Game of Thrones: The Frozen Throne

From the distant mercenary ships of Pentos, stationed to defend the left flank, the horn of the North sounded.

It had finally come. During the war council, both Eddard and Ser Marlon Manderly had agreed that the pirate fleet would certainly attack when the Northern fleet landed on the island.

Eddard looked towards the source of the sound and saw a group of pirate ships emerging on the northern seas. Fortunately, their numbers were limited—he quickly counted and estimated no more than ten ships.

Jon Snow shaded his eyes with his hand and gazed into the distance. "Lord Eddard, fortunately, the pirate longships are few. Are they Rockborn pirates or Ironborn?"

Eddard stared at the ghostly silhouette of the pirate longships under the sunlight. "I'm not sure. But if I were the Rockborn King, Samro Crowl, I would send all my Ironborn pirates into battle. The Ironborn are most effective in naval warfare. Once we land on Skagos, their usefulness in mountain and skirmish battles will diminish."

"A similar situation occurred during Balon Greyjoy's rebellion. At first, the Iron Fleet burned the Lannister fleet at Lannisport, and the Ironborn pirates roamed the seas unchecked. It wasn't until Stannis led the Royal Fleet and Lord Paxter Redwyne brought the Arbor Fleet that they finally had a match.

Even after Stannis crushed the Iron Fleet at the Battle of Fair Isle, the Royal Fleet and the Redwyne Fleet still faced fierce resistance in the waters near the Iron Islands. The Ironborn had plenty of ships, but once the royal army breached their naval defenses and landed, the Ironborn crumbled."

Domeric Bolton, heir to the Dreadfort, asked, "Lord Eddard, do you think the Rockborn King, Samro Crowl, will personally lead the attack?"

Eddard shook his head. "Who knows how the Rock King will act? He may charge with his Rockborn warriors or stand back on a hill and command from afar." The former was Robert's style; the latter was Tywin's.

The self-proclaimed Rockborn King of Skagos, Samro Crowl, was as much a mystery as the island itself.

A roar erupted from the beach. Greatjon Umber led his warriors, brandishing battle-axes and longswords as they stormed the shore, only to be met with a deadly rain of arrows. Eddard saw a warrior fall, an arrow lodged in his chest, blood staining the sand. This was the first drop of Northern blood spilled on Skagos, but it would not be the last.

The pirate ships from the north entered the range of the Pentosi mercenary ships, and both sides began exchanging arrows. The pirates were cunning; rather than charge outright, they used flaming arrows to set the Northern ships ablaze. Fortunately, there were too few pirate ships, and the fires were quickly extinguished.

Theon Greyjoy watched the pirate ships nearby.

"Lord Eddard, this is just a handful of enemies—not even ten longships. Give me three large ships, and I'll sink them all and capture these pirates as a gift for you. Don't forget, I was born an Ironborn."

An Ironborn who had spent his formative years far from the sea. Eddard doubted Theon's naval skills had survived his years in Winterfell—if he had ever possessed them at all. When Theon left Pyke, he was only ten. What could a child that age have learned about sailing? He would likely struggle even as an apprentice deckhand.

"Theon, I forbid you from engaging. Our goal is to land as many soldiers on Skagos as possible. If we allow ourselves to be distracted by a few pirates, we will only delay our plans."

Theon was unconvinced. "Lord Eddard, it's just a few pirate ships. Should we let them harass us? I bet that so-called Rockborn King only has these ships left. How many could they possibly have?"

Eddard replied, "Even if the Rockborn and the Ironborn have few ships, they have more than just these. The pirates that once ravaged House Umber's lands, sacked Karhold, and raided the shores of the Dreadfort numbered in the dozens. At one point, they even sailed up the Last River."

Domeric Bolton added, "The White Harbor fleet sank some of their ships on its way north. The Umbers, the Karstarks, and my own Dreadfort warriors have destroyed others. I doubt they have many longships left. See how our army is already landing? They could only send this small force."

Something was off. According to captured Rockborn prisoners, the Rockborn and Ironborn had shipyards and forges on Skagos. As the largest island in the North, Skagos had ample timber for shipbuilding. Longships were cheaper and quicker to construct than warships—there should have been more of them.

Soon, the pirates exhausted their supply of pitch and burning oil, leaving them with only bows and arrows. Their threat diminished further as they engaged in long-range skirmishes with the Pentosi mercenaries, Northern merchant ships, and fishing boats.

Didier, captain of the Summer Isles swan ship Eros, maneuvered his vessel near the Pentosi mercenary ships and unleashed a volley. The black archers of the Summer Isles wielded goldenheart longbows—exquisite and expensive weapons with a range far superior to the pirates' bows. Pirates screamed as they were struck, many falling into the sea.

The Pentosi mercenaries, White Harbor sailors, and Lyseni crossbowmen cheered at the display.

Realizing they were at a disadvantage, the pirates retreated several dozen meters out of range but did not flee. They hovered at a distance, seemingly waiting for an opportunity. Since Eddard had forbidden any pursuit, Didier did not chase them.

On the beach, Greatjon Umber's vanguard suffered heavy losses under the enemy's arrow fire. Umber warriors lay dead across the shore, and Greatjon's Broken Chain Giant banner had been shot down. Eddard feared he had fallen in battle.

Fortunately, Pherron and Robett Glover led their scouts ashore. Some were struck down before they could mount their horses, while others lost their steeds to arrows, sending them fleeing into the waves. Pherron and Robett shouted commands through the chaos, rallying the cavalry for a charge against the Rockborn archers.

From the south, the sound of a horn rang out.

On the Lyseni greatship Sweet Kiss, lookouts spotted incoming pirate ships and immediately sounded the alarm.

Eddard turned his gaze southward. On the right flank of the Northern fleet, more than a dozen pirate ships appeared.

Theon clapped his hands. "I get it! The northern pirate ships were a diversion to draw our attention, while this fleet attacks from the other side. Too bad they don't have enough ships to pose a real threat."

Eddard wasn't so sure. If the northern ships were truly a diversion, why had the southern fleet taken so long to arrive? With the strong winds, they could have used their sails to charge in like a storm. Yet they rowed forward slowly instead.

The new arrivals mimicked the northern pirates' tactics—advancing, firing, retreating, repeating the cycle. The northern pirates did not coordinate with them either.

The Northern fleet's archers kept the pirates at bay. On the beaches of Skagos, Robett Glover and Pherron finally organized their cavalry charge. As Eddard expected, the enemy archers crumbled.

At great cost, the Northern army had secured a foothold on Skagos. Blood soaked the sand, seeping into the ancient land of the island.

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