Along the winding coastline of the Disputed Lands, four sleek and lengthy black ships, crewed by escaped slaves, pulled ashore. The gray-and-white banner of the Wolfpack fluttered in the wind, alongside the emblem of the Free Army—a broken shackle.
These escapees had turned to piracy after fleeing Valyria, preying on slaver ships from Valyria until they heard whispers of the Powdergrass King, a liberator of slaves in the Disputed Lands.
"We pledge ourselves to you, for you are the breaker of chains, the liberator and abolitionist. Whether the Long Night descends or winter is coming," the four captains from Valyria, who had traveled far, placed their longswords at Gendry's feet and knelt in a half-bow, swearing their fealty.
The captains and sailors bore the ugly scars of healed wounds on their faces. Once slaves of Valyria, they had the tattoos of ship's sails on their cheeks.
When they fled Valyria, they had slashed their faces to conceal the marks of their former servitude.
"From this moment forth, you are the naval captains of the Free Army! All men are born free, and there shall be no slaves in my realm." Gendry accepted their fealty, flanked by the high command of the Wolfpack and the Free Army.
Unsullied in light armor stood guard behind him, while Free Army soldiers armed with spears and crossbows were stationed nearby.
Gendry was pleased; their arrival was a timely boost. Adding a naval component to his forces was a significant step, even if it was just a few black ships, not the massive warships.
"The slaves of Valyria await your return with bated breath!" Captain Harris, the leader of the captains, declared.
"I accept your fealty, and I will lead you back to Valyria, alongside thousands of freed brothers!" Gendry promised.
"Long live the Free Army!"
"Long live the Free Army!" The sailors of the black ships cheered.
"Many of your messages were spread by the Water Widow in Valyria. I think the Commander should reach out to her," Captain Harris whispered.
"The Water Widow?" Gendry thought the name sounded like someone formidable.
"She's a big shot in Valyria, but she hasn't forgotten her roots. The Water Widow was once a bedslave, trained in Yunkai to master the Seven Pleasures.
A Valyrian magistrate named Varago bought her. Later, Varago fell in love with her, granted her freedom, and eventually married her. Magistrate Varago owned docks, warehouses, and ran businesses in cargo transshipment, currency exchange, and ship insurance. When Varago died, the Water Widow took over his enterprises."
Gendry made a mental note of the name. She was someone worth contacting. However, attacking Valyria was a distant consideration, as Valyria remained a formidable power with a large standing army and a significant population.
Gendry led the four captains to Powdergrass Manor. Along the way, the captains and sailors saw fields of wheat, willow groves, and plots of powdergrass. Slaves, now free folk, walked with their heads held high. Free knights and merchants passing through were subject to the head wolf's command. Free folk worked the fields, and the army, composed of free folk, maintained order. It was a new kind of nation.
"I've come to the right place," the captain thought. The thriving Free Army would surely terrify the slavemasters.
The gates of Powdergrass Manor had been transformed into a more formidable lair of wolves. The manor walls were heightened and widened, with deep trenches dug around them, lined with sharpened stakes. Tents were neatly arranged within the manor, leaving wide pathways. Horses were tethered to the north, under the watch of uniformed soldiers. The most eye-catching was a black steed, a gift from a Dornish prince.
Reeve Luff had everything arranged for the captains. Luff's family lived within the manor. Though he was a free man from Myr, he had never mistreated slaves and was known for his kindness. Even after the Free Army was established, the slaves were happy to let Luff continue as the steward.
In another part of the Disputed Lands, at the camp of the Golden Company, a secret meeting was underway.
The Golden Company's camp was impeccably organized, with a layout that was impeccable and flawless. From the barracks, tents, horses, sentries, and patrols, the Golden Company was more like a standing army than a mere mercenary band. And with over twenty war elephants, they possessed terrifying war beasts.
The captain's tent was sewn with gold thread, surrounded by a circle of spears, each topped with a gilded skull. One skull was particularly large and grotesque, while the one beneath it was the size of a child's fist. The fierce Maris and his unknown brother.
The other skulls had no distinctive features, except that some had been killed by a hammer, their skulls cracked, and another had neat, sharp tooth marks. This was the order and tradition left by Cold Iron: after death, the skulls were gilded, and when they returned to Westeros, these banners would be raised high.
"This little whippersnapper is ruthless!" a high-ranking officer of the Golden Company complained inside the tent. "He's out to tear down the slavemasters' homes and turn the Free Cities into a battlefield of flames!"
The mercenaries of the Golden Company flaunted their worldly wealth, exuding a nouveau riche vibe, much like other groups: they wore gem-encrusted swords and engraved armor, dressed in fine silks and heavy gold necklaces, and especially the gold armlets on each man's arm were worth a fortune, enough to ransom a lord. One armlet represented a year of service in the company.
"It's indeed a bold move, but it's too extreme!" Tristan Rivers said. "To fight all the slavemasters, the Wolfpack's whippersnapper seems to have gone mad."
The Golden Company had a strong Westerosi element, with many mercenary captains bearing bastard surnames like Flowers, Rivers, Hill, and Stone, but there were also more prominent names from the Seven Kingdoms. Two Strongbells, three Poes, one Mudd, one Rosby, one Manderly, and a pair of Cole brothers. But surnames didn't matter much in a mercenary band, where people could call themselves whatever they pleased.
"Still, the whippersnapper's idea is a bold one. As long as the banner is there, slaves will flock to him, turning the world upside down. If we had those soldiers, we'd do even better," Tristan continued.
To be honest, the new path Gendry had carved out was indeed revolutionary and very risky. The Golden Company, however, was only thinking about collecting commissions, serving as mercenaries for the Free Cities. They hadn't considered occupying the Disputed Lands and opposing the Free Cities like Gendry had.
"Forget it, our goal is to go home, not to stay here and fight the Free Cities," the captain of the Golden Company, Harry Strickland, interjected. He was an exceedingly mediocre man, but thanks to the Golden Company's military discipline, even a fool could lead this group successfully.
"What about the Myrish proposal? The governors are offering us gold and slaves to attack the Wolfpack," Harry said.
"Foolish proposal!" Tristan retorted.
"The Wolfpack has always been a formidable force. The head wolf is fierce and cunning, unmatched. Think of the unlucky Unsullied and Brave Companions, and the Winter Wolves during the Dance of the Dragons. And those slaves adore their head wolf. A man fighting for freedom is a fierce opponent. I'm certain that even if we win, it will be a victory riddled with scars."
"Still, we could offer armed protection to Myr. That way, we'd get the gold without risking too much," Harry suggested.
"Why not reach out to the Wolfpack? They want the Disputed Lands, we want Westeros, much like the Penny Prince. Once they secure the Disputed Lands, they could support our attack on the Stepstones or the Reach. We still have friends," another officer proposed.
"You're mad!" Captain Harry immediately dismissed the idea. "We should back a true dragon, bide our time, and then strike at Westeros, not now." The secret of Young Griff was known only to a few and had not yet been exposed.
"Wait for the true dragon? You mean the Beggar King and his sister, that poor little girl? Did you forget how the Beggar King invited us to dinner and we laughed at him?" Franklin snorted.
"What true dragon are we waiting for? The Penny Prince could have jumped to the islands; we could follow Maris's example."