John Strong (the biochemical Mountain) could wield the Valyrian steel longblade Storm.
Ser Barristan Selmy would wield Orphan-Maker in Gendry's place.
Brienne could wield Fury in his place. She was strong and powerful, as well as young and resilient.
As for Gendry, he carried the precious greataxe Sea Dragon's Wail and Lady Justice.
Chapter 397: Rose Tower, kneeling to beg for troops
Gendry's golden army advanced along the great river, passing abundant farms, fields, and open country.
Three magic dragons soared high in the sky, their roars like crashing thunder.
Though autumn had arrived, the Reach in the south still looked peaceful.
The muddy waters of the Mander River glittered in the sunlight. It was one of the Reach's mother rivers.
"The Reach certainly deserves its reputation as a breadbasket," Gendry remarked, surveying the surrounding countryside, rich in resources and flat of terrain.
Militarily, however, it offered no natural defenses.
"Your Grace, the Reach is the greenest of lands. If a long winter comes to the Seven Kingdoms, the Reach contributes a great deal," Earl Randyll Tarly said. "But with the Ironborn running rampant, the people of the Reach are now deeply unsettled."
Randyll was rather worried too. His castle was not particularly far from either Highgarden or Oldtown.
"A good war can preserve peace for decades. I hope this one brings centuries, millennia."
Gendry spurred his horse and raised his whip. He intended to slaughter until the whole world shuddered, utterly crushing the Ironborn's rebellious mindset.
If he could also loot House Hightower's vaults in Oldtown and the Citadel's books along the way, that would be a double blessing.
Randyll briefly froze, caught up in Gendry's imposing spirit.
This was how a knight ought to be: bold and unrestrained, valiant beyond compare.
"With an army this elite, in a