Chapter 44: The Ironborn Pirates' Surprise Attack

Under the starlight of the night, on the coast of Last Hearth in the North, Sir Herman Tallhart of Torrhen's Square stood at the prow of a ship, gripping his longsword. Clad in dark green armor with the three-tree sigil of House Tallhart on his breastplate, he watched the patrolling ships in the distance.

Sir Herman Tallhart's son, Benfred Tallhart, was sixteen years old, the same age as Theon Greyjoy, and had received the opportunity to follow the great army on this campaign. Benfred Tallhart was tall and broad-shouldered, with a neck as thick as a calf's, and he had always been a noisy and restless young man.

"Father, I don't understand. The war has broken out on Skagos across Seal Bay, yet we are stuck here counting seals. What is the point of this? I should be fighting side by side with my friend Theon. Why is it that Theon can rush to the battlefield, while I am forced to stay here?"

Sir Herman Tallhart said helplessly, "I protested to Duke Eddard at the beginning, saying I wanted to go to the front lines, but Duke Eddard told me that the task of guarding the grain and supplies is vital. Benfred, don't forget, two-thirds of the Northern Army's grain is here. The Pentos Mercenaries' ships and the Sistermen's ships have all followed Lord Eddard to Skagos, so we cannot afford to be lax."

Benfred Tallhart said disdainfully, "Isn't it enough that Lord Merman's two sons are here? Look at the big bellies of Sir Wylis and Sir Wendel; they were practically born to guard food. What risk is there in grain and supplies staying on the ships? The Northern Army must have already successfully landed on Skagos by now, and the pirates, with their lair threatened, must have fled back to the island to defend it."

Herman Tallhart's eyes were fixed on the tranquil sea as a flock of seagulls swept past.

"Regardless, I will not let my guard down. Benfred, pass the order down. Tell those patrol boats to keep their eyes peeled. Once they spot any sign of Ironborn Pirates' longships, blow the horns immediately."

Benfred Tallhart left in a sullen mood, and Herman Tallhart walked toward the captain's cabin.

The merchant ship "White Harbor Treasure" was the largest in the White Harbor merchant fleet participating in the campaign, and it was precisely for this reason that Sir Herman Tallhart had chosen this ship to serve as a grain carrier; it was packed full of supplies and grain.

Lord Wyman of White Harbor's two sons, Sir Wendel and Sir Wylis, were playing dice with a group of White Harbor Knights. Wylis won a round and let out a thunderous laugh, his walrus-like belly shaking.

Wendel and Wylis were both very fat and prone to sweating, so they had all taken off their armor.

Sir Herman Tallhart said, "Wendel, Wylis, Duke Eddard has entrusted us with the task of guarding the grain. We cannot be lax. You should put on your armor, go to the other ships to inspect, and tell the crossbowmen to stay alert."

Sir Wendel frowned, "We have two thousand men here; how would the pirates dare to come? Sir Herman Tallhart, you are too nervous. You should play a round with us."

Wylis waved his hand at Wendel and stood up to begin putting on his armor. "Brother, do as Sir Herman Tallhart says. Don't forget, Sir Herman Tallhart is the commander appointed by Duke Eddard."

Sir Wendel was somewhat unconvinced. He stood up and grabbed his armor, and a squire nearby began helping him put it on. Wendel muttered, "How would the pirates dare to come? The Rockborn and Ironborn Pirates will only flee in the face of the Northern Army."

The horns of the North sounded from outside, and the area outside the cabin became restless. Soldiers and sailors were all shouting, "The pirates are here!"

Sir Herman Tallhart immediately drew his sword, while Wendel and Wylis stood stunned in place. Herman Tallhart said angrily, "What are you still standing there for? Take the White Harbor knights and protect the ships; I will go command the crossbowmen to engage the pirates."

Wendel was scrambling to put on his armor, "Even if the pirates come, the scale won't be very large."

When Sir Herman Tallhart reached the deck and saw the pirate longships appearing in the east, he was completely dumbfounded. The pirate longships that Wendel claimed were "not large in scale" appeared like ghosts in the darkness, closing in on the Northern ragtag fleet from the north, south, and east. In the dead of night, Herman Tallhart could not see the exact number of pirate longships, but he estimated there were no fewer than thirty.

The crossbowmen on every Northern ship were prepared and fired arrows at the pirate longships. The pirates' fire arrows struck some fishing boats, setting them ablaze. Fortunately, these fishing boats were far from the grain ships, and Sir Herman Tallhart felt slightly relieved.

The pirate longships closed in bit by bit; even though the pirates suffered heavy casualties, they showed no signs of retreating. Herman Tallhart shouted orders, and all the sailors, soldiers, squires, and even cooks on the ship, as long as they could find a bow and arrow, ran to that side of the ship to fire.

The number of archers in the Northern ragtag fleet far exceeded that of the pirate ships, and their firepower suppressed the opponents. Herman Tallhart felt slightly relieved.

Suddenly, a cry of alarm from Sir Wendel came from the "White Harbor Treasure": "Sir Herman Tallhart, a group of pirates is attacking from the land!"

Herman Tallhart clearly had not expected that the pirates would dare to flank from the land. Herman Tallhart hurried to the other side of the ship.

Facing the landward side, the defense of the Northern ragtag fleet was weak. By the time Herman Tallhart and Wendel arrived, the pirates' fire arrows had already struck the "White Harbor Treasure." Flames spread rapidly, and a dozen other ships were also burning.

"Put out the fire!" Herman Tallhart ordered, but the ship was already in chaos. When the crossbowmen saw the ships on fire, many dropped their bows and ran. When the ragtag fleet could no longer suppress the pirate longships with a rain of arrows, the pirate longships charged into the ragtag fleet like sharp swords, and some pirates rushed onto the decks of the Northern fleet.

When the pirates jumped onto the Northern ships, the Northern sailors, soldiers, and knights seemed to lose their courage to fight in an instant. Many crossbowmen were cut down by Ironborn Pirates before they could even switch weapons, and some knights were struck in the face by flying axes and fell into pools of blood before they could even draw their swords. Some Northern soldiers, seeing the ships engulfed in flames and the Ironborn Pirates boarding, chose to jump into the sea, but they could not swim far before being shot down by Ironborn archers.

The Heir of White Harbor, Wylis, fell to the ground, dead or alive, it was unknown. Sir Wendel hacked two enemies to death with his sword and wanted to check on his brother's injuries, but he was struck in the back of the head by an Ironborn Pirate with a mace and fell onto his brother.

Herman Tallhart cut down one enemy after another who got close, but he still felt despair. The fire was still burning and spreading; two-thirds of the Northern Army's grain and supplies were destined to be lost on this night of slaughter, amidst the iron and fire of the Ironborn.

A short, fat Ironborn swung a battle-axe at Herman Tallhart. Herman Tallhart parried with his sword, his wrist seemingly bleeding from the impact. Steel roared, and Herman Tallhart slashed the Ironborn Pirate's knee with his sword and thrust it into the Ironborn's chest, only for his sword to get stuck in the enemy's breastplate.

At this moment, an elegant, curvaceous figure swept past Herman Tallhart. Herman Tallhart's arm was slashed by a sharp sword, and he fell to the ground in a wave of intense pain.

Before him was a woman with red hair, snow-white skin, and sea-blue eyes; her face was like a mermaid from a story. She wore a sea-blue tunic, black breeches, and a layer of chainmail over it. The woman examined the sigil on Herman Tallhart's breastplate with her vicious blue eyes.

"You are Herman Tallhart of Torrhen's Square? Your grain is gone; how will Eddard Stark conquer Skagos now? The Northern Army will starve to death on Skagos. Before the alliance of the Iron Daughter and the King of Rocks, the Northern Army is destined to perish on Skagos."

Herman Tallhart spat out a mouthful of blood and foam, "Who are you?"

In the firelight and sea breeze, the woman's eyes flashed, "I am the Conqueror forged by the Drowned God, the Iron Bitch, Helen Pyke."

(End of Chapter)