The sky was covered with dark clouds, and lightning and thunder continued.
The sea waves in the world are tilted in all directions, rolling violently and uncertainly.
Not bad.
This makes it difficult for professional smugglers to return to the business they are most familiar with and return to their old profession.
While contending with the storm, Davos and others waited until the tide turned.
The irregular strong wind blew so strongly on the black sail of the cargo ship.
Davos relied on his many years of experience to command their ship through the dangerous and unpredictable inland undercurrents and many crisscrossed reefs.
Finally, soaked Davos and his men approached the land, underneath a basalt-colored cliff.
They saw Storm's End.
Wu Castle Black, built high on the cliff bank, is surrounded by a thick outer city wall.
The thickest part of the city wall is about one hundred feet high and forty feet thick. The side facing the sea is thicker and taller. Because the sea level is lower, the top of the wall on the sea side is a full one hundred and fifty feet high from the sea.
The city wall of Storm's End is composed of two layers of rock, the inner and outer layers, plus a sandwich layer made of sand and gravel in the middle.
The surface of the city wall presents a smooth arc, and the splicing between the stones is so tight that not even a breath of wind can blow in.
Main Keep itself is a huge tower with solid battlements on the top.
From Davos's perspective, it looked like a huge fist with spikes soaring into the sky, as if defying any enemy who looked at it.
Storm's End's tower is so huge that the barn, barracks, and armory inside, including the hall and the lord's room, are more than enough.
Back then, Captain Davos, who traveled around the coastline and "looked for friends" to make friends, learned a lot of important information about Storm's End from the local people -
The castle is built on a high cliff overlooking the sea, and there is a very hidden and deliberately covered entrance hidden somewhere just below the bottom of the cliff.
There, outside passengers can take the waterway and reach the dark dock directly below the castle.
Sliding quietly against the cliffs, the gray-black hull and its black sails almost blend in with the surrounding rocks.
Davos on the ship carefully scanned every movement on the sea surface. His years of smuggling career have made him well aware of Shipbreaker Bay's ocean currents and reef conditions. Even in the darkening environment, he can still accurately avoid every whirlpool and reef.
"Captain, Redwyne's fleet has gone far away and hasn't come back yet. Why don't we act faster here?"
The sailor beside him asked in a low voice, with a bit of nervousness on his face.
The Storm's End overhead looks like a dormant giant beast, and the black city walls give off a breathtaking sense of oppression at night.
Anyone who faces this Seven Kingdoms's strongest castle will be in awe - Westerlands's Casterly Rock may be better in thickness, but Casterly Rock is not a simple "castle".
Davos nodded slightly and said in a calm voice, "Retract the sails, slow down the ship, continue moving forward, and walk close to the bottom of the cliff."
He felt that there was nothing wrong with being cautious.
They avoided the Redwyne cordon and finally got here. He didn't want to be trapped by those reefs instead--
Or kill the patrol on Storm's End.
"Remember, when paddling with a cloth-covered paddle, the side of the paddle should enter the water lightly and don't make too much noise."
The wind and rain outside were gradually getting lighter. Davos raised his hand and pointed to the corner of the cliff, "The entrance should be over there. Only when the tide is low can it be easier for ships to approach. We don't have much time, so hurry up."
The black cargo ship was steadily approaching the cliff. The closest distance between the ship's hull and the rock wall was less than five feet. The sea breeze blew in the face with moisture and fishy smell, which somewhat dissipated some of the nervousness.
When they raised their heads high, the defenders could be vaguely seen on the battlements of the giant fist-like Main Keep tower, holding torches like star dots in their hands.
As soon as the heavy rain cleared, the guards came out with torches.
But no one noticed that the inconspicuous cargo ship just below the cliff was getting closer and closer to its target.
Later, Davos personally took the helm, and based on the details he had memorized, he steered the cargo ship quietly through the shadows under the cliff.
"Found it! It must be there!"
A sailor who could see at night exclaimed in a low voice.
Davos Looking up, it was a location blocked by several rock corners and rugged reefs.
They put down the small boat, and a dozen people in total carefully avoided the corner of the rock and went around to the back, where they saw a hidden gate.
The door body is made of thick iron, and the outer layer is stained with rust. It is almost the same color as the surrounding rocks. Unless you are familiar with the terrain here and the tide changes at the right time, you will never be easily discovered.
The sailors took out their tools and used their hands to pry open the iron rod of the gate, opening a passage that only allowed the small boat to pass through.
"Everyone worked together to lift the boxes from the cargo ship to the small boat. Half of the people were left to guard the big ship, and the other half followed me in."
After a while.
The boat entered it, followed the waves of the sea, and slid slowly and silently in the darkness, quickly reaching the end of the waterway.
Davos signaled the sailors to stop, took out a lighting object from his arms and lit it, and with the faint light of the fire, he first got into the dark dock.
The sailors behind him quickly lifted the cargo boxes and followed closely behind.
The small pier where I landed was pitch black and filled with a damp, musty smell.
This is the secret tunnel of Storm's End.
When Davos was smuggling, he once used this dock to conduct private transactions with people in the fort.
"Go up this stone step and you can reach the square in front of Main Keep."
Davos groped for a narrow stone staircase and lowered his voice to several sailors carrying cargo.
The stone steps are particularly steep due to slippery conditions, so be extra careful with every step.
When there were faint footsteps and voices directly above, Davos knew they were almost there——
Storm's End has been standing as a fortress for countless centuries. Even Shipbreaker Bay's bad weather cannot shake it in the slightest.
According to legend, Storm's End was built by the first-generation Storm King Durran "hated by the gods" during the Dawn era.
Durran got the favor of Elenei, the daughter of Poseidon and Goddess of the Wind, and fell in love with her.
Although Elenei's holy parents did not acknowledge their relationship, they still got married privately.
However, the power of God is awesome.
On the night of the wedding, the two gods destroyed Durran's hall and fortress, killed all his relatives and guests, and ruined his wedding to the goddess Elenei.
The furious Durran braved the storm and ran to the edge of the cliff to declare war on the two gods.
The response he received was that a huge storm had descended on his kingdom and was raging everywhere.
Durran Every time a new castle was built on the seashore, God would immediately destroy it.
King Durran tenaciously built a larger and more majestic fortress. Finally, the seventh castle stood still and withstood the peerless storm coming from the direction of Shipbreaker Bay.
Some say that this is because Children of the Forest used their magic to participate in the construction of Durran Castle; others say that "Bran the Builder" Brandon, who was a little boy at the time, contributed his own opinions to the last construction of the city, so that the new castle can withstand the punishment from the sea breeze god.
Except for the nickname "Godsgrief" left by Durran, the truth has long been unknown.
After Storm's End was built, Durran ruled here for a thousand years and was revered as the "Thousand-Year King" by future generations.
Of course, Citadel of Oldtown always has different views on these "superstitious" arguments.
For example, Dr. Greif once proposed that the so-called "Millennium King" is actually a title shared by a series of subsequent storm kings, rather than unique to the first Durran.
In any case, this castle with a bizarre "life experience" has indeed proved to be an impenetrable fortress in the long years that followed.
Neither storms nor gods can destroy it, and no one can invade it.
The last Storm King - "Proud" Argila Durandon, when Aegon I launched War of Conquest, abandoned Storm's End's defensive advantage and chose to fight Aegon's illegitimate brother Orys Barra Theon on the frontal battlefield. This is entirely Argila's arrogance and stupidity.
He eventually reaped the consequences.
And at this moment.
No magic, no occultism, just humanity and professionalism.
If Captain Davos is not here to deliver food, but comes here specifically to attack the city and lurk----
Then Storm's End, which "never fell", may lose its title in the year 283 of the Conquest Calendar.
Storm's End suffered a long-term siege from Mace·Tyrell ground forces. The Arbor fleet of Paxter·Redwyne also completed the blockade from the sea, and Shipbreaker Bay's external supply lines were lost.
Robert's second brother Stannis Baila Theon, who is responsible for the defense of the fort, is only nineteen years old, but he behaves unexpectedly tough.
From the beginning to the end, his attitude has not changed, and he has always refused the so-called surrender proposed by the Reach people.
In the early days of the war, Lord Mace, who left Highgarden with his army and the Reach, was still full of confidence.
He believed that he and others did not need to take risks and pursue the false king Robert in a mobile battle. As long as he first broke through the clan fortress where House Baratheon had lived for generations, he could dig out the roots of the false king.
Mace's strategy was not without merit. At least at the beginning, the measures to use the huge army and navy to successfully surround Storm's End and cut off Storm's End's external supplies were very successful.
The carriages that tried to enter were burned, and the ships that tried to dock were scuttled.
Storm's End became an island.
Its defenders could only starve inside the fortified castle.
And what about the Mace·Tyrell Duke and Paxter·Redwyne Earl who besieged them?
The army in the south was responsible for the siege of the city - just siege, not even the pretense of storming the fortified city - the two commanders of the sea and land could themselves drink, have fun, worship and pray all day long.
The Reach people's army now numbers 40,000, including a large number of craftsmen, circuses and camp prostitutes.
They eat, drink, watch plays, and even go whoring here. They say they are here to fight or attack the city - but they don't have to make any sacrifices. Most people are very happy from top to bottom.
The Reach The visitor thinks that a victory is within easy reach.
However, they underestimated the tenacity of the Stormlands people and the resilience of the young defenders.
Robert, who returned to power at Stormlands, told his younger brother Stannis to stick to the family castle no matter the cost when he left Storm's End for the second time.
Stannis did a great job.
None of the Baira Theons are willing to accept that an ancient castle that has never fallen in history will fall into the hands of the enemy under their own management.
When Robert crushed the chest of Prince Rhaegar in the south of Trident and completely defeated the royalist army, the people in the castle, led by Stannis, lived by eating dog and cat meat.
Because all the horses in the city have been eaten.
When the lion of Lannister deceived Lion Gate and ordered the Westerlands army to loot King's Landing, the people in the castle were already eating rat meat----
Go down again.
They may be about to eat the dead bodies of their own people----In Storm's End, a wave of civil strife just broke out.
Simply.
This time Storm's End's hungry ghosts are in for a treat.
What they will taste is no longer shabby kippers or onions, but delicious ham and bacon----
The grumpy old man-like Shipbreaker Bay: