Game of Thrones: The Frozen Throne

Since Greatjon Umber reported that the Rockborn and Ironborn pirates preferred to launch their raids at night, Edd decided to turn the tables on them with a counter-ambush.

The men of House Umber had observed that the pirates frequently landed on distant shores, circling around to attack the rear of the Umber camp along the coast. While the Umber soldiers scrambled to fend off the rear assault, the hidden pirates would then charge from the beach, launching a pincer attack. This tactic had proven successful multiple times.

Edd ordered Jory Cassel, captain of the Winterfell guard, to take twenty of Winterfell's soldiers and set up ten tents by the shore, filling them with straw dummies and some supplies. As dusk faded and darkness fell, Jory and his men quietly withdrew back to the Northern army's main camp.

With the bait set, they only had to wait for the enemy to take the hook.

By midnight, scouts led by Ferran and Robett Glover detected the enemy's approach. Under the cover of darkness, around fifty pirates had maneuvered to the rear of the camp, roaring as they charged in.

At the same time, more pirates stormed in from the sea, igniting parts of the camp. It didn't take long for them to realize that the tents were empty, occupied only by straw figures.

That was when Greatjon Umber blew the Northern war horn, its echoes resounding along the coastline.

From all directions, the cavalry of Torrhen's Square, the knights of White Harbor, and the horse archers of the Torrhen's Square garrison descended upon the unsuspecting pirates. Edd, mounted on his gray warhorse, wielded the greatsword Ice as he led the Winterfell cavalry in a fierce charge. Close behind him rode Jory Cassel, Syrio Forel, the water dancer from Braavos, and his guard Dawson.

For days, House Umber had rarely used cavalry against the pirates. The reason was simple: the pirates had previously set fire to the Umber camp, killing many warhorses or forcing them to flee. Others had been stolen. This left House Umber short on mounts, while the pirates maintained the advantage in their hit-and-run tactics.

Unaware of the Northern army's arrival, the pirates were caught completely off guard. When they heard battle cries of "Winterfell forever!", "For House Stark!", "For the Rills!", and "For White Harbor!" echoing from all sides, they realized they had fallen into a trap.

Facing a sudden cavalry charge in the darkness, the pirates could only mount a desperate defense. Many were trampled underfoot before they could even react.

The Northern cavalry lost only five men but slaughtered over thirty pirates and captured eight. A handful managed to flee to the shore and escape by boat. By the time the cavalry reached the water's edge, only three longships remained.

As the battle ended, Jon Snow turned to Edd. "My lord, it's a shame some of them managed to get away."

Edd replied, "Let them run. When they return to Skagos and spread the news of the Northern army gathering at Seal Bay, the Rockborn and Ironborn pirates on the island will be filled with fear. Once fear spreads among the enemy ranks, they will be broken before we even strike."

Dominic Bolton, his sword drenched in blood, turned to Theon Greyjoy and said, "Theon, I killed an enemy today. This pirate is the first man I've ever slain."

Theon dismounted and rummaged through the belongings of a dead pirate riddled with arrows. "I killed three."

Dominic frowned. "With so many horse archers firing, how do you know it was your arrows?"

"Believe what you will," Theon smirked, pulling a pair of seal-fur boots from the corpse. "When I loose an arrow, I know if I hit my mark."

Dominic watched in confusion. "Why are you stripping the dead?"

Theon grinned. "You wouldn't understand, flayer boy. If I kill a man, I have the right to take whatever he owned. It's called 'paying the iron price.' His loot is mine now. Shame he was a poor bastard—only these boots are worth anything."

The captured pirates were brought before Edd. They were tall, burly men with thick beards and dense body hair, clad in furs over chainmail. From their appearance, they looked more like Rockborn than Ironborn.

Edd surveyed them and asked, "Are any of you Ironborn?"

Some glared at him with hatred, others remained expressionless, and a few sneered. But none showed fear. One pirate, wearing a horned helmet, smirked. "None of us are Ironborn. We are all Rockborn."

The horned pirate's gaze locked onto the direwolf sigil on Edd's chest. "So, you're the Wolf King of Winterfell? Let me tell you something—the Starks of Winterfell will never make the proud Rockborn kneel again. The Stone King, Samlor Crowl, will slaughter every last one of you."

Greatjon Umber silenced him with a brutal kick to the mouth, the sound of teeth breaking echoing in the air. The pirate groaned and spat out two shattered teeth. Greatjon drew his dagger. "Lord Edd, these beasts have killed many of my warriors and stolen our women and children. Let's execute them all! None of the Rockborn we've captured have ever surrendered."

Edd shook his head. "No. We know too little about Skagos and the Rockborn who inhabit it. Keep them alive and interrogate them. We may learn something useful."

Having just been captured, the pirates were still defiant. But given time and isolation, Edd was certain that someone among them would break.

With the Northern army's arrival at Seal Bay, the pirates terrorizing Umber lands vanished like morning dew under the sun. Many fled to longships and sailed toward the eastern shores of Skagos, the largest Northern island. Those who failed to reach the ships were cut down by Northern warriors.

Soon, the coastline was quiet again. However, the burned farmlands, the smoldering remains of fishing boats, the ruined saltworks, and the devastated fishing villages—all littered with corpses—stood as grim reminders of the pirates' devastation.

Ser Herman Tallhart of Torrhen's Square approached Edd. "My lord, the White Harbor fleet has yet to arrive. Where shall we set camp? To prevent another raid, I suggest moving inland by a league—it would be safer."

"No," Edd refused firmly. "We make camp here. Place the supply wagons and provisions toward the rear. Raise the direwolf banners of Winterfell and the sigils of the great Northern houses along the shoreline. If the pirates dare scout us, they will see our banners flying over a grand encampment and know they stand no chance."

Jory Cassel spoke up. "My lord, we still don't know where the White Harbor fleet is. Should we send ravens to locate them?"

Edd shook his head. "No. A raven can find a castle, but not a fleet at sea. Besides, pirate ships may still be lurking. If our message falls into enemy hands, it will only put us at a disadvantage."

"Are we just going to sit here and wait, then?" grumbled 'Big Cask' Worr of the mountain clans.

Edd sighed. "We have no choice. This is the reality of naval warfare—without ships, we can do nothing."

All he could do now was hope that Wylis Manderly had not lost the fleet at sea. Otherwise, the Northern army's provisions would be wasted for nothing.

__________________

— Thanks to Venkat for subscribing in Warden of the Realm

— Thanks to Robin kristiansen for subscribing in Warden of the Realm

— Thanks to hussain jama for subscribing in Warden of the Realm

" Help the story climb the rankings! Don't forget to leave a Power Stone and share your thoughts in the comments if you enjoyed this chapter!"