A camp was built around the hills, with tents of all sizes pitched. In the tent at the top of the hill, armed guards stood watch outside the entrance, and black and white flags fluttered on long poles.
The tent flap was tied back on either side, revealing a square oak table in the center. A large map was held down at the corners, its surface covered in intricate wood carvings. A similar map hung behind the table.
They had crossed the Red Mountains quickly. While the army of Storm's End had reached their designated location, the Bone Road army had not yet arrived at Midsummer Hall.
Though frustrated by their slow pace, Cole had no choice but to camp and wait, sending ravens to urge them onward.
Scouts were sent out, constantly reporting news from the front. Each piece of information about the enemy caused the wood carvings on the map to shift. Cole clearly intended to wait until both armies were in position before advancing, but the enemy seemed eager for battle.
Given the choice, no one would willingly hide in a castle for a defensive battle. War was as much a psychological game as it was a bloody fight, and the defenders were at a natural disadvantage.
"My lord, news from Sir Lister's scouts," an officer announced, entering the tent with a letter. Sir Lister Morrigan had been sent ahead as a vanguard, both to harass the enemy and to gather intelligence.
In his letter, Lord Morrigan detailed the enemy's troop deployment and the results of their skirmishes. In the first wave of harassment, they had attacked the enemy's left flank as Cole instructed, disrupting the rainforest troops' formation.
However, they had retreated quickly after achieving their objective, avoiding deeper engagement. The next attack yielded less success, the enemy being more cautious. Lister's men had only managed to skirmish with rainforest scouts.
According to the letter, the advance troops had slowed the enemy's advance, but their position was less than a day's journey from the camp. Cole moved the enemy's wood carving forward on the map. The turtle emblem carving and the white bird emblem were now less than a palm's width apart.
Scouts continued to send messages, clarifying the turtle carving's position. The rainforest army had camped on the coast, near a harbor. Cole moved the wood carving further to the left, comparing it to the more detailed topographic map on the wall. He visualized the camp in his mind. The two armies were only half a day's journey apart.
He carefully studied the roads. He had drawn this map himself at Wind's End Castle, a detailed representation of Cape Wrath's latest terrain. The enemy had chosen to camp at the mouth of a flat valley, surrounded by a small mountain range. A river flowed directly into Broken Ship Bay, and the rainforest army was stationed at its mouth.
The mountain range was not difficult to cross, nothing compared to the steep Red Mountains.
"Jose, summon Camilo," Cole ordered. Jose commanded Cole's guards, and Camilo led his cavalry.
These two units, a hundred guards and fifty cavalry, were small but comprised the best soldiers Cole's gold dragons could buy.
Camilo, in helmet and armor, entered the tent and saluted. "Your Highness."
Cole gestured to the table. "According to the scouts, the enemy is less than half a day's journey away, camped at the port where the Mist River meets the sea."
"If I were to send you with a hundred men to bypass this mountain range, how long would it take?" He pointed to the map.
Camilo studied the map, then answered, "With only cavalry, we could reach the enemy's rear in under three hours."
"Are you certain?"
Camilo nodded confidently. "Your Highness, Jose and I have been operating in this area for a long time. We know the terrain and the trails."
"Trails?" Cole asked, intrigued. "Show me."
Camilo pointed. "There's a flat road near Crow's Nest Castle that allows for quick passage through the mountains." He indicated another point. "And a more dangerous, but hidden path through the dense forests."
Cole considered these locations, realizing his oversight. Even the most careful planning could have gaps. Sometimes, the turning points of war were found in the smallest details.
"Very well. I need you to lead a hundred cavalry across the mountains immediately," he ordered.
After Camilo departed, Cole sent scouts to verify the paths Camilo had mentioned.
Before dusk, the military camp began to light fires for cooking. The camp was divided. The nobles who had joined during the march were on the periphery, while Cole's two thousand Storm's End soldiers, trained for over two months, occupied the center.
The central camp was organized and orderly, tents in neat rows. The entire camp held over three thousand men, facing a rainforest enemy that had swelled to five thousand.
As darkness fell, the cold sea wind swept across the faces of the soldiers. The white bird wood carving on the map slowly advanced. The moon rose from the sea, climbing into the night sky.
Cole, mounted on a warhorse, was surrounded by a hundred heavily armored guards, all armed with long-handled axes. The outline of a military camp appeared in the distance, dotted with fires along the coast. Scouts reported no sign of the enemy on the mountain road.
Cole stared at the coastal camp. Had he overthought the situation?
The sound of a horn came from the coast. The enemy had finally discovered their approach.
As night deepened, the army advanced in formation. Their camps of a hundred men moved slowly, their fifteen-foot spears raised high, each camp resembling a spiked hedgehog. Archers and javelin throwers led the way. Earl Heywood Fell commanded the right wing of 300 cavalry, while Earl Sebastian Erol led the left wing of 800 mixed infantry.
Dark figures emerged from the distance, answering the assembly horn. Cole ordered the war drums to be beaten.
As the drums thundered, archers and javelin throwers unleashed their missiles. Archers were difficult to train, so this long-range exchange was brief.
The two forces closed. Cole's opponent had clearly never seen a square formation like his. The rainforest formation followed traditional Westerosi methods: shield soldiers and spearmen at the front, mixed infantry in the center, light cavalry on the flanks, and heavy cavalry yet to appear.
Cole, in his silver-white armor, matching throat guard, knee pads, gauntlets, steel boots, and a breastplate engraved with a white bird, was a conspicuous figure. The cross-shaped helmet covered his head, a breathing-hole mask forming a sharp point at the bridge of his nose. A white bird with spread wings adorned the helmet's crest. His horse wore matching silver armor, gleaming in the moonlight.
This striking armor would make him a prime target, but anyone wanting to reach him would have to break through layers of heavily armored, long-axe wielding infantry.
The sounds of battle erupted: the clash of spears, the roaring of the coastline. The soldiers collided like two spiked iron walls grinding together. Whenever a soldier fell in the phalanx, another quickly took his place, their movements honed by countless drills.
Cole watched enemy cavalry emerge from the left wing, numbering around 500. The enemy commander had identified their weakness: the well-trained central army and the all-cavalry right wing, leaving the left wing as a mixed brigade.
Lord Sebastian formed a shield wall, watching the cavalry approach. Arrows suddenly flew from behind the shield wall, felling the first wave of attackers. Hidden among the 800 mixed infantry were 50 archers, Cole's counter to cavalry. After firing, the archers retreated, and the spear and shield soldiers advanced.
Cavalry and infantry became entangled in chaos. The spear phalanx, a cheap but effective formation, used spears as its armor, advancing slowly and steadily like a spiked chariot. Its weakness lay in its inability to defend its flanks. Cole had positioned auxiliary soldiers on the flanks to counter this.
Cole watched the battle unfold. The enemy's main force had not yet appeared, and the rainforest infantry was beginning to falter. The spear formation, despite its weaknesses, was devastating against disorganized troops. As the rainforest shield wall crumbled, they sounded the charge.
Countless infantry rushed forward, crashing into the spear formation. Cole's formation advanced like a chariot, exploiting its advantage against these conscripted peasants. Heywood Fell seized the opportunity, leading his cavalry to charge into the collapsing ranks.
At this point, the rainforest army's heavy cavalry entered the fray, charging on the left wing. About a hundred strong, their armor bore various emblems.
Cole, seeing the armored cavalry, ordered the bugle blown.
Woo woo woo woo woo ! ! !
Sir Oakley Cullen's armored cavalry, held in reserve, charged onto the battlefield. Numbering around a hundred, these were the princes of the borderlands. Under Sir Cullen's command, they engaged the enemy cavalry on the left wing.
The two forces collided like giant swords. The clash of steel, the impact of horses, the piercing of spears, the spilling of blood: the brutality of war was on full display. As the spear formation continued its advance, the rainforest troops' morale began to break. The outcome was becoming clear.
Toot toot toot!!!
Just as the battle seemed to be turning, the sound of a horn came from behind Cole. He turned to see an army rushing towards them, arrows whistling through the air.
Jose shouted, "Shields up! Protect His Royal Highness!"
The guards formed a thick shield wall against the arrows. Where had this army come from?
Cole looked around. About a thousand strong, their shouts joined the battle. A hundred cavalry led the charge. Cole ordered the long-axe guards to meet them.
He had been caught off guard by this sudden attack. He had considered every possible enemy tactic, but there had been no sign of an ambush. This army seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.
Caesar was galloping from the sea. If this ambush broke through, only he could turn the tide. Cole pushed aside his doubts and followed the guards on horseback.
He brandished his sword and roared, "Keep formation! Keep formation!"
The first cavalryman charged, lance lowered. A guard severed the horse's leg with his long axe, and the rider fell. The cavalry charged like a storm, some colliding with horses, others impaled by spears. The guards suffered losses, but the cavalry was decimated.
Cole shouted, leading the guards to charge the infantry. He rode close behind, cutting down any enemy who came near. His heavy armor made him nearly invincible, each charge claiming several lives. He had slain all the cavalry around him. His conspicuousness drew enemies to him.
As the guard's formation broke, Cole found himself surrounded by more and more enemies. A spearman stabbed at his horse, but Cole parried with his sword. He swung his blade, decapitating the spearman.
Suddenly, a shadow flickered in his peripheral vision. Cole turned his head. A mace flew past his eyes. The wielder was a knight in a heavy barrel helmet, his eyes hidden behind the mask's slits.
"For Lord Aemon!" he shouted, charging again.
Cole parried his attacks. The knight's shield blocked Cole's blows. The mace whirled around him, one blow glancing off the winged bird on his helmet, shaking Cole. He resolved to have the damn bird removed upon his return.
Cole seized an opening, stabbing the knight's horse. The knight fell.
"I surrender, sir! I surrender, don't kill me!" the knight cried.
Suddenly, a thunderous cheer erupted from behind him.
"Long live Julius!"
"Long live Lord Cole!"
Cole looked back. Had they won?