Trials and Tribulations of the Oathkeeper

Chapter 55: Battle at the Sunset Sea (Part 1)

Aboard the Fury, with its red sails shimmering golden as they came down bearing the sigil of the Baratheon crowned stag blazoned on its canvas, Lord Stannis Baratheon readied himself for naval warfare once again. Unclasping the black cloak around his shoulders, he unsheathed his longsword from its sheath as the main bulk of the Royal Fleet and Redwynne Fleet sailed through the fog and mist until the remaining Iron Fleet finally came into view. The Battle of the Sunset Sea was about to begin at a moment's notice. Glancing briefly to his left, Stannis spotted the war galley Wolfsbane. 

So the Young Wolf and his men finally arrived. Took them long enough.

His first mate and brother-in-law, Ser Imry Florent, came onto the deck with Ser Davos Seaworth along with his son Matthos. "The men are in position, my lord," Imry reported.

"All the necessary arrangements have been made," Davos reported. "The King is already on his way here as we speak."

Stannis remained stone-faced. "With any luck he should be able to use the cover of fog to his advantage and conceal his movements until the opportune moment presents itself."

"Still..." Imry slightly fidgeted. "The ironborn will have the advantage. They know the seas better than we do. Hundreds will die."

"Thousands. Ser Davos, give the order."

Davos nodded and turned to the assembled Dragonstone archers on the side of the ship. He knew the Fury as well as he knew his own ships. Above its 300 oars was a deck given over wholly to scorpions, and topside she mounted catapults fore and aft, large enough to fling barrels of burning pitch. A most formidable ship, and very swift as well, although Ser Imry had packed her bow to stern with armored knights and men-at-arms, at some cost to her speed. The other ships hosted nearly 20,000 knights, light horse and mercenaries, the unwilling legacy from Renly Baratheon to his brother Stannis. The warhorns sounded, commands drifting back from the Fury. Davos felt a tingle in his missing fingertips. "Out oars! Form line."

A hundred blades dipped down into the water as the oarmaster's drum began to boom. The sound was like the beating of a great slow heart, and the oars moved at every stroke, a hundred men pulling as one.

"Archers, stand to! Man the below! Nock."

"Nock and set!"

Scorpion bolts were inserted as the archers drew their arrows, planting them atop their bows.

"Draw!"

Before Davos could carry out the order, he looked on in surprise as the Iron Fleet suddenly withdrew into the fog. He glanced into the distance, trying to figure out where the enemy had gone. But he couldn't see a damned thing in this blasted fog! "Hold," he commanded.

"Hold."

Davos moved from one side of the Fury hoping to get a better angle. Matthos moved to the starboard to get a closer look as well. After another pointless effort, the Onion Knight seemed close to nearly giving up until he saw a bright orange light coming from across the sky. As it got closer, it got brighter until it was revealed to be ablaze with fire. Judging the trajectory of where the fireball was going, Davos knew where it would hit. It was at this moment when he saw that, his heart stopped beating. "Oh no..." he realized staring wide-eyed before swiftly turning to the starboard deck. "Matthos! Get down!" he shouted.

Before Matthos could respond, the fireball came crashing down – scattering those unfortunate enough to be close to the starboard deck. The Fury was under heavy fire, along with the other assembled fleets. Stannis himself was taken aback for a brief moment as he noticed the Iron Fleet coming into view from two angles. The Redwyne Fleet momentarily broke away to intercept one side, its crewmen moving quickly to return fire as more rained down upon them.