"I will obey the new commander's orders! Until death!" Handsome Man was the first to bend his knee, lowering one leg to the ground.
The others followed, all the surviving soldiers of the Wolf Pack Company.
From that moment on, Gendry was the leader of the Wolf Pack Company, its commander.
Chapter 31: Liberator of the Disputed Lands (please keep reading)
The sea wind howled, the waters surged, and the great ship cleaved through the waves.
To the rowing master's heavy drumbeats, the flutter of sails, and the rhythmic creaking of wooden oars, the smuggling ship sped out of Myr Bay before dawn.
"Winter is coming. The lone wolf dies, but the pack survives!"
"Winter is coming. The lone wolf dies, but the pack survives!"
Inside the swaying cabin of the Myrish merchant vessel Mead Ship, beneath the grey-and-white Wolf Pack Banner, every soldier of the Wolf Pack Company swore allegiance to Gendry, pledging to obey their new leader and commander.
Handsome Man knelt first, laying his longsword at Gendry's feet. Then came the Arrow Maker, Steel Fist, and Long Spear, followed by everyone else. They all bent their knees.
Obeying orders and weathering the snowstorms together-these feelings ran deep in northern bones. House Stark was the same: wolf blood, strong and fearless, untamed and wild. Through courage and strength, Gendry had won them over.
Gendry put on the Wolf Pack Company's black lone-wolf ring and looked at the elderly Maester Qyburn, Dick the Bowmaker, the now-crippled Handsome Man, and the exhausted Steel Fist and Long Spear. This was a battered little force, yet it held all his hopes. It was the starting point for everything he would build.
"Rise, brothers!" Gendry called for the Wolf Pack Company to stand.
"One of my arms is ruined. I can no longer take part in combat, so I volunteer to serve as the new commander's adviser," Handsome Man said.
Gendry considered it. Handsome Man was open and honorable. Once he had removed the commander's ring, he had devoted himself wholeheartedly to supporting Gendry.
"I don't think we need to change the existing appointments. Handsome Man will remain treasurer and serve as my adviser. Steel Fist will continue to lead the knights, and Long Spear the infantry. The Arrow Maker will remain our instructor, and Master Qyburn our physician." In this chaotic age, stability came first.
"Agreed!"
"Agreed!"
"Next, we must bring our fists together!" Gendry raised his fist. "Only then will we have the strength to deal with Governor Joey!"
"Let Governor Joey and those pirate merchants of Myr regret it when we meet again. We are the Wolf Pack, and the Wolf Pack never forgets!"
"Our old Wolf's Den probably won't do anymore," Handsome Man said. "It's too close to Myr. Without a governor's protection, it isn't safe."
"We'll take the Firepowder Herb Estate!" Gendry said. The Firepowder Herb Estate had belonged to Governor Cassor. It might have been auctioned off by now, but the Wolf Pack Company could occupy it.
"That's a good idea! The Firepowder Herb Estate is farther from Myr and close to the coast. The steward and the slaves are natural friends of ours!"
"We need manpower, as much as we can get! We used to hold back for fear of the Myrmen. Now we might as well free all the estate's slaves and stand against Myr!" Gendry proposed.
Since the Wolf Pack Company could no longer gain a foothold in Myr, they might as well set the Disputed Lands ablaze, throw the situation into chaos, and free the slaves on the estates.
Slavery was a shackle stretching across Essos. Gendry could not afford to anger too many slave owners yet, but he was confident he could try turning the Disputed Lands upside down.
"Do it! Smash those son-of-a-bitch slave traders!"
"Let's do it!"
"The Old Gods and the New Gods both despise slavery!" The mercenaries of the Wolf Pack Company shouted their unanimous agreement.
The Old and New Gods alike abhorred slavery, and the people of Westeros naturally hated it too. Besides, they were already almost irreconcilable enemies of the Myrmen. They might as well throw everything into chaos.
"Governor Joey also has several fireweed estates. They're his purse!" Gendry said. They would provision themselves from the enemy. Governor Joey was their enemy, so they would feel no qualms about destroying his estates and winning over his slaves.
Everyone discussed it eagerly. In the end, they settled on a strategy, agreeing with Gendry's proposal.
Clap! A moment later, the old Lysene pirate entered the cabin, and Gendry put on his mask.
"A young hero! A young hero!" Salladhor clapped his hands. "The winds roar over the sea, and here I find another brilliant young man!"
"My respects to you, the youthful commander of the Wolf Pack Company, the head wolf!" Salladhor said. "Bloody Ben went to war at eleven. Tywin became Hand of the King at twenty, and Robert launched the War of the Usurper at twenty! The courage of young men can often rewrite history!"
"Thank you for your generosity! You think far too highly of me!" Gendry studied the pirate king of Lys. This man might be dancing on several eggs at once. He had connections with both Stannis and the fat governor of Pentos. Even while cooperating with him, they would have to stay on guard.
"My old friend, surely you haven't come in here to laugh at us homeless men!" Handsome Man said, looking at the pirate king.
"I haven't come to laugh at you. I've come to discuss a partnership!" Salladhor laughed. "I've always wanted a mercenary company-fearless, loyal, and brave. I'm very fond of you descendants of ice and snow. The Golden Company charges far too much, and those Unsullied are both expensive and far too rigid! I've been waiting a long time for my northern friends!"
"What kind of partnership?" Gendry asked the old pirate.
"Simple! I have ships, secret sea routes, and sailors, along with plenty of friends and information throughout the known world. And the Wolf Pack Company has warriors and capable men! We could certainly work together!" Salladhor smiled.
"Wouldn't that make us pirates?" Long Spear could not help asking.
Gendry did not interrupt Salladhor's explanation, letting him continue.
"My family has been in the pirate trade for three centuries. Samaro Saan, one of the Ninepenny Kings, was my ancestor. Sadly, the Ninepenny Kings failed, and he never managed to secure any land for our family. Pirates and mercenaries have always been good friends. We help one another!" Salladhor said. "You won't be my subordinates, but my partners!"
"I understand, Captain Salladhor!" Gendry looked at the cunning old Lysene pirate. "Right now, we need a foothold in the Disputed Lands or the Stepstones. Your fleet can protect our coastline, and perhaps we can offer some help with your ventures!"
"A wise choice. The commander of the Wolf Pack Company is a clever man. Head south—the Firepowder Herb Estate is a fine place to establish yourselves, and it isn't far from the eastern coast. Apart from Crown Town, the southernmost area falls within the sphere of the Lysene estates. I'll offer you my fleet's protection. When the Myrmen arrive, you can retreat to one of the Stepstones or flee to Crown Town!"
"In return, you can offer faithful old Sara a little help!" the old Lysene pirate said.
"Then let's do that, but we'll only target our Myrish enemies!" Gendry said. The Wolf Pack Company needed a fleet and control of the sea. For now, their only choice was to cooperate with the old pirate.
"Agreed, but you're overthinking it, Commander. Once you incite a slave revolt, every Myrish man is certain to become your sworn enemy."
"Here's to a happy partnership! May we soon avenge my poor old friend Greybeard!" Salladhor had his attendant fetch a large jug of warmed wine. He could hardly wait to touch cups with Gendry.
"Cheers!" Their cups met with a clear clink.
"One more thing. What if all the Three Daughters join forces to crush us? Will Captain Salladhor come to our rescue?"
"Then I'm afraid I won't be able to help. All my assistance will be covert. I hope you understand, Commander. There are bold pirates, and there are foolish pirates, but they don't live long." Salladhor shrugged. "If you have the misfortune to be wiped out, then you were never aboard my ships, and we never had an agreement!"
"You really are a cunning pirate!" Gendry looked at the old pirate and could not help laughing. Sara's assistance came at a cost, too. He certainly would not cripple himself by supporting them.
"Then let's pull off something big!" Salladhor grew excited. "A Myrish governor has a ship-to be precise, the head of the Navigators' Guild, the ambitious Governor Rhaechar. He was the chief mastermind behind Governor Cassor's downfall. His merchant ship is currently docked at Volantis. It came from Qarth, carrying spices, jade, and Unsullied, and will be returning to Myr."
Chapter 32: The Abolitionist and the Free Army (please keep reading)
The drumbeats blurred into a long, frenzied, unending hammering. The Mead Ship flew forward, its prow cleaving the water, the spray white as milk.
On deck, the sea breeze stirred Gendry's black hair as he watched the undulating outline of the distant land-the Disputed Lands. Fertile and chaotic, this place was now his best choice, and one of his few choices.
"My young friend! A hard road lies ahead." Sallahan, the old Lysene pirate, approached Gendry with a cup of warmed wine.
"Decades ago, my ancestor raised his forces here. The Ninepenny Kings formed their alliance beneath the Crown Tree!" The old pirate pointed toward the Disputed Lands.
"Unfortunately, their attempt ended in utter defeat in the Stepstones," Gendry said. Everyone knew that story well.
"The road ahead is uncertain! If you find you can't stay here, there will be places for you aboard my smuggling ships!"
"You have my deepest thanks!" Gendry said.
Gendry was sincerely grateful for the old pirate's support. Operating in the Disputed Lands was impossible without a fleet behind them. Moreover, the fireweed, spices, and wine they plundered in the future would need Lysene buyers. But the old Lysene pirate's network was too extensive, and Gendry could not trust him completely.
"I have only one piece of advice for you, Commander!" the old pirate said. "In the Disputed Lands, concentrate your strength on a single point whenever possible. Otherwise, you'll make too many enemies to hold your ground!"
"I'll do my best!" Gendry did not want to provoke all the Three Daughters either, but freeing slaves and opposing their slave owners would inevitably cause an upheaval. This was a fundamental conflict. Perhaps once he grew powerful, even the old Lysene pirate would fight him.
Aboard the ship, the estate slaves who had accompanied the Wolf Pack Company to transport fireweed began removing the wooden tags from their necks and throwing them into the sea.
"Eleven!" "Twenty-two!" The slaves tore the collars from their necks. Those wooden tags were shackles, symbols of their lives as slaves. Wearing them, they were slaves. Removing them, they became runaway slaves, even more wretched, hunted and killed at will!
"Have you made up your minds?" Gendry asked the slaves again.
"The worst that can happen is death. But going back to the Firepowder Herb Estate-that would be worse than death!" the slaves said.
"I can't give you much. All I can give you is freedom, and perhaps even that will only be temporary!" Gendry stood before the slaves, his short black hair as solid as a mountain. He raised their wooden tags, then hurled them into the sea. "Freedom! Freedom!"
The slaves shouted in unison, "Freedom!" "Freedom!"
The slaves knelt on one knee at Gendry's feet. "From this day forward, freedom will be our faith!"
The Wolf Pack Company's banner fluttered as the slaves cheered again. "Abolitionist! Abolitionist!"
This was the reality of Myr. When a governor died, his entire sphere of influence vanished, divided among the other governors. If these slaves from the Firepowder Herb Estate were taken over by another governor, their fate would be no better than it was now, and might even be worse than before.
The slaves' clamor rang out across the sea, filled with tears, excitement, or fire.
I will lead them toward a different fate! Gendry thought.
"The Free Army!" Gendry looked at the slaves. They came in every kind and size. But now-now they were his most promising army. Mercenaries in the Disputed Lands were unlikely to remain loyal. Freeing slaves was a better choice.
The freed slaves had nowhere else to go. They could only cling tightly to him. They had received no formal education and had none of a warrior's experience, but they were his army.
Sallahan watched Gendry. Over the long history of slavery, there had naturally been people who tried to overthrow it or rebel. Most had ended in failure. He wondered how far this young man would go.
The smuggling ship delivered Gendry and the Wolf Pack Company to the coast. From there, they took the fireweed back to the Firepowder Herb Estate. Governor Cassor's power had melted away like an iceberg. The Firepowder Herb Estate now belonged to the Wolf Pack Company.
"First, there's the matter of our assets!" Qyburn said. "The Wolf Pack Company's wealth—its property in Myr and its deposits in the Bank of Myr—will now all be seized by the Myrmen. Fortunately, some of our gold is in the Wolf's Den, and we also have some deposits in the Iron Bank of Braavos."
"That's good!" Gendry considered it. Mercenaries lived on a knife's edge, earning plenty and spending it quickly. The descendants of northmen lived relatively simply, which was why they had these savings left.
"The Disputed Lands aren't a good place! But they're the only place we can establish ourselves!"
"The example we can learn from is the story of the Ninepenny Kings several decades ago!" Qyburn said.
"I know about them! They were defeated by the fearless knight, Barristan. Since Duncan the Tall and Duncan the Short had both died at Summerhall, they had to choose a commander at short notice." Gendry had heard the stories of the war against the Ninepenny Kings and the fearless knight.
The Ninepenny Kings had been a gathering of shining human apes, but their strength had been considerable.
"The Ninepenny Kings were an alliance of pirates, merchants, mercenaries, and exiled knights! Though they eventually failed, their plan was still feasible: occupy the Disputed Lands, then Tyrosh and the Stepstones. Had Barristan not turned the tide, the Band of Nine might have carried the flames of war to Westeros!" Qyburn said.
"These regions are all connected! The Three Daughters, the Disputed Lands, the Stepstones, and Dorne!" Gendry said. "Capturing estates in the Disputed Lands is bound to offend the Three Daughters."
"And Dorne. The Ninepenny Kings' defeat also owed much to Dorne siding with the Iron Throne!" Qyburn said. "If we expand from the Disputed Lands into the Stepstones in the future, we'll need to speak with the Dornish too!"
Dorne was also crucial. The Stepstones were the middle of the snake, with Dorne and the Three Daughters forming its tails. Before Dorne submitted, the wars over the Stepstones had dragged on because the Iron Throne faced attacks from both sides whenever it attacked the islands.
"That will be troublesome!" Gendry thought for a moment. "Dealing with the Dornish is dancing with scorpions. Besides, because of the sack of King's Landing, they've hated the Iron Throne and House Lannister ever since."
"That is indeed a problem!" Qyburn sighed. "Your identity is another thorny matter."
They had entered King's Landing after it fell, when the war was nearing its end. Seventeen-year-old Gregor, the Mountain, and Ser Amory Lorch had slaughtered their way through the Red Keep. Gregor burst into the Royal Household Nursery and smashed Rhaegar's infant son, Prince Aegon, against a wall, killing him. Before the child's blood and brains had dried, the Mountain raped and murdered Aegon's mother, Princess Elia Martell.
Although the Lannisters had committed the worst atrocities, House Martell hated House Baratheon and House Lannister alike.
Chapter 33: The Rose of Highgarden and the Fireweed King (please keep reading)
Highgarden, the Reach. In the age of the Seven Kingdoms, this had been the seat of House Gardener. After the War of Conquest, it had been granted to House Tyrell.
Highgarden stood on a hill overlooking the Mander River. The Ocean Road and the Roseroad met here. Its castle was built of white marble, and many considered Highgarden the most beautiful castle in all Westeros, though the people of the Vale believed the Eyrie was the most beautiful.
Before you continue