Fire and Blood

Chapter 19: Siege of Bloodstone (Part 2)

Stepstones ― Dwarfstone...

For several weeks, the siege of Bloodstone intensified. House Velaryon deployed its ships to engage in naval warfare, Daemon rode atop Caraxes to strafe the Triarchy forces on the ground with dragonfire, and Aeonar would conduct night raids and covert reconnaissance deep behind enemy lines. Casualties mounted on both sides as each continued harassing the other, with neither faction letting up. The Crabfeeder would not give up his claim to the Stepstones without a fight, but Corlys would never allow his ancient noble house to be ruined by those he perceived as a threat.

Positioned at Dwarfstone, the island was closely adjacent to Bloodstone and served as a base of operations for the final confrontation. Corlys brought House Velaryon's 700 soldiers, 60 knights and 18 ships, Daemon's private army consisted of mercenaries, and Aeonar remained on stand-by with Lykirī Mēre acolytes, 10 ships and 2,000 volunteers – landed knights and sons of minor lords eagerly seeking glory. Compared to the Triarchy's more than 2,000 corsairs, the battle was expected to be a costly one. Everyone felt the already heightened tension in the air. Whether it was anxiety or last-minute jitters, none of the soldiers could say for certain. Each man drank from their wineskins before offering their comrades a chance to quench their thirst. They hailed from different origins, sworn to different houses, but throughout the War for the Stepstones, they were forged in the crucible of combat and emerged as hardened veterans.

"Look over there. Off in the distance," a Velaryon knight pointed.

Across from where they stood, four ships in the Velaryon fleet sailed to bombard the Bloodstone with Caraxes flying overhead to provide cover. But the Triarchy, backed into a corner, hurled flaming boulders from catapults and trebuchets at the invading forces. One, two... both narrowly missed their targets and crashed into the seas. The third strike missed, but the fourth hit its mark, inflicting heavy damage on the Velaryon vessel. Five, six... again missed their mark.

Lord Corlys, head of House Velaryon and one of the three main leaders of the military operation, stood beside the war table alongside his heir, Laenor, and his younger brother, Vaemond. Donning a robust silver plate armor donning the seahorse insignia on the breastplate with scale-like brassards covering the arms and an oceanic tunic underneath, the Sea Snake was ready to end this battle. "We have 16, perhaps 18, seaworthy ships," he observed. "Seven hundred soldiers, some 60 knights. With the number of volunteers accompanying us for the final confrontation, our food has quickly begun to dwindle, save for what we can fish from the sea. I would say we'd have a fortnight, maybe a bit longer with strict rationing." He moved a piece on the map forward. "Our allies on the frontlines continue to hold off an enemy assault by the sea, but I've been informed their ships are being held back in preparations for what they say is part of a larger strategy. As such, I have made a call for Driftmark to send more ships, but they will be weeks away. Both sides are weary, numbers decline with each offensive. We must gather the full might of our forces and bring an end to the Triarchy, continue sending the dragons."

"Wait, father," Laenor interjected. "We send our men past the chokepoint beyond these dunes, we'll never get another chance and only end up jeopardizing the entire operation. A mistake like that would give the Crabfeeder an opening to launch a counteroffensive. In such a scenario we would have no choice but to retreat." He moved a piece across the map. "Archers hold the high positions, Triarchy foot soldiers hold the ground."

"Dragons can circle Bloodstone until they fall out of the sky," Vaemond said. "The Crabfeeder and his men have no reason to leave those caves."

"Not quite," Laenor pointed towards various x-marked locations, indicating different caves surrounding Bloodstone and tunnelways collapsed. "Our prince told me of his plan before we could rendezvous with Daemon. While Daemon and Caraxes strafe them on dragonback again and again, Aeonar and his Lykirī Mēre infiltrate their hideout under the cover of night to avoid being detected, giving them time to cut off these access points to numerous tunnels whenever they retreat within the caves and thin their numbers. Stealth, reconnaissance, and assassination were key to pulling it off, though it did cost us the lives of several of our men. As such, the Crabfeeder knows they cannot utilize the same strategy again, as the same would happen on their last remaining stronghold. He'll have no choice but to force a confrontation on the ground and the cliffs."