Storms on the Narrow Sea always struck without warning. Fortunately, House Massey's Stonedance lay just ahead, so Danyla quickly guided the dragons toward their castle.
House Massey's castle stood atop a massive rock by the sea, an ancient fortress of white stone with thousands of years of history.
Stonedance had originally been subject to the Storm Kings of House Durrandon. Later, during Aegon's conquest of the Seven Kingdoms, they had pledged themselves directly to House Targaryen, with whom they had long enjoyed friendly relations. After the Conqueror founded his realm, House Massey's lands had also been incorporated into the Crownlands.
Nearly all of House Massey's lands, however, were covered in low hills and dense tropical rainforest. Most of their income came from hunting, fishing, and livestock.
The terrain around Stonedance rose and fell in rolling hills, with limestone heights enclosing it on three sides. To the southeast, it faced the Narrow Sea, with deep waters and a broad harbor free of dangerous currents or shoals.
In fact, Stonedance's harbor was exceptionally well situated. It had every potential to replace Driftmark as a new major Ocean trade port outside Blackwater Bay.
But House Massey had little to build upon, possessing only a dozen or so small and medium-sized fishing boats. Still, marriage ties connected them to House Velaryon of High Tide, and they had joined the Velaryon fleet on overseas trading voyages, accumulating some wealth over the years.
As she approached Stonedance, Danyla spotted herds of goats, cattle, and packhorses on the coastal hills. At the sight of the Great Dragons overhead, the livestock immediately scattered in a frenzy. Sheepstealer was said to have made no shortage of trips here to poach House Massey's goats.
Even before the War of the Conqueror, House Massey had supplied much of the food for