DRAGONS REBORN: The Era After SI (GOT story)

Part 25

Chapter 25

The victory of the Pretenders on the Grey Gallows was the first major loss suffered by the Royal Army. With their cavalry destroyed, and the opposing cavalry laying havoc on their ranks, the vice commander, Benjen Stark ordered a full retreat. The army would pull back to their ships and abandon the islands.

Many say that the call for retreat was unnecessary and that the army could have fought on. And while that may be right, the early and organized retreat would give the army a chance to fight on instead of becoming a wasted and spent force.

Despite the positives, the retreat was a major blow, especially with the Commander of the Army, Lord Robert Baratheon getting poisoned during the battle, for the sword used by Daemon Blackfyre had been coated with poison.

The King would hear about the loss, and would sit down with his councilors to make a new plan. However, it must be stated that the victory did little to shift the tides of the war. The Blackfyres were in quite a pickle. They were surrounded on all sides by the Targaryen forces and could only ever truly move forward, and that is what they would do. And this time they would be facing King Rhaegar himself who would show the world, the true might of the Targaryen forces.

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RHAEGAR TARGARYEN

The King of the Seven Kingdoms sat in his chambers atop the flagship galley of the Royal Fleet, his fingers thrumming on the ironwood table as he read through the report on the battle that had taken place on Grey Gallows, taking into account all he could as he tried to visualize exactly what had happened.

Opposite to him sat Jamie Lannister and his oldest friend Arthur, both of them quiet as they waited for him to finish reading. By this time, the whole fleet was aware of the battle of Grey Gallows and its unfortunate end.

They had lost. Robert had been injured, and their cavalry had been decimated by wildfire, and though their losses other than that weren't astronomical they had still lost ground to the Blackfyres and had lost the only major foothold they had possessed. This gave the Blackfyres the advantage of controlling both Bloodstone and Greygallows hence taking away the two largest islands away from their control, giving their army no landing area.

"This is not ideal, but I believe the situation is still under control," began Rhaegar as he put down the letter. And he was being truthful, their losses apart from the cavalry weren't too major and their retreat had been fairly organized.

"Yes, you are right. But I still believe Benjen's call for retreat was premature, the army could have fought on. We could have at least bled the Golden Company, yet he called for the retreat too prematurely," cut in Arthur, and while that would have been ideal. Benjen's early call for retreat had its own merits.

"Perhaps, but it was Ser Benjen's quick thinking that allowed the healers to recognize the poison in Lord Robert's wound. Had the fighting carried on we would be mourning the loss of a Lord Paramount, plus with the army intact we could use those forces in the upcoming battle," cut in Jamie Lannister.

And hadn't that been the biggest boon to the early retreat? Robert had faced Daemon Blackfyre in open combat, and from the reports, their battle had been a sight to behold. Yet the coward had laced his sword with poison. Thankfully, the healers had been quick enough to see the signs of poisoning and had treated Robert quickly for the poison, and though he was still not out of danger, the healers were hopeful about his condition.

"I believe discussing what has already happened is futile, we are gathered here to decide what are we to do next," spoke Rhaegar as he stood up and unfurled the map, as both Arthur and Ser Jamie joined him and began to place the mini statues representing their and their enemies forces.