Bronze Gate, true to its name, served as the northern gateway to the Stormlands. With its fall, no natural defenses stood between the Reach's army and Storm's End.
The Reach forces did not linger long in Bronze Gate, resting for just one day before resuming their march southward. Once again, Samwell led the vanguard with his cavalry, while Lord Randyll followed closely behind with the main infantry force.
Before setting out, father and son discussed their strategy. From their recent encounters with Stormland troops, they concluded that several noble houses near Storm's End had not yet joined the battle. Some lords likely heeded calls to rally inside Storm's End, while others might hesitate to submit to a "bastard lord" and preferred to wait.
Now, with Stannis Baratheon defeated at King's Landing, the Stormlands had one less option. And with pressure from House Lannister in the name of the Iron Throne, many nobles would be inclined to support the bastard lord at Storm's End. Most of these lords would never have expected Bronze Gate to fall in a single day, and many likely hadn't even mobilized yet.
Samwell's task, leading the cavalry vanguard, was to intercept any last-minute reinforcements for Storm's End.
Before departure, "the Beauty" Brienne of Tarth came to see Samwell. Seeing her fully armored again, Samwell thought she certainly looked more fitting in her armor.
"Lady Brienne, if you wish to leave, let Lord Tarth pay the ransom. Or, if you choose to swear fealty to me, no ransom will be needed."
Brienne bit her lip and said, "House Tarth only swears loyalty to the Lord of Storm's End."
Samwell chuckled. "Then what brings you here?"
"I won't fight for you, but I can carry your banner—as a small repayment for what you did for me last night," Brienne said.
Samwell laughed. "Agreed. But if the day comes when I take Storm's End, I hope you'll remember your promise."
Brienne gave a solemn nod. "I will."
With preparations complete, Samwell gave the signal, and the Reach cavalry surged south along the Kingsroad, thundering like a relentless river.
---
Atop Pinewood Town's walls, Lord Jon Oly watched the rising dust cloud to the north with a paling face.
"How many of them are there? Did anyone scout their numbers?" he asked.
"Just that there are many—so many they cover the entire field."
Lord Oly's face twitched in frustration. He sent scouts ahead, and yet they returned with vague reports. But he knew in his heart why: his scouts had likely seen the Reach cavalry and panicked, fleeing back without daring to approach the enemy.
He found it hard to believe the Reach forces had reached Pinewood so quickly. Had Bronze Gate fallen in less than a day? Or had the Bucklers surrendered outright.
The pounding hoofbeats grew louder, like endless rolls of summer thunder, sending shivers through his soldiers on the town walls, including Lord Oly himself.
Hold the line or surrender?
Lord Oly struggled with the decision. Pinewood was a small town, with few soldiers left after the Dornish campaign, barely enough to muster three or four hundred men. How could he hope to defend it?
The thundering stopped as the black wave of cavalry slowed and halted just outside the town. To Lord Oly's shock, they maintained a perfect formation, even in their advance.
Sitting motionless atop their warhorses, the Reach soldiers cast a chilling, oppressive silence over the air, broken only by the occasional snort of a horse or the snapping of banners in the wind.
The frigid silence crept over Pinewood's defenders, freezing them into mute dread. No one spoke; no one dared move.
Suddenly, a dragon's roar shattered the stillness.
Lord Oly looked up and saw a huge, pearly white dragon hovering above the Reach cavalry, ridden by an armored knight wielding a massive, flaming sword that seemed too bright to behold.
"Surrender now, and you shall live!" the dragon rider called down.
The last shreds of Lord Oly's will crumbled. He quickly turned to his herald and said, "Open the gate. We'll surrender."
The words left his lips, and he felt an almost instant relief wash over him.
As the drawbridge lowered, Samwell couldn't help but feel a touch surprised. He had expected at least some negotiation, yet the gates opened without protest.
If Lord Oly had chosen to resist, Samwell wouldn't have attacked. Assaulting with cavalry would have been inefficient, and his objective was intercepting reinforcements for Storm's End, not besieging insignificant towns. The main army could handle that later.
But since Oly was so cooperative, Samwell would gladly oblige.
As the gate swung open, Reach cavalry poured into the town, quickly seizing control of key locations. Samwell dismounted as his dragon, Cleopatra, landed on the wall.
Lord Oly stepped forward, offering a fawning smile that faltered under the dragon's intense heat. "You must be Lord Samwell, the renowned 'Caesar,'" he said, bowing slightly.
"Lord Oly, I presume," Samwell replied, dismounting. "Has no call to arms been sent out from Storm's End?"
"Oh, there was, long ago" Allyne replied. "But few answered the summons of a bastard lord. I've heard he even imprisoned some who refused his rule. His dungeons are filled. But lately, with news of Stannis's defeat, many nobles' minds have shifted. And with Ser Cortnay Penrose going out to rally them… well, more may join."
"Do you know Ser Cortnay's whereabouts?" Samwell asked.
"He was here three days ago, asking me to join him. But I declined. As for where he is now…" Oly shrugged.
Samwell vaulted back onto Cleopatra and issued the command, "To the south! March!"
With that, the Reach cavalry surged out of Pinewood, thundering southward, leaving Lord Oly and his troops bewildered.
After a while, a knight approached Lord Oly cautiously. "My lord, they left no one behind. Should we… continue our surrender?"
"Of course. The Reach cavalry is just the vanguard; their main forces follow. Lower the Baratheon banner and raise the golden rose."
"Yes, my lord."
---
Samwell pressed south along the Kingsroad without stopping at any settlements. About ten miles out, they caught up with a small Stormland force of around three hundred men, evidently headed to Storm's End but lagging behind the main group.
With a nod from Samwell, his vanguard immediately charged. Outnumbered and outclassed, the Stormlanders broke under the onslaught, and the Reach knights pursued, leaving a trail of blood and bodies along the Kingsroad before continuing south.
Finally, about twenty miles from Storm's End, Samwell's scouts spotted the main Stormland force—a full army, thousands strong.
Satisfied, Samwell ordered his vanguard to slow, releasing scouts to assess the enemy's strength.
Reports soon returned, and Samwell pieced together an impression of the Stormland force.
This was a disciplined, well-equipped army, numbering about six to seven thousand, including eight hundred cavalry, their infantry formations tightly arranged, well-armed, and clearly battle-ready. This was no rabble; it was the last of the Stormlands' military might.
The safest course would be to wait for the main Reach army to catch up and grind the Stormland forces down. But Storm's End was too close. Samwell feared that by the time the Reach infantry arrived, the Stormlanders would have retreated behind Storm's End's formidable walls.
After only a moment's hesitation, he decided to strike. He had four thousand cavalry; he could take this army in open field, especially with the momentum and morale of his recent victories.
Once he had resolved himself, Samwell cleared his mind of doubts and ordered the advance.
As the armies closed in on each other, the preliminary skirmishes began, brutal and bloody. Even the Stormland commanders felt the oppressive weight of the Reach cavalry's charge and tightened their formations to brace for impact.
In the Stormland camp, Ser Cortnay Penrose listened as grim reports arrived from the front line. They were so close—just one day and night more, and they would have reached Storm's End. But now, with the Reach forces at their heels, escape seemed uncertain.
Ser Cortnay cursed his luck. How had the Reach moved so swiftly? Had they bypassed Copper Gate entirely? Since when did Lord Randyll take such risks?
Yet as a seasoned commander, he wasted no time in speculation. He understood that with the Reach cavalry on their heels, battle was inevitable. With his troops preparing for a hard defense, he dispatched messengers to Storm's End, not to request reinforcements but to warn Lord Edric against coming to their aid.
Samwell indeed harbored hopes of luring defenders out from Storm's End, hoping to decimate their forces in open field. But he saw no sign of any movement from Storm's End.
With no reinforcements in sight, Samwell gave his troops a short rest before issuing his final command:
"Advance in formation. Once we engage, strike without hesitation!"
(End of Chapter)