The night had already stretched past the hour of three when a small boat stealthily glided to a halt near the islet upon which the imposing Great Keep of Castle Pyke perched.
Aided by Ace's keen guidance, Damian skillfully directed the boat, enabling it to slip past the patrolling enemy ships, escaping their vigilant eyes undetected. Their primary concern now was the guards stationed atop the castle's walls. The darkness played to their advantage, and the guards, lulled by the late hour, had grown complacent in their duties, conducting fewer rounds along the ramparts. With Ace's assistance, Damian successfully brought the small boat, housing around twenty individuals, including himself, to the base of the islet, avoiding unwelcome attention.
With no solid ground to disembark, Damian carefully manoeuvred the boat close to the sheer cliff, allowing the soldiers to clamber aboard one by one. He ensured the vessel wouldn't be dashed against the rock due to the relentless waves. Armed with climbing gear and skills acquired through the system's shops, the summoned soldiers skillfully ascended the gently sloping cliff to reach the top of the landmass, where the imposing castle walls began.
Here, they faced their most daunting challenge: scaling the sheer vertical stone wall without the aid of ropes tethered to the ramparts. Yet, their acquired skills proved invaluable. These ancient walls, weathered by time, offered cracks and crevices that the soldiers cleverly exploited to make their ascent.
At times, the leading soldier inserted a small iron rod into a crevice, creating a makeshift foothold for those who followed. Even if only a toe could find purchase, it made a significant difference. The ascent was treacherous, and there were a few close calls where grip nearly faltered, and one soldier's foot slipped, forcing him to cling desperately to a crack in the wall with just two fingers.
The climbers had to halt their progress whenever patrolling guards passed directly above them on the ramparts. Damian, concealed in the shadows beneath the cliff with four other soldiers, maintained vigilance. He relied on Ace, his falcon, to alert them to the approaching guards, and they would pause until the threat had passed. The process was slow and meticulous, taking nearly half an hour to reach the ramparts of the Great Keep.
Using their precise understanding of the guards' patrol routes, they carefully traversed the ramparts and reached the passageway leading into the Great Keep. However, they found the passage blocked by closed doors, guarded by vigilant sentinels. The guards would only unlock and open the doors when the shift changed, and fresh troops came to relieve those braving the cold outside. This entrance was secured and heavily watched, making it a risky choice.
These resourceful summoned soldiers were well-prepared. They made their way from the ramparts to the opposite side of the wall. Horizontally, they scaled the formidable stone structure, steadily progressing toward the passageway with a balcony. In a clever move, they circumvented the heavily guarded door and the security behind it, avoiding unwanted attention.
Having successfully completed the initial phase of their mission, Damian's summoned soldiers quietly proceeded through the passageway to reach the stairs leading to the upper chambers. Though guarded, their strategy was to bypass these guards by opening windows and climbing the walls to reach their intended targets.
The soldiers split into three groups, each moving discreetly in different directions. The darkness of the night concealed their movements from the guards below, who were more focused on the lower levels. The first group reached the room where Theon Greyjoy and Asha Greyjoy lay asleep. Their infiltration skills allowed them to open the locked windows and enter the room without creating much noise.
The second group reached the chamber of Balon's wife, slipping in without raising suspicion. However, the third group, making their way to Balon's chamber, discovered that he was awake and inside with one of his salt wives. They had to abort their plan, as abducting Balon while he was awake posed too many risks.
Regrettably, Damian had to signal his soldiers to withdraw and prioritize their other targets. As these soldiers began their descent, the window above them opened, revealing a stark-naked Balon on the balcony. Frozen in their tracks, the soldiers hoped that he wouldn't notice their presence. Thankfully, Balon was too groggy to observe anyone below and proceeded to relieve himself outside.
Balon returned to his room after completing his business. Damian anxiously watched through Ace's eyes as Balon sipped from a pitcher, his thoughts unknown. With time running out and Balon not falling back asleep, Damian made the difficult decision to recall his men.
The two remaining groups, having successfully subdued and bound the three hostages, retraced their steps, guided by ropes down to the ramparts. They bypassed the guards and descended the wall, then made their way down the cliff to reach the water, where Damian awaited their return.
Despite not capturing his primary targets, Damian felt content with the successful abduction of Balon's wife and his children. The summoned soldiers who had executed these tasks were visibly fatigued, marked with bruises on their fingers, and sore from the physically demanding activities. Scaling the protective walls outside had proven to be the most challenging part, although the numerous stones jutting out from the Great Keep's walls had provided some relief and made the operation somewhat easier. Descending from their mission proved to be even smoother, with the aid of ropes to swiftly return to the lower grounds.
"Excellent work, everyone," Damian commended his soldiers for their remarkable execution of the plan. "The sun will rise shortly. Let's make our exit before we're discovered." With a sense of accomplishment, they slipped away from the imposing castle of Pyke, leaving no trace of their daring incursion.
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