Chapter 38

After all plans were settled, Eddard took the nobles of the North, left the central command tent, came to the seaside, gathered the various captains together, and announced the orders to them.

Among these captains were charcoal-skinned Summer Islanders, silver-haired and blue-eyed people from Lys, short and stocky Ibbenese with thick body hair and a scent of whale about them, slovenly "Sistermen" captains, as well as well-dressed captains from Oldtown, a golden-haired captain from Lannisport, and so on.

Eddard raised his voice: "Captains, we have already formulated a plan. The longships of the Three Sisters will lead the way, the Pentos mercenary ships and Summer Island ships will protect the flanks, and after our large ships filled with soldiers reach the shore of Skagos, we can continuously unload soldiers to land and fight."

"Heh heh—" A rough laugh came from the crowd. Eddard, Roose Bolton, Marlon Manderly, and others looked toward the sound and saw it was a filthy "Sisterman" captain with a long grey beard, a lean build, and an age of about fifty or so.

Theon Greyjoy rebuked angrily: "Old man, what are you laughing at? Lord Eddard is explaining the battle plan, yet you are laughing in the crowd. Who are you?"

The old captain gave a mocking bow: "I am Kaserun the Greybeard. I heard Lord Eddard say he wants to park the large ships at the seaside of Skagos, and I couldn't help but laugh out loud. My lords, have you ever been to Skagos? Skagos is surrounded by reefs; ships going to Eastwatch stay far away. If large ships approach Skagos, they will likely hit the reefs and sink, and they won't be coming back!"

Theon said angrily: "Lord Eddard and so many nobles have formulated a plan, does it need you to point fingers? When did it become your place to interrupt a war council? You—"

"Theon." Eddard interrupted Theon's words, "We lack understanding of Skagos; listening more to others' opinions is beneficial for us."

Eddard walked in front of Kaserun the Greybeard, "It is clear you are an experienced captain; you are very familiar with the waters near Skagos?"

Beneath Kaserun's grey beard was full of smiles, "I've been to Eastwatch more than a dozen times! I often trade with the brothers of the Night's Watch."

Eddard knew well how poor the brothers of the Night's Watch at Eastwatch were; any captain trading with the Night's Watch earned very limited money. Kaserun the Greybeard visiting Eastwatch often was clearly not doing business with the Night's Watch; it was highly likely he was bypassing Eastwatch to trade with the wildlings beyond the Wall through smuggling.

Wildlings have no currency; trading with wildlings only requires barter. Wildlings lack smiths, so ordinary iron pots, iron swords, worn-out armor, and bronze weapons from south of the Wall can be exchanged for higher-value bear skins, rings, and amber ornaments after bypassing the Wall. These weapons flowing beyond the Wall might be used against the Night's Watch, so the Night's Watch at Eastwatch strictly forbids smuggling and often hangs maritime smugglers.

As a captain from the Three Sisters, Kaserun the Greybeard must have worked as a smuggler and pirate; what is there to be surprised about? The Three Sisters are located within the Bite, facing White Harbor across the sea; they are a barren and backward group of islands, a paradise for smugglers.

Lord Wyman Manderly once wrote to Winterfell complaining that the lords of the Three Sisters harbor smugglers to conduct smuggling activities in White Harbor, causing the White Harbor customs to lose a large sum of money every year. Lord Wyman requested Eddard to petition King Robert to severely punish the lords and smugglers of the Three Sisters.

Eddard wrote to King Robert in King's Landing, and the Master of Ships Stannis took several ships of the Royal Fleet north to the Three Sisters to severely punish a group of smugglers from the Three Sisters, but once the Royal Fleet left, the smugglers returned like flies on rotten food.

According to letters Benjen Stark sent back to Winterfell, many slave-trading ships from Lys, Tyrosh, Myr, and even Volantis would bypass Eastwatch to capture wildlings as slaves to sell in the slave-trading city-states of Essos. Smugglers from the Seven Kingdoms sometimes also cooperate with slavers to capture slaves beyond the Wall.

Eddard highly suspected that Kaserun the Greybeard had also engaged in the slave-trading business, but there was no need to expose a captain who was currently fighting for Winterfell.

The Heir of Dreadfort Domeric Bolton said: "Greybeard, no navigation book mentions that Skagos is surrounded by reefs. This is the largest island in the North; there must be beaches where large ships can dock."

Kaserun the Greybeard laughed: "Books are just things made up by those grey rats, the Maesters, to fool people. You believe them? If all the captains in the world only read books to go to sea and didn't know how to observe ocean currents, weather, and terrain, all the ships in the world would be buried at the bottom of the sea. I often pass by Skagos; why would I lie to you?"

A Lysene captain chimed in: "A few years ago, my ship was in the Shivering Sea, blown by a storm to Skagos, where it hit a reef, took on water instantly, and I was almost caught by the Rockborn on the island. My ship escaped to Skane, and only after repairs could I barely make it to Eastwatch, escaping a disaster."

Kaserun the Greybeard said: "Why do you think the savages on Skagos call themselves Rockborn? On one hand, it is because the island has many mountains and hills, and the islanders' character and physique are like rock; on the other hand, it is because of the reefs surrounding Skagos."

It seems Skagos is indeed covered in reefs, and large ships cannot dock; the difficulty of the amphibious operation will double.

Greatjon frowned, "If it is really as you say, that Skagos is surrounded by reefs, why aren't those pirate ships afraid? Wouldn't they hit the reefs?"

Kaserun the Greybeard said: "The ships used by pirates are smaller longships, and the pirates are familiar with the locations of the reefs, so naturally they aren't afraid."

Eddard understood a bit why Winterfell could never make the Rockborn of Skagos bow and submit; the waters around Skagos are full of reefs, and the North, lacking naval power, is naturally difficult to conquer.

Eddard looked at the eastern sea; he knew that Skagos was waiting for him somewhere across Seal Bay.

"Since the large ships cannot dock, once we see the land of Skagos, we will lower small boats from the large ships, and the small boats will row over to land on the island."

Sir Maron Manderly was worried: "Lord Eddard, switching to small boats to land will waste too much time, and besides, when the pirate ships strike from both sides of the ocean, the casualty rate for those on the small boats will be higher. We are not afraid of the Rockborn pirates; they are as unskilled at naval warfare as the Northmen, but who knows how many Ironborn pirates are on this damned island?"

Wendel Manderly said: "What about our knights and the cavalry's warhorses? Small boats can't carry many horses."

Sir Herman Tallhart said: "My lords, don't forget the military rations and supplies. I suggest we still land separately at nearby beaches; huddling together will only make us live targets for the pirates."

Roose Bolton said softly: "My lords, we are completely unfamiliar with the waters around Skagos. I suggest we interrogate the captives; if some captives become our guides, the guides can certainly lead us into Skagos."

"Or lead us into the enemy's encirclement." Maege Mormont said angrily, "Neither the Rockborn nor the Ironborn are trustworthy."

Eddard had heard enough of his vassals' advice. He said: "The ships of the Three Sisters will lead the way in front. After arriving in the waters near Skagos, if you see pirates, just fire arrows, but do not pursue the pirates. The large ships are not allowed to approach the island; use small boats to transport men. Depart!"

When the time comes, Eddard wants to see how the likes of the King of Rocks Samlo Crowl, the Iron Bitch, and Helen Pyke will withstand the wrath and strike of the entire North.

(End of chapter)

(Riddled with Reefs)