#86Chapter 86 Winter
The Rock, the base on the coast.
Robb's fleet will set sail today. According to the plan, they will first go to Pike City for a tour, and then attack Fair Isle.
There are a total of fifty longships parked at the Rock, and the maximum full load can reach 30,000 to 40,000 people. It's a pity that Robb can't afford such a large navy, so he only loaded 10,000 people.
In addition, these soldiers are not full-time navy.
In the final analysis, they are just infantry trained at sea, and they still have to use spears and bows to kill the enemy at critical moments.
But it's enough.
Robb was fully armed and put on the largest longship with Grey Wind, who was a little uncomfortable and fearful.
Longships are highly maneuverable rowing boats designed for plundering, and are the favorite of the Ironmen.
So all the ships captured by Robb after defeating the Ironmen were longships.
The longship Robb was on was originally named "Vengeance Ironborn", one of the flagship longships of the Iron Islands. It is larger than ordinary longships and only slightly smaller than the "Invincible Ironborn" that ran away.
With people crowded together, this ship can carry more than 1,400 people.
On both sides of the ship, more than 70 ironmen who were captured by Robb before acted as rowers. They were experienced and of low status, and had no sense of belonging to the Iron Islands.
Even many people were not ironmen before, but slaves who were plundered. It didn't matter who they worked for.
Sir Wendel Manderly came in front of Robb: "Your Majesty, we are ready and can set off at any time."
Robb nodded: "Let's go."
At the moment of sailing, shouting and cursing came from the surrounding longboats.
"Don't panic, the boat will shake, you can just follow the rhythm of the shaking and twist your big butts yourself, right?"
"Keep your head down! Be careful of this moving sail! It can directly smash you into a fool!"
"What's strange about the boat tilting a little? You idiots won't flip over!"
Sir Wendel Manderly was a little embarrassed. After a month of training, it was not easy for him to do this.
White Harbor is a trading city, and the ships that the Manderly family members are familiar with are flat-bottomed boats that transport goods, which are very different from longboats that are specially used for looting.
They can only teach some sailing skills to ensure that the selected soldiers will not get seasick and vomit.
Robb saw this scene and did not blame too much: "Relax a little, the Ironmen are not born to be good at sailing. As long as they practice more and practice more, they can at least reach a medium level."
Sir Wendel lowered his head: "Your Majesty is magnanimous, we are really ashamed."
"Hoo!"
"Hoo!"
The rowing sailors shouted while sliding the oars, and the boat began to move forward slowly and sailed out of the base of the Rock City.
This time, Robb only brought the red monk Thoros, five wolf cavalry centurions and the best of the Wendel family, and the rest of the ministers stayed in Riverrun to handle government affairs.
After all, this was just a simple action, just to attack the Fairy City in the Fairy Islands.
Wendel Manderly on the side asked: "Your Majesty, do you want to name this longship?"
These ships were captured by Robb and belonged to the North. It is not nice to always use the name of the Iron Race.
And this longship is the flagship, Robb's vehicle, so the name is even more important.
Robb thought about it and said, "Then let's call it Winter. Not only on land, but also on the sea, we must understand that winter is coming.
As for the other ships, let's use the original names. After I appoint the captains, let those captains name their ships."
Wendel quickly flattered: "Your Majesty is wise! Since Brandon the Shipburner burned the fleet of his father Brandon the Shipbuilder, we have not had a navy in the North for hundreds of years. Your Majesty only spent a few months to make the Northern Fleet appear again. This is simply a miracle!"
If you want to train the navy, normal shipbuilding and training will not be completed in a year or two. The reason why Robb was able to form a navy so quickly.
It's because robbing is much faster than building it yourself.
Robb glanced at Wendel, thinking that the Manderly family had taken a 180-degree turn since they didn't get any key benefits from the last meat-dividing. It was too flattering.
But, this feeling was not bad.
"Stop flattering, let the team set off quickly."
Wendel knew that Robb meant to increase the force, so he shouted loudly: "Your Majesty has ordered the Winter to move forward at full speed!"
"Winter, move forward at full speed!"
--
Highgarden.
Queen of Thorns Olenna was discussing the invasion of the Ironborn with her family.
Interestingly, the real Duke of Highgarden, the son of the Queen of Thorns, Mace Tyrell, the inflatable fish, did not appear at this meeting.
The entire Westeros continent knew that Mace was a greedy man without any talent.
Whether it was military or politics, he knew nothing, and Queen of Thorns Olenna was the real boss of Highgarden.
Little Rose Margaery and her brother, the Knight of Flowers and the brave Garlan, gathered around their grandmother, eating and chatting, and arranging the affairs of the Reach while chatting and laughing.
Little Rose looked around: "Brother is not coming?"
She was talking about her other brother, the heir of the Tyrell family, Willas Tyrell.
The Queen of Thorns touched the little rose lovingly and sighed: "He is just like your father, he is of no use if he comes. He has a good character and is warm-hearted, but the Ironborn are coming, what use are these qualities of his? Highgarden This generation is really…"
The Queen of Thorns looked at the three grandchildren in front of her and felt helpless.
The real duke and heir have little ability, and the only one with political skills, Little Rose, still has to marry. So it's not that High Court doesn't want to fight for hegemony, but it really doesn't have the confidence.
Even if he establishes himself as the king of the river bend, how long can he hold on under the other kings?
Look at Robb in the north. In less than a year, he won many battles and captured many times more supplies than his own son had won in twenty or thirty years plus one piece!
The gap between people is really huge.
Therefore, the best way out for this generation in the Reach is to find a suitable one among these kings to become their queen.
At the beginning, the Queen of Thorns chose Renly, who had the best relationship with them. The two of them hit it off immediately, and her grandson still had a true relationship with Renly, which was really safe.
Who would have thought that after Renly died, his grandson, the Knight of Flowers, and the second oldest son of the Deer family would have a sworn hatred, and they could only choose between Joffrey and Robb.
In the end, the Queen of Thorns saw that the current situation was leaning towards the north. Caitlin talked about some of Emperor Joe's routine operations and easily convinced her.
The Queen of Thorns drank a glass of Arbor Island wine: "The Ironborn are coming, and the navy of the Shield Islands is no match for them. They have now plundered the Shield Islands, and are expected to invade the Reach along the Mander River soon. "
The Knight of Flowers was eager to try: "They dare not attack Highgarden. If they come, I will kill a few ironmen to try my hand."
The brave Garland did not speak, he was an action man.
"Of course they won't attack Highgarden, there are only so many of them!" Queen of Thorns glanced at the Knight of Flowers, "They will plunder the castles and villages along the Mander River, and they will also plunder the vicinity of Highgarden. We must protect ours. vassal."
Little Rose asked: "Earl Redwin of Qingting Island has already set off. If they dare to come to the Mander River, let Earl Redwin's fleet block the entrance to the sea and catch them all!"
The Queen of Thorns nodded: "I got news that the King of the North has also set off to show off his power in Pike City with his fleet. That boy is very ambitious. He not only wants to repel Euron Greyjoy, but also wants to occupy it. Iron Islands."
The Knight of Flowers smiled and said: "He wants our food. With those lunatics from the Iron Islands here, how can we transport the food there!"
What the Queen of Thorns is saying now is the key point: "That Stark is still developing. It is better to send cotton in the summer than to send charcoal in the winter. Since we have decided to choose him, when the Ironborn run away, let the Redwin fleet Help him take the Iron Islands."
In the Rose family's idea, sending the Redwyne fleet to help attack the Iron Islands was a gesture of goodwill to Robb, who was still developing.
If politics is said to be complicated, it must be complicated; if it is said to be simple, it is also very simple.
Many times, throwing a handful of golden dragons at the opponent's face is more effective than any conspiracy.
The Queen of Thorns also understands this truth. In the early stages of Robb's development, she gave him money, food, and sent troops to help. How could the other party refuse her kindness?
When Robb grows stronger, his family will be rewarded.
This is an unspoken rule. If Robb does not repay the Rose family, who else will be willing to help the Stark family in the future?
The Queen of Thorns believes that Robb is not the kind of person who crosses rivers and burns bridges. This is also because Robb has long rewarded him generously in Riverrun: "I heard that he is in the North..."
Little Rose held the wine glass and listened to her grandma talking about Robb's achievements and enfeoffment policy, and she also felt a little curious about her future husband.
The girl didn't care who her husband was, as long as he was a king.
To become a queen is the political appeal of the entire Rose family, and it is also her inner wish.
The Knight of Flowers also told a little gossip: "I heard that this young man is not only handsome, but also very romantic. When he was in the Bracken family in Stone Fence City... and the daughter of Westeros in Cliff City..."
The Queen of Thorns smiled: "It's normal for men to be romantic. That King Robert is going to fuck up the whole city of King's Landing."
Hearing this, Little Rose breathed a sigh of relief.
At least the King of the North likes women and can touch him, so that he can give birth to a son as soon as possible.
Then she glanced at her brother, the Knight of Flowers, and felt helpless in her heart.
Just as the Rose family was preparing to end the small banquet, an attendant walked quickly outside, panting heavily and kneeling on the ground.
His urgent voice broke through the screen window: "Madam, sir! Lord Redwin's fleet has been surrounded and annihilated by the Iron Islands!"