Game of Thrones: Kings in the North

Chapter 38
After everything was planned, Ed led the nobles in the north, left the tent of the Chinese army, came to the seaside, called the captains together, and announced the order to them.

Among these captains are Midsummer Islanders with charcoal-skinned skin, Lisians with silver hair and blue eyes, short and thick Ibans with thick body hair and the smell of whales, and sloppy "sister male" captains. The glossy Oldtown captain, the blond-haired Lannisport captain, and more.

Ed raised his voice: "Captains, we have made a plan. The longships from the Three Sisters Islands are responsible for opening the way, and the Pentos mercenary ships and Midsummer Islands ships are responsible for protecting the two wings. Our large ships full of soldiers are in Skagos. After the island lands, soldiers can be continuously unloaded and landed on the island to fight.”

"Hehe—" There was a rough laugh from the crowd, Ed, Roose Bolton, Marlon Mandler and others followed the prestige and saw a dirty "sister boy" captain , he has a long gray beard, lean build, about 50 years old.

Theon Greyjoy scolded: "Old man, what are you laughing at? Duke Eddard is talking about the battle plan, but you are laughing in the crowd. Who are you?"

The old captain bowed mockingly: "I'm 'Greybeard' Casselen. I couldn't help laughing out loud when I heard Duke Eddard say that he was going to park the big ship on the coast of Skagos Island. My lords , Have you ever been to Skagos Island? Skagos Island is surrounded by hidden reefs. The boats going to the East Sea Watch are far away. If a large ship approaches Skagos Island, there is a high probability that it will hit the rocks and sink, and it will not come back. !"

Theon said angrily: "Lord Ed has made a plan with so many nobles, so you need to dictate? When will it be your turn to intervene in the combat meeting? You"

"Theon." Ed interrupted Theon, "We don't know much about Skagos Island. It's good for us to listen to other people's opinions."

Ed walked up to Casselen the Greybeard, "It can be seen that you are an experienced captain, and you know a lot about the waters around Skagos Island?"

Casselen's gray beard was full of smiles, "I've been to the East China Sea more than a dozen times! I often trade with Brother Night Watchman."

Ed knows how poor the brothers of the Night Watchmen at East Watch are. Any captain can make very little money from trading with the Night Watchmen. Graybeard Casselen often visits East Watch, obviously not doing business with the Night Watchmen. There is a high probability It is to bypass Donghai Watch and make a deal with the barbarians beyond the Great Wall through smuggling.

Savages have no coins, and trading with wildlings only needs to be bartered.The savages lack blacksmiths, so ordinary iron pots, iron swords, worn armor, and bronze weapons south of the Impassable Great Wall can be exchanged for some more valuable bear skins, rings, amber ornaments, etc. by bypassing the Great Wall.These weapons flowing out of the Great Wall may be used against the Night Watchmen Legion, so the Night Watchmen at Eastwatch strictly forbid smuggling, and often hang some sea smugglers.

As a captain from the Three Sisters, is it any wonder that Catheron the Greybeard must have been a smuggler and a pirate?The Three Sisters Islands are located in Bite Bay, across the sea from White Harbor. It is a barren and backward island, a paradise for smugglers.

Earl Wyman Manderly once wrote to Winterfell to complain that the lords of the Three Sisters Islands sheltered smugglers to carry out smuggling activities in White Harbor, and the White Harbor Customs lost a lot of money every year.Lord Wyman asks Eddard to petition King Robert to punish the lords and smugglers of the Three Sisters.

Ed sent a letter to King Robert in King's Landing, and Stannis, the sea minister, took several ships of the royal fleet north to the Three Sisters Islands and severely punished a group of smugglers in the Three Sisters Islands. Like flies on rotting food, it comes back.

According to the letter sent back to Winterfell by Benyan Stark, many slave trading ships from Lys, Tyrosh, Myr and even Volantis will go around Eastwatch to capture wildlings as slaves and transport them to Erth Slave trading city-states in the mainland of Sousse sell, and smugglers from the Seven Kingdoms sometimes cooperate with slave traders to capture slaves outside the Great Wall.

Eddard doubted that Catheron the Greybeard had been a slave trader, but there was no need to expose a captain who was fighting for Winterfell.

Domilik Bolton, Heir of Terror, said: "Greybeard, there is no mention in any sailing book that Skagos Island is surrounded by reefs. This is the largest island in the North, and there must be beaches for large ships. "

Casselen the gray beard said with a smile: "The books are all made up by the gray rats of the bachelors to fool people. Do you believe it? If the captains of the world read books and go to sea, they don't know how to observe ocean currents, weather and terrain. The boats are dead. I pass by Skagos so often, why should I lie to you?"

A Captain Rees echoed: "A few years ago my boat was blown to Skagos Island by a storm in the trembling sea, hit a reef, flooded in an instant, and was almost caught by rock species on the island. My boat escaped Went to Skaine Island, repaired and barely made it to Eastwatch, and escaped unharmed."

Greybeard Casseron said: "Why do you think the savages on Skagos Island call themselves rock species? On the one hand, it is because the island is mountainous and hilly, and the islanders' bodies are like rocks. the reefs of the Isle of Thins."

It seems that Skagos Island is really full of hidden reefs, and large ships cannot dock, and the difficulty of crossing the sea will be doubled.

Greatjon frowned, "If it's true, as you said, Skagos Island is surrounded by reefs, why aren't those pirate ships afraid? Wouldn't they hit the reefs?"

Greybeard Casselen said: "The ships used by the pirates are small long ships, and the pirates are familiar with the location of the reef, so naturally they are not afraid."

Ed understands why Winterfell has never been able to subdue the rock species of Skagos Island. The sea around Skagos Island is full of hidden reefs, and the northern border lacking naval power is naturally difficult to conquer.

Ed looked out to sea to the east, and he knew that Skagos Island was waiting for him somewhere across from Seal Bay.

"Since the big ship couldn't land, after we saw the land on Skagos Island, we lowered the small boat from the big ship, and the small boat rowed over to land on the island."

Sir Marlon Manderly was worried: "My lord Ed, it would be a waste of too much time to land in a smaller boat, and when the pirate ships rushed out from both sides of the ocean, the casualties on the smaller boat would be higher. We are not afraid of rocks. They are as bad at sea battles as the northerners, but who knows how many ironborn pirates there are on this damned island?"

Wendell Mandler said: "What about our knights and cavalry horses? There can't be many horses in a small boat."

Sir Herman Tall said: "My lords, don't forget that there is still rations and supplies. I suggest that we should land separately on similar beaches. Crowding together will only become a living target for pirates."

Roose Bolton said softly: "My lords, we are completely unfamiliar with the waters around Skagos Island. I suggest to interrogate the captives. If some captives become our guides, the guides can take us into Skagos Island. .”

"Or lead us into an enemy ring," Meggie Mormont said angrily. "Neither the rockborn nor the ironborn are to be trusted."

Ed had heard enough of the vassals' advice, and he said: "The ships from the Three Sisters Islands opened the way ahead. When they arrived in the waters near Skagos Island, they could shoot arrows when they saw pirates, but they were not allowed to chase pirates, and big ships were not allowed to go. Get close to the island, use a small boat to transport people, let's go!"

At that time, Ed wants to see how the King of the Rock, Samuro Crower, the Iron Bitch, Helen Pike and his ilk, can withstand the angry crit of the entire northern wilderness.

(End of this chapter)