Chapter 80: ' Spoils and Strategy '

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POV: Tywin Lannister;

In a mansion in Lannisport, Hall of War Council.

Year 289, the twelfth day of the fifth moon. Some twelve days after a man secretly became King...

The Protector of the West was inside the hall set up for the council. A large table with a large, finely detailed map above it, specific to the westernmost lands and coastlines of Westeros was spread out on the table. Along with it, there were miniatures of ships and shore troops to symbolize allied and enemy forces.

It was just past noon on that cloudy day with the sea as flat as aboard.

Present with the Lord of Casterly Rock was his son-in-law King Robert, the King's brother and Master of Ships, Lord Stannis, Lord Paxter Redwine, and two of the King's Kingsguard: Ser Barristan Selmy and his son Jaime.

All of them were awaiting the arrival of two other members of the council: Lord Eddard Stark, the commander of the army, and Lord Jorah Mormont, the admiral-in-chief of the Northern naval forces.

The Northern army was already camped outside the city. A Stark emissary had already announced the arrival of the two members of this council.

The wait was unnerving. Tywin found the King of the Seven Kingdoms annoying. The most powerful man in the West was forced to put up with the King's every stupid joke.

Fortunately, Tywin had already been tempered many times by his brother Gerion, and his son Tyrion.

The man had acquired a remarkable resilience for such annoyances.

Stannis Baratheon was almost a living statue, far more tolerable and composed than his brother.

Barrystan spoke only when spoken to, and Jaime followed his example, remaining silent and hiding his disdain for having to serve and protect such an idiot.

A knock was heard on the door.

"Lord Eddard Stark and Lord Jorah Mormont, Your Grace." Said Ser Mandon Moore, another member of the Kingsguard who was guarding the doorway.

"Let them pass!" Robert thundered, smiling happily. The man, almost 6 feet 6 inches tall, a stout, muscular build with the beginnings of a swelling on his abdomen, pitch-black hair, and beard, walked briskly towards the doorway, stopping about 10 feet from the entrance.

No doubt Robert wanted to be the first to greet Lord Eddard Stark, his childhood friend.

A man two inches shorter entered the hall, he had long brown hair pulled back to the sides, a long face well shaved, dark grey eyes that could change depending on that person's mood. Those eyes could become soft and calm like fog, or hard and cold like stone...

Tywin remembered well the cold, contemptuous, judgmental look Ned Stark had given him after the sacking of King's Landing. What appeared to be Lord Jorah Mormont followed close behind.

Lord Eddard entered. As soon as he saw Robert, he bowed and said:

"Your Grace." Ned.

"Your Grace." Jorah quickly followed suit.

"Lenti...

Slow to bow to your king and answer his call to arms.

Come here only when the battle is done... "Robert kept a hard look on his face, but Ned Stark was not intimidated. He played Robert's game until the end.

"Pff!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAH!!! COME HERE YOU!!!" Robert vigorously hugged his dear friend, and Ned responded with pleasure to the gesture of affection.

"How long did you want to keep me waiting! Huh?! You know how boring my brother and father-in-law are!!! Ahahahaha!" If he hadn't been the King, but just a lowly Lord Protector of the Stormlands, Lord Tywin would have had his throat cut open right then and there...

"Too many have answered the call, the bigger an army is the slower it is. Ahaha.

Your Majesty... Do you remember Lord Jorah Mormont?" Ned asked immediately after breaking the embrace with Robert.

"An honor to meet you again, your majesty." Jorah.

"Of course, I remember! You fought valiantly in both the Battle of the Bells. It is a pleasure to have you with us, Lord Jorah." Said Robert in a more serious, and respectful tone.

The Fighting Stag appreciated and respected true warriors, and recognized Jorah as such.

Jorah nodded silently showing signs of appreciation, but also humility.

"Come forward, the council awaits. Help me teach those octopuses what a True War is." The two nodded and prepared to follow their King to the center of the hall.

"Lord Tywin, an honor to meet you again. Thank you and your House for hosting us within the city of Lannisport." Surprisingly, Ned Stark showed respect, humility, and courteous gestures towards him.

"Lord Stark... House Lannister is honored to welcome all of its friends and allies to its lands.

You and all your retinue will be our esteemed guests for as long as you wish." Tywin replied, still holding a tone and gaze as hard as the foundations of his castle.

"Thank you, my lord. We will ensure that we cause as little disturbance as possible in your lands, and hope in the future to be able to return the favor you are offering us." He replied in a sincere and respectful tone, Lord Stark.

Tywin had greatly appreciated the man's gesture of peace.

House Stark, and all the lords of the North, were growing stronger and more influential. They did not yet equal the lands of the West in wealth, but they could certainly hold their own militarily. The North had fewer men, but they were also fiercer, more loyal, and better prepared than his own.

Winter had just tempered another batch of warriors.

It would have been unwise to antagonize the North. Especially not now that they were forming excellent trade relationships with many Northern Houses.

Thanks to the compasses, the Tallhart ships, and the fine produce harvested in Waterdeep, House Lannister had quadrupled its naval trade revenue in the last two years.

House Tallhart had been true to its word. It had never failed to meet a single commitment of their agreement. And that meant a great deal to Tywin of House Lannister.

"Lord Stannis, Lord Paxter, it is a pleasure to meet you again, my Lords." Ned.

"Lord Stark." They both returned the greeting in succession.

"Ser Jaime, Ser Barristan, it is an honor to see you as well." Said Ned in the same tone, and courteous manner.

Both Jaime and Tywin were noticeably surprised and somewhat confused by Eddard Stark's unusual attitude.

It was well known, that the honorable Lord Eddard Stark, had no sympathy or regard for the ''Kingslayers''...

Barristan replied promptly, but Jaime was undecided for a moment.

Perhaps his son wanted to understand if there was deception in Ned Stark's actions and words.

"Lord Stark... the honor is mine." Jaime.

The Quiet Wolf did not seem bothered by the lack of trust Jaime showed. Immediately he said:

"Well, my King and my Lords, Lord Jorah and I apologize for our late hour. Please let us begin... "

About three minutes of formality later...

"How many Northern men and ships can we count on, Lord Stark?" Stannis asked, drawing the curiosity of many.

"In total, not including crews, we have 18,900 men-at-arms.

3,000 mounted lancers, 10,000 pikes or swords, and about six thousand archers and crossbowmen. Lord Jorah, I will leave the specifics of the fleet to you." Lord Eddard.

"Yes, my Lord. We have 110 Ships, 79 in excellent condition, 25 in good, and 6 in fair condition.

30 War galleys, 12 of which are equipped with long-range catapults, and the remaining 18 primarily with harpoons.

60 sturdy caravels. Excellent for resisting and escaping a line of naval fire. They are the safest and fastest ships for transporting and landing troops.

Finally, we have the 30 longships of the former Drumm fleet. They are mainly the ships in good and bad condition, my Lords. Unfortunately, we haven't had much time to fix them up properly. They would be good to use as a vanguard in case we find a naval blockade during the attack. Each ship has a competent crew of about 35-40 men. At maximum capacity, we could average another 100 men per ship. More would be risky." Admiral Jorah explained in detail.

"An excellent support for our forces, Lord Stark." Stannis praised sincerely. Ned nodded politely at the compliment he received.

"Ahahah! Ned! You didn't have to drag the entire North down here! Are you trying to disfigure House Lannister and House Baratheon?! Huh?! Ahahahahah!!!" Robert roared, toasting his friend's health.

Robert's words had a kernel of truth to them.

Tywin was also noticeably shaken by those numbers. House Lannister had contributed only 15,000 swords and 30 ships.

The Starks far exceeded the Lannisters' contribution to this campaign.

"That was not my intention at all, Your Majesty.

Even I estimated 12,000 swords at most... but the aggressive and surprise attack of the Ironmen's in our lands has touched the hearts of many in the North. I even had to force House Manderly, Locke, Reed, and Flint to withdraw part of their forces to remain in defense of the North." Ned.

"Lord Tywin, House Mormont thanks Casterly Rock and all the lands of the West for your help on my Isle...

You will always be welcome on Bear Island, My Lord. Please give my regards to your brother Lord Gerion. He was a hero and a savior to everyone on Bear Island." Lord Jorah.

"I thank you, Lord Jorah...

House Lannister will always come to the aid of those who serve the king and the crown.

I will give your respects to my brother." Tywin.

Ned Stark waited politely for a few seconds before asking:

"The sea battle of Fair Isle? Did we manage to stop Victarion and Euron Greyjoy?"

Stannis took the floor.

"Lord Redwine and I, we just arrived this morning to report the details of the battle we won, my Lord...

Euron Greyjoy has fallen squarely into the trap.

We sacrificed 43 of our ships and 2,000 good men in the battle... but in return, 129 Greyjoy longships burned or sank. Another 82 ships were captured. Seventy of them are still in good enough condition to be used again. 6,000 ironmen fell, and 2,000 were taken prisoner. Euron Greyjoy is currently our prisoner..." Stannis paused.

"An excellent achievement. My congratulations, my Lords on your achievements." Ned said.

Even Lord Tywin nodded in congratulation.

"Not all is good news, Lord Stark...

Victarion Greyjoy managed to escape along with over forty longships. We do not know how it was possible, but almost supernatural phenomena helped Balon's brother escape the encirclement..." Lord Paxter.

"Supernatural phenomena?" Ned Stark intrigued.

"Yes, Lord Stark... Mists and not-naturals sea currents have come out of nowhere. There are a couple of survivors from one of my ships who swear by all the gods that they've even seen Victarion Greyjoy fight walking on water... Others claim to have seen his axe light up and summon lightning from the sky....

He managed to spread panic in the left wing of my formation..." Lord Paxter.

"... Until a few months ago I would have doubted these rumors, Lord Redwine. Other strange events have come to my ears not long ago." Ned.

"What events? Even in your lands, some people summon lightning from the sky, Ned?! Pff AH! I will not believe it until I see it with my own eyes!" Robert.

"... no, your majesty. Nothing like it, but still something equally inexplicable. I'd rather not discuss unsubstantiated rumors if that's all right with you." Ned Stark.

"Ah, speaking of unexplained! Your vassal! That Bloody Snow. The hero of the North. Did he come here to Lannisport, too?!" Robert asked with heated curiosity. Several others, including Tywin himself, were interested in the question.

"He is in Lannisport, my King. I have instructed Lord Duncan to take command of the army while I wait." Lord Eddard replied in a confident tone.

"Lord Duncan should barely be eleven years old, Lord Stark," he said. I, too, have heard rumors of his great deeds, but don't you think it's a bit of a stretch to entrust such a burden to such a young boy?" Lord Stannis.

"I understand your concerns, Lord Stannis... but the praise and chants dedicated to that boy do not do him justice, trust me. Before I came here, Lord Duncan gave me the gift of his advice on possible war strategies... And I must admit, they are valid points. I would like to receive your views on the matter if possible, my Lords." Even Robert looked surprised. He knew Eddard better than anyone else in there. The man knew that Ned would never praise someone unless he truly deserved such a compliment.

Tywin himself was intrigued by what Bloody Snow might be able to come up with...

The Lord Protector of the West replied:

You are reading story Game of Thrones: Paladin of Old Gods at novel35.com

"You are welcome, Lord Stark. Prove to us all if the rumors of this valiant leader of the North are well deserved."

End POV.

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POV: Ned Stark;

Stark tent. Northern army camp. About half a mile from the gates of Lannisport.

About three hours before the meeting was to begin...

Ned was in the company of his Kingmaker, Bloody Snow.

It had taken him days to recover from the events of that night on the Isle of Faces...

After the ritual ended, the archdruid Son of the Forest had requested a meeting with him.

He wanted Ned to restore the pact of non-aggression and mutual coexistence between the Children of Life and the First Men.

Ned agreed and sealed his name with his blood on a granite rock used more than 9,000 years ago for the same agreement.

The next day he had tried to attack the boy for putting him in a no-win situation.

When he had asked him:

[Why did you want me to become King in the North?!]

Duncan replied:

[Because the First Men need guidance.

It must be a Great man who guides them.

A great man doesn't seek to lead.

He's called to it, and he answers.

You're that man, Ned. I'm sure of it...]

And Ned asked:

[And why do you think I'm that man? Just because I bear the name Stark?]

And he:

[ No... I think it because I know you'd want to answer {NO} to the call...

Reigning is a duty, a danger, and a responsibility, not a right.

A man should be afraid of such a task, not seek it out as an endgame...

You Eddard of House Stark possess the qualifications to be a great king and your people need you to be one, your majesty]...

"So, your majesty... I beg your pardon.

So, my Lord. In a few hours, you will meet King Robert, Lord Tywin, and the other members of the war council.

Please... be respectful and helpful to all Lannisters within the hall.

I suggest you make a personal apology to Ser Jaime when you are in private..." Said the boy.

"Agreed." Ned nodded.

"During that council, you will discuss two things primarily... Attack strategy, and spoils of war.

Ned... it will be critical for us to get a good share of the spoils, and to do that, we will need to contribute a good deal both strategically and militarily.

You'll also have to fight by feigning interest in gold and riches." The boy.

"BUT... We need gold and riches! I'd like to remind you of Moat Cailin and the demands ' Four ' and ' Five '..." Ned.

"No Ned, for us gold is not the most valuable thing in those islands at the moment. The crown and the Lannisters will aim for that for sure. There'll be at least two or three million to raid in those Islands... but we're after something nobody wants.

The people--

Think about it, Ned. The North has the most land of all the six kingdoms. There's plenty of uninhabited farmland. And in the Iron Islands, many are used as slaves but are not, by right...

The Thralls, Lord Stark. The servants caught in the ironborn raids.

The Thralls, the salt wives... On the seven main islands, there must be at least 400-500,000 people captured in the past, or children of them.

All of them perform the bulk of the labor in those lands. They do the work that the ironmen consider 'Unworthy' of their lineage and strength...

Miners, farmers, craftsmen, fishermen... and many other professions. And most of them know the sea... They're skilled sailors and shipbuilders... They're worth more to us than gold, Ned.

We will offer those poor wretches freedom, protection, equality, a home, and honest wages.

In doing so we will not only strengthen the North, we will greatly weaken the Iron Islands by forcing them to give up the 'Old Way' ... They will have to adapt to a new and more laborious way of life.

The House, true to the motto [We do not sow], will no longer be able to lead the Ironmen. The Iron Islands will no longer have to live by raiding.

They will have to roll up their sleeves. Bend over and adapt to the new way of life, or die and be forgotten along with it." The Kingmaker.

"You mean we'll have to exterminate all of House Greyjoy? Even the younger sons of King Balon?" Ned asked visibly disturbed by the idea.

"No, not exterminate... But to cripple and weaken it so that it can never rise again.

Even if Balon and Euron were to bow the knee to King Robert, they would not hesitate for a second to rise and rise again as soon as Robert perished...

The only option is [Death] or [The Wall].

If it were up to me, I'd send Balon to North of the Wall to freeze his balls off.

If he survives the next battle, his eldest son Maron will have to be sent there as well. He has just turned sixteen.

Theon Greyjoy and Yara Greyjoy must be held as protected hostages.

The future of the Isles will be entrusted to a new Lord Protector of the Seas. A much more cultured man, a lover of books and commerce... " The boy waited for Ned to guess the individual.

"You mean... Lord Rodrik?" Ned.

"That's right, my lord. Lord Rodrik Harlaw ' The Reader ', is our key to curing this plague of the realm called [Ironborn].

House Tallhart and House Harlaw have been working together secretly for four years. It was Lord Rodrik's men who first informed our agents of the attack on Bear Island.

Lord Rodrik does not want to fight this war. He hates and despises King Balon's methods, and has long since learned that 'The Old Way'... ...is just old.

It will have to be one ironman who leads other ironmen to change. This is crucial, Ned." Eddard nodded in agreement. He found the boy's plans acceptable and reasonable.

If they could deal with the Ironmen problem once and for all, then in addition to a safer North, they would also achieve a more prosperous North.

The naval trade would grow by leaps and bounds without the risk of iron marauders.

Although the plan was a good one, Ned was still reluctant to claim even a small amount of gold. At least the amount to recoup the costs of the campaign!

Ned tried to attempt...

"Are you sure we shouldn't demand even a small portion..." Ned was interrupted.

"FORGET THE GOLD, NED! It's not gold we need anymore! We need people!

They will yield ten times as much in the long run!

The North barely grows past 3.5 million, Lord Stark.

Even Dorne has more people than we do.

The Andals have decimated us for the last two millennia.

Do you know that I've found very old census records dating back 600 years before Aegon came?

Do you know how many of us there were in the North then, Ned?" Ned shook his head.

"THIRTEEN MILLION!... THIRTEEN, NED.

Now we are three and half...

In the Reach alone there are more than 20 million inhabitants. They outnumber us six to one... and they have a land three times smaller than the North...

We need to get that number down to 'Ten' Million within the next eight years at the very least." Said Bloody Snow without any possibility of negotiation.

Ned nodded sadly.

Lady Barbrey had already alluded to their future meeting for the [Loan Application and Approval]...

The woman seemed impatient and elated with anticipation of that event. She looked like a hyena ready to receive her due pound of flesh...

The flesh of the poor King in the North...

Ned was afraid of her.

"... All right. No gold...

As for strategy?" Ned asked after shedding an inner tear.

End POV.

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POV: Stannis Baratheon;

In a mansion in Lannisport, Hall of War Council.

About three hours after a boy explained an attack strategy.

"Come on Ned, you have our full attention.

Surprise me as you did ten years ago in the Valley." Incited Robert, remembering the good old days when he and Ned, along with Lord Robar Royce rode to Jon Arryn's aid.

"I will try, Your Grace...

First of all, I would like to ask how many ships in poor condition are we in possession of?" Ned asked, turning to Lord Paxter and Stannis.

"The royal fleet has seven ships that require urgent repairs.

Lord Paxter... Ten if I'm not mistaken, correct?" Stannis.

"Correct, Lord Stannis." Paxter Redwine.

"I see... With the captured Iron Fleet ships, can we get to at least 50 expendable ships?" Ned.

"... Possibly. What do you have in mind, Lord Stark?" Stannis.

"Assuming Victaion Greyjoy returned to Pyke with those forty ships. The Iron Fleet should have no more than 200 ships remaining in its entirety.

Balon Greyjoy will surely use them as his main means of defending Pyke.

Ironmen always boast of their superiority in water combat. They will not squander this advantage.

Landing on Pyke will be our greatest difficulty.

But we can minimize our losses if we sacrifice fifty badly damaged hulls.

All we'll need is some black paint, oil, a hundred good sailors, and... an onion knight.

We'll need your best man, Lord Stannis...

The one who managed to escape the eyes of the Redwine fleet and save Storm's End from starvation, my Lord." Ned looked up from the map, seeking the gaze of Robert's brother.

"Ser Davos?"

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