"Yes, now that we have an outlet to the sea, we also need to secure one or two island chains in the Stepstones and unite them into one!" Gendry's ideal map encompassed the Disputed Lands and the Stepstones, swallowed piece by piece. Right now, his small kingdom consisted of half a corner of the Disputed Lands stretching across a series of estates, and it would be even better if it could embrace the Stepstones. Yet this was a grand plan, and they could only occupy a few small islands first.
"Just right, a few runaway slaves have steered ships over to join us. We don't need to rely on old pirates; we can take a few small islands ourselves."
As their sphere of influence expanded, the relationship between the Wolf Pack and the old pirates grew rather delicate. The old pirates had a premonition of the Wolf Pack's rise, but they never expected it to be so rapid. Primarily, the track Gendry chose was exceptionally ruthless, remarkably bold, and dared to be the first in the world. In the past, no faction had ever so challenged one of the core pillars of world trade: the institution of slavery.
Chapter 44: The Waterside Widow and the Golden Company
Along the winding coastline of the Disputed Lands, four sleek, long black ships belonging to runaway slaves ran aground. The Grey-and-White Wolf Pack Banner fluttered in the wind, accompanied not only by the wolf banners but also by the Free Army banner of broken shackles.
After leaving Volantis, these runaway slaves had turned to piracy on the high seas or operated as river pirates on the Rhoyne, specializing in plundering Volantene slave ships-until they heard that the Fireweed King, who liberated slaves, had appeared in the Disputed Lands.
"We shall serve you, for you shattered the shackles and are the Liberator and Abolitionist. Even should the long night stretch endlessly, even should winter come." Four Volantene slave ship captains who had traveled from afar laid their longswords at Gendry's feet, then dropped to one knee to swear allegiance.
The faces of the captains and sailors bore ugly scars from healed wounds. They had once been Volantene galley slaves, and the double cheeks of their faces bore the sail tattoos that denoted warships. When these slaves fled Volantis, they slashed their own faces to cover up the slave marks carved into them when they gained their freedom.
"From this moment on, you are the naval captains of the Free Army! All men are born free, and in my land, there are no slaves." Gendry accepted the allegiance of these captains, flanked by the upper echelons of the Wolf Pack and the Free Army. Unsullied clad in light armor guarded behind him, while not far from the camp stood those Free Army warriors armed with longspears and crossbows.
Gendry liked this; the arrival of these men was timely help, adding a naval arm to the army. Even though they were still just a few black ships rather than those colossal warships.
"The slaves of Volantis are looking forward with bated breath, awaiting your arrival!" said Captain Harris, the leader.
"I accept your allegiance, and sooner or later I shall lead you back to Volantis, alongside tens of thousands of liberated free brothers!"
"Long live the Free Army!"
"Long live the Free Army!" cheered the slave sailors of the black ships!
"Much of the news concerning you was spread to us in Volantis by the Waterside Widow. I believe the Commander-in-Chief ought to contact her!" Captain Harris said in a low voice.
"The Waterside Widow?" Just by the name, Gendry figured she was also a thorny figure.
"She is a grand personage in Volantis, but the Waterside Widow has not forgotten her origins. The Waterside Widow was once a bed slave; she was trained in Yunkai and grew well-versed in the Seven Sighs of Spring.
A Volantene archon named Valagaro bought her. Afterward, Valagaro fell in love with her, granted her freedom, and eventually married her. Archon Valagaro owned docks and warehouses, and also ran various businesses such as cargo transshipment, currency exchange, and ship insurance. When Valagaro died, the Waterside Widow took over his business."
Gendry jotted down the name; she was someone they could potentially contact. However, attacking Volantis was a matter for the distant future, because Volantis was a fallen giant whose might remained intact, its population still among the foremost, and it possessed a massive standing army.
Gendry led the four captains toward the Firepowder Herb Estate. Along the way, the captains and sailors beheld the wheat fields, the willow groves, and the plots of fireweed. The slaves walked with heads held high like free folk, and any free knights or merchants traveling through this place needed to obey the head wolf's commands. The free folk labored, and the army formed by the free folk maintained order; this was a new realm.
We've come to the right place! thought the captain. The flourishing prosperity of the Free Army would surely cause those slave masters to panic and fear.
The gates of the Firepowder Herb Estate had been transformed into a new, far more formidable Wolf's Den. The estate walls were raised and widened once more, and deep trenches were dug around them, fitted with sharp wooden stakes. Those tents were neatly arranged within the estate, leaving broad pathways. Horses were tethered to the north and tended by uniform sergeants. Most conspicuous was a black steed, a gift from the Prince of Dorne.
Master Steward Lev had arranged everything for the captains; Lev's wife and children were both in the estate. Though he was a free man of Myr, he never abused slaves and was gentle with people. Even after the establishment of the Free Army, the slaves were quite willing to let Lev continue serving as steward.
In another part of the Disputed Lands, at the camp of the Golden Company, a secret meeting was also underway.
The camp of the Golden Company was likewise exceptionally neat, meticulously laid out, orderly, and impeccably flawless. From the barracks, tents, horses, lookouts, and patrol guards to everything else, though the Golden Company was called a mercenary company, they were equivalent to a regular army. What was more, the Golden Company possessed over twenty elephants; these were terrifying beasts of war.
The captain-general's tent of the Golden Company was sewn with gold thread, surrounded by a circle of pikes, each spearhead hung with a gilded skull. One skull was exceptionally large and misshapen, while the skull beneath it was only the size of a child's fist. The fierce Maelys and his nameless brother. The other skulls did not have many special features, save that some men had been beaten to death with hammers, their skulls smashed open, while another skull possessed neat, sharp teeth. This was the command and tradition left behind by Bittersteel: after death, the skulls were to be gilded, and when they marched west to return to Westeros, these banners were to be held high.
"This little brat is truly vicious!" muttered a high-ranking officer of the Golden Company inside the tent. "He's going to overturn the homes of those slave masters and turn the Free Cities into a battlefield of burning flames!"
The mercenaries of the Golden Company flaunted their worldly wealth entirely in the open, possessing quite the nouveau riche temperament, a point no different from other companies: they adorned themselves with gem-inlaid swords and carved armor, wore fine silk garments and heavy gold wire torcs, and especially the golden armbands on each man's arm were worth a king's ransom, sufficient to serve as a lord's ransom. A single armband represented a year of service within the company.
"This is indeed a ruthless move, though it is rather extreme!" said Tristan Rivers. "To fight every single slave master, the little brat of the Wolf Pack truly seems to have gone mad."
The Golden Company featured prominent Westerosi elements; many mercenary captains bore bastard surnames, such as Flowers, Rivers, Slynt, Stone, and so on, though there were also surnames relatively prominent in the Seven Kingdoms. Two Strongs, three Peakes, one Mudd, one Rosstan, one Mandak, and a pair of Cole brothers. Yet surnames mattered little; within a mercenary company, men could call themselves whatever they pleased.
"That may be so, but this little brat's train of thought is indeed a ruthless masterstroke. So long as the banner is there, slaves will flock to him in an endless stream, turning the world completely upside down. If we had these soldiers, we would do even better." To speak the truth, this new track Gendry had carved out was truly subversive and exceedingly dangerous. Yet the Golden Company had only thought of collecting commissions and acting as mercenaries for the Three Daughters, never thoroughly occupying the Disputed Lands and going head-to-head with the Three Daughters the way Gendry had.
"Forget it, our goal is to go home. We aren't here to stay and slaughter each other with the Three Daughters."
"What do you make of the Myrmen's proposal? The torrellos offer us gold and slaves to attack the Wolf Pack Company!" asked Harry, the Homeless Harry captain-general of the Golden Company. He was a thoroughly mediocre man, but thanks to the military proficiency of the Golden Company, even a fool steering this apparatus could be very successful.
"A foolish proposal!" Tristan said. "The combat effectiveness of the Wolf Pack Company has never been weak, and the head wolf is fierce, cunning, and difficult to match. Think of those poor bastards in the Unsullied and the Brave Companions, and think of the Winter Wolves during the Dance of the Dragons. Besides, those slaves love the head wolf. When a man fights for freedom, he becomes terrifyingly fierce. I am certain that even if we achieve victory, it will be a victory scarred by heavy losses."
"That being said, we can provide Myrrish armed protection; this way we receive the gold without having to worry about suffering damage," Harry proposed.
"Instead, why not go contact the Wolf Pack Company? After all, they want the Disputed Lands, and we want Westeros, much like the Ninepenny Kings. Once they acquire the Disputed Lands, they can support us in attacking the Stepstones or The Reach. We would still have friends."
"You're out of your mind!" Captain-General Harry immediately put a stop to that notion. "We ought to support a true dragon, bide our time, and then blow the horn to attack Westeros, not now." The secret of Young Griff was still known to only a few people and had not yet been exposed.
"Wait for a true dragon. You speak of the Beggar King and his sister, that pathetic little girl? You forgot the Beggar King invited us to dinner, and then we laughed at him!" Franklin curled his lip. "What are we still waiting for a true dragon for? Back then the Ninepenny Kings could leap across to the islands; we can learn Maelys's methods."
Chapter 45: Seizing Islands and Intimidation
At the border between the sphere of influence of the Wolf Pack Company and Myr, the Free Army had made grand and ostentatious appearances on multiple occasions. The Myrmen were gripped by panic, and some estate owners had already fled back to the city of Myr with a portion of their slaves.
The clouds of war hung heavy and gloomy in the sky, the horns of the Disputed Lands sounded piercingly cold, and the Myrmen's demand for mercenaries skyrocketed. Countless mercenaries and adventurers headed to Myr, yearning to secure a contract.
Yet the east was merely a feint; the true point of effort lay upon the islands. Upon two nameless islands close to the Stepstones, the pirates suddenly heard the battle roars of other sailors.
Among the Stepstones were many nameless islands, with only Bloodstone Island and Grey Gallows Island being renowned. Yet all of these islands were swept by storms and utterly barren.
Black ships drew ashore, laden with runaway slaves from Volantis and a contingent of knights from the Wolf Pack Company.
"For the Wolf!"
"For the Wolf!" The Grey-and-White Wolf Pack Banner fluttered together with the Free Army banner of broken shackles.
The pirates had never anticipated an attack by the Wolf Pack Company and the Free Army, and the pirate formation quickly collapsed.
Inside the military tent of the Firepowder Herb Estate, the Tyroshi envoy looked at Gendry sitting before him on a tiger-skin folding chair. This tiger skin had been presented to the "Slave Liberator" and "Abolitionist" by the runaway slaves of Volantis.
Behind Gendry hung a Myrrish tapestry depicting heroic knights hunting. Gendry wore a heavy black iron mask, flanked by Unsullied guards and a white-haired, smiling, learned maester.
Most rumors are untrue! thought the Tyroshi envoy. Those rumors concerning Gendry had also drifted to Tyroshi; he was said to be a tyrant who hacked off and collected the heads of slave masters, an eight-foot-tall giant with a face full of wild whiskers and a war maniac, invincible in combat, fond of wielding a warhammer, built like a mountain, and feeding on raw meat and blood. The head wolf was also said to relish sacrificing blood to evil gods in exchange for berserk martial power.
Yet what the Tyroshi envoy saw before his eyes was a tall man standing well over six feet (1.83 meters), but by no means seven or eight feet tall. The Fireweed King had black hair and blue eyes, tall and agile, and in appearance he was by no means some crude mercenary brute, but rather elegant and dangerous. However, one piece of news was naturally true: that warhammer radiating the chill of black iron gave off a faint, eerie glow. It was this very mace that had smashed the heads of not a few men-Unsullied, bandit mercenaries, and Meereenese alike.
"First, to the Commander-in-Chief of the Wolf Pack Company and the Free Army in the Disputed Lands, the head wolf, we present a gift from the Archon of Tyrosh." The chest brought by the Tyroshi envoy was opened; inside was Tyroshi pear brandy, along with a suit of extravagantly carved armor.
"I am quite fond of the gift from the Archon of Tyrosh," Gendry said. "But surely you did not travel all this way merely to deliver some fine wine?"
The people of Tyroshi were likewise panicked over the rise of the Fireweed King. During the War of the Ninepenny Kings, Tyroshi itself had long been dominated by a Copper King, Silver Tongue, who had declared himself king.
"You have already acquired more than enough in the Disputed Lands, Commander-in-Chief. Could it be that you truly wish to make an enemy of half the world? Aside from Myr, there are also Lys, Tyroshi, Volantis, and Slaver's Bay..." the Tyroshi envoy began. The envoy's hair and beard were a purplish-red; Tyroshi people favored clothing themselves in bright hues.
"I wonder if the Archon of Tyroshi has any sound suggestions to rescue a lost soul like me?" Gendry gazed at the Tyroshi envoy.
"Cease that propaganda about liberating slaves, and retreat to your original territory. Tyroshi will not mind the Firepowder Herb Estate and your earliest few manors. Yet should you continue your expansion, Tyroshi will view the Wolf's greed as an act of war provocation!" The Tyroshi envoy suppressed the panic in his heart and spoke. The Black Wolf, leader of the Wolf Pack Company, the Fireweed King, the Iron King. Though the envoy had stepped forward, he had no desire to have his head smashed in.
"Ever since the Three Daughters Alliance dissolved, the Three Daughters have loathed one another. The Myrmen and I harbor a deep blood feud; surely the Tyroshi will not grow panicked simply because I attack Myr?"
"Do you truly mean to force me to speak the truth!" The Tyroshi envoy could no longer contain the grievance in his heart. "The Disputed Lands originally belonged to all, yet the Wolf's territory has constantly expanded. Countless Tyroshi slaves have also fled and sworn allegiance to you; you are deliberately instigating war. Out of friendly sentiments, our Archon has not yet demanded that you return the slaves."
"It seems the Archon of Tyrosh wishes to intimidate me as well!"
"I dare not! But the Commander-in-Chief ought to understand that your lawless recklessness is arousing public outrage. The Myrmen are cooperating with the Golden Company. Setting aside the future of your own little kingdom, I believe the Commander-in-Chief does not wish to burden himself with a formidable enemy!"
"The Golden Company? But I am also negotiating cooperation with the Golden Company!" Gendry chuckled as he spoke. "The Golden Company is interested in Westeros, while I take pleasure in the Disputed Lands. Look you, this is a win-win."
"What?" The Tyroshi envoy's expression changed drastically, unable to be certain whether the news was true or false. The Golden Company was the most formidable mercenary band in the Disputed Lands and possessed clear political ambitions.
"It seems this peace talk has broken down in discord. Commander-in-Chief, I still hope you will reconsider." The Tyroshi envoy made one last effort.
"How can there be peace talks when the gains are entirely one-sided? But I shall certainly send a fitting blessing to the Archon!"
"Since you are so stubborn, there is no need for me to stay!" A negotiation had ended thus in discord. The Tyroshi envoy caught sight of those man-eating Free Army warriors and felt all the more that he could not linger, whereupon he hurried away in haste.
The longpikes of the Unsullied radiated a frigid, icy gleam, like tigers ever ready to pounce upon wild beasts.
"It seems the people of Tyroshi will likewise join the coalition against us before long!" Gendry remarked.
"The Tyroshi are the greediest of all; they can certainly never coexist alongside us!" Tyroshi's slave trade was relatively well-developed, and the slave traders there possessed extreme aggression. They even sailed north, crossing the wall to find free folk to enslave.
"This false news regarding the Golden Company and the Wolves has surely frightened the wits out of the Tyroshi." Maester Qyburn said.
"It is not entirely false news," Gendry replied. "We do possess the foundation for cooperation with the Golden Company."
The Golden Company remained single-mindedly focused on the west, still yearning to return to Westeros and restore their dynasty. Moreover, originating as they did from Westeros, they naturally harbored an aversion to the institution of slavery. The Golden Company and the Wolf Pack Company did indeed share an opportunity for cooperation. Just as the Golden Company had supported the Ninepenny Kings in seizing the Disputed Lands and Tyroshi, only to subsequently choose to attack the Stepstones.
"The Golden Company! Their strength is considerable; they can be counted as allies we might contact!" Qyburn mused.
"Dangerous friends! Think on how they were driven here in the first place!" Handsome Man noted. The ambitions of the Golden Company were too vast, which was why they had achieved so little over all these years.
"Quite a few members of the Golden Company originate from second-tier noble families in The Reach; perhaps they still retain some past friendships, such as with the Peakes. They also have supporters in Dorne."
Chapter 46: The Crown of the Disputed Lands
The territory of the "Lord of the Wolves" encompassed two islands of the Stepstones, a peninsula in the Disputed Lands, and a goodly number of manors beyond that peninsula.
The western parts of the continent of Essos were largely fertile and rich, belonging to the fat of the land. The territory of the Wolf Pack Company was likewise so, though from a military perspective it lacked rigid geographical barriers and possessed no strategic depth; they could only fight every hard-won battle well.
"Freedom!" "Liberate the slaves!" The slogan of the Free Army of broken shackles spread like a contagion throughout the Disputed Lands, even carrying into the towns of the Three Daughters and reaching as far as Volantis. Countless runaway slaves came from the Disputed Lands and even the deep riverbanks of the Rhoyne to pledge themselves to the "Liberator," growing the momentum of the Free Army ever grander.
Myr, Tyroshi, Lys, and even the upper echelons of Volantis felt deeply anxious, yet their majoritarian democratic ruling structures also dictated sluggish decision-making-drifting and dilatory-far inferior to the strict and orderly command of the Wolves.
Inside Gendry's tent, the assembly was fiercely debating the war planning for the next round.
The first defeat of the Myrmen could not be considered bone-breaking, and their second war was currently brewing. This time it was not merely the revenge of a single archon, but something on a grander scale, agreed upon by far more archons. Those slave masters had played the tyrant over slaves for many years, and slave masters did not relish the thought of trading places.
Numerous blood oranges were also laid out inside the tent; their fragrance was rich, and the air was filled with a sweet scent. The color of the blood oranges was as vivid a red as blood, signifying the impending war. The upper echelons of the Wolf Pack Company and the Free Army savored the taste of the blood oranges. These oranges came from Dorne; now that they possessed an outlet to the sea and a coastline, daring merchants and smugglers had already begun trading and interacting with the territory controlled by the Wolf Pack Company.
"Beware the gifts of the Myrmen!" Gendry looked upon the letter sent by the Red Viper. The missive had been delivered by Dornish fishermen who traded in blood oranges, hidden inside a hollowed-out orange. A gift from the Myrmen—as the name implied, Myr was brewing a fresh round of attacks against his kingdom.
In truth, Qyburn's intelligence network had long since learned of this matter, but the Red Viper's letter still represented a sort of goodwill; the Red Viper was willing to provide some assistance. The Myrmen seemed to have contacted numerous free cities, going so far as to seek reinforcements even from Dorne.
"Myr is stepping up its lobbying of mercenary companies that can launch offensives against us, from the Golden Company, the Cat Company, the Windblown, the Long Spear Company, the Stormcrows, down to any mercenary groups with decent strength. Even down to down-and-out mercenary bands like the Second Sons have received their solicitations!" said Handsome Man.
Mercenary companies in the Disputed Lands were as numerous as hairs on a dog, but those with formidable strength were only a handful. The Golden Company numbered ten thousand well-trained mercenaries and ranked first. Following them, the Cat Company had three thousand foot soldiers, while the Windblown possessed two thousand mounted troops and infantry. The Long Spear Company boasted over eight hundred horsemen, and the historic yet fallen Second Sons now numbered only around five or six hundred, with the Stormcrows also hovering around five hundred.
"Reaching out even to the Cat Company and the Second Sons—it seems they are truly panicking and throwing caution to the wind!" The Arrow Maker still managed a chuckle. The Cat Company, led by Bloodbeard, was savage and tyrannical, and the Second Sons were likewise infamous.
"Though the Cat Company and the Second Sons have rather foul reputations, their overall strength is still passable," analyzed Long Spear, the cavalry commander. "The Golden Company is in a league of its own, without a doubt. But the Cat Company also boasts over three thousand members."
"What of the Golden Company?" Everyone remained most concerned about the premier mercenary band of the Disputed Lands. Their numbers were large, their military discipline strict, and their combat effectiveness not weak.
"The Golden Company is still hesitating. It is said that the payment in gold they demand is an astronomical sum, one that even the Myrrish archons can scarcely stomach. Moreover, the Golden Company will not participate in attacking the Wolves; they will only protect the city-state from wolf attacks within a certain contracted period of protection," Qyburn stated. Qyburn served as maester and strategist, and was also responsible for the intelligence network of the Wolf Pack Company.
"The Golden Company is hesitating; it is entirely possible for them to stand on either side," Gendry analyzed. "Support the Wolves, and they gain a helping hand to invade Westeros. Support Myr, and they obtain wealth on a considerable scale."
"Commander-in-Chief, ought we also dispatch personnel to vie for the inclusion of the Golden Company?" Handsome Man asked.
"There is no need. I suspect the high officers of the Golden Company are not all fools."
"The matter I am about to mention next does not sound pleasant, but it concerns the success or failure of our cause!" Gendry's tone grew solemn.
Before you continue