Broken Lances

[Westeros]

As preparations for the joint force of the Iron Throne’s fleet and the Dornish spears continue unabated, the Planky Town has remained full to bursting of Dornish levies and knights and men-at-arms on the one hand, and northron sailors and lords and soldiers on the other. The great increase in the Planky Town’s watch has proved necessary, for the confines of the Planky Town have seen a number of disputes, brawls, and four stabbings since the ships arrived. It’s true that much of the friction began only as time wore on… and saw an increase, too, with the results of the tourney pitting knights from both realms against one another.

Many of the champions loyal to the Iron Throne took part (the Stormbreaker was a notable exception), and a number of great Dornish knights as well, yet the tourney proved a marvel when it was unheralded men who stood in the final two places. More pointedly, those two knights—Ser Holtyn Rosby and Ser Garlan Hunter—had come with the fleet, meaning that Dornish hopefuls such as Prince Rhodry Martell and Ser Tamlyn Toland were overthrown. And while this meant famed knights such as Ser Dagur Saltcliffe (who had already caused tension when in one of his tilts he seriously injured a Dornish knight) were were defeated as well, it did not assuage the feelings of the Dornishmen. When Ser Garlan Hunter bested Rosby, the Dornish were muted.

Afterward, prepaprations went on, and among those were a number of war councils—sometimes on Lord Velaryon’s flagship, sometimes in the citadel in Planky Town—to consider the upcoming battles with Pentos. What information the commanders had on the disposition of the enemy was sparse, and weeks old—rumors from the other Free Cities of sellsails hired, of sellswords engaged, and other such news. Oakenfist had fought in the Stepstones before, and presented a plan of action not unlike how he dealt with the Triarchy in the early days of the reign of Aegon the Dragonbane. That, at least, presented the naval plan for how to deal with the uncertain size and disposition of the Pentoshi fleet, and few argued against it.

But as to the Dornish spears, and how they would be used? All the meetings proved inconclusive, in large part due to the uncertainties of how the campaign would develop until first contact was made…. and in some small part because the Dornish, led by the loud voice of Prince Rhodry, were unwilling to give Velaryon and his captains any input into their own plans. Suffice it to say, the tensions that have grown among the lesser men—the sailors and the levies, the lesser knights—have grown, too, among the chief men of this alliance.

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