AN :
Next goal for another extra chapter is 500 power stones.
In the Game of Stones, you either win or you wait. The more Power Stones you offer, the faster the chapters come.
...
( Tygett Lannister POV )
The bell rang in the courtyard as Callum helped Tygett put on his armor, tying his cuirass on his sides in a hurry. His nephew was, at the very least, quite deft with his hands. It was probably the one thing that he wasn't behind in for a squire his age. As the last leather strap was tied, Tygett shifted his weight, feeling the plate settle over his gambeson comfortably while Callum went to go get more of his armor from the bench.
"I'm surprised you aren't asking to come with me," Tygett said, looking over at the boy. "Not eager to have your first taste of battle?"
Callum shook his head. "You told me I wasn't ready yesterday, and I doubt that that's changed."
Tygett snorted. "That may be, but you ought to be chomping at the bit to see battle at your age. Foolish as it might be." Tygett grinned. "Why, I was only what, two-threw months older than you when I killed my first man, down in the Stepstones." He could still remember it now, the sensation of plunging his dagger into the man's guts, the warm blood rushing down his arm as the wretch's intestines flooded out. "One of those pirates in Maelys little navy. He died like a pig." Tygett chuckled as his nephew started to fix on his rerebraces. "You always remember your first you know. Well, soon enough you'll know. I'll have you killing Ironborn by the end of the year."
Tygett was pleasantly surprised with his Nephew, now that he's gotten a few weeks to know him. He didn't have a fire in his gut yet and lacked the drive to be a proper warrior, that was true, but in every other regard, he was almost the ideal squire. He did his chores with minimal complaint, didn't laze about in bed, and despite Kevan's earlier letters, didn't skip out on his training. If anything Kevan had never met a boy more willing to run laps around the outside of the motte. His armsmanship was not spectacular for a boy his age-not the way Jaime's was, but he wasn't so far behind that it was irreparable, and unlike most children, he listened to instruction.
"Do you think you won't be able to stop the raiding this year?" Callum asked, tugging Tygett back from his thoughts as the boy tied on his pauldrons.
Tygett shook his head. "Have you ever met an Ironborn Callum-talked to one that is?"
"No, I haven't, have you Uncle Tygett?"
"Yes, their Lord, Quellon, was down in the Stepstones with us, I've spoken to several of them." He shifted to allow his nephew better access to the straps. "They told me that from the minute the first Ironborn carved the first boat he went off raiding." Tygett shrugged, making his half-tied armor clatter. "I don't know if that's true, but they've been much the same since men began to write down histories. The only part they leave out is that House Lannister has been watering our beaches with their blood for just as long." Tygett chuckled. "All that to say, I doubt they'll ever truly stop, even if I butcher every sea bandit and raper that lands on the coast personally they'll just go raid the Riverlands or the North. There's no end to it."
Callum was silent after that but soon came back with his vambraces, looking pensive. "There must be some way to end the problem."
"House Lannister has tried to put an end to that threat a hundred times throughout our history, but like the sea scum they are, the Ironborn always crawl back up onto the beach and raid again." Tygett held out his arm so that Callum could lock the braver on. "Hells, Lord Quellon has even banned the very raiding they're doing now, but it doesn't do a bit of good. Like the mountain tribes in the Vale, or the Dothraki in Essos, some men are just born with the hearts of dogs." Tygett pulled on his gauntlet over his vambrace and flexed his fingers. "And like dogs, they're only worthwhile if they're broken to purpose. Otherwise, it's best just to put them down."
Callum grimaced at that, even as he brought over Tygett's gorget. "I like dogs…" he grumbled, "I don't think I like Ironborn very much though."
Tygett smirked. "Maybe I am being unfair to dogs." With his armor on, he took up his helmet from the bench. "Not that it matters." He glanced back towards Callum. "Ser Klimmeth is in charge while I am gone, it should not be more than three or four days to chase them down. Don't cause him any mischief."
"Yes, Uncle."
"Good." Tygett walked out into the courtyard towards his waiting horse, Callum trailing along behind him to watch him leave. He cleared his throat, clanging his gauntlet on his breastplate.
"Men," Tygett shouted over the din, drawing all attention to himself. "Last night an Ironborn ship was spotted by moonlight sailing up the the Western Greywater Delta. I think we all know that if they were traders or fishermen they would have stopped on the coast." He looked around, holding his helmet under his arm. "We ride now to trap them on the river and deal with these wretches before they can launch the raid they're planning. These bastards have accrued a debt of blood, and I intend to see it paid in full." He looked out over his horsemen. They were the more experienced part of his forces. Supposedly it hadn't been that big of a longship, and he didn't intend to throw green boys into battle unless he had to. "We ride to the river, then north the ford for bloody revenge and peace for our lands."
He raised his fist high, and the men cheered as they ought to. Tygett climbed upon his Destrier Darnella's back. She was a large mare, of fine breeding from Westerlands and Reacher stock, and she let him see easily above the heads of his horsemen on their Rounceys. "Now follow me men, and we'll route these savages yet!"
With cries of glory to be won and thundering hooves, they left that small castle on the hill behind, and they rode for the ford near Melton, just a few miles from where the Greywater split up into its vast swampy Delta. The air was thick and humid, and Tygett felt sweat drip from his forehead as he rode, but that didn't slow his pace. The horses would water and cool off in the river itself when they reached the ford, and he had a tactic in mind to see these Ironborn good and dead.
It was a two-hour ride to reach the fords, past Melton which was mercifully still intact, the sleepy market town was the closest settlement to Eagle's Nest, and I'd Tygett couldn't even protect it then he'd truly be a failure as a Lord, or a Lord Tempor rather. They beat a trail into the soggy ground as they finally reached the fords of the Greywater, and he called a halt as the horses took time to water.
Tygett could smell smoke in the air.
"Lord Tygett" Ser Ludo Crakehall approached as they let the horses have their fill. "I've spoken to a trader, he said the Ironborn are already raiding upstream of here, near North of Hemmen on The Heights."
"Did he say how many?" Tygett asked, to which the man shook his head.
"No milord, though if they're raiding farms and not villages-"
"It's likely a smaller band yes."
There were two sorts of raids that struck the North Coast. Larger, more organized affairs typically centered around one or two proper Ironborn warships, and smaller, much more common affairs where the fishermen off the bay came down in an opportunistic raid like this one. Their hulls weren't so good for river sailing, but they were still flat bottomed and the Ironborn were skilled sailors if nothing else. They would come up the rivers, loot a few farms, then sail off as if nothing had happened. It was frustrating, but they at least weren't much of a threat to the few towns and villages that scrabbled out an existence on the North Coast.
Still, that would make actually dealing with them easier. "Alright, time to set our trap then," Tygett smirked. He had a mind to force this petty raiding band to battle. "Ser Ludo, have the men start hauling down large rocks, fallen trees, anything with a good amount of weight to it into the river."
"Milord?" Ser Ludo paused "Ah, I see, how would you like them arranged?"
Tygett liked Ludo. The man was a bit flighty at times, but he had a decent head on his shoulders.
"First get a line all the way across, about halfway down the ford, broken often enough to let the water through, then more lines behind that, alternating the placement." Tygett had spent two years out here on the Coast and caught only three raids in that time, but sitting in a keep stewing on how best to protect his lands gave him plenty of time to think of tactics to fight the Ironborn. "We'll dredge it all out once the Ironborn are dead."
"Yes milord" Ludo nodded. "Though the men will be disappointed we aren't trying to stop the raids."
"Let them be, they'll be happy enough with squid blood on their swords soon enough." Tygett nodded. "Give the order."
"Aye Milord."
=======================
If you'd like to support my work, or get early access to chapters before public release you can join my p atreon
Link to join my p treon :
[email protected]/moonlight10