The penitence of the wolf - The Battle of Lannisport. (Patreon)

Jaime Lannister – Lannisport

-Everyone to the Great Hall! Women and children move first!- roared the Golden Lion mounted atop his imposing warhorse while giving orders to the Lannister soldiers and the smallfolk trying to move as far away from the docks as possible.

The screams and the sound of steel clashing dominated the night, there was blood and fire everywhere across the city harbor and although the disgusting pirates had managed to land at the docks, the damage had been greatly mitigated thanks to the Queen’s warnings.

-It would seem we owe Queen Rhaella an enormous debt, this raid is far larger than we estimated. Had we not reinforced the city, the attack would have been devastating- said his uncle Kevan solemnly, causing Jaime to nod while his cold eyes analyzed the situation around them.

The regiment of Lannister soldiers kept the pirates away from the Great Hall and the treasury chamber, the streets and main alleys between the central plaza and the harbor had been blocked by heavy wagons, archers positioned atop buildings and lines of spearmen, all of whom were doing an excellent job holding back the pirate assaults.

Although not everything had gone well.

The harbor was lost.

Most of the ships anchored there had been burned and an unknown number of people had already been kidnapped by the damned Ironborn.

-Shield Wall! Groups one and two, prepare to begin the advance toward the harbor! Show these damned pirates the fury of the men of the West!- roared the Golden Lion while raising his sword high, inspiring Lords, knights and levies alike.

Jaime led the charge from the front, as the warrior he truly was.

The pirates, despite possessing armor, were as undisciplined as common bandits.

There was no coordination.

No discipline.

These idiots had attacked without any real plan.

Pathetic creatures, thought Jaime while driving his sword directly into the torso of an Ironborn before kicking the dying pirate backward into two of his companions.

His soldiers fought with savage ferocity, finding a twisted pleasure in executing every pirate they encountered and taking their sweet time while doing so and Jaime could not blame them.

Most of his men had families in this city.

Wives.

Lovers.

Children.

Just imagining what these animals intended to do to them…

The lion quickly shook his head.

This was no time for distraction.

-ARCHERS!- shouted Jaime and one instant later a rain of arrows descended upon the enemy, causing devastation among the pirates and forcing them backward, the animals suddenly wanted to flee with their tails between their legs now that they were facing real soldiers.

And Jaime would not allow it.

-We advance toward the harbor, the cowardly dogs will try to escape, do not let them- ordered Jaime and without hesitation threw himself back into the fighting.

The Lannister soldiers roared and surged forward with fury, shields raised and spears sharpened toward the cowardly Ironborn, bathing the streets of Lannisport in squid blood.

And the closer Jaime moved toward the harbor…

The more furious he became.

His people.

His city.

The legacy of House Lannister itself, defiled by these filthy animals.

Burned homes, the looted stores.

Dead men and agonizing women…

Children even…

Jaime was consumed by a fury unlike anything he had ever experienced before.

This would have severe consequences.

He would personally ensure those fucking islands burned to their very foundations.

The streets of Lannisport had become a slaughterhouse of smoke, blood and steel, illuminated by burning ships and shattered lanterns while terrified smallfolk hid behind barricaded doors praying the lions reached them before the Ironborn did.

Jaime and the soldiers advanced savagely toward the harbor, killing every pirate they encountered along the way.

Some fought until their final breath, pirates possessing a twisted sense of honor who preferred death over surrender for the sake of their warped beliefs.

Something Jaime could respect.

But there were others.

Cowardly dogs who the moment they realized they were surrounded dropped their axes and raised their hands in surrender, begging for mercy.

And obviously…

They found none.

The Lion of the West demanded blood and he would have it one way or another.

-No prisoners- ordered Jaime coldly and every knight and soldier obeyed without hesitation.

Not a single Ironborn would be captured alive tonight.

That was a promise.

The Lannister troops advanced with the fury of a thousand lions until they reached the harbor itself, where the greatest concentration of Ironborn remained gathered.

The damned pirates were preparing to flee, stealing everything they could from Lannisport.

Including prisoners.

Women and young girls making up the overwhelming majority of them, the infamous salt wives these disgusting dogs took during their raids.

That sight…

Filled Jaime with a fury unlike anything he had ever known before.

Innocent people.

His people…

Locked inside cages like fucking animals.

He would make these bastards pay dearly for this.

With a roar and raising his sword high, the Golden Lion charged directly toward the panicked pirates, who now desperately rushed to abandon the harbor after realizing the battle had turned against them.

Fucking cowards, thought Jaime while focusing his attention upon the crimson banner carrying the skeletal hand of House Drumm.

Dunstan Drumm supervised the pirates from the docks, clad in crimson armor and a white cloak and hanging at his waist…

-Red Rain- whispered Jaime while observing the hurried man carefully.

-Move your asses sea dogs! The golden kitten is coming and we have orders!- shouted Drumm while rushing to load chests onto one of the ships and to Jaime’s fury, the young lion saw the bastard gripping the golden hair of a young woman tightly within his fist.

She was obviously a noble girl, very young, possessing golden hair and green eyes, one of his cousins from Lannisport.

Sarina, if he remembered correctly from the last time he visited the city before the tragedy.

Sarina cried endlessly, undoubtedly imagining a thousand nightmares awaiting her at the hands of the disgusting creature and the lion inside Jaime finally awoke completely.

The smell of saltwater mixed with blood and burning flesh filled Jaime’s lungs while somewhere behind the chaos, the cries of chained women echoed through the harbor like pleas of help hurled directly against House Lannister itself.

Raising his sword and releasing a roar of fury, the future Lord of Casterly Rock bellowed.

-DEATH TO THE IRONBORN!- while beginning to gallop directly toward Dunstan Drumm, his face twisted in hatred, with thousands of Lannister soldiers at his back, every single one of them just as thirsty for blood as he was.

The red and gold avalanche caught the attention of the surprised pirates, who desperately attempted to form a defensive line, although against the ferocity of the lions…

These men were already dead.

The Lannisters would merely send them there faster.

Jaime’s eyes remained fixed upon Dunstan Drumm, his sword firm in his hand and with only one intention.

To end the life of this rabid beast once and for all.

-DRUMM!- roared the lion and without giving the pirate time to react, Jaime brought his steel crashing down upon the surprised Lord, catching him completely off guard and carving a deep wound across his arm.

-SHIT!- spat Drumm, but Jaime gave him no opportunity to recover, delivering a brutal kick while simultaneously grabbing Sarina rapidly into his arms.

-COUSIN JAIME! THANK THE GODS…I…THEY…!!!-

The young woman was obviously in shock, but she appeared relatively unharmed, therefore Jaime quickly ordered several soldiers to escort her somewhere safe before focusing once more upon the idiot Drumm, who had already recovered and now glared toward him with fury and hatred.

-That was my salt wife you bastard!- snarled the Ironborn while grabbing Red Rain with his remaining hand, his face twisted with rage.

Although for Jaime…

The sight was pathetic.

Especially compared to the terror he had experienced while facing King Aerys during the Sack of King’s Landing.

This damned bandit did not intimidate him in the slightest.

-I will enjoy gutting you like a salmon, you worthless cunt!- spat the Lion while beginning to walk toward Drumm with murderous intent.

And then it happened.

The night sky roared and for one single instant, the light of the moon was eclipsed by…something.

Something enormous, with black scales and crimson wings, a familiar sight for the young lion.

-ROOOOAR!-

Soldiers and pirates alike lifted their eyes toward the heavens, though with vastly different reactions.

The men who proudly carried the golden lion upon their banners roared with joy, every single one of them recognizing exactly to whom the terrifying beast belonged.

The Dragon Queen had arrived.

And with her…

Fire and Blood for the Ironborn.

A shadow larger than any house swept across Lannisport, blotting out moonlight itself while black wings thundered above the burning harbor like the coming of draconic judgment.

House Targaryen has arrived.

Rhaella Targaryen – Above Lannisport

-Your Grace! Are you certain about this?- asked Ser Barristan, utterly terrified while clinging desperately to Aeranax’s saddle with all his strength.

The Queen did not answer.

She simply guided her beloved companion directly toward the largest Ironborn ships within the bay and shouted.

-Dracarys!-

And at the Queen’s command, the mighty beast obeyed.

The colossal dragon opened his massive jaws and unleashed horrifying black flames upon the surprised fleet.

The result?

Total slaughter.

Rhaella descended from the heavens like the spirit of death itself, setting enemy ships ablaze before rising once more into the dark skies above Lannisport.

The battle within the city was nearing its end, the Ironborn had been contained, undoubtedly thanks to the warnings she had sent from Dragonstone and the Lannister soldiers were now exterminating them across the harbor.

-We shall not destroy every ship Ser Barristan, but we will sink as many as possible, we shall make the conquest of the islands easier for my husband- declared Rhaella with determination before diving once more toward the bay below.

Aeranax’s jaws opened again, bathing the coast of Lannisport in terrifying and ravenous black flames.

The more distant Ironborn vessels had already begun turning around, desperately trying to escape the fury of the Dragon Queen.

And although one part of Rhaella was tempted to pursue them, to fly into open waters and transform the fleeing fleet into floating torches…

She knew such a thing was too dangerous.

Her objective tonight was defending Lannisport and making the squids bleed.

Something she had already accomplished.

Rhaella’s interest now focused entirely upon ending this battle decisively.

-Prepare yourself Barristan, we shall land soon- said the Queen while guiding Aeranax toward the harbor below.

Rhaella observed with interest as the fighting slowly died around the docks and unsurprisingly, the Lannisters were taking no prisoners whatsoever.

Hundreds of throats were being slit across the harbor.

It would seem the fish would feast well tonight, thought the Queen solemnly.

Aeranax released another mighty roar, shaking the fighting across the harbor while Rhaella landed atop the ruined remains of one of the destroyed Lannister ships, granting the Queen a perfect view of the battle unfolding below.

Jaime Lannister fought Dunstan Drumm to the death, both men engaged in a lethal dance of steel that demonstrated the technical mastery and talent of the young lion against the experience and cunning of the corsair.

However, it was painfully obvious the young Lannister was vastly superior.

Dunstan Drumm carried a deep wound upon his shoulder, he was visibly exhausted and even to someone as inexperienced as Rhaella, his sword strikes looked slow and clumsy.

And Jaime apparently had no intention of prolonging this any further.

The young lion waited patiently for the Ironborn to make a mistake and ruthlessly used his own sword to pierce directly through Dunstan Drumm’s thigh.

-SHIT!- spat the exhausted pirate, unable to remain standing, a moment Jaime immediately exploited by severing the man’s right hand completely, causing Red Rain to fall onto the blood-covered dock.

The battle was over.

And everyone knew it.

The remaining pirates attempted to flee, only to be cut down by arrows and spears.

The lions were hunting tonight.

And squid was on the menu.

-This is for every life you ruined tonight you miserable bastard- declared Jaime, his voice cold and filled with hatred and without allowing Dunstan any opportunity to speak, he removed the pirate’s head with one brutal strike.

Ending the fight instantly.

The lions immediately erupted into victorious roars and cheers, a moment Rhaella used to say.

-It is time Ser- at the same moment both she and Barristan began descending from Aeranax toward the harbor.

Jaime picked up the defeated Lord’s sword, observing it with interest before fastening it to his waist and then turning his grateful gaze toward Rhaella.

And before the Dragon Queen could even speak, Jaime knelt.

An act instantly imitated by every Lord, knight and soldier present.

-My Queen, I thank you for your aid and your intervention, House Lannister is in your debt- declared the young lion sincerely.

Rhaella smiled softly and motioned elegantly for everyone to rise with a graceful flick of her wrist.

-Rise Ser Jaime, we have much to discuss- declared the Queen.

Aerys was already on his way and they needed to prepare the city for the arrival of the royal fleet.

The end of this war was approaching.

Rhaella could feel it.

It was only a matter of time before they ended the squid’s stupidity forever.

The Iron Islands would be burned to their foundations, dragonfire would purify the rotten culture of those animals and make way for something greater to grow in its place.

There was much work to be done.

The Queen focused her gaze upon the young lion and immediately began giving orders.

-Jaime, casualty count. Every single soldier and smallfolk who died during this attack shall receive their funeral rites, something you will deny to the disgusting Ironborn. I want your men to cut off and collect each and every head belonging to the pirates who attacked tonight and send them to Pyke aboard a small vessel, a little gift for Balon and a warning of what awaits him- ordered Rhaella coldly, her voice calm and filled with leadership, making it abundantly clear she had issued an order and fully expected it to be obeyed without question.

Several Lords and knights exchanged uneasy glances with one another, clearly uncertain about the command the Queen had just given.

At least until Aeranax roared toward the heavens and unleashed a torrent of black flame that shook the entire harbor, causing more than one soldier to stumble backward in terror.

-I shall not repeat myself Lord Jaime- said the Queen calmly.

The young lion nodded with determination and immediately began carrying out the Queen’s orders, barking commands and instructions regarding the heads while simultaneously organizing repairs across the harbor.

Shortly afterward, Lord Jaime approached her once more and said.

-The hospitality of Casterly Rock is yours my Queen- declared the young lion calmly and with absolute sincerity.

Rhaella nodded slowly.

The battle of Lannisport had ended.

But the war itself had only just begun.

And now it was time to prepare the next move.

Aerys would arrive soon and therefore…

That important conversation she had been waiting for would finally take place.

Something deep within her whispered that after speaking with her husband, things would change permanently.

For better or for worse…only time would tell.

-I accept the hospitality of the Rock, my Lord- answered the Queen.

The night wind carried the smell of smoke, blood and saltwater through the ruined harbor while the surviving smallfolk slowly emerged from hiding, staring toward Rhaella and Aeranax with expressions somewhere between awe and fear.

And honestly…

Rhaella understood them perfectly.

Tonight the people of Lannisport had not merely witnessed a Queen.

They had witnessed the power of House Targaryen unleashed in war.

Across the docks, severed Ironborn heads were already being gathered into bloodstained carts while dragonfire continued burning through shattered hulls, transforming the harbor into a grim monument warning all Westeros what happened to those foolish enough to provoke the wrath of dragons.

There was much to do...Balon had start this war.

But they, Aerys and her, will end it.

That was a promise.