High in the tower of Firegrass Manor, Gendry, The Handsome Man, Steel Fist, Longspear, Black Billy, Dick the Fletch, Qyburn, and others gathered.
The clouds of war hung over Firegrass Manor; Governor Joey's retaliation would soon arrive.
"Governor Joey is serious this time!" Qyburn said.
"According to our intelligence from Myr, Governor Joey has hired the Brave Companions and is recruiting adventurers and wandering Mercenaries throughout Myr—a considerable force! Their movements are too large; everyone in Myr knows."
"This is for the best; what I fear most is not an attack, but Myr's ironclad blockade," Gendry smiled.
"Since the Myr people are delivering themselves to us, we won't have to tire our horses with long marches."
A blockade was more terrifying than an attack; if the Myr people blockaded the coastline and allied with the Bandit Mercenaries of Crown Town, that would be the most intractable situation.
However, Myr's fatal flaw was its multiple decision-makers, which was precisely the Wolf Pack's opportunity.
"The Brave Companions!" The Handsome Man was familiar with the name.
"A collection of criminals, rapists, pedophiles, and exiles!"
Gendry also knew the name; this was the mercenary company that would later cut off the Kingslayer's arm, but they wouldn't live long enough to cross the sea to Westeros.
"The Brave Companions! An organization of clowns and criminals!" The Arrow Maker smiled.
"They're quite infamous, probably only comparable to the Second Sons and similar groups."
"Infamy is still fame; while they may be clowns and criminals, their fighting power is not bad; after all, an army of scoundrels is still an army."
The Brave Companions, even now, still had decent fighting power.
"Crush these clowns!" Steel Fist said.
"Wandering knights and adventurers lack order; crush the Brave Companions, and the others will collapse!"
"Find a way to devour all these people; kill all the Brave Companions' Mercenaries; these criminals and pedophiles have lived long enough!
The Wolf Pack has principles; it has no time to harbor a group of criminals.
As for the other Bandit Mercenaries and adventurers, they are free to come and go!" Gendry clenched his fist.
While confronting the Myr forces within Firegrass Manor would be more secure, mobile warfare and ambush battles outside the border were the most advantageous ways to wage war.
This would reduce losses on their own territory and win more supporters through victory.
"Is it a feinting tactic or a frontal assault!" Gendry had considered this.
The other six kingdoms of Westeros preferred frontal decisive battles, while feinting tactics and mobile warfare were commonly used by the Dornish.
The Dornish army chose to avoid large-scale frontal engagements, relying on light-armored warriors and superior horses for assault, while also leveraging the harsh local climate to wear down enemy forces.
Due to the intense heat and lack of water, the movement and supply of large armies in Dorne were extremely difficult.
"Ambush and mobile warfare are better," Gendry said.
Gendry, after all, did not have the geographical advantages and natural conditions of Dorne; the Disputed Lands were fertile and rich, and his manor and the Free Army slaves were newly subjugated.
"The Myr fleet attacking us from the coastline will find the roads rugged, and they cannot blockade us.
Most likely, these Mercenaries will still take the main roads, advancing by land!" The Handsome Man analyzed, using his one remaining arm to write and draw circles on the map with a pencil.
"My idea is this: first, scouts and Rangers will gather intelligence on the eastern coastline and the southern Crown Town, intercepting messengers to prevent us from being attacked on three sides."
Gendry looked at the map as if to master all the terrain and topography.
War is a collection of various elements: intelligence, logistics, and organization; a major war is the ultimate test of a Commander's war-fighting ability.
"Next, we will set up an ambush on the periphery, striving to annihilate them in one fell swoop by advancing north!
The Handsome Man will be responsible for holding the rear, while Steel Fist, Black Billy, and the Arrow Maker will lead the Longbowmen and shield-bearers in an ambush.
You will be responsible for leading the Free Army.
Longspear and I will lead the Wolf Pack Company in the assault."
"I support the Commander-in-Chief's proposal!"
"Then let's do it!"
The Commanders agreed to the Commander-in-Chief's proposal, as Gendry himself would lead the most difficult charge, which was his style.
"Two hundred archers; I think that will give these people a good show!" Black Billy said.
He led twenty archers from the Wolf Pack Company, most of whom were free slaves selected from the Free Army.
The Longbowmen primarily used Myr crossbows, followed by Eastern double-curved horn bows.
Fine yew bows and the most expensive goldenheart wood bows were rare and difficult to acquire.
Myr crossbows were easier to train with, not requiring long-term professional study, and were also the cheapest.
"The infantry and shield-bearers must hold steady!" Gendry instructed.
"As the general reserve and assault force, I need you to delay for as long as possible!"
"Don't worry!" Steel Fist promised.
"As long as there are men on my position, we will fight to the death and not retreat."
...The Myr expeditionary army left Myr.
This force of about a thousand men included the Brave Companions, but more were miscellaneous Mercenaries and adventurers from Myr City.
The Brave Companions' captain led his mercenary company, while the majority were commanded by Governor Joey's nephew, Commander Qobo.
He was an officer in the Myr City Watch and had some experience.
"Is such a motley force truly a match for the Wolf Pack?" Commander Qobo wondered.
He saw the Brave Companions' contingent, marching under the banner of the bloody-horned black Goat.
Leading the way was a tall man as thin as a bamboo pole, Goat Varg Hoat, the captain of the Brave Companions.
His black, thick beard grew almost from Varg's chin down to his waist, making his haggard long face appear even longer.
His mount was also a strange black-and-white mottled horse, and a black iron helmet, forged in the shape of a Goat's head, hung from the saddle horn.
Around his neck was a chain strung with coins of varying sizes, shapes, and materials.
These coins represented the places he had fought.
Next, men with braided bells and bronze faces rode on horseback; lancers rode black-and-white mottled horses; archers had powdered faces; short, stout, hairy men carried furry shields; black-faced men wore robes woven with bird feathers; a slender clown wore a green and pink checkered costume; swordsmen had bizarre mustaches dyed green, purple, and silver; pikemen had faces covered in colorful tattoos; a lanky man wore a monk's robe, and another sickly-looking man wore a leather cloak edged with long golden hair.
Commander Qobo quickly caught up with Varg, suppressing his displeasure.
"Lord Varg, perhaps we should wait outside Firegrass Manor.
I feel it would be most appropriate to wait for the fleet's men to come ashore and for the two forces to merge."
Governor Joey had sought the help of his captain allies, but they were slow, and their fleet's landing was much slower than the Mercenaries' advance.
Nevertheless, Qobo still hoped to wait for the fleet to deploy.
"Hah, what's there to be afraid of!" Varg said carelessly.
"I've taken your money, and I'll certainly, certainly take care of these wolf pups for you."
He seemed to always be chewing, making his speech indistinct and his mouth wet.
"My lord, the Wolf Pack should not be underestimated.
Although their scale is not large, the ferocity of the Northmen is renowned in many places.
Especially their leader; he is a cruel knight."
"Afraid, afraid of what!" Varg flaunted his necklace.
"These are all the places I've fought, fought in!
I will cut off the wolf pups' hands and feet."
He often tortured prisoners by cutting off their hands and feet, which earned him the nickname "the Crippler."
"Also, your monk, I hope he doesn't always harass the Boys in my contingent; they are soldiers, not Boys from a perfumed garden."
Qobo looked at Varg, suppressing his annoyance.
"Qyburn likes that, I'll scold him.
But for those who offer themselves, I, I... can't control it."
Commander Qobo's heart sank; he could not forcefully command the Mercenaries, and these Mercenaries were too arrogant.