f you're enjoying these stories, consider leaving a comment, review, or vote.
You can also visit the Pat** on at: CaveLeather
Ser Moryn' (persuasion) and the brutal reality were like a heavy hammer, smashing ruthlessly onto Garth's heart.
He took half a step back as if his soul had left his body, and the sword in his hand fell to the ground with a loud clang.
Lord Martin beside him was quick to react, grabbing the teetering Garth just in time to prevent the knight, who had seemed like the Warrior incarnate the night before, from collapsing in front of everyone.
Arthur sheathed his swords and waved his hand. "Disarm them. Take them all into custody."
The soldiers of the Mountain Corps moved immediately, efficiently collecting weapons.
These exhausted Hightower soldiers were surprisingly cooperative. Only a few who had slept through the commotion and were startled awake caused a minor disturbance, but they were quickly subdued.
Jimmy trotted down from the battlements, his longbow slung over his back and morning dew still clinging to his armor.
"My Lord, what do we do next?"
Arthur couldn't suppress the smile rising on his lips.
"Let the prisoners rest for a day. Feed them well."
He looked around at the piles of weapons, armor, and spoils stacked in the courtyard, as well as the warhorses in the stables, and issued his orders:
"Tomorrow, we take all the supplies in Uplands, along with these horses and equipment, and return to Ring!"
To wipe out the elite Hightower vanguard and capture so many Reach nobles at such a small cost... even Arthur, who was used to storms, struggled to maintain his composure.
For the night raid on the Hightower camp, he had deployed Gerold and the wildling chieftain Crow-Eater, leading over a thousand men consisting of Starfall's armored men-at-arms and wildling cavalry and warriors.
The reason he hadn't committed his entire force was because the Mountain Corps soldiers wore rattan armor, which was vulnerable to fire. deploying too many men for a night raid would also make it difficult to maneuver and easy to cause friendly fire in the chaos.
The same applied to Jimmy's archers. So Arthur split his forces: one part raided the camp, while the other lay in ambush outside.
What Arthur hadn't expected was Garth's composure—he actually chose not to pursue.
Seeing the ambush fail, Arthur used Sharpwing's vision to observe the enemy. Seeing them hold their ground with heightened security, he guessed they planned to wait for daylight before retreating to a safe location.
So he abandoned the idea of a second raid on the camp and selected the nearest castle—Uplands, where he was now.
Truth be told, there was an element of gambling in Arthur's move, but he had bet correctly.
Most of Uplands' guards and levies had followed Martin Mullendore to the Hightower vanguard camp in response to their liege lord's call.
Under the cover of darkness, the Mountain Corps soldiers scaled the walls with grappling hooks and took the poorly defended castle with ease.
After a day of rest, the long column began its march back to Ring.
Prisoners pushed carts laden with grain, driving herds of cattle and sheep. The wheels carved deep ruts into the muddy road.
Soldiers of the Mountain Corps rode captured Reach warhorses, their whips cracking in the air as they urged the prisoners to speed up.
For the important noble prisoners, Arthur granted them the treatment due their status, arranging prisoner wagons and providing good food and drink.
There were over eighty such prisoners, including Garth Hightower, Moryn Tyrell, Martin Mullendore, and various vassals and landed knights sworn to House Hightower.
These people were now Arthur's precious treasures. Aside from fetching a handsome ransom, they were crucial bargaining chips.
Upon reaching Ring, Arthur released all the levies captured from the Hightower vassals.
Before letting them go, he made a routine proclamation that their suffering was caused by the atrocities of House Redwyne, and then generously distributed some grain and clothing to each of them.
As for where the grain and clothing came from...
The released levies wisely ignored such details, weeping with gratitude for the "Lord's mercy" before scattering like birds.
Arthur watched them flee. These men would become his best propaganda tools.
This left over six hundred prisoners from Uplands: hedge knights, sellswords, Oldtown City Watch guards, and House Hightower's men-at-arms.
These prisoners also had value. On the principle that even a mosquito's leg is meat, Arthur had them all detained and gradually transported, along with the high-value captives, to Eagle's Roost in the Red Mountains.
The Great Hall of Ring.
After Arthur finished organizing the prisoner affairs, Ser Bard summarized the reports received over the past few days.
"Lady Nymeria sent word from Starpost Keep. Prince Doran has ordered House Fowler and House Yronwood to mass troops at the Prince's Pass and the Boneway."
The old knight's voice trembled slightly with excitement.
"The Prince also condemned the Redwynes' shameless banditry and their blockade of Starfall's port. He declared that any violation of Dornish territory by the Reach would mean all-out war."
"Really?"
Arthur was surprised. Prince Doran was unusually tough this time, backing him so strongly.
It wasn't until he read the letter himself that he understood. Nymeria mentioned that Princess Arianne and Prince Oberyn had exerted significant influence.
Besides that, the letters Arthur had sent to the major Dornish houses condemning the Redwyne atrocities had also taken effect.
Especially after news spread of Arthur's repeated victories in the Reach and his capture of Ring.
Dornish nobles who had been sitting on the fence began to voice their support.
The reaction was strongest from the three houses along the Summer Sea coast: House Uller of Hellholt, House Qorgyle of Sandstone, and House Gargalen of Salt Shore. They all began mustering and training levies.
After all, no one wanted to be attacked by "pirates" or blackmailed by a trade blockade from the Redwyne Fleet.
Arthur thought for a moment. Aside from the stated reasons, there was another factor driving the strong reaction of these three coastal houses.
He had secured the defenses of the Torrentine River and the Starfall coastline.
If the Redwyne Fleet carried Reach troops and couldn't land at Starfall, what if they decided to land on their territories instead?
Just as Starfall couldn't hit the Arbor directly and instead pummeled the Ring, the Redwynes might do the same to them.
Arthur estimated that Prince Doran's mobilization at the Prince's Pass and the Boneway was also based on similar considerations—diverting the Reach's attention.
Honestly, he hadn't intended to "beggar his neighbor" and spark a full-scale war between Dorne and the Reach. He simply wanted to give the Reach a taste of the Redwynes' own medicine.
He hadn't expected the situation to escalate to this point.
But now that things had come to this, Arthur decided to go with the flow. He put down the letter and announced, "Ser Bard, pass the order. Prepare for an orderly retreat. Fall back to Derring Keep first, and finally to Eagle's Roost in the Red Mountains."
He wanted to see what choice Highgarden would make.
Would they attack the Red Mountains? Or the Boneway, the Prince's Pass, Blackmont? Or would they launch an amphibious assault on the Summer Sea coast?
Or would they lay down their arms and come to the negotiating table?
Regardless of Highgarden's choice, holding numerous Reach noble hostages and with Starfall's defenses impenetrable, Arthur was already in an invincible position.
There was no need to risk a life-and-death struggle with the main forces of Oldtown and Highgarden in the Ring's territory.