The sky was blue and nearly cloudless, with only the Dragons soaring high above.
The black dragon Balerion, the green dragon Vhagar, and the white dragon Viserion.
Gendry's assembled army gathered on the southern shore of Blackwater Bay, then passed through the Kingswood, followed the Roseroad across Bitterbridge, and marched toward Highgarden.
There was also a special force behind them. Lord Jason Melisent led a hastily gathered longship force in their wake, traveling by river where there was water and hauling the boats overland where there was none.
Clop, clop, clop!
Ser Guyard Morrigen and Ser Lothor Brune rode at the front, holding high the banner of House Breaker, its golden device snapping in the wind.
The orderly ranks of cavalry stretched for several leagues. Tall, gallant knights rode forward, their lances like a forest and their armor shining beneath the sun.
The Unsullied led by Grey Worm, drawn from Astapor, Volantis, and others who had submitted after the Battle of the Blackwater Rush, followed behind to hold the rear.
There were guard knights, men of the Vale, soldiers from the Crownlands and the Stormlands, and men of The Reach, selected by Randyll from the Reach soldiers left behind in the Crownlands.
There were also some soldiers from the Riverlands. Several Riverlands castles were too close to the Crownlands and had always leaned more toward the Iron Throne.
On top of that, the captured Edmure Tully's poor performance had been disgraceful, and rumors of Lysa Tully's scandal had spread among the lords, further lowering House Tully's standing.
Those who followed Edmure into war had lost again and again, while the Storm had never lost a battle. The lords of the Riverlands were not fools.
"An iron fist."
Gendry looked over the soldiers gathered around him. Nearly all of them were elites.
Gendry disliked the human wave tactics of grabbing farmers and craftsmen in large numbers and throwing them together into a huge army. He preferred to fight with chosen men.
Lord Randyll Tarly, Ser Barristan Selmy, and Lord Yohn Royce were all masters at training soldiers.
Riding his black steed, Gendry could barely restrain his hunger for Fire and Blood.
"Oldtown. Kraken. Honor won beneath the sword."
Gendry touched Just Maid at his sword belt.
Though Gendry was still young, the scent of blood and steel had always walked beside him.
Every three hundred years, the world changed greatly. It was time for crowns to be knocked to the ground again, but Crow's Eye was the opponent Gendry valued most.
"Your Grace, Bitterbridge is not far ahead," Lord Randyll Tarly said. Heartsbane hung slanted across his back, and the striding huntsman badge was on his chest. "Half a day's march at most."
Gendry glanced at the knights, who were still full of energy and high spirits. "Pass down the order. We rest at Bitterbridge."
"As you command."
Gendry looked at the commanders leading the army. This time, heroes had gathered in force. In a way, it was Westeros's dream team.
Lord Randyll Tarly led the Riverlands soldiers. Lord Yohn Royce led the soldiers of the Vale. Grey Worm commanded the Unsullied.
Gendry personally commanded part of the guard, along with soldiers from the Stormlands, the Crownlands, and the Riverlands near the Crownlands. Anguy, Guyard, Lothor, and Jack Crabb served as his aides.
The army also carried raven cages for sending messages.
"I have several plates spinning now," Gendry thought. His plate had grown too large. For the moment, he could only focus on the battlefields in The Reach and the Riverlands.
Gendry had to arrange commanders for each front. After all, the Dragons still could not carry him through the air.
The rear at King's Landing was now being held by Great Lord Stannis Baratheon, Lord Mace Tyrell, Lord Selwyn Tarth, and the others. Ser Boggs managed the King's Landing garrison, while Lord Mathis Rowan and others assisted.
Stannis, Barristan, Mathis, and Randyll were all men who could hold a front on their own. Gendry had taken two of them with him to fight and left two behind, which was enough to steady the situation.
Across the Narrow Sea, Myr, Tyrosh, and the Stepstones were managed by the old brothers of the Wolf Pack Company: Pretty Boy, Longspear, Steel Fist, Greywolf, Brown Ben, Little Silvertongue, Jorah, and the others.
With the Free Brotherhood of the Twin Cities and the support of various craft guilds, stability there was also assured.
Besides, Lys and Volantis were now trapped in an even greater chaos of their own.
"Send our route to King's Landing," Gendry said.
"As you command, Your Grace."
Maester Qyburn directed the soldiers handling the ravens to open the cages and release the birds back toward King's Landing.
Ravenry counted as a prominent discipline in Westeros. When lords marched to war, they usually brought raven cages with them.
"Where is Marwyn?" Gendry wondered. He still had not seen Marwyn. For now, the group only had the trio of the red priestess, the red priest Moqorro, and Qyburn.
"Are you tired?"
Gendry reined in and fell back, gently asking Daenerys, who was riding in the middle of the army.
"I'm not tired. The knights are more tired than I am. They have armor and weapons to carry too." Daenerys's violet eyes were bright and shimmering.
Although there was also a wheeled carriage in the army, Daenerys still chose to ride more often and sit in the carriage less.
In strength of will, she truly was a Targaryen.
"You two have worked hard as well, Margaery, Sansa," Gendry said, thanking the Queen's two companions, one Tyrell and one Stark. The two of them had come along for the excitement too.
As for Daenerys's two female guards, Brienne of Tarth and Dacey Mormont, they were both tough-skinned, hardy standard female warriors.
"Riding is part of a lady's training as well. Besides, accompanying the Queen is an honor, Your Grace," Margaery quickly said.
"It is our honor, Your Grace," Sansa replied shyly.
The Queen had not climbed into the carriage, so they were even less willing to do so.
For noblewomen, horsemanship, hawking, needlework, scripture reading, and watching tourneys were all familiar skills.
Some noble girls who strayed beyond the usual bounds, such as Lyanna Stark, the Ice and Rose, were superb riders and decent with a sword as well.
"A pretty she-wolf, though she looks more like a she-fish."
Margaery glanced at Sansa. In beauty, Sansa was stunning enough to dazzle for a time, and in status, House Stark was an ancient royal line.
Margaery had once considered recommending her brother Willas to Sansa.
But after judging Sansa's lovestruck nature, Margaery had given up the idea. What could Willas possibly use to compete with the Storm in charm and appeal?
"Your Grace, new word from Highgarden."
The white knight Ser Balon Swann hurried to Gendry's side.
Balon was a good knight praised by all. His elder brother Donnel Swann was far worse.
So Gendry had arranged for Donnel to manage prisoners at Blackwater Camp, with the seahorse house of Driftmark assisting him.
Gendry opened the letter. With the Oldtown docks burned and Ser Gunthor Hightower captured, the pressure had now reached House Tyrell at Highgarden.
"The merchants of Oldtown have gathered at Highgarden to petition House Tyrell, demanding that they ask the Iron Throne to send men to clear out the Ironborn."
Merchants from the shipping guild, grain guild, spice guild, wine guild, moneylenders' guild, and other trade associations were petitioning every day. Some even demanded to come to King's Landing to meet Gendry.
After Gendry finished reading the letter, he saw that Crow's Eye's forces had not breached Oldtown's walls.
But the Ironborn had burned, killed, and plundered at the docks of Oldtown, the second-largest city in Westeros, and that had already caused enormous losses.
"You should go reply to Highgarden first, Your Grace," Daenerys said considerately, having noticed Gendry's movement.
So Gendry urged his horse forward, and Ser Barristan and Ser Balon escorted him to Lord Randyll at the front, where the other important men were gathered as well.
"The situation in Oldtown is growing worse," Gendry told Randyll and Yohn. "The burning of the docks was only the first step. Crow's Eye is drawing us there."
"There is something strange about this war," Yohn said, rubbing his brow beneath his bronze armor. "House Hightower had three layers of protection, yet they still fell into the trap."
"Crow's Eye seems to have some strange abilities," Ser Barristan said, forced to acknowledge the existence of uncanny things from ancient tales.
"Though I believe House Hightower can hire more warriors than any lord in The Reach, soldiers are not all elite soldiers."
Randyll frowned and suggested, "If Oldtown truly becomes a battlefield, it would be best to move the books and gold out in advance."
That suggestion was like removing the firewood from under the cauldron, but spreading risk was not such a strange move.
During The Dance of the Dragons, the Greens' Master of Coin, Tyland Lannister, divided the treasury's gold into four portions.
The first was entrusted to the Iron Bank. Two other portions were sent to Casterly Rock and Oldtown. The remaining portion was used by the Greens to smooth relations, give gifts, and buy Sellswords.
"We'll see how things stand when we reach Highgarden. It isn't that Crow's Eye lacks the strength to break into Oldtown. He is waiting," Gendry judged.
Gendry also coveted Oldtown's libraries, gold reserves, and treasure vaults. The deep cellars beneath the High Tower were surely filled with gold.
But whether Oldtown would truly send everything out first, and whether there would be enough time, was another matter.
"I have already prepared to name several more white knights at Bitterbridge. After some thought, I've chosen a few candidates."
"This is a blessing for the Seven Kingdoms, Your Grace," Randyll said. "The white knights cannot remain short-handed forever."
"I will welcome the arrival of several new brothers," Ser Barristan said.
Gendry's list had already been made: Guyard, Robar, and Rolland Storm.
By rights, men like Anguy and Lothor were even more loyal to him, but those brothers had no resolve to give up women.
"There is one more thing," Gendry said quietly. "A squad armed with Valyrian steel weapons. The strongest assault team."
He had several weapons, and in a bloody battle, there was naturally a chance he would lend them out.
Lord Yohn and Randyll were commanders, after all, not reckless brutes. A sword-wielding assault force would naturally be made up of younger men.
"This plan..." Randyll listened quietly.
Gendry had already thought it through well: a magically modified squad with Valyrian weapons.
There was also Ser Lyn Corbray, who insisted on joining the fun, wielding Lady Forlorn.
Fletcher Dick, the old veteran, would use Gendry's Dragonbone Bow. He and Anguy would form a pair with two Dragonbone Bows.
John Strong, the living Mountain, could use the Valyrian steel longsword Storm.
Ser Barristan Selmy would wield Orphan-Maker in Gendry's place.
Brienne could wield Rage in his place. Brienne was strong and powerful, as well as young and resilient.
As for Gendry, he would carry his precious great axe, The Wail of the Kraken, and Just Maid.