Across the Narrow Sea, the waves surged, and the wind propelled the swift ships.
The booming war horns echoed across the sea, their calls hoarse and deep, like the summons of devils, passing from ship to ship.
The wolf pack was Gendry's flagship, formerly known as the "Lady's Lace," the main vessel of the Myr fleet. Its sails gleamed, emblazoned with the roaring wolf pack insignia.
The wolf pack had three hundred oars, its deck lined with ballistas on both sides, and a trebuchet at both bow and stern for launching burning pitch barrels. She was not only formidable but also remarkably swift.
"I didn't expect to see you here, Ser Davos!" Gendry said to Ser Davos, the Onion Knight. Gendry wasn't wearing his armor, but a grey-white leather vest, with his helmet at his feet. Heavy armor was a great hindrance at sea, as his fleet commander had advised him.
Ser Davos had come Across the Narrow Sea on Stannis's orders to scout the market for Mercenaries and sailors in advance, in case of need. He naturally came to visit his old friend. He didn't expect that Moros of Myr had already come ashore and joined the Wolf Pack Fleet.
"I feel as if I'm looking at the King of old!" Davos thought to himself, observing Gendry, as handsome and strong as the King in his youth. Renly, that dandy, lacked the spirit of a warrior. But this Child was somewhat different from the King; the King's temperament was more uninhibited. Yet, one thing was beyond doubt: they both possessed the allure and charisma of traditional Baratheon warriors, like a flame in a crowd.
Ser Davos felt a touch of magic. For over a decade, he had faithfully served Stannis. He hadn't expected to be fighting alongside the Duke's bastard relative, half-coerced and half-willingly.
"It's an honor to meet you, Commander-in-Chief! I also didn't expect to be betrayed by my old friend!" Ser Davos said helplessly. The Onion Knight, Davos, was of ordinary appearance, thin, with brown hair, brown eyes, and a thick Greybeard.
The first joint of the four fingers on Davos's left hand, excluding his thumb, had been severed. Davos kept the severed joints in a leather pouch as a talisman, which he always wore around his neck.
"I used to be the commander of Myr's mercenary fleet. At this moment, I am the commander of the Wolf Pack Fleet, and I also have the honor of attending Myr's round table council! From now on, our dealings are strictly business!" Moros of Myr said.
Moros's olive-colored face was typical of a man from Myr, and his eyes held a cunning glint. When Myr was breached, Moros felt his path as a mercenary fleet commander had ended, and he could seek a brighter future, so he brought his mercenary fleet to Gendry.
"That's not like you, my old friend!" Ser Davos complained. "As I recall, you loved smuggling and taking on mercenary work, never tiring of it."
"That's easy to understand; not everyone is like Old Jon, willing to be a pirate their whole life. You were wise early on, which is why you became a Ser! I've also lost interest in the smuggling business!" Moros said dismissively. "But I know Stannis; he's as dull as a rock. You should bring Old Jon and join the Commander-in-Chief. It's better than staying on a volcanic island."
"Enough, old friend! You know I'm not that kind of person; I'm always loyal to Stannis!" Davos refused.
Gendry glanced at Davos. Though of humble origins, when it came to seafaring skills, and familiarity with sea winds, coastlines, and ships, Davos was among the best.
"It seems Lord Stannis is not having an easy time on Dragonstone! To send his confidant Across the Narrow Sea." Gendry asked. The desolation of Dragonstone greatly limited Stannis's ambitions, and now with the sudden death of Old Jon, a startled Stannis's power was actually limited.
Ser Davos found it difficult to answer, as he wasn't known for his eloquence.
"Perfect, Ser Davos can join my fleet and see how we conquer Tyrosh!" Gendry didn't press the matter. Loyalty was rare; if it were easily swayed, this wouldn't be Davos.
Davos thought for a moment, since he couldn't leave the ship, he might as well watch this rare great battle.
"Currently, the fleet on the Narrow Sea is controlled by commander Harris, and the Myr fleet is under my command!" Moros said to Stannis.
"This is a show of force! Their influence already encompasses Lys, the Stepstones, and the Disputed Lands. Tyrosh is next. In this light, Moros has accepted the bastard's high office and generous pay, so he naturally won't heed Stannis's recruitment!" Davos thought helplessly.
Ser Davos couldn't help but be amazed by Gendry's generosity. Young men were often complacent and arrogant, refusing to listen to the advice of elders. But Gendry listened to old captains like Moros, and combined with their numerical advantage, Tyrosh was in great danger.
"Commander-in-Chief! Our swift ships have completed their reconnaissance; it's time for a full-scale attack!" Moros said excitedly. In the past, he had served as a mercenary fleet commander and a skilled smuggler, but he had never experienced such a grand battle.
Careful scrutiny, probing for weaknesses, rather than a reckless charge. Moros, as Davos's old friend, was equally outstanding in his understanding of ships, sailing, and coastlines.
Davos calmly observed the naval situation. At sea, it was best for a fleet to encircle the enemy from both flanks, trapping them in the center.
"Oars down," Moros called, "form ranks." Three hundred oars struck the water simultaneously, and the oar master beat a thunderous drum. The drumbeats were like a large, slow heartbeat; with each beat, the oars moved in unison, three hundred men acting as one, perfectly synchronized.
The Wolf Pack Fleet and the Narrow Sea Fleet encircled them from both sides. The Narrow Sea Fleet was composed of pirates from the Stepstones and runaway slaves who had joined them. Although the fleet had over two hundred ships, they were not as large as conventional warships, excelling in flexibility and maneuverability. The Wolf Pack Fleet, on the other hand, was the transformed former Myr fleet, consisting of regular naval warships.
"Accelerate forward!" Moros roared. The wolf pack was in the first line, flanked by two hundred-oared large ships. The other ships in the first battle line were all over a hundred oars. After that, there was a second battle line of hundred-oared warships, commanded by seasoned sailors, runaway river pirates, and runaway slaves. Further back were the smaller, slower Myr ships. Even further away, there were some merchant and cargo ships.
There were Knights and soldiers on the first and second lines of warships, but their numbers were not large. Too many armored soldiers would affect the speed of the ships. After the second line, there would be more taxi soldiers transported on the ships.
"Commander-in-Chief! The Wolf Pack Fleet is composed of the King's Myr warships; we are the right fist of this operation!" Moros introduced. "And commander Harris's Narrow Sea Fleet is our left fist!"
"Woo woo woo woo!!!" The war horns sounded, giving commands starting from the wolf pack, their rough horn blasts filling the sky. They even seemed to pierce through the surging white foam, beating in unison.
"Thump thump thump!" On the deck, infantrymen struck their shields with swords, and there were archers.
Gendry looked at Tyrosh in his sight; the city was close, but it would require a bloody battle.
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