Capítulo 15: Siege of Qohor
( POV Arggo )
*CRASH*
I watched as the from of the siege tower slammed against the wall of Qohor. Stood by my side was Ragnar the Red, imposing despite his stature. In front of me stood my Khal. Jonos held his spear in one hand and his shield in his other. In my own hand was my arakh and despite the familiar weapon in my hand and my friend leading the charge I was nervous. I was Dothraki, unbeatable in the field but fighting on the walls of a stone city, it was strange.
I raised arakh ready for battle. Our opponents didn't seem to pose much of a threat. Slave soldiers the lot. The most equipped had thin leather covering their chest, a bronze half helm adorned most heads and few wielded anything close to an actual weapon. Most used hammers, not war hammers but the kind you would find in a smithy. Not surprising, the Steel district was said to have more hammers than it did people.
While they looked underwhelming I knew not to underestimate them. So I roared a battle cry, along with my brothers, and occasional sister, in arms but it was Jonos' roar that caught everyone's attention. He opened his jaw and unleashed a roar reminiscent of a dragon, it didn't resemble a dragon roar in terms of sound but by the blaze of fire that erupted from his mouth scorching dozens slave soldiers atop the wall.
It was horrifying, yet beautiful. The way the flames flourish as it burned its way through men with out a care. I swear as I stared into the fire I saw beasts, dozens. Dragons scorching the earth and wolfs howling red hot flames, falcons of fire and serpents of magma, a kraken's tentacle reaching out burning all in its path. I saw a stag, it's antlers aflame and a lion with a mane of fire as well as a single rose wilting in the heat before it combusted into a sea of embers. I saw all these symbols in the fire before they all were trampled beneath the hooves of an unending hoard of flaming stallions.
It was the most amazing thing I had ever saw. The slave soldiers ran, fearing the Pale Khal more than their fat masters, as they should. Qohori soldiers and Dothraki alike stepped back in fear and awe of my friends power but not me. I saw the truth in the flames, I saw power and victory. Unending victory. The world trampled beneath our hooves as I rode beside my Khal, the blood of my blood. And so I laughed.
Some chuckled along, some just continued to stare at Jonos or the charred remains of our enemies. Most however stared at me like I was mad, they mustn't have seen the flames, seen our glorious victory in the fire like I have. If they saw they would understand. I looked to Jonos, my Khal, a man I would ride to the Night Lands for, and when he finally falls in battle I will ride beside him, as I always have and always will.
"AARRRWWOOOOOO!" I howled into the sky, towards the sun and the clouds. And I was answered by Ghost then the men and women beside me. We were filled with bloodlust and it was with that bloodlust that we followed Jonos off the tower and on to the walls of Qohor.
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( POV Ragnar the Red )
My life had changed much these past few days. Not a month ago I was living a relatively relaxed life. I was learning how to lead our people once father passed, participating in the occasional skirmish with some Forsworn bastards, but all in all my life was calm. Until the letter arrived. It came from the Pale Khal. It offered help in a war with our enemies. He offered us Qohor, he promised to open the gates of Kazad-dûm for the first time since Durin the Defiant sealed himself inside, along with his seven companions and the dragon Smaug, or Scyrix as he was known to his Valyrian masters.
Father was hesitant to accept, not believing a boy less than half his age could deliver on his promises. But I convinced him, and I'm glad I did. Now the true Qohori had set foot atop the walls of Qohor, for the first time since the third and last hundred year war. It has been two hundred years since one of Durin's kin set foot on these walls, and more than two thousand since anyone set eyes upon the Mithril throne in the deep of Kazad-dûm.
It was everything I had wished for when the letter arrived those months ago but what I had never imagined was the true power then the Pale Khal possesses. Sixty five thousand men and women ride in his Khalasar. One of if not the largest armies in Essos answer to him. He rides the largest stallion I've ever set my eyes upon and his golden eagle rules the sky.
Then there's Ghost. The White Wolf was famous in all of Essos for its ferocity and yet it's like a puppy while beside Jonos. The Pale Khal himself is a weapon of war. His skill with the blade is unmatched and watching him fight was like watching a dancer glide across the battlefield or watching an artist paint in blood. But his true power wasn't his skill at arms but his control over the very elements of the world.
Just yesterday I watched in awe as he raised his hands, clenched his fist and the earth bent to his will. The moat that could've meant the end to our campaign was closed over, leaving flat ground and the siege towers crossed the moat unopposed entirely. And just a few minutes ago again I looked on, utterly amazed as the Pale Khal breathed flame and death upon our enemies. It was then I understood that he could give us our city and more.
"Prince Ragnar!" I turned around to find myself facing yet another slave soldier. He swung a smiths hammer but I ducked under easily. The boy was malnourished, draped in clothes that were more hole than not. His only piece of armour was a cheaply made bronze helm with a thin nasal guard, it was obviously much to large for the boy. He was no warrior clearly and he posed no threat as I ran him through with my dagger.
I nodded to the Qohori who alerted me with the call before surveying the battle, keeping a closer eye on my surroundings this time. Once this battle was over the walls will be entirely in our control. I swung my war hammer at another man who got into range, this one was properly armoured and seemed experienced. A city guard perhaps? No matter, he crumpled under the weight of my weapon none the less.
I saw as Arggo, the Pale One's Blood Rider, cut a swathe through the Slaves soldiers leaving nothing but blood in his path and I saw as the Pale Khal jabbed his spear through some poor man's head before abruptly shoving his shield forward, by doing so he sent dozens of men flying from the walls as the ground beneath them was shaped to the will of the White Wolf.
And I watched in horror as an arrow sailed through the air directly towards the head of the Great Khal. Before the arrow made contact though it was plucked from the sky by a great beast, it's wingspan the size of me and its golden feathers glinted in the sun.
"CAW!" The great flying predator sounded a battle cry before tearing out the throat of the man who dared to attack his master.
I raised my hammer above my head before charging back into the fray.
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( POV Jon Snow )
Senu soared overhead and I looked at the impressive city through his eyes. Much of the Slums had taken ablaze when the fighting had started but thankfully the fires had died down now. The canals separating the different districts had been filled with the bodies of the dead and now they ran red with blood. I saw one of the bridges that crossed the canal, dozens of bodies impaled on ice spikes and raised high into the air like an offering to the Gods. And others crushed under the weight of giant stones ripped from the very ground beneath there feet.
"Jonos! They have returned." Dane Ironfoot called out to me and I drew my mind away from Senu.
"Good we must discuss our next moves." I replied before moving towards a watchtower at the base of the Cloud District and at the edge of the Wind District.
Once inside the watchtower that had become our temporary base I approached a map, set upon a table in the centre of the room. Durin followed after, just behind him was his son Ragnar as well as Arggo. They were both battle worn, their armour covered in dirt and blood. Upon closer inspection it was clear none of the blood was there own. As they approached the map Arggo bowed his head and Ragnar gave a nod in greeting, one which I returned.
"Ragnar I hope you were as successful as your father was?" I said to the young man and the pride in his eyes answered my question long before words did.
"They was desperate, they destroyed all the bridges into the Market District except one, the bridge was manned by near two thousand city guard." The young man said and I was intrigued how he dealt with the problem
"They must have thought the fight for the walls still raged on." Ragnar continued
"They had left it almost entirely unguarded, so I lead to men on the bridge were we fought to a stalemate" he said and I began to understand the his plan.
"My second lead a group of crossbows to the walls, we shredded any resistance on the bridge by raining down rows of bolts into their sides." The boy said, proud of his achievement and rightfully so, for his first true command it was a resounding success.
"That's my son, Ragnar the Red. We must name the bridge." Came the booming voice of Prince Dane, his eyes beamed with pride in his son as he continued to list of possible names for this new bride. The soon to be King Under the Mountain debated what to name the bridge for another few minutes but I had to intervene after he suggested 'Ragnar's Red Bridge of the Damned Souls' because I felt the situation, as funny as it was, had gotten out of hand.
"Perhaps we should discuss it after we take the city?" I suggested and Dane Ironfoot bellowed a great laugh before responding
"Indeed would it not be best to discuss the beginning of my sons great legacy from the atop the mithril throne that he will one day sit upon." The Proud man said while clapping a hand on his sons shoulder who now had a tinge of red on his cheeks from embarrassment.
"And you Blood of my Blood?" I asked in common and he answered the same so our company could understand
"It went well, we raided the slums. Any man with" Arggo started before trailing off as he tried to remember how to say the word
"What are you trying to say my friend?" I asked
"Vov kisha addri." He replied
"Vov is weapon." I said to him
"Weapon." He repeated
"Kisha addri is we killed." I said and again he repeated it
"Any man with a weapon we killed the rest we left." He said finally finishing his sentance
"Good Arggo, you are getting better." I said to my friend
"All these words is ojil, give me an arakh forget about the tales." He said with a scowl and I chuckled to myself about how stubborn he could be.
"Continue Blood of my Blood." I said and he became serious again.
"I warn you Jonos the men hunger for tribute." Arggo said his voice was gruff as he was unused to the language.
"They hunger for tribute?" Ragnar asked as the young man was unaccustomed to Dothraki culture and there way of life.
"Dothraki don't just siege cities, they go to cities and they are offered tribute, if the tribute isn't up to standard, or the Khal thinks the younger men need some experience then the sack the city." The young man's father explained to him
"Some of the men will care little about the value and more about the raiding." I thought aloud before turning to the Prince across from me
"There are Forsworn villages nearby yes?" I asked and he responded with a nod
"Arggo send some of the more restless men out to raid, once they kill a few men and get a few slaves they'll be fine." I said before continuing on
"The matter of tribute though, the men respect you and all of Essos fears you but men won't fight and kill without the promise of gold, a good fuck, or a glorious death." Arggo said and he made a good point
"The Wind District is rich and you've sacked it entirely no?" Ragnar questioned
"It's rich sure but small compared to the rest of the city and we need enough gold to satisfy a horde of thousands, tens of thousands." Dane said answering his son's query.
"But the The Red Eagles Palace, they say it has a ball room with a golden floor, statues made of pure crystal, jewels placed in anything that can fit it and they say there is a vault under the Great Cathedral filled with priceless tapestries and religious artefacts." Prince Dane said and the more I thought about it the less I worried I became. With the arms and armour from the Steel District I could arm another two thousand easily and the religious artefacts would sell for thousands to the Red Temples in Volantis.
"Father! You promise to much, if we give away everything in the city then we'll have nought to give our own men, the Clans will not be pleased." Ragnar said to his father disagreeing with him.
"Son when Jonos opens the doors of Kazad-dûm we will possess the wealth of our ancestors and when the Forge of Moria burns bright, Mithril Axes will once again glint in the Flames of War." Dane said passionately to his son and for a moment we all sat in a comfortable silence contemplating the fight ahead.
"Now that is settled we must ready our selves for battle." I said before making sure we covered everything before we take the last district.
"I personally lead the sacking of the Wind District, securing our way to the Cloud District." I said to my companions
"Dwalin has the back lines reinforced and defended there will be no attacks from behind." I stated
"The Market District is in our control so there will be no escape down the Ar-Noy." I said and Ragnar nodded in confirmation
"The Steel District has been cleared of the arms and armour and the men have been given good steel, good food and a good rest." I said and the Prince mumbled his agreement
"The brief rebellion in the Slums has been crushed." I said and my last companion and again the response was one of agreement
"This fight will be like none so far. On the walls we faced poorly equipped, malnourished slaves. In the city we faced the city guards, who have never done any real battle only broken up drunken brawls." I said before pausing to insure they were paying attention, they were as expected
"What guards the way to the Cloud District is a group of Unsullied." I said to them
"Ah cockles men will die by my blade." Arggo said before spitting on the ground in distaste
"One on one the Unsullied would be no problem, they have skill but no testosterone, they lack the strength of an average man." I began before Ragnar interrupted
"Then why are you worried there is only a thousand of them." Ragnar asked
"Because where an Unsullied excels is in a group, once right outside the gates of this city, before the Iron Gates were erected to make an assault of the city near impossible, three thousand Unsullied stood before twenty five thousand Dothraki Screamers." I began Dane knew the tale I could see, and I knew Arggo did, it is told often by the Dothraki and is the reason behind many Dothraki's contempt for the eunuchs.
"Eighteen times the Dothraki charged and eighteen times they were repelled, for five days and five nights the Unsullied stood, spears raised, shields locked until only four hundred remained but over half the Dothraki died." I continued with my tale
"The Dothraki cut their braids and returned to the Dothraki sea, that is why the Cloud District is guarded by Unsullied and that is why we must be careful of how we attack them." I concluded and they all agreed
"But do not sorrow, for while the Unsullied have shields for your arrows, spears for your horses and swords for your heart they have nothing for fire." I said before clenching my hand causing the candles to explode into bright red flames
"And I am fire."
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{ AUTHORS NOTES }
Been a while I know
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