The Age of Daenerys Targaryen

Part 49: Ar Noy

Only crumbling ruins on the south bank of the Qhoyne remained of Ar Noy. The city had been destroyed a thousand years ago when the Valyrian Freehold completely wiped out the Rhoynar civilization.

This was the place Grey Worm had chosen to face the Alliance army. The Field Marshal, the Empress and her staff had pitched their tents on a high, broad hill where the foundations of a palace still stood, while part of the army was digging entrenchments in the surrounding ruins. The remainder camped west of Ar Noy.

The enemy army was advancing from the northeast. Daenerys now knew that Sansa Stark was there. The Queen of the North had to be sure of victory if she dared to go to the front.

Dany informed Gray Worm that she was going on a reconnaissance flight and climbed onto Drogon's back. The ruined city and the army camp below them quickly became smaller. The dragon followed the river towards Qohor. The land was almost entirely treeless and level.

It didn't take the Empress long to find the opposing army. It seemed to fill the whole horizon. Tens of thousands of mounted warriors, clad in all sorts of colors, plus hundreds of thousands of foot soldiers, marched on inexorably. They were only about half a day's march from Ar Noy.

The sight of this enormous mass made even Daenerys feel queasy. Most of the enemy soldiers were conscripts with poor equipment and little combat experience. But even in the Imperial Army, the proportion of real veterans was low. During the battles against the White Walkers and Cersei, Daenerys had not only lost two dragons; much of her Unsullied and many of the Dothraki's finest warriors had fallen in Westeros.

The losses among the Dothraki had meanwhile been replaced. A new generation of deadly cavalrymen had grown up, just as skillful and cruel as their predecessors and yet more disciplined. The New Order did not stop at the grasslands either.

The Unsullied, however, were irreplaceable. Less than half were now left of the slave soldiers Daenerys had freed in Astapor. For obvious reasons, new recruits to the Imperial Army could not be formed and trained in the same barbaric manner that the Good Masters of Astapor had done with the Unsullied. There wasn't time for it either.

Most soldiers in the Imperial Army only had their basic training and the experience they had gained in previous battles. Some would even experience their first real fight here. That was why the Empire's light infantry were armed with crossbows instead of bows: crossbows were more expensive, but could be used in combat after a few hours of practice, while the bow and arrow required lengthy training. The Dothraki, on the other hand, learned from childhood to shoot with a bow from horseback.

Daenerys' greatest concern was that the Alliance might break the Imperial lines. If all Imperial infantry were Unsullied, she wouldn't have to worry about that. But it was conceivable that inexperienced soldiers would be overrun or driven to flight. This could spark a catastrophic chain reaction that led to defeat.

The Empress inwardly called herself to order. All in all, her troops were better than the enemy. Discipline almost always prevailed over the mass, as Grey Worm never tired of emphasizing.

Daenerys had Drogon do a few circles high above the Alliance forces. Certainly ballistae were being prepared down there. But the Empress did not intend to come within their reach. She just wanted to plant fear in the hearts of her enemies.

Back at the camp, she reported her observations to Grey Worm. When the Alliance marched in front of Ar Noy at sunset, the Imperial Army was ready for action. However, the enemy made no move to attack. Instead, camp was set up on a hill a mile from the ruined city. Sansa and the other Alliance leaders apparently wanted their men to rest before the battle began.

Daenerys, seated on Drogon's back, gave a speech to her assembled troops.

"New Valyria's soldiers!", she began. "Before us stands the concentrated power of the Alliance. Intoxicated with their success at Pentos, our enemies believe their numerical superiority is enough to overwhelm us. We will show them their mistake! They positioned scorpions and ballistae so I couldn't just wipe them out with Drogon. But that won't protect them from the might of the Imperial New Valyrian Army!"

Approving roars rose from tens of thousands of throats.

"There has never been a force like ours before. You all carry a marshal's baton in your luggage because each of you could one day be Field Marshal. The best that most soldiers on the other side can hope for is to get home safe and get some booty. They fight for the selfish interests of a few. You, on the other hand, are at the service of every single citizen of the Empire and the New Order that we will bring to all people in Essos!"

"R'hllor save the Empress!", shouted the soldiers. "R'hllor save the Empress! R'hllor save the Empress!"

"R'hllor save you all!", replied Dany. "The Lord of Light has brought me back to put an end to slavery and establish the New Valyrian Empire. He gave us many victories and will not let us fail now!"

Following Daenerys' speech, Kinvara and the other Red Priests accompanying the army lit a great nightfire and held a service in honor of the Lord.

As Dany prayed, she wondered if Sansa and her allies were praying to the gods they believed in. Would they answer their prayers? And if so, could they do anything against the power of R'hllor and the Empire?

It would show soon. The 7th Cavalry Division was to carry out the first needle-stick attacks against the enemy this night.