[Chapter Size: 1000 Words.]
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Observing the growing number of enemies, Theon did not panic.
"Fire!" With that command, arrows flew toward him.
With a sharp crack, every arrow ricocheted and scattered across the ground.
Will Dannin was stunned. He had never heard of armor so indestructible within the Seven Kingdoms.
"Who are you?" Will Dannin shouted angrily, though the outburst eased his fear, if only slightly.
Theon raised his sword.
"I am Theon Greyjoy, King of the Iron Islands, Lord of the Seas, a phantom in the mists, a monster from the depths!"
When it came to names and titles, Theon knew the rule well: if you couldn't rattle off a string of impressive titles, you were nobody.
Look at Daenerys, her list of titles was endless.
"Theon, you treacherous squid! Robb himself will cut off your head!"
The voice of Brynden Tully rang out, his eyes wide, as if he were about to devour a grilled squid.
At that moment, Theon's army surged forward.
"Your Grace, are you unharmed?"
Tim Joffe asked with concern.
But Tim's worries were clearly unnecessary. To pierce the armor, one would need at least a Valyrian steel crossbow capable of slaying dragons.
Theon leveled his sword and shouted:
"Crush them! Any who resist shall be slain at once!"
Tim Joffe drew his blade.
"Kill!"
The troops charged in chaos. Theon sighed deeply at the sight.
This was far from the disciplined army he had envisioned. They simply rushed forward without order.
If not for their nearly identical uniforms and the rags tied around their arms, Theon might have doubted they were his men at all.
The cries of the wounded and the dying echoed through Riverrun. Fortunately, Brynden the Blackfish quickly rallied his troops, sparing Theon from further disorder.
Five thousand against four thousand, hardly an overwhelming advantage.
Yet with Theon's newly formed light cavalry of five hundred and their flawless armor, the balance shifted swiftly.
Especially Theon himself, mounted on a warhorse and wielding a spear, he was terrifying enough to shatter the enemy's will.
The five hundred riders under his command tore through Riverrun's defenders like a blade through flesh.
It wasn't long before the remaining defenders scattered in all directions.
Theon led his cavalry in plundering and killing nobles wherever they could find them, the more, the better.
By dawn, Riverrun's drawbridge had risen once again, as if nothing had happened.
Only the bloodstains and the ashes of war whispered of the massacre that had taken place the night before.
Fortunately for his men, Theon paid them silver coins each month and did not demand that they supply their own provisions.
This spared the civilians of Riverrun from humiliation and gave them a measure of relief.
The bodies of Brynden Tully and several other nobles were cremated together and buried in a cemetery outside the city.
Theon's actions earned him considerable respect. Of course, he also made sure his men spread word of his deeds throughout Riverrun.
It was also publicized that Theon had ordered his soldiers not to harass the townsfolk during the previous night, and had even executed several "Ironborn nobles" who disobeyed.
"Tim, take your men and plunder the noble estates. Then, set aside a portion of the spoils for the common folk. The rest will be divided among the soldiers."
"Huh? Why should we give any of it to the civilians?" Tim asked, confused.
He knew well enough that Theon was not the just and honorable man the people outside believed him to be.
"It's just for show, so we can win their hearts and recruit more men."
Tim immediately began leading men to ransack the houses, one after another, a task that lasted an entire day.
It must be said, these noble families were truly wealthy. Though the full tally had not yet been counted, the loot was worth at least six hundred thousand gold coins.
And this was only the wealth contained in Riverrun itself, not including that of their fiefs and castles.
Most nobles owned estates and strongholds elsewhere; their mansions in Riverrun were little more than temporary residences.
Even so, Theon was shocked by Riverrun's abundance. The warehouses and cellars overflowed with provisions.
No wonder Brynden had confidently claimed he could withstand a siege for a year.
Riverrun had little coin compared to its vast food stores, and much of that coin was meant to purchase more supplies.
This suited Theon well, though he regretted that Brynden Tully had not been taken alive.
The old man had courage, he preferred to die in battle rather than surrender.
After seizing Riverrun, Theon turned his attention to the city's remaining nobility.
Through a mixture of coercion and persuasion, he secured the loyalty of a handful of minor lords, granting them small military commands ranging from a few men to several dozen, charged with keeping order in the city.
Meanwhile, a group of disobedient nobles was stripped of all military authority, and their retainers dismissed.
Every weapon and piece of armor was confiscated. This group numbered no more than six hundred.
After all, most of the rebellious nobles had been slain by Theon the night before.
From the confiscated arms, Theon recruited five hundred men from the civilian population, equipping them to form Riverrun's new garrison.
Thus, five hundred minor nobles and five hundred commoners made up the city's guard.
Theon intended to rely on Riverrun's ample supplies to properly train his new army.
First, they would be drilled in marching and maneuvering, left, right, forward, back, and then, through posture, discipline, and physical training, they would be forged into something resembling an elite force.
The garrison would undergo the same training, and civilians who performed well would be elevated as newly created nobles.
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