章 14: The Plan
( POV Dwalin Steel-Shaper )
I sat upon Borgurath, the old goat still as strong as ever. The war drums sounded throughout the Qohori planes. Beside me was the Pale Khal, we had become fast friends after the battle a few days ago, our love of battle and mead bonding us. But what he has asked me, it's going to far!
"You insult me Pale one." I said to the man across from me
"Well can you?" He asked again
"Can I! Of course I can! But I won't." I said angrily
"And why not?" The Pale Khal asked confused
"I'll not sully myself to work on sub-par steel." I replied
"Sub-par? Your calling Valyrian steel sub-par?" He said from upon his stallion, Shadow
"Compared to good Qohori mithril, aye it's a pile of shite!" I said to the great warrior from atop my own steed.
"But are you able to work the metal, or is the title Steel-Shaper a false one." He said challengingly.
"Watch yourself White Wolf! Your fine taste in mead won't stop me from caving in your chest." I responded while raising my hammer threateningly towards him
"Hahaha" we both erupted into chuckles
"Fine! I'll work your SUB-PAR steel." I said once our laughter died down.
"Do you have any of this steel on you? For quality inspection, to know what I'm working with." I asked the young man
"Aye here." He said in response before tossing over a scrap piece of metal to me. I raised it to my eye and inspected it, I was shocked by what I found. This was no Valyrian Steel. This was Mithril. Pure untarnished Mithril.
"Jon, were did you find this?" I asked confused where he would have found any of this precious metal
"In a tomb, a dragon lord tomb." He responded sounding confused by my question
"And you have more?" I continued
"Yes a whole set of armour, and a giant sword." He said shocking me further
"Why what's wrong?" He asked me
"This is no Valyrian steel, this is Mithril." I said to his amazement
"Mithril, harder than dragon scales and the only metal that can pierce the scales of a fully grown dragon." The young man said reverently.
"Aye, most of the Mithril was sealed in Kazad-dûm with Durin the Defiant and the the great dragon Smaug." I said
"And why can't you make more?" He asked
"More! If it was that easy the Mithril legion would rule from Pentos to Qarth. No to make Mithril you need the Forge of Moria, deep in Kazad-dûm." I explained
"And if the gate of Kazad-dûm where to be opened?" He asked
"It can't be done, they tried for three thousand years." I responded sadly
"You sure?" He said before putting his hand out to his side causing a rock to fly into his open hand.
"The earth itself bends to my will." He said with an annoying and smug look on his face before he crushed the rock
"I'm still not used to those powers of yours." I said and I was about to continue before we were interrupted.
"Husband my Brother calls." Came an familiar voice
I turned to see Merida, my wife and the sister of my Prince. Her red hair cascaded down her back like liquid fire and her low cut dress accented her ample bust. Beside her was Qoni the Khaleesi of my friend, she was a beautiful woman and she looked graceful atop her silver mare, as all Dothraki did. She turned to Jon before speaking to him.
"Anni Athzhilar zhey qafa jin Athvilajerar Dosh." She said to him in Dothraki
"majin gwe kisha gwe." He responded and we left for the war tent.
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( POV Jon Snow )
I stared at the war map. It displayed every known fortification the great city consisted of and by the looks of it, this wouldn't be an easy fight. The city itself was separated into five districts. The slums, located closest to the walls and furthest from the mountain fortress of Kazad-dûm. It was in these slums that slaves and the poor inhabitants lived, separated from the rest of the city by a series of canals.
The second district was located by the Western wall. The wall was located on the Ar-Noy River, the same river that supplied the water to the city canal and moat. This district was known as the Market district and boats sailed up and down the Ar-Noy constantly to trade.
The third district was the one closest to the mountain fortress of kazad-dûm and was named the Steel District. This district was the oldest of the four and it had a rich history. The Forsworn, four thousand year ago, ran the Qohori out of Kazad-dûm but not before the native Qohori sealed shut the doors of thier fortress home. Now locked out of the fortress keep the Forsworn set up the city of Qohor starting with the steel district.
Soon the Forsworn expanded upon the city until the city was eventually retaken. Now ruling from their ancestral home the Qohori restarted the forges of Kazad-dûm. The Steel district wasn't named as such until the reign of Durin the Defiant when the Valyrian Freehold took the city and the doors of Kazad-dûm closed for good.
Now without the forges to create the steel, Qohor's main source of income, the Forsworn, who controlled the city at the time, tore down much of the city and rebuilt it as the Steel district. As the gates of Kazad-dûm never reopened the Steel district remained but no new Mithril was ever made without access to the mountain forges.
The fourth was known as the Wind District. While slaves and peasants were forced to live in poverty and disease in the slums separated from the rest of the city by the canals the middle class, meaning traders, business owners and the overall wealthy lived relatively easy lives in the Wind District.
The Wind District consisted of manses belonging to wealthy traders, high end brothels as well as a barracks. There are a series of barracks across the city that are home to the city guard, but this barracks is different. This barracks hold an entirely separate guard, more of a standing army containing three thousand Unsullied, their entire purpose to protect the Wind district as well as the last district.
The fifth and final district is known as the Cloud District. The Cloud district is made up of only two locations, the Palace and the Cathedral of the Black Goat. The Cathedral is deliberately placed higher than the palace, if only slightly. This was done to show that everyone, even the Red Eagle, was below and has to answer to the Black Goat.
The Cathedral itself was a large building made from white marble and a dome roof made from a pitch black stone. The roof was adorned with a large hole, this was done so that on the last day of the year the moon will shine perfectly through the hole illuminating the alter of the Black Goat. It is on this day that that a thousand slaves are taken from the Slums and hung upside down over the alter by their ankles.
The slaves then have their blood drained and the blood of a thousand slaves is poured into a pool at the centre of Cathedral. The blood then flows from the pool into the cities canals, it's moat before eventually flowing into the Ar-Noy itself.
The Palace of the Red Eagle was were we would find the King of the Forsworn. The Forsworn didn't use the title of King, instead they're leader took the name of Red Eagle after a legendary hero who lead the Zealots of the Black Goat in running the Qohori out of their ancestral home. While many Red Eagle throughout history had been a mighty warrior it is said the current one struggles to raise from his throne never mind raise a sword.
I looked up from the map I was intently staring at for the past few minutes as I went over what I knew about the city. I looked around the tent to see who was present. I saw Dwalin Steel-Shaper beside his Prince, Dane Ironfoot. Beside the Qohori King stood his son, Ragnar the Red. Ragnar looked similar to his father in height and face but he took after his mother in terms of colouring.
Were Dane had a thick red mane and beard Ragnar had shorter black hair and a short black beard. I have been told Ragnar got his name after his first battle when he was covered in the blood of Forsworn.I saw other high ranking members of Qohori court as well as many Ko's from my own army including my Blood Rider Arggo.
"Walk me through the defences." I said to the Prince across from me
"Our own defences working against us." Ragnar replied
"Aye my Son's right, the moat is twelve feet thick, the walls are the same and they're sixteen feet high." Prince Dane said, agreeing with his Son's statement.
"How many entries into the city?" I asked
"Only three, the Iron Gates." Dwalin said gravely
"The Iron Gates?" I asked again wondering why his tone seemed so hopeless
"Aye, the gates were designed to be impenetrable, and they nearly are." Dwalin replied
"What makes these gates so hard to breach?" I questioned and it was Ragnar who answered this time
"The Eastern gate is surrounded by thick forest making it near impossible to effectively seige from that gate because of how difficult it is to move large armies." Ragnar said while pointing to an area of the map and I had to agree with him, the Forest of Qohor was densely packed and positioning am army would be slow never mind preparing and carrying out a siege.
"What about the Western gate?" I asked and again Ragnar replied
"The Western gate is a sea gate leading to the Market District, if you want into the city through there you have to first get through three portcullis's and that's assuming you make it anywhere near the gate at all." Ragnar said and I began to understand their worry
"And what of the Southern gate?" I asked hoping for good news
"Currently our camp is facing the Southern gate, we fought the Forsworn on the flat land outside only a few days ago." Prince Dane replied
"So our best chance is the Southern gate?" I questioned
"It has the least natural defences, yes but that doesn't mean it will be east to take." Dwalin rebuked
"He's right Pale Khal, the only way over the moat is a draw bridge, once that is down we must break down the first gate made of wood four inches thick, then you have to get past a portcullis, then yet another wooden gate." Dane said and I stared hopelessly at the map desperate to think of a solution
"The walls." I said after a few moments of silence and everyone looked on confused
"We can't take the wall Great Khal, not with the moat." Arggo replied with a questioning look in his eyes before I saw his confusion be replaced by understanding
"Your powers!" He exclaimed and I turned back to Prince Dane
"Start construction on siege towers and trebuchets we'll storm the wall." I said to him and he nodded in agreement
"How do you plan to deal with the moat?" Ragnar questioned and many of the high ranking Qohori muttered their agreement
My only response was to smirk and clench my hand forcing the earth itself to bend to my will.
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{ Authors Notes }
So what do you think
Not much action I know but next chap will be the siege
Hope you enjoyed
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