(Cregan’s POV)
As had become standard over the last week, I once again found myself inside Rian’s mind, watching the men and ships below move around like ants. Even those who served in my forces moved with purpose; my orders to Jaeronos, Bronn, Cayde, and Rakakz being followed by them.
Four of Allerion’s five ports were under my control, the only one being the small supply port – with only a single galley and perhaps fifty men there – which lay to my southeast. My fleet was moving toward the turn in the coast, readying for the moment Allerion’s two galleys came into sight and saw their path forward blocked by a small force of vessels.
While I and Daemon dealt with the last pirate lord of Redwater, I had sent a simple missive to each of the others. They were to take everything and anything of value and transport it to the westernmost port now under my command.
Bronn had done an excellent job there as while the two galleys of the pirate raiding force from the westernmost port had escaped his trap, the war galley and cog had been taken. A fourth war galley would greatly improve my ability to both project power and split my fleet up into smaller elements with clear command vessels. There was some damage to the vessel, but from what I’d seen through Rian’s eyes, that would be repaired at least enough so the vessel could make the journey to Northpoint before I reached the port.
The cog was an interesting one which I’d have to deal with once Allerion was defeated and I could speak to the crew. Working on the assumption that most of the crew had been forced into service – with the others likely placed in chains if not killed as a warning to the others – it wouldn’t be right to make them retain their service to me. However, they had lost their vessel, and I had now taken it from Allerion’s men, so by right of conquest it was mine. I would just have to see where they sailed from, and who, if anyone sponsored the vessel before enforcing that rule or not. It wouldn’t be helpful for some powerful noble on either side of the Narrow Sea to learn that I’d taken one of their vessels and hired sellswords to deal with me.
Cayde had secured Allerion’s command port without any fight. The handful of men left behind had apparently surrendered without incident. Cayde should now be working to gather everything of value from that port for transport to the westernmost port, and to help with that I’d seen three galleys set sail from Bronn’s location to Cayde’s. Provided the men onboard didn’t attempt to mutiny and run away with my vessels, they would be used to move the valuables.
In the bay, Rakakz was shifting items around from his former port to the one taken from Allerion. It was going to take time for him to get the longboats loaded and around the coast to Bronn’s location, but it appeared that he wasn’t yet moving to betray me and take my goods for his own. That, honestly, was a touch surprising but it suggested Rakakz had, in some twisted way, a sense of honour. If so, he might just prove a useful subordinate, however, it was far too early to be certain of that.
To the east of my fleet’s location, Jaeronos was working to prepare his ships – which included the other captured war galley – and bring them west. The four galleys from that port which had been out raiding hadn’t, unfortunately, made the mistake of their brethren to the west, and having sighted the larger fleet in their home port, turned and headed back to sea.
For a while, I had been concerned they might turn west and try to rally with Allerion, but the commander of that group had instead chosen to break north. So far, they remained on that heading, making a beeline for Misthaven which, while I would have preferred the men and ships to be taken, wasn’t the worst outcome. Not only would they not be attacking my fleets as they moved, laden with coin and goods, to the rendezvous point, but they’d be spreading rumours of the situation changing on Redwater.
Misthaven, according to Rakakz and several of his ship captains, was unlike the other larger islands in the Stepstones. There was no single or group of pirate lords holding power over the island. Instead, it held nearly two dozen ports. Those ports were, for the most part, unaligned with each other, meaning the island was a chaos-filled backwater. The four ships that had sailed toward it would, in theory, be able to take over one of the smaller ports with ease, which would potentially allow them to become semi-major players on the island.
From rumours Rakakz and others had heard, Whisperwind was heading in the same direction as both the ‘lords’ on the island had perished at some point in the last few years. That left the island in a state of anarchy; or at least more so than when the pirate lords had ruled there. Neither island was important to me currently, and potentially never would be as they lay close to the Disputed Lands and Whisperwind was less than a half-moon’s sail from Tyrosh, but the stories that I’d heard of how and why the pirate lords of Whisperwind had fallen was interesting. At least from a certain point of view.
The ideas seemed to range from the logical to the absurd. The idea that Tyrosh had moved against the pirate lords was credible, particularly when I considered that Jaerenys Tarlarys on Obsidian Sands was believed to be backed by the Free City. The more unlikely ideas as to why the pirate lords of Whisperwind had fallen ranged from the Dothraki – unlikely as fuck given their fear of water – to the idea all three lords had been killed by a fucking kraken. While I wasn’t discounting that such a beast might exist in the seas of this world, the idea that it would be moving around the relatively-speaking, shallow waters of the Stepstones was improbable.
A gentle nudge from Rian refocused my thoughts on my current location and intentions. Looking down through his eyes, I saw Allerion’s two galleys. They were closing fast on the turn in the coast and soon would be greeted by the sight of my three vessels. Each of my ships had its sails unfurled enough that my sigil could be clearly seen, so Allerion would be left with no doubt that I wasn’t there to help him.
The moment he saw my ships and their sails, he would have three options. Break toward the open sea, risking being chased by a fleet three times his. Turn and engage Daemon’s force in the hope they could break through before my ships got to him, or push forward and try and break through my fleet before Daemon reached him in an attempt to reach his supply port.
Given the prevailing winds, turning north would be a mistake as he would be tacking with it, while my vessels would have it directly at our stern as we gave chase. Even without considering the use of gulls and flaming ropes, his chances of escaping my ships were slim.
Turning to engage Daemon was the next biggest risk, as my ships could close the distance between my two fleets quicker based on the wind. Plus, Allerion knew he had no support from where he had come. That, if he had any balls, left him with but one choice: To engage my fleet.
While there was still time before Allerion saw my ships, and thus had to make his decision, I wanted to ensure my men were ready. After asking as best I could for Rian to alert me if Allerion’s ships changed direction before I saw them with my own eyes, I slipped from his mind and returned to mine.
Adjusting to the sensations of my own body, I noticed a small alert from my Interface: Skinchanging had levelled up to 96, just four away from unlocking an additional bond slot and perhaps reaching its peak.
Turning in bed, I saw Edric and Trystane seated on the cabin floor, both deep in meditation. While my men might assume I was teaching them solely the arts of knighthood, our focus now was on unlocking their magical potential. Trystane seemed closer to that goal, his Rhoynish bloodline giving him a natural advantage. Yet, I suspected that some latent magical ability might also lie dormant within Edric, given our shared lineage through my mother’s side.
Trystane meditated with a mug of water before him, tapping into the Rhoynish legacy, while Edric focused on a small candle, hoping to spark some affinity for Fire Magic. Fire was the element I’d been strongest with upon my rebirth, though it wasn’t tied to the ancient magic of the Starks and the First Men. If Edric couldn’t unlock a magical affinity, I was prepared; as Heir to Starfall, he had the rare potential to become the next Sword of the Morning. Once he was a little older, I would begin his training toward wielding Dawn, a path that would not only deepen his loyalty but fulfil the goals of the A Morning Blade objective. And when the Others came, I intended that Dawn be wielded by one trained to face them.
Moving quietly, I rose from the bed, not wanting to disturb their concentration. I secured Red Rain and the axe at my hips but left my bow and helm behind. The ships were still some distance from being spotted by Allerion’s lookouts, and the battle remained on the horizon. For now, I intended to find Miltar and confirm that both the ship and our escorts were ready for the clash ahead.
… …
I leaned back, letting the pirate’s long axe whistle past my chest, cutting nothing but air. Turning smoothly with the missed swing, I brought Red Rain around in a deadly arc, the Valyrian steel slicing cleanly through his meagre armour and sending another flash of crimson spilling onto the deck.
The pirate staggered; his torso gashed but still alive. His grip on the axe faltered, and he tried to swing again, desperate to regain his stance. Before he could find his footing, I drove my shield forward, smashing it into his jaw. Over the din of battle, I caught the crunch of bone as he crumpled, dazed and bleeding.
Another pirate stepped in before I could finish him off, a cutlass flashing toward me. I turned Red Rain in a swift arc, catching his blade and forcing it aside. A quick rotation of my arm brought the tip of Red Rain down onto his thigh, opening a small but bloody wound that would slow him. With his balance thrown off, I pressed forward, ramming my shield into the arm holding the cutlass. His defence faltered, and my blade found its mark, plunging deep into his gut. He groaned as I twisted the blade on the withdrawal, widening the wound until more than just blood splattered to the deck.
With the dying man staggering away, I stepped clear, surveying the chaotic skirmish raging across the galley. My men were making headway, driving the pirates back as they sought to claim Allerion’s ship. Near the quarterdeck, I glimpsed a figure in heavier armour swinging a mace that sent one of my men crashing down the stairs, scattering those fighting on the main deck below. Given his position and equipment, it had to be Allerion.
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I moved forward, clearing a path with Red Rain. I wore lighter armour today, a compromise for the mobility needed aboard a ship. Mail covered my torso, while plate reinforced my shoulders, forearms, and shins. My shield bore my sigil, and my surcoat, now darkened with blood, left no doubt as to who led this assault.
Allerion’s men turned toward me, their faces twisted with fury and desperation, eager to be the one to take my head. They met only death, each strike fuelling the fire within as I cut them down, a blend of grim purpose and fierce delight. Four more fell beneath Red Rain, and as I reached the base of the quarterdeck stairs, I called out.
"ALLERION!"
He looked down, his face twisting into a snarl as he took in the blood-streaked visage before him. I let a smirk play across my lips and mounted the steps, another pirate attempting to block my way. He was rewarded with my shield ramming into his gut, then crashing upward into his face, sending teeth and blood spraying as he toppled back.
My gaze fixed on Allerion. Here, at last, stood one of the so-called pirate lords. Vaegon had fallen to my second, and Rakakz had bent the knee, but Allerion would face me blade to blade. The thrill of the challenge was a pulse of heat in my veins—a chance to prove myself against a man whispered about with fear. I advanced, my grip tightening on Red Rain, hungry for the fight that lay before me.
… …
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… …
“That’s the last of the goods being loaded,” Bronn said as he stood with me and Daemon watching men carry various crates, chests, and barrels onto the four ships that were docked in the port. The rest of the fleet was holding position just out at sea, currently working with lower crews. The majority of the men were onshore helping shift everything of value that we’d taken from Redwater onto the docked vessels.
Around a hundred and fifty former slaves were waiting for boarding as well, with most being transported by the Little Valyrian. The rather amusing name was the one for the cog Allerion’s men had captured even as their lord fell into my trap. The crew, or what remained of them, had returned to the vessel and agreed to sail it back with the fleet to Northpoint, though I had taken time to speak with them and make clear they wouldn’t be placed into chains.
Rather amusingly, the First Mate of the Valyrian recognised my name and was able to assure his captain and the rest of the crew that my intentions were honourable. It seemed the ship was a private venture with the crew sharing in its profits and while they wouldn’t be making a profit on this voyage from Volantis, I had agreed to pay them for their service in transporting people and goods to Northpoint. I’d probably also pay for them to take my goods to Sunspear, but while I wanted a third cog to add to my fleet, I wasn’t going to press them into service, nor was I going to pay over the odds for their services.
“I want you two to head to the Howl and Ravager and take point. Cayde, Rakakz and I will follow along in the Kraken and Dragon. Make sure the fleet knows the Valyrian, and the longboats are to form the centre of the formation.”
“Aye, we heard you the first ten times you said it,” Bronn responded snidely. I would prefer if he showed me some respect when around the men, but he wasn’t going to. At least not until I was able to defeat him in two out of three spars, which I was fine with. I was training myself to reach his and Daemon’s level, so the idea of a polite – at least for him – Bronn as a bonus to defeating him was a nice extra.
Daemon nodded in acceptance of his orders and moved off with the sellsword leaving me alone with my thoughts.
The Red Ravager and the Sea Dragon were the names of the two war galleys my men had captured, and for now, those names would remain. Hells, they probably would remain until the vessels were sunk as even though I disliked the Red Kraken it still went by that name. They were the jewels in my assault on Allerion’s ports. Well, those and Allerion’s head.
The man had proved unworthy, and after a short duel, I’d found an easy gap in his form and driven my blade deep into his gut. After savouring the moment where he understood he’d been bested and was about to die, I’d removed my blade and then taken his head from his body.
Before I’d even managed to hold it aloft, the fighting aboard his galley had been dying down, but the sight of me holding the head of their commander had convinced those yet to surrender to do so. Seventy men across two galleys had survived the battle with my forces and bent the knee to me, as had the fifty men in the supply port. The commander there, a Myrish man named Adronos, upon seeing me standing on the bow of the Kraken holding Allerion’s severed head, had dropped his blades, and fallen on my mercy.
As he had shown some intelligence, Adronos had kept his position as commander of the galley taken from the port, but the crew had been switched with men from other ports. I would bring them into my ranks, but I wasn’t idiotic enough to trust any of them until they proved themselves; something even men formerly loyal to Vaegon had yet to do.
Still, even if I didn’t trust what was now the majority of my forces, Redwater had been good for my cause. Including the men and ships back in Northpoint, I now had four war galleys, twenty-six galleys, and sixteen longboats, along with the Windchaser, the Pride, and the Ilaerah’s Luck to command, along with what should be a touch over two thousand men. If more sellswords, or those willing to fight for riches had arrived in Northpoint in the Moon-plus while we’d been gone, then that number would swell further, but I’d not know the exact number of men at my command until we returned.
Once we did, I had to pay everyone, with a focus on those who’d sailed from Northpoint and survived. They’d been paid half a moon’s wages before we’d sailed, and after being stuck on the island an extra half-moon because of storms and gathering everything in a single port, I owed them a full moon’s wages. Yet, even counting hazard pay, and extra bonuses for those like Daemon and Bronn, the total cost of my army – if I could call it that – came to less than four hundred Dragons a month.
Even if the bounty on Redwater had been less than what I’d taken from the Grim Prince, I’d easily have been able to pay everyone. Nearly a thousand Dragons were in Northpoint for paying my men and improving the settlement. Yet from Redwater, I was now far richer. Perhaps on par with powerful landed knights and maybe even some minor, unimportant Lords.
While it was hard to convert coin from the Free Cities – and even beyond as Bronn had mentioned finding some Yunkai'i gold Marks – at a rough estimate, I was looking at somewhere from six to eight thousand Dragons. That alone was impressive, but it was the various trade goods that, for those not spoilt by the weather – which most weren’t – represented the greatest collection of wealth.
Beyond the jewels and gems, from which I, my commanders, and the various captains – be they ship captains or leaders of men – had picked out various pieces, the other trade goods the pirates had seized over the years were impressive. So much so that, according to some rough estimates, the lot could be sold for anywhere from twenty to thirty thousand Dragons.
I couldn’t simply sell all of that in Sunspear in a single go, as dropping that much into one location would lower the price the locals would be willing to pay – simple supply and demand – but over a few voyages, or perhaps sailing along the southern coast of Dorne to Starfall and into the reach, I figured everything taken could be sold for at least the lower estimate. That would take time of course, but it would allow me to easily replenish my treasury – both in Northpoint and Sunspear – to the point that simply holding what I had was doable for two to three decades.
Of course, I had no intention of resting on my laurels. Not only because the idea of dropping two thousand former pirates into a small but developing village was a recipe for disaster, but because I didn’t want to stop. Hells, even staying on Dustspear for a half-moon was going to be problematic. To help with that issue, I had an idea I wanted to implement before we sailed for my next target.
Any former pirate in my ranks, which was most of them, might well hold grudges with those who’d served other lords before bending the knee to me. To try and mitigate the potential for those grudges to cause problems in future battles, I wanted to create a brawling ring.
The idea behind it was simple, two men entered and handled their issues. No weapons would be allowed, and the moment anyone was seriously injured the brawl was over. If anyone broke those rules or intentionally killed their opponent, then their life would be forfeit, with Ymir handling the sentence as men unwilling to obey my rules were unworthy of a clean death.
After a brawl, regardless of the outcome, the matter between the men would be settled, with similar rules and punishment regarding retaliations taking place after a brawl in place. I’d run the basic idea past Daemon, Bronn, and Cadye, and all three had given their backing – Dameon he most reluctantly. They had time on the voyage back to consider the matter, potentially seeing loopholes that I needed to close, but so long as there wasn’t a massive number of brawls, which would severely deplete my force, then I felt the brawling ring was the best way to handle the matter.
Once the fleet and forces were ready, I planned to head out again, Though I knew that even with luck continuing to be on my side, the idea of taking all the Stepstones was so far beyond me that I’d have more luck marrying an Other. However, that didn’t mean that I couldn’t carve out a good-sized empire here, and how to run it came from ideas of how Saan, The Lotus Prince, and Marys Valtaris operated.
The first step in holding more than Dustspear was The Whores. While I had done a decent job of razing the islands – a gull I’d sent there to test the limits of my control over a mind-broken animal showed the place in chaps just before I’d left for Redwater – I wanted to finish the job. Perhaps even establish control over some of the islands.
I knew holding them all, at least currently, would not be possible. The pirate lords of The Shrouded Isle, Bloodstone, and Grey Gallows wouldn’t stand for me taking that location without major fights and I knew I didn’t have the manpower to hold the place against even one of the major pirates, never mind all of them.
However, if I wanted to push on to The Shrouded Isle, as intended, I needed a base closer to there. While I could use the holdings of one of the minor Dornish Lords along the broken arm, they would demand an unfair cut of my takings. That wasn’t something I wanted, because if Redwater could bring me a combined haul of at least twenty thousand Dragons, The Shrouded Isle would be far more valuable, and not just in terms of coin, gems, and other goods.
With at least the western half of the Shrouded Isle, some of The Whores and Dustspear under my influence, I would control the trade routes along the Dornish coast. As Saan seemed to prove, there was immense potential in taxing travel through waters under my control.
Thinking about Saan again, I pulled a letter I’d written for him from my pocket. Once the fleet was underway, I would attach it to the leg of a gull and fly the bird to The Coral Isle. The letter was a brief explanation of who I was – without mentioning where I came from – what I had done on Redwater, and my plans for the Western Stepstones.
There was some risk in detailing my plans to a pirate, but from all I had heard, Saan was as honourable a pirate as one could meet. Given some of the lords and knights I’d met in the Seven Kingdoms, he sounded a more appealing ally than many of them. What I wasn’t going to do was request an audience with an envoy of his, as while I was growing more powerful, I was far from having the resources he had.
Saan was one of the more powerful pirates in the Stepstones, though his holdings, wealth, manpower, and fleet were supposedly dwarfed by those of the major pirates on The Shrouded Isle and Bloodstone. Trying to speak to him now about an alliance, or at least a treaty of non-interference, was a mistake as I was negotiating from a far inferior position, however, at least reaching out to him now created an impression in him, as would the idea that I had trained gulls to deliver missives.
That, I expected, would keep him occupied, as would securing, if he wished, the eastern shores of Redwater. Since the ports there, along with every other one on the island, had been picked clean, it would take a lot of time and effort to establish control of the seas. Something that, thanks to a few secret orders to Cayde and Jaeronos, would be even harder for the ports nearest the Coral Isle.
Those ports had seen their buildings damaged or ideally set alight or hacked apart with axes. The whole ports wouldn’t be gone, but the damage done by damaging and destroying key buildings would make it harder for anyone to place large forces in the ports any time in the near future.
“Hey boy,” I said as Ymir came walking up to me. The fur around his maw was soaked red, which confirmed the howl I’d heard earlier was one of delight at a successful hunt. I didn’t know what he’d killed, but it would have to sustain him until we reached Northpoint.
Thinking of the direwolf, my thoughts drifted far to the north, to Winterfell, the Starks, and events that should start spiralling into place over the next year and a bit. I wasn’t sure how I could prevent Ned from heading to King’s Landing, from Sansa being betrothed to the mad cunt Joffrey, or for Arya to head with them, but I had time to think things through.
It was a long shot, but perhaps by building a force in the Stepstones, I might be able to influence events in King’s Landing so that Robert wouldn’t be able to head to Winterfell following Jon Arryn’s death. Perhaps even going so far as to draw the attention of the crown. That would likely put some restrictions on my plans, but if it helped ensure the realm remained united when first the Wildlings and the Others rose to strike at The Wall, it was something I knew I was willing to accept. At least until those threats were dealt with.
… …