62 Damian's Gambit!
Amid the assembly of noble houses positioning themselves for the imminent assault on Pyke, Damian took his place at the front alongside a contingent of soldiers. To his left stood the formidable Mormonts, including Jorah and Dacey, while to his right were soldiers affiliated with the Flints of Flint Cliff.
As the various houses arranged themselves, anticipation hung in the air, each participant bracing for the impending charge against the walls and gates of Pyke. King Robert's fury simmered after his messenger had been ruthlessly dispatched. There were murmurs of executing Balon's kin in retribution, yet Ned Stark, ever the voice of reason, dissuaded such drastic measures.
The tension in the air was palpable as Damian, flanked by the Mormonts, discussed their battle strategy with Jory. The query arose about the decision to charge straight towards the gates rather than await the use of a battering ram.
Damian's response exuded confidence, a mysterious smile playing on his lips. "Yes, we will charge straight towards the gates. Don't worry, we won't be stopped by it and get rained with arrows and stones from above. I didn't only kidnap a woman and two children from Pyke," he assured, his assurance rooted in a plan that involved more than mere brute force.
Jory, though curious, decided not to press further, preparing himself for the impending battle. Dacey, too, expressed her intention to follow Damian into the fray, eliciting a nod of acknowledgement from the Stark.
"I'm going to follow Damian into the battle, brother Jorah," Dacey informed her brother, Lord of Bear Island.
Jorah, clad in his armor, looked at his sister through the slits of his helmet. "As you wish, sister. Be safe."
As their eyes met, Damian and Dacey exchanged a silent understanding, a nod passing between them. The imminent clash awaited, and the North stood ready for the charge.
Though half of the army was besieging other Islands, their number was still four times that of soldiers guarding Pyke's walls.
Thoros of Myr, the red priest, stepped forward. His crimson robes billowed in the wind as he raised his hands, adorned with red-gold bracelets, attempting to draw attention.
Thoros began uttering a blessing in the name of the Lord of Light, but his words fell on skeptical ears. Many soldiers regarded him as nothing more than a false priest, a fraud, and a sot. The followers of the Lord of Light were few, scattered among the northern ranks, and their fervour did little to sway the general sentiment.
Through Damian's eyes, Thoros appeared as a figure desperately trying to assert influence. The mystical energy and fiery passion seemed more like a theatrical performance than a genuine connection to divine powers. Damian observed the soldiers around him, noting the mixed reactions of disdain and disbelief.
Still, no one said anything as Thoros continued his preaching. His friendship with the king seemed to afford him a degree of tolerance, even if the soldiers largely ignored his fervent words about the Lord of Light being the one true god.
Damian found himself surprisingly intrigued by Thoros, aware of the red priest's abilities as detailed in the books. In that narrative, the red priest was able to revive the dead and light his sword on fire, a remarkable feat. More significantly, Thoros had aligned himself with the forces of good.
Yet, he would never attempt to reach out to those crazy arseholes, no matter how skilled or powerful they might be after the magic returned. He harboured a strong aversion for their peculiar religious beliefs.
If memory served him right, in the books, Thoros had been the first to breach the walls of Pyke, followed by Jorah as the second.
Nevertheless, claiming such a feat for themselves seemed improbable in the current circumstances.
As the preparations reached their conclusion, Robert's signal unleashed a torrent of screaming soldiers charging towards Pyke. The Ironborn retaliated by releasing a barrage of arrows, attempting to hinder the incoming forces.
Typically, gates were attacked when the defenders atop the walls were preoccupied, but Damian and his contingent of around a hundred men ran directly towards the gates. Simultaneously, the rest of the soldiers worked on scaling the walls. The battle for Pyke had commenced.
As Dacey and her men followed Damian's charge towards the gates, they trusted in his ability to handle the situation wisely. They knew Damian wouldn't take unnecessary risks that could jeopardize their lives.
Damian, flanked by Raymond, Arsen, and Selena, moved swiftly under their protection, avoiding stray arrows. Simultaneously, he kept control over Ace, perched on a tree within Pyke. The falcon faced the stables, and Damian aimed to use Ace to influence the horses in that area.
Though challenging, Damian, with his warging ability at level 3, had practised this move the previous night. Within seconds of starting his run, he forced into the minds of the horses.
"Create chaos, my friends," Damian commanded the horses, stirring them with the intrusion into their thoughts.
Already untied by Damian's men in the castle, the horses bolted out of the stables, charging towards the gates. Anyone caught in their path faced the powerful force of their hooves, leaving behind a scene of disorder.
The connection with the falcon momentarily wavered, the strain of controlling the horses through Ace proving burdensome for the bird's mind. When the link was reestablished, Damian sensed Ace's irritation. Thankfully, the horses still somewhat adhered to their last command, even with the direct influence momentarily disrupted.
"Fucking Hell! Who released these animals now? Stop them!" The unleashed horses created chaos within Pyke, prompting curses from some captains. Many soldiers guarding the gates were diverted to control the unruly animals.
Amidst the bedlam caused by the stampeding horses, Damian's men within Pyke moved swiftly towards the gates, skillfully navigating through the tumult. Disguised as Ironborn, they attempted to manipulate the gate mechanism under the cover of the chaotic scene.
One of the Ironborn guards, sharp-eyed and wary, caught a glimpse of the infiltrators. "Oi, who are these blokes messing with the gate?" he bellowed, pointing accusingly at Damian's men.
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