Some time passed in a bustle of cleaning, scraping, and taking inventory.
Carl strode past the Skull Band soldiers, who were still eyeing the plate armor with naked hunger, and approached Aegon, seated upright on a scorched rock.
She bowed to report, a trace of excitement on her lean face. "Your Highness, everything has been cleaned and counted."
"Exactly five hundred suits of plate armor, no more, no less."
"There's some rust, and the plates will need oiling and maintenance. The rivets need checking and reinforcing too, but the main pieces are intact. They're definitely usable."
She paused, then continued, "We also found quite a few weapons to go with them. Around six or seven hundred swords and blades, in fair condition."
"The spears... the heads are all right, but the wooden shafts have mostly rotted beyond use. Some iron-rimmed round shields and large shields are still fairly intact, but there aren't many-about a hundred."
Carl lowered her voice, her regret plain. "The greatest shame is... we found around two hundred heavy military crossbows in the innermost chests!"
"Judging by the design, they look like Myrish work. Fine craftsmanship, but... damp has rusted almost all the prods and mechanisms solid, and the strings are so rotten they snap as soon as you lift them. They're completely ruined."
Aegon listened to the report, his expression calm.
Five hundred suits of plate armor, exactly as Morgor's last words had promised. This was the most important prize.
As for the deterioration of the other equipment, that was only natural after years stored underground in the harsh, damp climate along the Narrow Sea.
"We're fortunate that so much plate armor survived," Aegon said slowly, his gaze sweeping over his core followers as they began trying on and adjusting the armor.
The sounds of cold