Along the Kingsroad, Kevan Lannister spoke with an exhausted tone.
"My lord, some of our soldiers trampled the farmland, and now a group of Stormlander peasants are here demanding compensation."
Kevan rubbed his temples and replied, "Find the soldiers responsible, behead them, and hand over their heads to the Stormlanders."
"But my lord…" the messenger hesitated. "There were dozens of soldiers involved in trampling the fields…"
Kevan waved him off impatiently. "Then find the ones who stepped onto the field first and execute them. Let it serve as a warning to the others, and a gesture to the Stormlanders."
"Yes, my lord."
As his subordinate left, Kevan sighed, feeling utterly drained.
Leading an "army" like this one was something he hoped never to experience again.
Now he only wanted to reach Bronze Gate quickly and let these troops exhaust themselves in the defense of the town.
"How long until we arrive?"
"At this pace, my lord, we should reach Bronze Gate by sunset tomorrow."
"Good." Though Kevan wasn't pleased with the pace, he had little choice. Rushing might lead to even more soldiers "wandering off."
After a while, he asked, "Any word from the Stormlanders? Where are the Reach forces now?"
"No word, my lord. The last we heard was two days ago, when a Stormlands messenger spoke of an impending battle, and the Reach forces were—"
"No news yesterday or today?" Kevan cut in, suddenly wary.
"None, my lord."
A sense of unease began to creep in. Kevan immediately instructed the messenger, "Send word to the vanguard to stay alert, and set scouts farther out."
"Yes, my lord."
The vanguard was led by Lord Renfred Rykker of Duskendale.
House Rykker was not a notable house; they had neither a long history nor significant power. They had only gained control of Duskendale about twenty years prior, after the Darklyns, the original lords, rebelled by imprisoning "the Mad King" Aerys. Tywin Lannister, then Hand of the King, crushed the uprising, and House Darklyn was wiped out, leaving the Rykker's to inherit the title and lands of Duskendale.
Lord Renfred feared and admired Tywin Lannister's iron-fisted rule, and over the years, he had tried desperately to win favor with House Lannister. However, in his attempt to flatter Tywin at a feast by praising his "gold-generating abilities," he had only incurred Tywin's icy glare, which left him sleepless for days. Since then, he had avoided Tywin altogether.
When Kevan summoned troops for the Stormlands campaign, House Rykker contributed nearly a thousand men—a significant portion of the five thousand soldiers the King's Landing lords could muster. Lord Renfred, keen to prove his loyalty to House Lannister, joined the campaign without question.
"Have we heard anything from the Stormlanders?" Lord Renfred asked the messenger, frowning upon hearing Kevan's orders.
Then he remembered that the scouts he had sent out that morning had yet to return.
"Surely we haven't encountered the Reach forces already?" he muttered, as though trying to reassure himself. "They can't have arrived this quickly, can they?"
"We don't know, my lord, but Lord Kevan advised caution."
"Very well." Lord Renfred nodded and sent out several additional scouting parties.
Unbeknownst to him, however, these scouts were promptly torn apart by Reach cavalry patrols circling the area, and no news would make it back.
As the Reach cavalry approached, there was no longer any need for scouts. The clouds of dust rising in the distance and the thunderous pounding of hooves announced their presence.
When Lord Renfred Rykker spotted the cavalry force advancing like a dark storm on the horizon, he felt his blood run cold.
His first impulse was to turn and flee, but years of experience warned him of the terrible outcome that would follow. The bulk of the King's Landing forces were infantry, who would be no match for mounted soldiers. Once the infantry's formation broke, the Reach cavalry would pursue and rout them, potentially even driving them back to disrupt the main forces.
Even if he himself escaped on horseback, his family would pay the price.
Lord Renfred imagined Tywin Lannister's cold stare, recalling the fate of House Darklyn. Shuddering, he ordered all soldiers to form up and prepare for battle.
He also quickly dispatched a messenger to the main army with news of the attack.
In a crisis, he did all a competent commander could do.
But no amount of tactical precision could overcome their strategic disadvantage.
When Samwell intercepted the King's Landing forces before they could reach Stoney Sept, the Reach army had already gained a decisive strategic advantage.
The Reach cavalry spread out along the Kingsroad, trampling the fields on either side without a second thought. The army swept forward like a tidal wave toward the enemy.
After several battles, and with guidance from the renowned general Randyll Tarly, Samwell had developed his own tactical understanding.
The key to cavalry warfare was speed.
When he learned that the force ahead of him was only the King's Landing vanguard of around two thousand soldiers, he immediately ordered an attack.
The Reach cavalry pressed forward without pause, preparing for battle on the move.
Their tactics were straightforward: heavy cavalry in the lead, light cavalry following close behind.
Outnumbering and outclassing the enemy, there was no need for complex maneuvers—sheer force would suffice.
The Reach's northern army had about six hundred heavy cavalry, which, even though not numerous, proved devastating against unprepared infantry on open ground.
Led by Samwell, the armored cavalry advanced like mobile fortresses. Though not particularly fast, they were a nightmare for infantry.
The King's Landing troops, caught off guard, fell into chaos.
Though these were the elite soldiers of the King's Landing contingent, lacking the raw recruits Kevan had conscripted, they were still woefully unprepared for this sudden assault.
Lord Renfred Rykker shouted orders to his soldiers, who hurriedly raised their spears, but the shields were poorly positioned and offered little real defense.
As the spear-shield formation failed to take shape, the Reach cavalry thundered toward them. Lord Renfred, seeing them close in, shut his eyes in despair.
It was over.
With the Reach heavy cavalry charging toward them, and a white dragon circling above, panic spread through the ranks.
Cleopatra, the dragon, didn't have much offensive power yet; her flames could barely kill a dozen soldiers. But the sight of a dragon, after the Conquest centuries ago, struck terror in Westerosi hearts.
The soldiers at the front broke ranks, dropping their weapons and fleeing.
Panic spread quickly.
Lord Renfred called for the officers to enforce discipline, and deserters were executed on the spot.
But it was too late.
"Archers, fire! Fire!" Lord Renfred bellowed.
A scattered volley of arrows flew into the approaching cavalry, pinging harmlessly off their armor. Only a few unlucky horses were struck in the eyes, causing them to topple.
In a thunderous clash, Samwell's cavalry crashed into the King's Landing formation.
With each impact, blood sprayed, and soldiers flew like rag dolls.
The heavy cavalry smashed through shields and bodies alike, carving bloody paths with little resistance.
Samwell didn't even bother drawing Dawn, his greatsword, wielding an ordinary weapon instead.
Against the heavy cavalry, the King's Landing soldiers had no chance.
They had met their worst possible enemy in the worst possible place.
The heavy cavalry crushed the infantry lines, scattering the soldiers in all directions.
The Reach light cavalry followed, picking off any survivors.
When the tide of Reach soldiers passed, the Kingsroad lay littered with debris.
The Reach soldiers' swords and lances bore little blood, but their horses' hooves dripped crimson.
Lord Renfred Rykker, as expected, died on the battlefield.
In truth, this vanguard had no opportunity to surrender. The Reach cavalry swept over them like a wave, leaving them decimated within moments.
The wide Kingsroad was strewn with bodies, trampled beyond recognition.
The ground ran red, and the overwhelming stench of blood hung thick in the air.
(End of Chapter)