Game of Thrones: The Frozen Throne

Under the torchlight of Abyss Keep's great hall, Billy Stern glared at Helen Pyke, the Ironborn raider.

"How can you be so sure? If Eddard Stark wishes, he can easily receive supplies by sea."

Helen Pyke replied, "The North does have fleets transporting supplies to its eastern coast. But even if they try, my Ironborn raiders will intercept them beyond Skagos."

Billy Stern sneered. "You always boast about how unstoppable your Ironborn are, claiming that the Northern fleet is nothing before you. Yet, why don't you take your men to the sea and rid us of those Sistermen pirates and the Pentoshi mercenaries?"

Helen Pyke ran a hand through her fiery red hair. "The Sistermen pirates and Pentoshi mercenaries are of no concern. Can't you see? They are merely bait set by Eddard Stark. He wants to use them to wear down my Ironborn raiders."

Billy Stern scoffed. "You can't even handle those rabble, yet you expect me to believe your raiders can stop the North's supply ships? Meanwhile, my coastal villages are being raided, and you do nothing."

Helen Pyke placed a hand on Billy's arm. "Listen to me. Evacuate those villages, take everything you can, and burn the rest. If we leave nothing behind, we will win."

Billy Stern shoved her hand away in disgust. "Burn our food? Do you have any idea how hard it is to grow crops on the barren lands of Skagos? I don't know if your scorched earth tactics will bring us victory, but I do know that if we follow your plan, my people will starve when winter comes."

"Ironborn woman, will you send your raiders to drive off those Sistermen and Pentoshi mercenaries, or must I take my warriors back north and deal with them myself?"

Samro Crowl, the Stone King, interjected, "Billy, you must stay. Do not forget your oath before the Weirwood at the Great Clans Council. You swore to obey my command and hold Abyss Keep."

Samro Crowl turned to Helen Pyke. "Helen, take your fleet and intercept the North's supply ships."

Helen Pyke left without a word.

Billy Stern fumed. "Why not send the Ironborn fleet to protect the villages instead?"

The Stone King replied, "The Northern army is marching upon Abyss Keep. The mountain paths may be treacherous, but they will be here soon. Eddard Stark's true aim is to destroy the Ironborn shipyards and forges here. He will attack this castle, and he will pay a heavy price for it. If we hold out long enough, his supplies will run dry, and when the time is right, the Rockborn will strike and bury the Northmen."

"As for the villages? We must abandon them. Neither the Ironborn nor my Rockborn have the strength to defend them. War demands sacrifice."

Billy Stern's anger boiled over. "So the North's true target is the Ironborn shipyards and forges. Stone King, your nephew Donald and my son Boleson are prisoners of the North. Many Rockborn warriors have fallen, our villages are in flames, and our sacred Unicorn Knights have perished—all because of these damned Ironborn!"

Samro Crowl placed a firm hand on Billy's shoulder. "The Ironborn have given us longships, armor, and weapons."

"And they have brought death and ruin," Billy Stern replied coldly. "Stone King, I have seen the Northern army. They number no less than seven thousand. The Rockborn cannot stand against them. We have lived freely in these lands for centuries, ignored by Winterfell. But the Ironborn and their raids have provoked House Stark, and now the North has come for us."

"Why must the Rockborn pay the price for the Ironborn's ambitions? If you cast aside your crown, return the Northern prisoners, and offer Helen Pyke's pretty head to Winterfell, this war could end at once."

The Stone King stood tall. "The Rockborn do not kneel."

Billy Stern sighed. "And what of my son, Boleson? He is the heir to Driftwood Hall—my only son. Stone King, can we not trade the Northern prisoners for him?"

"No." The Stone King's response was firm. "Do not worry. The Northmen will break themselves against Abyss Keep's walls. Their supplies will dwindle, and in time, they will fall. When we defeat them, Boleson will be free."

Billy Stern was dissatisfied, but he had no choice but to accept it.

The sky darkened, and freezing rain began to fall. Eddard Stark and his army marched through the storm. Fortunately, the Rockborn slingers and archers had lessened their ambushes. Every village they passed was empty, stripped of food and supplies. According to their Rockborn guide, Nonda, the Stone King had likely gathered all his forces inside Abyss Keep.

Three days later, the Northern army finally arrived before Abyss Keep.

"It is stronger than Casterly Rock, more fortified than Storm's End, and more perilous than the Eyrie," said James Codd, an Ironborn prisoner. Eddard Stark had dismissed such claims as Ironborn exaggeration—until now.

The castle was carved into the sheer cliffs of Crowl Gorge, hundreds of feet above the river. A massive stone gate bore the sigils of Rockborn warriors and their unicorn steeds. According to Donald Crowl, a Rockborn captive, Abyss Keep had once been a vast natural cavern. Over centuries, the Crowl clan had dug deep, mining dragonglass and iron from its depths.

Though their mining was primitive, they had expanded the fortress over generations, hollowing out great halls and tunnels.

On either side of the castle gates stood trebuchets and watchtowers. Before the keep lay the Abyss River, its dark red waters forming a natural moat.

The river cut off the Northern army's advance, and only a single rope bridge spanned its raging currents. The bridge was a narrow, swaying construct of wooden planks, stretching hundreds of feet across. Only two men could cross at a time, and the path sloped steeply upward toward the keep. Positioned in the heart of the gorge, the bridge was battered by fierce winds, swaying dangerously with each gust.

Domeric Bolton, Theon Greyjoy, and Jon Snow stood in stunned silence.

Roose Bolton, Lord of the Dreadfort, gazed at the abyss below, his pale eyes betraying a rare flicker of unease.

"Lord Stark, let alone attacking the keep—crossing this bridge alone seems near impossible. If the Stone King has chosen to hold this castle, then he must be confident. Otherwise, he would have destroyed the bridge."

Ser Medger Cerwyn shrugged. "Why bother destroying it? If we attempt to cross, the archers in those towers will cut us down, and we'll plunge into the river below. If they truly wish to destroy the bridge, a single trebuchet strike would send it crashing down."

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