Once Danyla and her Great Dragon Rafa had dealt with the giant ballistae and the remaining defenders on the walls, Kingsgrave had almost no proper military resistance left.
The core members of House Manwoody and several thousand elite retainers had long since fled into the Red Mountains, taking the family's wealth and much of the city's population with them. Those left to defend the city were veterans, wounded and disabled soldiers, and boys hoping to make a name for themselves.
But now everyone still in the city, young and old, male and female, had taken up weapons, ready to use their knowledge of the terrain to wage a street battle against the Reach Army. For many, this was what they did best.
Rafa was highly intelligent and exceptionally skilled in combat. He could employ sophisticated tactics without Danyla directing him at all. Throughout this battle, Danyla felt as though she were taking her new carriage for a test drive, letting Rafa show off everything he could do.
Seeing that damned Black Dragon steal all the glory in this battle, Myracis, who had never been willing to play second fiddle to another dragon, hurriedly used her speed and agility to swoop into Kingsgrave at low altitude.
After disposing of the dangerous scorpions and Desert Fire Ants with a blast of dragonfire, she sped along Kingsgrave's streets, attacking the Dornish who dared resist. Beneath her rampaging dragonfire, all resistance near the city gates was soon swept away.
This allowed the Reach Army to enter Kingsgrave virtually unopposed. Earl Tarly quickly ordered his elite troops to occupy the defensive towers along the walls. Thanks to Rafa's intervention, almost none of the military supplies on the walls had been used, making this a tremendous haul.
The defenders had not even had time to use