Game of Thrones: Oath of Iron and Fire-Chapter 43: The Red Viper’s Swift Visit and the Wolfpack’s Strategy

The Red Viper came and went quickly. Given his unique status, his visit to Powdergrass Manor was kept a secret, and the alliance they forged was purely verbal, based on mutual respect and continued trade.

During his time at Powdergrass Manor, the Red Viper had several sparring sessions with Gendry. Facing one of the Seven Kingdoms' finest warriors accelerated Gendry's growth.

"The Red Viper must think I'm a lesser version of the Mountain," Gendry mused. The Red Viper always faced him with a spear, and Gendry understood why.

The Red Viper's imagined opponent was primarily the Mountain, Tywin Lannister's hound—a towering eight-foot wall of flesh. Against such a massive shield, a spear was far more agile and safer than a greatsword.

"What a complicated man!" Gendry thought. The Red Viper was a figure of great renown in Westeros. There were countless tales about his duels, wars, jousts, his mounts, and even rumors about his romantic escapades... It was said he slept with both men and women, and that he had bastards all over Dorne, girls known as the "Sand Snakes."

"What do you think of the Red Viper?" Gendry asked Maester Cale.

"Exceptionally talented, but Dorne is too small a stage for him, and he's never quite fit in with the new regime," Cale replied.

Dorne had a harsh climate and the smallest population in the Seven Kingdoms. In terms of population and wealth, the Reach and the Westerlands were the richest; unfortunately, both were enemies of Dorne. Next came the Vale, the Riverlands, then the Stormlands, the North, and finally Dorne.

"With limited strength but grand ambitions, it's tough for those two brothers," Gendry reflected. Dorne had suffered a crushing defeat when they supported the Mad King, a significant loss for their small realm.

The Dornish were isolated and had few friends; charging headfirst with their limited forces against the combined might of the lions, eagles, wolves, and stags would be suicidal. That's why Doran and the Red Viper had to be cautious in their planning.

"Your Highness doesn't know the full story!" Maester Cale paused for a moment.

"During the War of the Usurper, Dorne was hesitant, given their relatively weak military. But the Mad King held Princess Elia, Prince Lewyn's niece, as a hostage, forcing him to lead over ten thousand Dornish warriors to join Prince Rhaegar's forces. Prince Lewyn also died in the war. The Dornish endured their anger and bled for the Targaryens."

"Poor souls!" Gendry thought of that war, the Silver Prince's ill-fated love, and the toll it took on many in the Seven Kingdoms. The Martells had been collateral damage in the Mad King's schemes.

"Injustice and ambition are the wellsprings of war," Gendry mused. The situation in Westeros was rife with division and discontent, with many lords feeling wronged.

The Baratheons, the Tyrells, the Martells—all harbored grievances. Add to that schemers like Varys and Littlefinger, stirring the pot from the shadows. Gendry needed to build strength rather than rush into the chaos.

"I think Doran and the Red Viper are two sides of the same coin," Gendry analyzed. "There are many rumors about the Red Viper. He seems fiery and impulsive on the surface, but he still obeys his cautious brother Doran."

"He must be exhausted," Gendry suddenly felt for the Red Viper.

For such a proud and resilient man, to suppress his desire for vengeance year after year, constrained by Dorne's limited power and his brother's orders, was a form of torture.

Doran's plans were far-sighted, but they were hampered by Dorne's inherent weaknesses. Besides the personal ambitions of Doran's pawns, Dorne's harsh terrain and the significant losses suffered during the War of the Usurper left them at a disadvantage.

"This is why the Red Viper wants to connect with us and break the deadlock," Maester Cale said. "He's been suppressing his anger, year after year." The Dornish needed an army; they had few friends in Westeros, and the merchants across the Narrow Sea in the Free Cities lacked the courage and military might to get involved.

"Seize this opportunity; the Red Viper's friendship is a double-edged sword," Gendry thought.

"Let's see how much he can offer us. Dornish horses, spices, spearmen—I need them all. But most of all, I want the Dornish horses. These horses have incredible stamina, perfect for light cavalry charges." The Disputed Lands were flat and had a decent climate, ideal for cavalry raids.

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"Dornish horses are indeed prized steeds! But I think Prince Oberyn is being cautious; he won't sell us many. After all, Dorne has good relations with the Free Cities, and many of the Free Cities' governors' children play in the Water Gardens."

"I think they're just used to being cautious," Gendry pondered.

"But what if the Red Viper guesses your identity, Your Highness?" Maester Cale hesitated. Privately, they were still mortal enemies.

"The situation is not set in stone. Even if we wanted to, the Martells wouldn't dare openly rebel now; it's just a cooperation. Even if it comes to that, it would just be an alliance or a bargaining chip. I don't think the Red Viper wants to make more enemies for the Martells." The Dornish's primary target was the Lannisters, which gave Gendry some leeway.

And given Doran and Oberyn's patient nature, they would likely continue to bide their time unless a significant opportunity arose.

"Fair enough. For now, it's not our time to intervene in Westeros."

"The focus is still the Disputed Lands and the Stepstones!"

"We need to make a splash, to raise the profile of the Wolfpack, to make Oberyn and the oppressed slaves reassess our value," Gendry said with a fierce gleam in his eyes. The more the Wolfpack and the Free Army could fight, the more investment they could attract.

"Spread the word that we're allying with the Cat's Guild to raid Myr!" Gendry said. "Let the Free Army make a few more shows of force along the borders to intimidate those Myrish slavemasters."

"So our real target is the Stepstones?" Maester Cale understood Gendry's strategy—creating a diversion but striking at the Stepstones instead.

Now the Myrish were in a state of panic. In terms of military power, their navy was decent, but their land forces, relying on free sellswords and adventurers, were always weak. The Wolfpack's attacks were like thunderbolts.

The Myrish wanted to hire the Golden Company, but the price for such a large-scale war was astronomical, not to mention that the Golden Company was defensive rather than offensive, and mercenaries knew how to preserve their strength.

"Yes, now that we have a port, we need to secure one or two island chains in the Stepstones to form a cohesive territory!" Gendry's ideal domain was the Disputed Lands and the Stepstones, to be taken step by step. His current small kingdom consisted of a half-corner of the Disputed Lands and a series of manors.

If he could include the Stepstones, it would be even better. But that was a grand plan; for now, he could only aim to take a few smaller islands.

"Just in time, several escaped slaves have come to us with ships. We don't need to rely on the old pirates anymore; we can take a few islands ourselves."

As their power expanded, the relationship between the Wolfpack and the old pirates became more delicate. The old pirates sensed the rise of the Wolfpack but didn't expect it to be so rapid.

Mainly, Gendry's chosen path was extremely bold and daring, breaking new ground. In the past, no faction had ever dared to challenge one of the core elements of world trade—slavery.