Golden bows and hidden currents, distant sails ready to depart

Before the morning mist had even dissipated, the docks of Dragon's Roost Port were already filled with the sounds of clashing metal and the dragging of ropes.

Thirty improved warships were lined up neatly in the deep-water berth, their sails rolled up like lurking beasts, and the crimson and black dragon patterns were faintly visible in the thin mist.

Crahas Hal stood on the stern of Daemon's ship, the Blackfyre, his fingertips tracing the newly installed brass compass, its surface engraved with extremely fine star trails.

This is a masterpiece personally improved by a descendant of the historically renowned Isle of Deer prince "cartographer" Masa, whom Racallio Reynden recently "invited" on behalf of Daemon, on a special trip to Isle of Deer in the Summer Isles.

"One last check," he said to Alyn Redwyne beside him, "Not a single one can be missed—the freshwater distillation equipment, the grain preservation barrels, the ballista pulleys."

Alyn nodded and handed over a list. "All warships are equipped with three barrels of fast-burning oil, twenty specially made arrows, and the improved ramming horn designed by you, Lord Crahas."

All the sailors on board had completed their boarding and combat training, which was personally administered by Lyonel, and the pass rate exceeded 90%.

C

Crahas flipped through the list, his gaze lingering on the "Navigation Equipment" section. "How sensitive are the natural magnets on board? The currents in the Summer Sea aren't too complex, but considering most of us haven't sailed south before, the consequences of a compass malfunction during the voyage would be unimaginable."

"The scholars from the Citadel in the harbor have already tested it," Alyn replied. "The magnet has been polished in a special way so that it can stably point south and will not deviate even in Storm."

In addition, as you instructed, each ship carried three ravens for emergency communications.

At that moment, Daemon and Gael were gazing at the fleet from a high platform at the end of the dock.

Today, accompanied by Mysaria, Johanna, and the other two, Gael was wearing a dark green riding outfit that Lia Osgre had chosen for her. At her waist was a short sword inlaid with emeralds, which Daemon had specially selected for her from the "tribute" that Racallio had presented some time ago. The sword was also engraved with small dragon patterns in the style of Dreamfyre by the port's the Smith.

"The expedition is a long and arduous journey, Summer Isles. You must take good care of yourself," she said, smoothing the wrinkles in Daemon's collar. Her voice was gentle yet firm. "I will guard Dragon's Roost Port for you, and manage the agriculture and defense of Crab Claw Peninsula. I will await your triumphant return."

Daemon grasped her hand, his fingertips gently feeling the warmth of her palm. "I've left Rupert to guard the Crownlands, Lyonel to assist him in training the new recruits, and Brienne and Lia are also there to protect your safety."

He then added in a deep voice, "I will also leave half of the Dark Blade Guard behind, under Jarman's personal command, to protect you and the port."

Then, after a pause, he added somewhat worriedly, "Otto in King's Landing will certainly not behave himself once he knows I personally led the fleet out of port. If Larys's spies in King's Landing's Landing discover any unusual activity on his part, don't confront him directly. Immediately send someone to deliver a message via raven: I will lead the fleet back."

Gael shook her head, a resolute glint in her eyes. "Go ahead and do your work. I can hold Dragon's Roost Port. Rickard and Lucas have already stockpiled salt-tolerant rye and peas, and Rayford is in charge of supply allocation. Little Mei and Hannah will stay with me, Alys has also agreed to assist the medical station in dealing with emergencies."

As the two were talking, a servant hurried over, bowed, and whispered in Daemon's ear, "Your Highness, one of the Ironborn prisoners from the previous group has given in this morning. He claims to know the inside story of the Summer Isles and says he has important information to report to you in person."

Daemon and Gael exchanged a glance, and then Gael left with Mysaria, Johanna, and the others beside her.

He then followed his attendants to the temporary prisoner-holding camp. The camp was located inside a stone wall on the west side of the dock. More than twenty Ironborn prisoners were chained up, their faces full of arrogance and resentment, but most of them had been tortured quite badly.

One of the prisoners, a thin man with cunning eyes and a somewhat delirious demeanor, saw Daemon approach and immediately struggled to shout, "Your Highness! I know the secrets of the Summer Isles! I can help you find the Ironborn supply points and help you deal with those tribes!"

Daemon gestured for the guards to unlock his chains and said coldly, "Speak clearly, who are you? What do you know? If you utter a single falsehood, I'll let you taste the Dragonfire."

The prisoner immediately knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly. "My Spike. I was once King Gorne's naval commander and sailed with him three times on the route to the Summer Isles!"

He raised his head, a flicker of fear and greed in his eyes. "The Summer Isles have three large islands: Walano, Omboru, and Jhala. Our Iron Islands fleet's supply depot is in Red Flower Vale on Jhala, the southernmost island, where we are met by the local Xho tribe."

"The Xho tribe?" Daemon raised an eyebrow, recalling the information he had obtained during the interrogation.

"Exactly!" Spike quickly replied, "Jhala had a civil war a few years ago, and Prince Jalaba Sol of Red Flower Vale was exiled. His people have always wanted to help him reclaim the throne, so they made a deal with our Iron Islands, using prisoners of war from rival tribes as slaves in exchange for weapons."

Furthermore, Lotus Port on the northernmost Walano can be considered the capital of their Summer Isles. The princes there advocate peaceful trade, and normally, apart from internal tribal conflicts, there are almost no wars between the islands. However, because the Xho tribe actively broke the peaceful trade, the tribes of Valano and Jhala are now bitter enemies.

Crahas arrived just in time and, upon hearing this, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes. "Are you telling the truth? There are conflicts between the tribes of the Summer Isles?"

"Absolutely true!" Spike said. "The people of Walano are skilled at trade, and their island is rich in resources, with many Goldenheart bows and gems, but they are not good at fighting."

The tribes of Jhala are known for their fierce and warlike nature. Everyone knows how to use a bow, and their Goldenheart bows have a range twice that of ordinary bows and arrows, making them extremely powerful.

However, they are not on good terms internally. The Xho tribe in Red Flower Vale and the Qhi tribe in Sweet Lotus Vale are mortal enemies and often clash.

You could ask Racallio for the answers, but he's probably still dreaming of ruling the island, which is why he hasn't told Prince Daemon.

Daemon pondered for a moment, then turned to Crahas beside him and said, "Regardless of Racallio, this might be our opportunity. We can exploit the conflicts between the tribes, unite the forces of Walano and Sweet Lotus Vale, and deal with the Xho tribe and the Ironborn's supply points."

Crahas nodded. "Spike, if you can lead us and draw a detailed map of the Summer Isles, including the reefs between the islands, the ocean currents, and the distribution of tribes, we can spare your life and even give you a fortune."

Spike was overjoyed and quickly nodded in agreement, "Of course! I'm willing! I was originally Dagon Greyjoy's subordinate, but after Dagon disappeared, I followed Gorne— "

I have witnessed Your Highness's heroic figure during the Burning of Lannisport. If I had the opportunity to serve Your Highness, I would have long ago abandoned the darkness and embraced the light. Unfortunately, I have never had the chance, and Your Highness has been away from the harbor for some time now.

The little man has memorized all the routes of the Iron Islands; give him paper and pen, and he can draw them out immediately!

Daemon ordered someone to take Spike to draw up a nautical chart, then turned to the squire behind Crahas and said, "Have Ser Lyonel Corbray and Rupert Crabb wait for us in the council chamber. We need to readjust our plans."

War plan.

Inside the council chamber, everyone sat around a huge nautical chart.

Spike's nautical chart was laid out on the table, detailing the three main islands, straits, reefs, and tribal distribution of the Summer Isles.

Crahas pointed to the nautical chart. "From Dragon's Roost Port, through the Narrow Sea, into the Summer Sea, it takes about fifteen days to sail."

It's early summer now, Summer Sea is relatively calm, but be wary of sudden thunderstorms, especially near Stonehead, where sea conditions can be unpredictable.

"Our first objective is Red Flower Vale on Jhala, to destroy the Ironborn's supply depot," Daemon said in a deep voice. "Spike said the Xho tribe has over three hundred warriors, equipped with Goldenheart Bows. We need to send an elite force to quickly land and capture key positions, while simultaneously using warships to block the port route to Red Flower Vale to prevent their escape."

Lyonel Corbray gripped the hilt of Lady Forlorn's sword and said in a deep voice, "The advance team that will land has five hundred men, all of them elite. With the help of ballistae and ramming guns, taking Red Flower Vale will not be a problem."

However, the indigenous tribes of the Summer Isles are skilled archers, so we need to take precautions to avoid unnecessary casualties.

"Before Your Highness left the port for the peninsula last time, I informed you to have the port's artisans make lightweight leather armor for the soldiers, fitted with scale plates to protect them from arrows," Crahas said. "In addition, each ship is equipped with four heavy crossbows, whose range certainly far exceeds their Goldenheart bows, allowing them to conduct long-range attacks from the sea."

hit."

Rupert Crabb said, "Your Highness, the defenses of Dragon's Roost Port cannot be relaxed."

However, Otto Hightower is King's Landing with hostility. House Hightower is the most powerful family in the Reach, and they have marital ties with families like the Tyrell and Rowan. If he were to take advantage of your absence on a campaign and launch another attack, impeaching you once again—"

Daemon had already considered this before his previous inspection of Crab Claw Peninsula and his return to Dragon's Roost Port: "The day before yesterday, before returning to Dragon's Roost Port, I had already sent Larys, who was traveling with me, to King's King's Landing from the direction of Rook's Rest, under the pretext of visiting his father, Leonno, to keep a close eye on Otto's movements."

He would relay messages through undercover agents, and immediately notify us if he discovered any unusual activity by the House Hightower.

Furthermore, I not only wrote to Uncle Baelon in advance to ask for his permission, but also mentioned in my letter to Corlys that I had been granted permission for our fleet to pass through the Stepstones that I requested they would speak on my behalf at the Small Council if necessary.

He looked at Rupert, "While you are leading the garrison, if any emergency occurs, you can directly contact Berna to mobilize the Peninsula Allied Forces. If necessary, you can also write to Earl Bartimos of King's Landing and request the Crab Island Fleet to be stationed at Dragon's Roost Port."

Rupert nodded. "I understand. Your Highness, rest assured, I will work closely with Rayford and Rickard to ensure the safety of Dragon's Roost Port."

Furthermore, as Your Highness just informed me, Lady Alys Rivers told the Princess that the hot and humid climate of the Summer Isles makes it prone to disease outbreaks. She has prepared a large quantity of herbs and antiseptics and will have the scholars from the medical center accompany the fleet.

"Very good," Daemon said. "The fleet will depart the day after tomorrow, with Crahas as commander-in-chief, Colin in charge of the vanguard fleet, Lyonel leading the naval landing force. I will also lead the main fleet to follow. Rupert, you will remain at Dragon's Roost Port. Thank you for assisting Gael with defense and training the new recruits."

The crowd responded in unison, "Yes, Your Highness!"

For the next two days, Dragon's Roost Port was bustling with activity.

The sailors loaded food, fresh water, weapons, and medicine onto the ship, the craftsmen carried out the final inspection of the warship, and the soldiers tidied up their equipment, their faces full of excitement and anticipation.

Gael even personally went to the dock to see the soldiers off, handing each captain in the fleet a bag of biscuits soaked in herbs, "These are specially made by Lady Alys, to stimulate the appetite, strengthen the spleen, and ward off damp heat."

On the eve of their departure, Daemon and Gael stood side by side on a high platform.

The Glutton and Dreamfyre hovered above the distant hills, their deep, resonant roars echoing through the night sky of Dragon's Roost Port.

The moonlight shone on the two of them, outlining their silhouettes.

"Do you remember when I caught up with you in Rosby during your tour?" Gael said softly. "Back then, you didn't know I would be bringing Little Mei to catch up with you, did you?"

Daemon held her hand, his eyes full of tenderness. "I also remember that you had only just tamed Dreamfyre, and you dared to ride Dreamfyre and bring Little Mei to chase after me. You were like a ray of light, illuminating the night sky of Rosby that night."

"Gael, my little aunt, when we return from this expedition, I will take you to Tall Trees Town to see the Talking Tree of the Summer Isles. I've heard it's covered with ancient stories and laws."

Gael chuckled softly. Now accustomed to being strong, her eyes, unusually, welled with tears. "Okay, I'll wait for you. You must come back safely."

Daemon leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "I will."

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, the Dragon's Roost Port pier was already packed with people.

Daemon boarded the bow of the "Blackfyre," drew the Blackfyre from his waist, and pointed the tip of the sword at the sky.

"Set off!"

At a command, thirty warships simultaneously raised their sails, and the crimson and black dragon patterns unfolded in the morning light, like a group of giant dragons spreading their wings.

The sailors pulled up the anchor, rowed, and the warship slowly sailed away from the dock, heading towards the Narrow Sea.

Gael stood on the dock, watching the fleet's departing silhouette until the ships disappeared on the horizon, before turning back to the castle.