Chapter 20: The Battle Of Blackwater Bay(2)
And soon enough, I saw the ladder get put up. My men were in postition and the Hound had retreated.
"Clegane! Get your ass up on the wall and defend! Take your 10 best men with you!" I screamed at the Hound.
He looked at me a bit angry before nodding.
I then saw a special individual climbing up the ladders in a weak position some Lannister men held, I then turned to Jonnel beside me.
"Continue commanding. Inform Joffrey when his actor is coming." I said before I turned around, signalled for Uyn to follow me.
We quickly began running through the corridors and walls with dead archers or arrows littered everywhere.
Soon we arrived at the position Stannis himself was fighting at. I had been overrun by Baratheon men and the Lannister men was almost entirely killed, only 5 out of 15 being left.
I then took out my sword in my right hand and long knife in my left hand.
The first guy was busy fighting a Lannister man. A quick knife slash along his throat ended him.
I then bowed down, took my sword in a reverse grip before stabbing it into the hearth of a Baratheon man I stood with my back to. I had gotten in the middle of 2 men standing behind each other. Before the guy in front could turn around, he had a knife in his head.
Uyn had also killed 2 men. The 5 Lannister men had retreated behind us as me and Uyn was holding the 15 Baratheon men back.
Uyn and me were defending, and the Baratheon men had gotten comfortable doing that. They were attacking with too much force and their footwork wasn't stable.
With a nod we both used our shoulder to bash the man Infront of us. The corridors were only large enough for 3 men. The men we bashed fell backwards tackling 2 men behind them. I the stabbed the third guy with a knife before jumping above those who fell. The Lannister men then finished the 6 poor men on the grounded without any problems. With that I stood beside one of the 3 ladders at that position. In a show of strength I began launching attacks with my sword left and right pushing the guy Infront of me back. Which allowed the Lannister men to use a spear to push the ladder down, not allowing any reinforcements.
As I stopped launching attacks, the guy Infront of me took it as showing weakness and he launched a overheard slash.
I blocked it with my knife before showing my sword through his stomach, killing him.
Before the 2nd guy could prepare to launch another attack. I kicked the back leg of the man standing Infront of Uyn, making him bend down on one knee. Where Uyn performed a perfect execution.
The Baratheon soliders then regained their composure and launched even more attacks.
That's when the Lannister men decided not to be useless. They began launching slashes from behind our shoulders, either with spear or sword. This relived us of immense pressure as you can't attack as much if you're being attacked back.
Another man then did a sideways slash, to my left.
I used the side of my dagger to slowly stop it, but before he could take the sword back, I held it under my arms, holding it back, and I did a overhead slash at his helmet," cutting straight through it.
We had killed a total of 15 men, but they had regained their forces all the time, and they currently had 10 men. However that's when we reached the 2nd ladder, the Lannister men pushed that ladder down, and continued pushing any other ladders the Baratheon men put up.
Me and Uyn continued the slaughter of Baratheon men, gradually cutting them down, until they only had 1 man left.
The man I came for, the man who made the breakthrough possible by breaching the kill point, Stannis Baratheon.
I engaged him in a duel while Uyn kept killing people tryna get up. The 5 Lannister men were busy with the continues attempt at getting up.
Stannis threw an overhead slash, I blocked it, I then did a left cut and he dodged it. We continued at it for multiple minutes.
"You are quite the good man." The always stoic Stannis said.
"Thank you, you are a worth opponent yourself." I said tryna get a rise out of him. Being called worthy in front of someone 20 years younger than you would get a rise out of you, but not Stannis.
"Thanks, you must be Alexander Bracken? The Master of War and strategist behind this defense." He asked.
"Aye, seems you do know your opponents, and you are Stannis Baratheon? The supposed true heir to the throne, and bringer of light?" I asked.
"I suppose I am called that. But you do know, if I kill you, then we win the siege?" He asked.
"Aye, same as would happen if I kill you. But I guess you don't really need to personally kill me, as you can always send your red priestess to kill someone." I said.
And with that he shut up before increasing the number of assaults he sent my way.
That's when he made a mistake, the floor was wet with blood and he tripped. Not a total trip like falling to the ground. But he lost his footwork, and his downwards slash was his way of keeping balance. And as such it had too much force and he needed a few seconds to get up again.
I used that to launch my sword at his, utilising all my remaining strength, and it worked. The sword was bent beyond repair. However Stannis did get back up in time.
"Seems you win this time. I will see you later if we win today, or if we get to fight tomorrow." And with that Stannis jumped down from the wall. He managed to get onto the ladder and got down just in time for Uyn to push the ladder down.
I turned around to look at the main gate. Just to see a pot of wildfire be launched at the set up Battering ram. And it did not survive for long.
After that, all of Stannis's men began going for ladders instead, I ran back to the command centre just in time to beat Jonnel's order.
"Have half of the men behind the gate move to the walls! They can not breach the gate yet!" He screamed.
And they followed, however they looked up.
Just to see Joffrey engaging a solider in a pitiful fight. It might seem decent to any man at arms. But knights or highborns could see how pitiful it is. But even Joffrey as a coward, had some sword training + a well made sword. They didn't smelt Ice yet and therefore didn't have a Valyrian sword. However in the end. With a slash at the prisoners foot he bent on one knee.
"Ha! That's right peasant bend for your King!" He said. Before he launched his sword at his kneck. However it barely made it 30%. Every knight flinched at that. The worst death in existence.
I then turned to Bronn beside me.
"End his misery." I said.
"Would be my pleasure." Bronn said as he launched an arrow at the prisoners head, killing him and ending his misery.
Joffrey who was still shocked at milking someone, the blood and that it only went 30% in. Ran around a corner before everyone heard it quite clearly him throwing up. Seems he ate a lot.
A lot began chuckling, but not high enough for Joffrey to hear.
After that they began moving to the walls and the defense entered its boring stage.
It only lasted for 1 hour. Until Stannis's men returned to their ships. The shore was too small for them to make any camp.
Their main force had also joined them, they had made camp on the other side of the shore, it was the safest place. And with that the King's Landing became peaceful once again, however only for a small amount of time. Men fell asleep on their post.
And like that morning came. Very few woke up. But 8 hours after the battle began the horn sounded. Forcing the men to wake up.
They were then given good amount of food and water, and even alcohol.
3 hours after that, the battle began. They immediately launched a battering ram, that were put on fire. They then attempted with a second a third and a fourth, each of them being burned. All the while attempting to climb over the walls.
However they failed that day as well. However this night, Stannis didn't launch an attack but instead let his men sleep, which worked out in the favour for both sides.
The attack came at the end of the 3rd day. However that's when the wildfire brewer came to me.
"My Lord, we barely have enough pots to light 3 battering rams on fire today!" He said.
"Hmm, very well. Thanks for informing me. We must make our last stand today." I said.
And with that the battle played out similar to the 1st and 2nd day.
In the first 4 hours we burned 2 battering ram. And 1 hour after it became dark we burned the last.
We also began shifting men from the walls to the gate, and that's when it came. The last battering ram. The Baratheon forces first didn't wanna get close and still focused their forces on the walls, however when the battering ram continued battering the wall without any wildfire, they quickly shifted over 70% of their troops to the gate.
Behind the gate, 1500 men stood there waiting. The Baratheon forces had over 4000 men waiting outside the gates, and another 20-30 thousand men over the banks and on the ships, the small shore didn't allow a lot of men at the same time.
And soon enough the gate broke, the Baratheon men began forcing their way through the gate. However the rested men that hadn't fought today fought back extremely well against the men already having fought multiple hours.
However it wouldn't last forever and the Baratheon men gradually began pushing through. However it was a slow process. They were attacked from the ground while also being attacked from the walls with stones, arrows or other stuff.
However they were still held at the gate, both sides had extreme amount's if casualties, that's when I watched us being pushed back at an alarming rate, I took out my horn and blew it.
After the Baratheon shifted their forces to the gate, I sent my men back to the Iron Gates on horses. We wouldn't last long enough if something didn't happen.
1 minute after I blew the horn my men were spotted. Like the first day they pierced straight into the horde of men, and arrived at the back of their frontline. The pressure from behind was enough for our own men to regain their standing and push the Baratheon men back out of the gate, and restart the battle to how it was from the start. When that was done I blew the horn again and my men retreated.
I then turned around to Joffrey.
"Joffrey, have your 5 Kings Guard Knight, Ser Ilyn Payne and the Hound join the frontlines under the gate, have them relieve some pressure for our normal troops for some time. My elites will join them soon enough." I said
He understood the consequences of loosing and knew our best shot at winning was with us.
"You heard the man, move!" He said as he looked at the men I just mentioned.
Lancel stayed with him, he was useless in the front lines either way.
And with that the unit I just mentioned pushed their way through their allies and arrived at the gate. The gate was small enough so that only 7 men could stand shoulder to shoulder there and as such, those 7 elites managed to hold the line quite well. Though the current King's Guard was weaker than the usual one, it was stronger than the usual ones and therefore held extremely well against the weaker Baratheon soliders.
The lines behind them was switched out with new refreshed people. After 8 minutes, the 5 King's Guard for weary and began receiving cuts so I switched the Kings Guards with Jon, Jorgen, Uyn, myself and Jonnel.
We were stronger than the King's Guard in personal strength and we began doing it better pushing them to the end of the gates.
However we began getting overrun, we couldn't hold out for much longer. Uyn, Jonnel and Ilyn Payne had to be switched out with normal troops, and we soon began to get pushed back. We were quickly pushed out of our own gate and into the big area behind it. Here 15 men can stand shoulder to shoulder which was bad news. The 5 kings guard came back and helped but we were still held back.
After 5 minutes, Jonnel, Uyn, Ilyn and The Hound also came, and us 12 men were still getting pushed back. However that's when crisis happened.
Without any of us seeing it. 1 of the King's Guard was killed, and the elite Baratheon men used this chance to step behind the 2 kings guards around him and killed him.
The King's Guard had decided to stand together and therefore in the end. Every single one of them got killed.
And that was the breaking point, people began running. And in the end we had to call my own 200 men. And there we stood, The Hound, Jorgen, Jon, Me, Uyn, Jonnel and my other 200 men, Ilyn had left. That's when Jack pulled up with 50 men of the city watch and we began fighting back as the others were running for their life, holding the fall of King's Landing every second we stood. We did this for 5 minutes, as I cut down 2 men in one strike, I heard the trembling of hooves on the ground.
And then a cavalry unit pushed through the gates behind the Baratheon forces, and Lannister and Reach infantry began pushing through, slaughtering any Baratheon troops that didn't survive.
I knew Tywin had arrived. I then sat down at the stairs with my sword by my side. Uyn and Jonnel had laid down, alongside most of my
Men, except 30 loyal men who still stood, those having been with me the most. Their determination showing, their trembling legs and mind wanting them to stand down, but they didn't.
That's when Tywin Lannister and Loras Tyrell came to me, they were the first to come through the gate.
"Good fighting, Lord Bracken." Loras said as he helped me stand up.
"Thank you, Lord Tyrell." I responded with a smile.
"Sadly I'm no Lord, please call me Loras." He said.
"Alright, and you can call me Alexander." I said.
"The entirety of King's Landing and House Lannister owe you thanks, Lord Alexander Bracken. If you hadn't held out with your own men, we wouldn't have been able to keep Stannis from barring the gate and winning." Tywin said.
Before I could speak again.
"It was your men, your skill and your bravery that saved my entire family and House, and I will forever be grateful to you for that, remember that a Lannister always pays his debt." And with that he rode away.
That's when I got my own horse.
"Jonnel, Uyn take everyone with you and give them some much needed rest." I said
"Jon and Jorgen, if you can follow me and any other men who wishes." I said.
I then looked towards the only non-Bracken not having fled.
"Ser Clegane, if you ever find yourself not wanting to deal with Joffrey antics, House Bracken will welcome you. I assure you that you will not regret it." I said.
"Aye, I shall think on it. Lord Alexander." He said before walking away.
And with that we followed Tywin into the Red Keep and into the Great Keep where Cersei sat.
I followed Tywin through the keep, walking behind his right shoulder as every stood at the entrance.
That's when I heard it, the line that changed everything.
"The battle is over. We have won!"
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Holy shit. 3k word chapter, ya'll for sure do be getting spoiled.