"...if they hold their tongues..."
"...take the risk..."
"Wait and see how things develop, until we can get a good price for the Princess."
"We need an army, whichever one it is. If the Fireweed King breaks through the encirclement, we could consider him too."
The two stood in the shadows, their silhouettes stretching ever longer.
Chapter 49: The Cat Company's assault (please keep reading)
"By the Old Gods!"
"May the Warrior protect us!"
"May the Maiden of the Spear protect us!"
"May the Lord of Light protect us!"
Before battle, the soldiers prayed to their respective gods to safeguard their victory. The Wolf Pack Company prayed to the Seven and the Old Gods, while the Unsullied prayed to the Maiden of the Spear. Most of the Free Army prayed to the gods of the Disputed Lands: R'hllor, the Lord of Light, and Love and Beauty of Lys.
At the Firepowder Herb Estate, Gendry watched a dark mass of men appear on the distant horizon, surging toward them like a tide.
The Myrmen's second offensive was frenzied. The governors had set aside their grudges and hired the Cat Company, the Long Spear Company, and the Second Sons, along with large numbers of Free Mercenaries in Myr.
"It seems all those knights we stationed along the route to harry them did only limited damage to the companies after all!" Handsome Man said.
"They were there to wear down Myrish morale! We still have to face them in a pitched battle!" Gendry said.
"The road ahead is perilous!" Long Spear said. "The Myrmen have also assembled twenty warships to blockade our coastline and support the mercenaries' attack from the sea. The Tyroshi tacitly allowed the Myrmen's fleet to pass."
The Myrmen had learned from their previous failure and arranged a two-pronged assault by land and sea. But the stretch of coast leading to the estate was long, and the roads were rough. The enemy on land would arrive sooner and pose the greater danger.
"The coastline won't be so easy to blockade! The Disputed Lands are wide open, and would those troops even dare land?"
"There's something else we need to be wary of: the blood plague. Watch out for the Myrmen throwing corpses into the estate!" Maester Qyburn said.
The blood plague had been the scourge of armies since the Dawn Age. He knew all too well that once it spread silently through the ranks, it would ultimately destroy the entire army.
"The old maester has a point, but I doubt Bloodbeard is clever enough to think of that. Besides, he wants to take the Firepowder Herb Estate and plunder it," Handsome Man reasoned.
"The Myrmen have really bled their coffers dry this time! In that case, we'll take every last one of their estates and towns and make Myr collapse even faster!"
"We'll follow the original plan! We'll copy the royalists' tactics, crushing the Blackfyre Rebels between hammer and anvil," Gendry said. "This battle will establish our reputation once and for all and cut off Myr's retreat."
"The Myrmen aren't as strong as they think. We have friends too!"
"Yes!"
"Fuck them!"
Gendry's anvil consisted of the fortified Firepowder Herb Estate and several other estates. He had abandoned some loosely defended estates farther forward, having the escaped slaves strip the land bare and concentrate on building a defensive chain.
With its walls raised layer upon layer, the Firepowder Herb Estate resembled an iron fortress. The widened and deepened trenches bristled with spikes. The estate now had large Trebuchets and scorpions as well, ready to blunt the enemy's momentum.
The hammer of the Wolf Pack Company and the Free Army was the four hundred knights Gendry personally commanded, an elite force held ready for a shock charge. There were also many Free Army soldiers in the town. Besides those guarding the walls, another two thousand would move with him. Then there were the guerrillas. Guerrilla warfare was Dick the Bowmaker's specialty, and he had led a band of longbowmen into ambush positions among the woods and hills.
From the walls, Gendry saw Bloodbeard's forces advancing. The Cat Company's great cat banner, the Second Sons' broken sword emblem, and the Long Spear Company's spear emblem were all visible from the battlements.
Bloodbeard's troops formed the Myrish center, with the Second Sons' cavalry on the left and the Long Spear Company's cavalry on the right. Most of the army consisted of infantry. The three mercenary companies formed its core, with a considerable number of Free Mercenaries swept along as well. Three giant catapults stood behind them.
"About six thousand men, then, but Bloodbeard is the core!" Gendry studied the strength and depth of their formation. Later, he would lead the cavalry assault.
"The Second Sons' knights are poorly equipped. Their armor and weapons aren't up to much. Bloodbeard's troops aren't all elite either. Only the thousand men at the very front are his best. The two thousand mercenaries behind them and the two thousand Free Knights who rushed here are just along for the ride!"
"Treasurer, when I lead the knights out to attack, the estate will be in your hands!" Gendry said.
"Rest assured. I will live or die with the estate!" Handsome Man promised.
"That damned brat!" Bloodbeard cursed. The commander of the Cat Company was a loudmouthed brute with a murderous disposition.
"It's already evening, damn it. Those slave guerrillas cost us far too much time. Otherwise, we'd have been hurling more stones by noon."
Bloodbeard's voice could drown out a dozen men. He was huge, with a great bushy beard and a prodigious appetite for wine and women.
"Some of the estates we passed were empty. At others, once we cracked open their turtle shells, those diehard slaves were waiting inside. They killed plenty of my brothers." Bloodbeard wiped his long blade, cursing all the while.
"Smash that brat! They've plundered so many estates that the Wolf's Den must be full of riches," Mero said excitedly.
Mero, commander of the Second Sons, hailed from Braavos. He was tall, with pale green eyes and a thick red-gold beard that reached his waist. His infamy was such that almost no one dared hire the Second Sons under his command.
"The brat is a stubborn little shit. He could have offered us some gold to get on our good side!" Mero said. "Instead, he insists on fighting to the bitter end."
"Don't settle for that pittance! Break through the estate, and the gold and slaves will all be ours," Bloodbeard said dismissively. "You lot really must be starving. Make the most of this chance, Titan's Bastard." The Second Sons' reputation was so foul that none of the Free Cities had hired them for a long time.
"Keep an eye on those bastards in the Long Spear Company. They've got plenty of horses, and they'll bolt the moment things go wrong," Bloodbeard warned. The Cat Company was mostly infantry, with roughly three hundred mounted men and squires and twenty-seven hundred foot soldiers. The Second Sons had only a little over five hundred cavalry, while the Long Spear Company had eight hundred and was almost entirely mounted.
"The Trebuchets! Bring them up! Get the Myrmen's three giant Trebuchets over here, those lovely Myrmen whores!" Bloodbeard shouted.
The Myrmen had built three giant catapults for this assault on the Wolf Pack Company's headquarters: Wolfslayer, Lady of Myr, and Glory of Myr.
"Send some men to guard those Trebuchets!" Bloodbeard told Mero.
"As you command, Commander-in-Chief!" Mero nodded. Given the strength of his troops, Bloodbeard's position as Commander-in-Chief was well deserved.
The five thousand men in Bloodbeard's center formed more than a dozen ranks, but they did not advance.
Boom! Boom! The Trebuchets thundered as the three Myrish engines began to work. Stones flew toward the Firepowder Herb Estate like rain.
I need to deal with those Trebuchets! Gendry thought. The Firepowder Herb Estate was no invincible fortress, and it lacked enough defensive depth to withstand too many volleys of boulders.
Gendry wore his Blackscale Armor, with a cloak of exquisite, smooth Myrish brocade draped over his shoulders that could ward off some arrows. He rode the black steed the Red Viper had given him; Dorne Horses were among the finest in the world. His spiked warhammer, Arakh, and a matching dark oak shield were also on his horse.
The silent Long Spear accompanied him at the head of four hundred equally silent knights. Behind Long Spear, a man carried the gray-white banner with its howling wolves.
Chapter 50: The storm's slaughter (please keep reading)
Stones hurtled through the pitch-black night, raining down on the streets of the Firepowder Herb Estate.
Despite their massive size, the Myrmen had not managed to deliver all these dreadful gifts into the estate. Most of the stones landed just inside the walls, while many struck the gatehouses, parapets, and defensive towers.
Still, Bloodbeard had established a solid formation around Myr's Three Daughters Trebuchets, attacking without pause, day or night.
The darkness was Gendry's friend as well. Relying on their familiarity with the terrain, the Free Army's escaped slaves repeatedly harassed the Myrmen's host during the night.
It was now the wolf hour, the longest and darkest hour of the night. For many of those Gendry had summoned to the eastern gate, this would be the last night of their lives.
Gendry led four hundred Wolf Pack Cavalry, followed by two thousand soldiers: the expanded force of four hundred Wolf Pack infantry and sixteen hundred Free Army troops. Steel Fist commanded the Wolf Pack infantry, while Grey Wolf led the Free Army soldiers behind them. After training under the Wolf Pack Company, the Unsullied, and Gendry himself, the soldiers finally looked something like an elite force.
Grey Wolf led fifteen Unsullied at the front of the Free Army infantry. Each Unsullied carried three spears, a short sword, and a shield. Firelight flickered on the Longthorns of their bronze helmets and bathed their clean-shaven faces.
The remaining soldiers guarded the gates. The southern gate faced the greatest pressure, while the northern gate faced the least. Once battle began, the longbowmen concealed in the countryside would hear the horn and support them with volleys from the west.
Perhaps holding their ground would have been safer, but the town that had grown around the estate was not impregnable. Besides, with the slave masters so furiously enraged, taking the initiative was the better choice.
"You've trained under me, under Steel Fist, and under the Unsullied! You are the finest warriors!"
"Freedom! Freedom!" the Free Army shouted. For the slaves, defeat meant death. Slave masters had always been cruel to runaways.
"The plan is ready!" Gendry said. "I'll charge them with the cavalry. Once the gates open, ride at full speed straight for the mercenary scum and the Trebuchets in the rear. When their troops form up, circle around them. You can strike from behind or from the flanks, but don't charge their spears head-on."
"Don't forget our targets: the Trebuchets, then the rabble in the rear," Long Spear added. "We probably won't be able to capture Myr's three whores, so dismantle them or burn them."
Steel Fist nodded. "Kill as many mercenary captains, Myrish nobles, and slave bosses as you can. Burn their tents too, especially the big ones, the ridiculously big ones."
"Don't take slaves prisoner! The slaves are our friends!" Grey Wolf said.
"You are warriors who strike terror into men's hearts. Shout and roar at the top of your lungs and give them a proper scare. Once our cavalry breaks their formation and opens a gap, follow them through and slaughter as many as you can. If circumstances allow, spare the slaves and go for the mercenary captains, nobles, and officers. Pull back before you're surrounded," Gendry instructed Steel Fist, whose four hundred plate-armored infantry were the elite of the foot soldiers.
The Unsullied's formations were rigid and orderly, but they needed time to assemble fully. Their cavalry's attack would buy time for the Unsullied to lead the Free Army into spear and shield formations.
"Listen for my horn!" Gendry added. "Cavalry against cavalry, infantry against infantry. We'll catch them by surprise, but they'll attack before the Unsullied finish forming up, unless their commander Bloodbeard is a fool. I'll do everything I can to delay that. The spear thrusts of Grey Wolf's Unsullied will shatter Bloodbeard's formation. Bloodbeard's elite, the Myrish elite, number only around a thousand."
"We will obey your commands, Commander-in-Chief! Great Liberator," Grey Wolf said. "When we hear the attack horn, we'll charge. When we hear the retreat horn, we'll withdraw. Our estate still stands, and the enemy won't dare come within crossbow range."
Avoid their strength, drain their spirit, strike when they tire. Gendry considered his tactics. This was the best approach, and the one he knew most intimately.
Most of the Disputed Lands were flat and open, but a large-scale frontal clash was a losing proposition. The best and most ruthless approach was the Dornish Blunting Tactic: avoid the enemy's edge, then strike. Unfortunately, the Disputed Lands were too fertile for cutting supply lines to be worth considering.
To the east, dawn's light pierced the darkness. Tens of thousands of lives depended on today's battle. It was time.
Gendry secured his wolf-head helmet, gorget, and Myrish brocade cloak. His dark spiked warhammer gleamed with a cold light. He raised his shield and slipped his arm through its straps.
Gendry trusted no god, but he still hoped the Seven in distant Westeros would grant him strength. He prayed for the Warrior to give him the power of a storm, and for the Crone to grant him a little wisdom so he could lead his men to victory.
"Perhaps I'll die in a woman's arms, or on a cold battlefield! But not today!" Long Spear raised his weapon and shouted. The torrent of steel surged forward.
The knights gestured, donned their helmets, and reached for their swords and axes.
"Long live the Wolf Pack!"
"Long live the Wolf Pack!"
"Kill!" Gendry raised his warhammer. He heard a chorus of sounds: the wind whipping the banners, steel clashing against steel, and horseshoes striking the ground.
The torrent of steel struck first, like a mighty fist.
Bloodbeard hesitated for a moment, then immediately recovered. Murderous as he was, he had ample experience. He ordered the Free Mercenaries under his command to charge and told the Cat Company to form spear ranks against the cavalry at once. The Cat Company's three hundred knights were his elite; he could not commit them yet.
"Where's the Long Spear Company? They've got eight hundred knights! Get them over here!" Bloodbeard ordered.
"Commander, the Long Spear Company's knights are under fire from above. Enemy longbowmen are lying in ambush outside the town. Some of those bows can shoot three hundred yards!"
"Useless! A pack of useless bastards!" Bloodbeard roared furiously. "Didn't we have scouts? How did they miss them?"
"They were very well concealed in the woods. When it comes to knowing the terrain, we don't have their advantage."
"Enough!" Bloodbeard stopped worrying about the Long Spear Company, which could not break through. Perhaps that attack was a feint, and the real blow would fall on the center and the Second Sons' flank. He had to hold firm, immovable as a rock.
"Charge the Second Sons!" Gendry ordered. They were his main target. Destitute and infamous, the Second Sons were now like a lame chicken, long stripped of their former prowess. Their weapons were so shoddy that some were barely usable.
The ferocious assault crashed over them like a tide, smashing straight through the Second Sons' formation. They fought desperately to counterattack, but to little effect.
Many Second Sons fell from their horses and died on the spot. Frantic, the Titan's Bastard hurriedly sounded the horn for aid while organizing his men to counterattack and resist to the death.
"Kill!" The powerful warhorse charged toward the Second Sons as Gendry swung his spiked warhammer. He would hit the Second Sons first, then burn the Trebuchets and circle around to flank the enemy. He would slaughter as many of their fighting men as possible.
Gendry's spiked warhammer gleamed with the cold light of death, battering Second Sons clad in tattered mail to death. Each swing brought crushing force, smashing faces and shattering skulls.
Chapter 51: The Golden Company moves out (please keep reading)
Before you continue