well, my King and my Lords, Lord Jorah and I apologize for our late hour. Please let us begin... " About three minutes of formality later... "How many Northern men and ships can we count on, Lord Stark?" Stannis asked, drawing the curiosity of many. "In total, not including crews, we have 18,900 men-at-arms. 3,000 mounted lancers, 10,000 pikes or swords, and about six thousand archers and crossbowmen. Lord Jorah, I will leave the specifics of the fleet to you." Lord Eddard. "Yes, my Lord. We have 110 Ships, 79 in excellent condition, 25 in good, and 6 in fair condition. 30 War galleys, 12 of which are equipped with long-range catapults, and the remaining 18 primarily with harpoons. "BUT... We need gold and riches! I'd like to remind you of Moat Cailin and the demands ' Four ' and ' Five '..." Ned. "No Ned, for us gold is not the most valuable thing in those islands at the moment. The crown and the Lannisters will aim for that for sure. There'll be at least two or three million to raid in those Islands... but we're after something nobody wants. The people-- Think about it, Ned. The North has the most land of all the six kingdoms. There's plenty of uninhabited farmland. And in the Iron Islands, many are used as slaves but are not, by right... The Thralls, Lord Stark. The servants caught in the ironborn raids. The Thralls, the salt wives... On the seven main islands, there must be at least 400-500,000 people captured in the past, or children of them. All of them perform the bulk of the labor in those lands. They do the work that the ironmen consider 'Unworthy' of their lineage and strength... Miners, farmers, craftsmen, fishermen... and many other professions. And most of them know the sea... They're skilled sailors and shipbuilders... They're worth more to us than gold, Ned. We will offer those poor wretches freedom, protection, equality, a home, and honest wages. In doing so we will not only strengthen the North, we will greatly weaken the Iron Islands by forcing them to give up the 'Old Way' ... They will have to adapt to a new and more laborious way of life. The House, true to the motto We do not sow, will no longer be able to lead the Ironmen. The Iron Islands will no longer have to live by raiding. They will have to roll up their sleeves. Bend over and adapt to the new way of life, or die and be forgotten along with it." The Kingmaker. "You mean we'll have to exterminate all of House Greyjoy? Even the younger sons of King Balon?" Ned asked visibly disturbed by the idea. "No, not exterminate... But to cripple and weaken it so that it can never rise again. Even if Balon and Euron were to bow the knee to King Robert, they would not hesitate for a second to rise and rise again as soon as Robert perished... The only option is Death or The Wall. If it were up to me, I'd send Balon to North of the Wall to freeze his balls off. If he survives the next battle, his eldest son Maron will have to be sent there as well. He has just turned sixteen. Theon Greyjoy and Yara Greyjoy must be held as protected hostages. The future of the Isles will be entrusted to a new Lord Protector of the Seas. A much more cultured man, a lover of books and commerce... " The boy waited for Ned to guess the individual. "You mean... Lord Rodrik?" Ned. "That's right, my lord. Lord Rodrik Harlaw ' The Reader ', is our key to curing this plague of the realm called Ironborn. House Tallhart and House Harlaw have been working together secretly for four years. It was Lord Rodrik's men who first informed our agents of the attack on Bear Island. Lord Rodrik does not want to fight this war. He hates and despises King Balon's methods, and has long since learned that 'The Old Way'... ...is just old. It will have to be one ironman who leads other ironmen to change. This is crucial, Ned." Eddard nodded in agreement. He found the boy's plans acceptable and reasonable. If they could deal with the Ironmen problem once and for all, then in addition to a safer North, they would also achieve a more prosperous North. The naval trade would grow by leaps and bounds without the risk of iron marauders. Although the plan was a good one, Ned was still reluctant to claim even a small amount of gold. At least the amount to recoup the costs of the campaign! Ned tried to attempt... "Are you sure we shouldn't demand even a small portion..." Ned was interrupted. "FORGET THE GOLD, NED! It's not gold we need anymore! We need people! They will yield ten times as much in the long run! The North barely grows past 3.5 million, Lord Stark. Even Dorne has more people than we do. The Andals have decimated us for the last two millennia. Do you know that I've found very old census records dating back 600 years before Aegon came? Do you know how many of us there were in the North then, Ned?" Ned shook his head. "THIRTEEN MILLION!... THIRTEEN, NED. Now we are three and half... In the Reach alone there are more than 20 million inhabitants. They outnumber us six to one... and they have a land three times smaller than the North... We need to get that number down to 'Ten' Million within the next eight years at the very least." Said Bloody Snow without any possibility of negotiation. Ned nodded sadly. Lady Barbrey had already alluded to their future meeting for the Loan Application and Approval... The woman seemed impatient and elated with anticipation of that event. She looked like a hyena ready to receive her due pound of flesh... The flesh of the poor King in the North... Ned was afraid of her. "... All right. No gold... As for strategy?" Ned asked after shedding an inner tear. End POV. -------------------------------------------------- POV: Stannis Baratheon; In a mansion in Lannisport, Hall of War Council. About three hours after a boy explained an attack strategy. "Come on Ned, you have our full attention. Surprise me as you did ten years ago in the Valley." Incited Robert, remembering the good old days when he and Ned, along with Lord Robar Royce rode to Jon Arryn's aid. "I will try, Your Grace... First of all, I would like to ask how many ships in poor condition are we in possession of?" Ned asked, turning to Lord Paxter and Stannis. "The royal fleet has seven ships that require urgent repairs. Lord Paxter... Ten if I'm not mistaken, correct?" Stannis. "Correct, Lord Stannis." Paxter Redwine. "I see... With the captured Iron Fleet ships, can we get to at least 50 expendable ships?" Ned. "... Possibly. What do you have in mind, Lord Stark?" Stannis. "Assuming Victaion Greyjoy returned to Pyke with those forty ships. The Iron Fleet should have no more than 200 ships remaining in its entirety. Balon Greyjoy will surely use them as his main means of defending Pyke. Ironmen always boast of their superiority in water combat. They will not squander this advantage. Landing on Pyke will be our greatest difficulty. But we can minimize our losses if we sacrifice fifty badly damaged hulls. All we'll need is some black paint, oil, a hundred good sailors, and... an onion knight. We'll need your best man, Lord Stannis... The one who managed to escape the eyes of the Redwine fleet and save Storm's End from starvation, my Lord." Ned looked up from the map, seeking the gaze of Robert's brother. "Ser Davos?"
