Downstream on the Upper Rhoyne River, in a channel adjacent to a derelict pier, a rhoynar boatman was maneuvering the Golden String, a single-poled punt, as the small vessel made its way upstream.
Viserys wore a wide-brimmed straw hat, the favorite attire of boatmen, as his gaze swept across the river and the wilderness.
The boat still smelled of rum, a drink favored by many boatmen.
In addition to the single-poled punt Viserys occupied, several other boats of various sizes followed behind, all manned by rhoynar.
The small boats had wide beams and shallow drafts, making them suitable for weaving through narrow streams and sandbars.
All the vessels on the river flew small triangular pennants featuring a red dragon on a black field—a blending of two distinct cultures.
Soldiers in light armor were stationed on the boats to protect Viserys, armed with spears or shields and swords; they stood together as one, whether they were Andals or rhoynar.
Nowadays, river pirates, Stone Men, slavers, and escaped slaves were scattered across the great Rhoyne River, making it far more dangerous than in the past.
"Your Majesty, viewing the scenery from the river is entirely different from viewing it from horseback," the boatman said to Viserys.
This boat had not even reached Gohod before it began carrying Viserys back the way they came.
"Indeed," Viserys Targaryen stood on the deck, watching the tranquil waters of the Upper Rhoyne and the abandoned piers.
Viserys even spotted some turtles on the sandy banks; the turtles here weren't that large, the largest being known as Old Bone-crunchers.
Half of the pier was submerged in water, almost buried by tall, brown weeds.
The Upper Rhoyne wasn't exactly small, but it wasn't particularly large either.
It was said that The Little Rhoyne River was the same; even the smallest of the Trident's three forks was twice as wide, and each flowed faster than this.
The Upper Rhoyne and the Little Rhoyne were considered the weaker branches among the Rhoyne's tributaries.
If the Dothraki intended to cross the river, both the Upper and Little Rhoyne were suitable areas.
The lower reaches of the Rhoyne were the true Rhoyne; it was so wide there that it was difficult for the dothraki horsemen to cross directly.
Viserys was taking a brief respite from his busy schedule; recently, he had been clearing out various bandits in the hills east of the Upper Rhoyne to farm attribute points, but he hadn't forgotten to inspect the waterways by boat.
While the Andals on the border also operated riverboats, the rhoynar were the true masters of the craft.
These Rhoyne riverboats differed from Dornish vessels; many punts traveling the rivers of Dorne were painted in bright colors and intricately carved, whereas many of these boats were painted a dull earthy gray.
Viserys understood this was to maintain a low profile; in the chaotic Rhoyne basin, beautiful ships easily drew the covetous eyes of dothraki horsemen and river pirates.
"Small boats have their own agility," Viserys observed as the boatman deftly handled the vessel; speed was essential.
The shallow draft allowed the boats to navigate tiny tributaries of the Rhoyne and cross sandbars where larger ships would surely run aground; once the sails were raised, aided by the current, they could travel with swift grace.
"Sailing speed can determine life or death, Your Majesty, especially in lawless regions," the boatman replied. "For a thousand years, Sorrowful Lands has been the most chaotic."
"Are all these piers abandoned?" Viserys asked again.
"They are all abandoned, Your Majesty. Not just here, but even in the great cities downstream on the Rhoyne. Ny Sar, Chroyane," the boatman answered.
Because there was no longer a unified rhoynar civilization to manage the waterways, the current environment of the Rhoyne was quite terrible.
Qohor, Norvos, and Volantis did not love the Great River as the rhoynar did.
In a sense, it was a dark irony; it was the Valyrian Dragonlords who had destroyed the rhoynar city-states, yet in the last century, the rhoynar had been oppressed more by various city-state factions and Dothraki.
Viserys noticed quite a bit of driftwood and submerged rocks in the water, many of which were enough to destroy a ship; this was another reason why shallow-draft boats were more suitable for navigation here.
"I must find a way to clear this driftwood and these obstacles," Viserys thought. Otherwise, the waterways were fraught with danger, and rowing at night would be akin to suicide.
"The water here is just child's play. Once we reach Ny Sar and the Noyne flows into the Rhoyne, even the rivers of the Seven Kingdoms won't be half as wide as the Rhoyne. Not to mention that later, the Rhoyne is joined by three other great rivers, like the Qhoyne and the Lhorulu," the boatman added proudly.
"There will be time to see it. I also want to experience the feeling of boating across the Great River," Viserys said, looking at the shimmering surface. For now, he could only look at the small river and imagine the great one.
"I hope that one day, I may continue to pole the boat for Your Majesty," the boatman said hopefully.
"If I am to travel south with the current, I will take your boat again," Viserys promised.
"That would be my supreme honor. Perhaps Your Majesty might even see the Old Man of the River, but for now, the waterways are still very dangerous. River pirates mainly gather between Ar Noy and Sorrowful Lands. The river above Ar Noy belongs to the Qohorik, and below Sorrowful Lands is the sphere of influence of Volantis, but the area in between is a lawless 'no-man's land' where pirates haunt the unclaimed territory between the two great cities. Dagger Lake is full of small islands, and the pirates hide in secret caves and fortresses on those islands, specifically to prey upon good folk."
The Old Man of the River was a giant turtle and one of the river gods.
Viserys understood clearly: Norvos controlled the Noyne tributary, and Qohor controlled the Qhoyne tributary.
And his joint force of Andalos and the rhoynar remnants could only first control the distance from the Upper and Little Rhoyne to Ny Sar.
These waterways had a slow current and were slightly narrower, but they were better than nothing.
The most troublesome part was that Dothraki occasionally passed by these waterways, which could lead to a skirmish.
"If I called this my navy, it would surely make people die of laughter. However, as an inland fleet, it seems acceptable," Viserys said, looking around at the various boats following him. These were the meager starting forces of his Rhoyne Navy.
Viserys had already decided that in the future, his navy would be divided into two types: the first would be the Rhoyne River Navy, and the second would be the ocean-going fleet.
Small boats from Andal villages and, primarily, vessels offered by the surrendered rhoynar villages—some slightly larger—formed a makeshift, 'beggar's version' of a navy.
Though it looked underwhelming, these boats were fast and had shallow drafts, making them ideal for combat in small rivers. They would be of great help to Viserys's activities in the Upper Rhoyne region.
The rhoynar once lived by the Great River and possessed thousands of ships. Their shipbuilding technology was excellent, with the largest vessels capable of dominating both the river and the sea, but now most of that knowledge was lost, and they survived on small boats.
These boats were only meant for roaming the river; taking them into the open sea now would essentially be a suicide mission.
Everything is difficult at the start. A navy is even more troublesome than cavalry, but fortunately, he had good sailors like the rhoynar, which saved a lot of trouble.
"First, stabilize the position," Viserys thought. The Rhoyne River Navy was his foundation. These small boats were the starting point of his career.
If he needed a sea-going fleet, the cost would only be higher.
If he wanted to take a shortcut, he could contact the pirates and smugglers of the Triarchy, but those people were unreliable and charged exorbitant prices.
Viserys also knew something about smugglers; the best were the circle of friends surrounding The Onion Knight, the Lysene pirate king Saan, and Morroq, the mercenary fleet commander from Myr.
The Onion Knight had followed Stannis ashore and was unlikely to defect. The other two were opportunists who went where the wind blew; perhaps he could still get in touch with them.
Viserys needed these smugglers, either to smuggle weapons for him or to ask if these smuggling merchants traveled to the North.
While Viserys was contemplating his future strategy, a fiery red steed and a wild rider appeared on the shore, facing Viserys from across the water.
The horse neighed, carrying its master through the reed beds.
Viserys looked at the rider who exuded a wild aura; a pale red silk robe fluttered from his shoulders, and his shirt was decorated with layers of copper scales that shimmered like thousands of bright new copper coins as he galloped.
The Red Viper, without any prior notice, had arrived!