Seaguard's Lord's Hall was thick with tension.
Days of arguments had drained everyone of their strength. Only heavy breathing remained.
Harras Harlaw's eyes were sunken. His desire for revenge burned in his chest like a raging flame, and he stubbornly repeated his position. "Hold fast! We have to hold fast!"
"Wait for the next order from Pyke!"
"No one is allowed to leave! Anyone who does will be held accountable!!!"
Sawane Botley leaned back in his chair, a trace of mockery on his face. All he wanted now was for these fools to decide to scatter at once, so he could leave first with a clear conscience.
The doors burst open.
An Ironborn lookout came stumbling in, his face completely bloodless.
His voice twisted with terror. "The... Riverlanders!"
"Their army... has arrived. They're beginning to surround Seaguard!"
"So many... there are so many of them, more than seven thousand..."
The hall fell silent for an instant, then erupted into even greater chaos. Others might be able to delay making a decision, but the Riverlander Suleiman would give no such chance. In his hands, they would only be beheaded, their corpses desecrated.
Sawane Botley smiled. He rose slowly, brushed the dust from his clothes, and spread his hands toward the others. "My lords, since you can't make up your minds, I suppose you've decided to hold out to the death."
"Your courage is admirable, but I, the coward, won't be joining you."
He turned and strode toward the door.
"I'll be going ahead, my lords."
Just as he was about to step through the doorway, the Ironborn messenger summoned all his strength and shouted the rest of his report, trembling.
"No... We can't get out!"
"The harbor..."
"...The harbor! They're sealing it off with a huge iron chain!"
"Our ships! Not