Chapter Summaries

Suleiman set out west with the fledgling East Riverlands Alliance after Lymond Lychester accepted his offer to join his cause. Patrick Morrison brought more than a hundred soldiers and joined Suleiman’s ranks to search for his missing father and brothers, while reinforcements from House Deddings arrived.

• Lymond Lychester agreed to join Suleiman’s game and called him his son.
• Suleiman led a force of more than twenty-three hundred men west, leaving Lady Lorna’s four hundred soldiers at Deddings Castle.
• Patrick Morrison caught up with the army and told Suleiman that his father and elder brothers were missing near Seaguard.
• Suleiman allowed Patrick to join the march, folded his soldiers into the army, and appointed Patrick as his personal guard.
• Couriers told Suleiman that soldiers sent by House Deddings’ other vassals had arrived.

Suleiman confronted the lords’ messengers over their failure to send troops and punished House Pyle for withholding its army. He offered House Pyle’s lands to landless knights who would seize its castle, and the beaten House Pyle representative asked to join them.

• Suleiman questioned the messengers about their absent armies and challenged House Pyle’s representative over Monte Pyle’s refusal to send troops.
• Bryn punched the House Pyle representative off his horse after he claimed his house had fulfilled its duty.
• Suleiman declared Monte Pyle a traitor and revoked House Pyle’s lands and titles in the name of House Deddings.
• Suleiman ordered the landless knights to seize House Pyle’s castle and promised to recommend them to divide its lands.
• The landless knights pledged themselves to Suleiman, and the House Pyle representative asked to be included.

Suleiman’s threat to strip House Pyle of its lands frightened the vassal envoys into promising to seek military aid. Lymond warned that House Deddings might spare the Pyles, but Suleiman revealed that the knights understood this and would likely kill them to secure their reward, leaving him to bear the blame.

• The envoys of the vassal houses asked to return home and deliver Suleiman’s demands, then hurried away to seek troops.
• Lymond warned Suleiman that House Deddings might release Monte Pyle and his family, undermining Suleiman’s promise and his credibility with the knights.
• Suleiman explained that the knights knew House Deddings would show mercy and asked what they would do to ensure they received House Pyle’s lands.
• Lymond realized the knights would arrange for Monte Pyle and his family to die during the attack, making it impossible for House Deddings to spare them.
• Suleiman confirmed that the knights would secure the lands while making him, as the one who ordered the assault, take the blame.

Suleiman bound House Deddings' landless knights to his cause by promising them lands, then accepted their false account that House Pyle had died resisting capture. He promised to bear the blame and petition for their rewards, and the knights swore their service to him.

• Suleiman explained to Lymond Lychester that the knights would fight to protect him because their promised lands depended on his survival and influence.
• Ser Lopin and the landless knights captured Monte Pyle and his family after a defector tricked the castle into opening its gates.
• Ser Lopin persuaded the knights that House Deddings would free the Pyles and deny them their lands if they delivered the family alive.
• Ser Lopin told Suleiman that Monte Pyle and his family had died resisting capture, concealing that the knights had killed them.
• Suleiman promised to take responsibility and petition Lady Roslin and Lord Balon Deddings for the knights' lands, and they pledged their service to him.

After witnessing Suleiman’s ruthless strategy at House Pyle, Lymond Lychester abandoned his old principles and promised his soldiers rewards for military service. At Drywater Ford, Suleiman’s three-thousand-man army prepared to cross into Ironborn territory, and he declared that the dice had been cast.

• Lymond Lychester realized Suleiman had turned minor knights’ ambition into a force and resolved to follow his example.
• Lymond Lychester summoned his soldiers and promised them land or Silver Stags for taking Ironborn heads.
• The forces of House Deddings and its vassals joined Suleiman and Lymond Lychester, bringing their army to three thousand.
• Lymond Lychester warned Suleiman that they could face overwhelming Ironborn forces beyond the Green Fork.
• Suleiman drew his sword toward the far bank and declared, “The dice have been cast.”

Suleiman led the allied army across the Green Fork and inland toward the collapsing western front, gathering refugees and scattered soldiers along the way. A House Blackwood knight reported that Tytos Blackwood had vanished during a failed attack on the Ironborn at Seaguard, leaving the fate of the other lords uncertain.

• Suleiman rode into the Green Fork, and Bryn, Rosso, Brune, Lymond Lychester, and the allied troops followed him across.
• Suleiman ordered the army inland along muddy tracks, where fleeing refugees watched them pass.
• Suleiman questioned stragglers from House Vypren and learned that Ironborn surrounded Rushmarsh after burning nearby villages.
• Suleiman gave the Vypren soldiers food and water, then had them follow the army as he collected more scattered survivors.
• A House Blackwood knight told Suleiman that Tytos Blackwood and fewer than three thousand men had been defeated by at least ten thousand Ironborn outside Seaguard, and that Tytos had disappeared in the fighting.

Suleiman and Lymond Lychester met William Mooton while leading their forces west into Ironborn-held territory to find Balon Deddings. After Mooton refused to join them, Lymond asked how Suleiman planned to find and safely recover the scattered men of House Blackwood.

• A scout reported that about three hundred men of House Mooton had appeared ahead, and Suleiman incorporated the House Blackwood men-at-arms into his ranks.
• William Mooton warned Lymond Lychester and Suleiman that Fairmarket had been burned and the Ironborn were advancing along both forks of the Green Fork.
• Suleiman told William Mooton that his force was seeking its liege lord, Balon Deddings.
• Lymond invited William Mooton to join them, but Mooton refused and rode east toward Maidenpool with his men.
• Lymond asked Suleiman how they would find House Blackwood's scattered men and get them safely through Ironborn territory.

Amek and Harren Botley’s Ironborn raiding party looted the Riverlands, then crossed into Vicon Gorge to challenge its lord, Suleiman, the Black Lion. The farmers fled at the sight of them, leaving the raiders laughing as they entered his lands.

• Amek celebrated the Ironborn’s plunder and abuse of captives while observing that Harren Botley resented being assigned to raid villages instead of leading an assault.
• Harren kicked Amek aside, gathered his men, and declared that Heron Beach had been stripped bare.
• Harren proposed raiding Vicon Gorge and testing the reputation of its lord, Suleiman, known as the Black Lion.
• The Ironborn cheered and followed Harren across the border into Vicon Gorge.
• Farmers in the fields dropped their tools and fled when they saw the raiders, prompting the Ironborn to laugh.

Amek and Harren Botley led the Ironborn into a trap, where the people they mocked as farmers overwhelmed them with ferocious attacks. Amek survived by hiding in an irrigation ditch and fled after dark.

• Amek realized the people watching from the fields were putting on armor and gathering to encircle the Ironborn.
• Harren Botley rallied the Ironborn to charge, but the farmers fought without fear and killed their attackers with ruthless teamwork.
• The farmers swarmed Harren Botley, and an old farmer struck him down and took his head.
• More farmers joined the battle, killing the Ironborn even after some surrendered, while Amek hid in an irrigation ditch.
• After night fell, Amek climbed out of the ditch and fled.

Suleiman led a night assault on Rushmarsh after learning that only a small Ironborn force remained there, hoping to find a way to reach Raymun Darry. His professional troops captured the outer castle, and he ordered the inner keep set ablaze with the Ironborn trapped inside.

• A retainer reported that the main Ironborn force had left Rushmarsh, leaving about fifty guards behind.
• Suleiman ordered Ser Lopin to gather House Deddings' soldiers for a night attack, then warned the vassal commanders that his troops would block any retreat.
• The Deddings alliance's peasant soldiers faltered under fire, while Bryn's House Vance professionals stormed the western wall and broke through the Ironborn defenses.
• Suleiman's forces took the outer castle after fighting through the night, but the remaining Ironborn barricaded themselves inside the inner keep.
• Suleiman ordered his soldiers to pile flammable materials around the keep and set it on fire.

Sawane Botley learned that his heir Harren had been killed by Green Lands fighters and rejected the survivor’s account that they fought like Ironborn. He ordered the survivor executed and resolved to avenge Harren and House Botley’s humiliation.

• Sawane Botley learned from the wounded Amek that Harren and the men with him had died at Vicon Gorge.
• Amek described the farmers as skilled, fearless fighters who had ambushed the Ironborn and mutilated their dead.
• Sawane dismissed Amek’s story as a coward’s excuse and blamed Harren’s death on carelessness.
• Sawane ordered Amek hanged beneath a longship for cowardice.
• Sawane vowed to avenge Harren and restore House Botley’s standing by spilling the farmers’ blood.

At Oldstones, Euron Greyjoy clashed with Dagmer over the siege and his defiance of King Balon’s plans. After sensing someone approaching, Euron abandoned the camp with the crew of the Silence, leaving Dagmer furious and confused.

• Dagmer learned that Tytos Blackwood had refused to surrender Oldstones again.
• Euron mocked Dagmer’s siege and urged the Ironborn to storm the castle, offering a hundred Gold Dragons to the first man over the walls.
• Dagmer accused Euron of killing Jason Mallister and ruining Balon’s plans, while Euron dismissed Balon’s ambition to rule the Riverlands.
• Euron froze in a strange pose, then announced that someone was coming and that a more interesting game was about to begin.
• Euron and his mute sailors packed their belongings and left for the longships despite Dagmer’s objections.
• Dagmer watched them depart and shouted for Euron never to return.

Tytos Blackwood and Raymun Darry prepared to defend Oldstones against the Ironborn despite their dwindling supplies and outnumbered forces. Patrick Mallister and his mother inspired the defenders to resist, and the Ironborn assault began as the chapter ended with the castle overwhelmed.

• Tytos Blackwood asked Raymun Darry why he had returned to fight, and Raymun said he was fighting for the Riverlands.
• Tytos and Raymun vowed to fight side by side, while Tytos urged the soldiers to resist rather than surrender.
• Patrick Mallister asked Tytos for a sword, and Patrick’s mother insisted that he be allowed to fight like his father.
• The defenders rallied behind the cry “For the Riverlands!” and refugees helped strengthen Oldstones’ walls.
• Cleftjaw Dagmer ordered the Ironborn to attack, and they stormed the ruined castle as Tytos, Raymun, and Patrick held the breach.

Tytos Blackwood’s defenders faced defeat at Oldstones until an unknown army burned the Ironborn ships and attacked them. After the battle, a young man rode forward and greeted Raymun Darry, who recognized him with disbelief.

• Tytos Blackwood refused Dagmer Cleftjaw’s surrender demand and answered with a weak arrow shot.
• As the Ironborn prepared to storm Oldstones, a horn sounded and their longships caught fire at the riverbank.
• Two hundred heavy cavalrymen and an infantry force emerged from the woods, prompting the Ironborn to abandon their assault and attack the newcomers.
• Tytos led the battered defenders out of Oldstones in a counterattack, and the battle continued until nightfall.
• Dagmer withdrew into the forest with the Ironborn he could still command, leaving the battle over and the survivors facing the unfamiliar army.
• A young man rode forward, and Raymun recognized him as the rider greeted him.

After the costly victory at Oldstones, Suleiman warned that the allied army’s divided command and fleeing levies made it vulnerable despite its favorable casualty ratio. He secured Raymun Darry’s agreement to unite the East Riverlands’ forces, and the two clasped hands in trust.

• Rosso Brune reported that the allied forces had suffered 1,237 casualties, nearly 800 killed, while more than 400 levied soldiers had fled; over 850 Ironborn deaths were confirmed.
• Suleiman explained to Lymond Lychester that the allied army’s fragmented command meant it would likely collapse if the Ironborn gained the advantage.
• Raymun Darry arrived wounded with Ser Ronald and asked Suleiman why he had come; Suleiman said he repaid a drop of kindness with a flood of gratitude.
• Raymun Darry told Suleiman that Lord Balon Deddings had died in battle, and Ser Ronald handed over Balon’s bloodied sword.
• Suleiman proposed that the East Riverlands unite their forces to resist further Ironborn incursions, and Raymun Darry agreed on behalf of House Darry.
• Raymun Darry clasped Suleiman’s hand, signaling trust and House Darry’s commitment to the alliance.

The allied army debated whether to retreat to the East Riverlands or divert to rescue Raventree Hall, while Patrick Mallister argued that Tytos Blackwood should command because of his noble birth. The dispute over leadership grew heated and ended on the verge of violence.

• Suleiman and Raymun Darry urged Lymond Lychester to lead the army back to the East Riverlands before the Ironborn could surround them.
• Tytos Blackwood asked the allied army to detour and free Raventree Hall from its siege, but Lymond refused, warning that the mission would lead them into the Ironborn's main force.
• Patrick Mallister proclaimed Tytos the rightful commander because House Blackwood had the most distinguished lineage and pledged House Mallister's support.
• Lymond and Raymun looked to Suleiman, who silently opposed Tytos taking command, and Ser Old Lopin argued that Lymond deserved leadership for rescuing the survivors at Oldstones.
• A Mallister knight countered that Tytos was the better commander, and Ser Lopin challenged him by pointing out that Tytos had only three hundred men, bringing the gathering close to a fight.

Suleiman rejected Patrick Mallister’s bloodline-based challenge to Lymond Lychester’s command and left the deciding vote to others. Ser Keke refused to vote, leaving the command dispute unresolved.

• Suleiman insulted House Blackwood and sat beside Lymond Lychester, making clear where he stood.
• Patrick Mallister called for a vote to choose the allied army’s commander.
• A Blackwood warrior and Patrick Mallister voted for Tytos Blackwood, while Lymond Lychester’s knight and Lopin voted for Lymond.
• Ser Keke weighed tradition against the danger of Tytos Blackwood’s plan and the rewards Suleiman had given him.
• Ser Keke declared that he would not vote, leaving the result tied at two votes each.

Raymun Darry’s vote gave Lymond Lychester command of the army over Tytos Blackwood, but Ser Charl challenged Lymond’s fitness to lead. Suleiman killed Ser Charl and restrained the Mallister knights, leaving Patrick Mallister and Tytos Blackwood shocked.

• Raymun Darry overcame his hesitation and voted for Lymond Lychester, making the vote three to two against Tytos Blackwood.
• A young Lychester knight declared that the nobles must obey Lymond, and Ser Charl angrily objected to taking orders from a madman.
• Patrick Mallister tried to silence Ser Charl, but Ser Charl repeated his claim that Lymond was mentally unsound and unfit to lead.
• Suleiman demanded that Ser Charl repeat his insult, then swiftly cut off his arm and killed him when he did.
• Bryn seized one Mallister knight while Rosso held another at swordpoint, and Suleiman told Patrick Mallister and Tytos Blackwood that he had punished Ser Charl on their behalf.

Suleiman killed Ser Charl after Charl insulted Lymond Lychester, forcing the gathered Riverlands houses into an armed standoff. Lymond openly backed Suleiman, who ordered the army prepared to leave and told Tytos Blackwood they could part ways if he refused.

• Suleiman killed Ser Charl with a swift sword strike, and the Mallister and Blackwood forces drew their weapons against Suleiman’s supporters.
• Ser Keke and the other Vance knights sheathed their swords and returned to their seats, while the Deddings and Lychester knights stood with Suleiman.
• Suleiman offered to face any challenger in a Trial by Combat and warned Patrick Mallister that he would kill anyone sent against him.
• Lymond Lychester kicked Charl’s head away, praised Suleiman, and ordered a knight to cut out Charl’s tongue and feed it to the dogs.
• Suleiman ordered Tytos Blackwood to ready the army and said they could leave separately if Tytos was unwilling.

Suleiman led the coalition army toward the East Riverlands and explained that he had planned to use Tytos Blackwood and Patrick Mallister’s forces as bait for the Ironborn. He rejected the importance of noble bloodlines, frightening Lymond Lychester, before a scout reported a strange longship following them on the river.

• Suleiman, Lymond Lychester, and the retreating coalition left Oldstones, with Tytos Blackwood and Patrick Mallister’s forces following behind.
• Suleiman told Lymond Lychester that he had planned to split off Blackwood and Mallister’s forces and use false information to lure the Ironborn after them.
• Lymond Lychester condemned Suleiman’s plan as madness and said Maester Rooney should examine him once they were safe.
• Suleiman argued that the great houses’ blood was no different from a beggar’s and that noble bloodlines were merely lies used to preserve power.
• Lymond Lychester grew frightened by Suleiman’s beliefs and urged him to see Maester Rooney.
• A mounted scout reported that a strange longship was following the army along the river.