Rebel Leaders

The dawn was breaking, and King of K276 was preparing a meeting with the members of the council and members of the UnC alliance. The meeting had no other purpose than to reward them for their contributions to the kingdom in battle. He would give each of them a chest with gifts. At that moment, as he was deciding what gift to give to each one, he was interrupted by a servant.

- My king, I apologize for interrupting, but there are some rebel leaders near King's Landing.

- Rebel leaders? Yes, yes, they're always here and there, it's not something I should worry about - he replied, looking intently to make it clear that it wasn't something he should be interrupted for.

- My lord, these rebels are stronger and they are attacking our caravans.

- Go to Enzo; he will know what to do. I have more important things to attend to.

The servant bowed and left through the same door he had entered, while Vangark continued to ponder which gift chests he would give to each person. Meanwhile, the servant ran towards the barracks, where commanders and some high-ranking soldiers were located. It didn't take him long to find the man he was looking for, sitting in a chair with his boots on the table.

Enzo was a man taller than an average man, but not quite reaching two full yards. He had long, graying hair that reached down to his shoulders, a short beard of the same hue as his hair, and a sturdy build. He wore lightweight armor that covered mainly his shoulders, chest, forearms, and a skirt or kilt, with a large leather belt around his abdomen. Some called him "The Prince"; it was rumored that he was the heir to the throne of Pentos, but he had refused the crown due to the fateful destiny that befell those who bore it.

-What do you want?-Enzo asked as soon as he saw the servant.

-My lord, His Majesty wishes for you to undertake a mission,- the servant replied courteously.

-It's about time. Tell me, how can I be of service?-

"Rebel leaders are lurking around King's Landing, attacking our kingdom's caravans, as well as peasants and lone knights. They are stronger and more skilled than usual, my lord."

"Very well, I'll need others to accompany me in that case," Enzo said, looking around.

"You are in charge, my lord, you can choose whomever you wish."

"Perfect, I will send you the list. See you in the stables when the sun is high," he said.

The servant bowed and left. At noon, Enzo finished saddling his horse when the servant arrived with the five names he had requested: Hector, Raymond, Merrel Peake, Theon Greyjoy, and Jeane.

"My lord, as you instructed, I have brought the five names," the servant said as he approached. "But I don't understand why you brought a maiden like Jeane. Isn't it dangerous?"

"Of the ones I know, she's the one with healing studies," Enzo finished, as he began to throw garments to each of them to wear over their existing clothes. 

"This way, we won't attract attention. We'll dress like them," he added.

Each of them donned a cloak made up of various pieces of fur, tattered pants, bone and stone amulets, and some wore helmets.

The five men and the woman set out as soon as they were ready. According to the instructions they had been given, they were to march southwest along the road leading to Highgarden, where the rebels known as the Riverlands Poacher had been spotted.

The rebel leaders didn't wear polished armor; they primarily wore fur and leather attire. Sometimes, they would have a piece of armor they had taken as loot from their victims. They used any type of weapon to attack, including swords, bows, and arrows. They didn't represent any house; they only formed into clans and tried to make a name for themselves in the lands of Westeros, always remaining hidden.

As the sun began to set, they were still on the road when a voice interrupted them.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?"

"To Highgarden, we're following the path of a caravan," Enzo replied.

"We haven't seen any caravans pass by, and we've been waiting all day," the voice responded immediately.

"Our scout seems to have made a mistake," the elderly Raymond hurried to respond.

"To which clan do you belong?" the voice inquired.

"We are the Black Ears," Theon interjected.

"Yes, I already suspected that from your attire, but those horses you're riding are undoubtedly knights' horses."

The whistle of an arrow cut through the air and struck Merrel's shield. It was followed by more arrows, with Theon responding in kind. When their enemies were exposed, Enzo spurred his horse and charged toward them along with Merrel, Theon, and Raymond. Only Jeane and Hector stayed behind, with the latter protecting the maiden. Just before the battle began, a flock of crows accompanied the group.

The fight was tough, as the enemy moved skillfully and attacked relentlessly, seeing an opportunity to seize valuable loot in those horses. The Prince of Pentos fought with the most bravery, receiving numerous cuts in return, but for each wound he received, his determination to defeat the enemy grew stronger. It took several attacks, but eventually, the rebels were defeated.

Jeane used all her healing knowledge to tend to the wounds of the warriors. Upon returning to King's Landing, Enzo requested an immediate audience with the King, who responded to his vassal's call.

"I see that the victory was not easy," the King remarked, observing the bandages on the commander's body.

"They are stronger than expected, but not invincible, my Lord," Enzo replied with pride.

"Tell me, what is so urgent that you couldn't rest?"

"My King, once the battle was over, we searched through the possessions of these rebels, and in some of them, we found this."

Enzo handed the King a leather pouch tied with a matching cord. The King took it in his hands, untied it, and when he saw what was inside, his eyes gleamed, and a smile spread across his face. In his palm were none other than combat diamonds.

From that moment on, the King sent daily expeditions to the vicinity of King's Landing to control the growth of these rebel leaders, primarily to obtain the precious material with which he could forge and enhance his armor. While he could obtain it in the sieges that occurred every moon and even through black diamonds, there was no doubt that this was a lesser cost.