Wolf's Den received an envoy from Tyrosh, a young Magistrate named Aquido, who had red hair, a beard, and a tall pointed Tyroshi hat.
Tyrosh had sent thirty loud, brightly dressed Tyroshi Mercenaries to guard him, along with three Tyroshi nobles and attendants who brought supplies.
After being questioned by the scouts, Magistrate Aquido was finally allowed into a camp beside Wolf's Den. Aquido saw ranks of soldiers, spearmen, swordsmen, as well as attendants, armored foot soldiers, and runners who carried messages; the camp was strict and orderly.
"Forgive the disturbance! Commander, I am honored to bring you Magistrate Aquido, envoy from Tyrosh!" Ser Jorah said, leading Aquido into the main tent.
"So, you are also called Aquido?" Inside the tent, Gendry looked at the young noble kneeling before him. The Tyroshi were clearly afraid of him and had sent an envoy to seek peace.
Tyrosh and Myr were already on the edge of war, since Tyrosh had sheltered exiled Myrish Magisters and nobles, hired Mercenaries to prepare for conflict, and was still struggling to crush slave uprisings inside the city.
"Yes, Commander-in-Chief!" Aquido answered, not hiding his origin. "Silver Tongue Aquido Adarys was my ancestor."
Aquido secretly raised his eyes and glanced at the man before him. The famous Mercenary King sat behind a desk, a handsome young man with black hair and blue eyes, lean and powerful like a hunting leopard.
A white-haired Old Maester sat nearby on a leather folding chair, and several Unsullied guards stood watch. Jorah, who had brought them in, waited respectfully at the side.
"I did not expect a descendant of Silver Tongue to still walk the world," someone in the tent said with surprise.
"I serve as one of Tyrosh's Magistrates, but I am far less than my ancestor," Aquido replied honestly.
"Magistrate Aquido, you have come on Tyrosh's behalf to discuss urgent business."
"Yes!" Aquido felt his heart tighten. Every word he spoke now might decide the fate of Tyrosh. "Before I speak of my purpose, please allow me to present the gifts Tyrosh has prepared for you."
Then Magistrate Aquido spoke in a clear voice. "One hundred thousand Tyroshi golden rhombic coins. One hundred barrels of Tyroshi pear brandy of the finest quality. One hundred sets of exquisite gold and silver wolf-head armor, crafted by Tyroshi armorers. And there is one gift you may value even more: three heads of the fleeing Myrish Magisters."
"Thank you for your generosity," Gendry said. "These gifts sound very fine. So, what do you want in return?"
The people of Tyrosh were skilled at bending without breaking. Though known as a trading city-state, Tyrosh had once been a forward outpost of Valyria, and its nature was more warlike than that of Lys or Myr. The deeds of Silver Tongue were the greatest example; he had ruled Tyrosh as a tyrant for seven or eight years.
"Peace!" Magistrate Aquido declared. "If you bring peace to Tyrosh, then Tyrosh is willing to hand over its estates and towns in the Disputed Lands to the Wolf Pack, and to recognize the Commander-in-Chief's rule over Myr. To show our sincerity, once a formal treaty is signed, Tyrosh will send ten times these gifts to the Commander-in-Chief."
"What if I do not wish to accept?" Gendry asked, his gaze steady on Aquido. "If I seize Tyrosh, then all its wealth will be mine anyway."
"Tyrosh is not Myr; Tyrosh is not as weak as Myr," Aquido replied, forcing himself to speak firmly. "Mercenaries gather in Tyrosh, our armor smiths make strange and fearsome armor, and Tyrosh is ringed by strong black dragonstone walls. Most important of all, the followers of the Three-Headed God are fearless." Aquido drew on all his courage, trying to keep his voice steady.
"Why should the Commander-in-Chief choose a hard siege and throw away wealth already within his grasp?" Aquido asked.
"And if I still refuse?"
"Remember, there are countless slaves in this world—can they all be freed?" Aquido said. "Freeing slaves and leading the Targaryen orphans home are both heavy tasks. For the Commander-in-Chief to do both at once would be like trying to revive Valyria itself. Why not make more allies instead? Decades ago, Volantis had hundreds of thousands of soldiers and ruled in glory, yet that power has faded. If the Commander-in-Chief fights on all fronts, he may one day become the enemy of the whole known world."
Gendry watched Aquido closely. Though still young, the envoy's insight and skill were impressive.
"Do you know what this is?" Gendry asked, drawing his Valyrian steel longsword. "My army is as sharp as this sword."
"Valyrian steel is keen and thirsts for blood; one glance is enough to see it," Aquido said. "But if Commander Gendry kills me, Tyrosh will only become even harder to approach."
"What a sharp tongue you have," Gendry said, sheathing his blade. "You were pushed aside in Tyrosh, were you not?"
"Yes," Aquido admitted. "Though the Adarys family reached its height under my ancestor, it quickly declined. In the council of Magistrates I am awkward and alone, there only to make up the numbers, and not truly trusted."
"Tyrosh has both a war faction and a peace faction. Which side are you on?"
"The peace faction," Aquido answered calmly. "The Ninepenny Kings once took Tyrosh. Now, the Commander-in-Chief's strength already matches or even surpasses theirs."
"I like you," Gendry said. "If one day you have nowhere else to go, you may come and seek shelter with me."
"Thank you for your kindness, Commander-in-Chief. I hope such a day never comes," Aquido replied, bowing deeply.
"Very well, Magistrate Aquido," Gendry said. "I admit the gifts you offer are tempting, but they are not enough to sway me."
"I will report this to the Archon, so he can prepare even greater gifts," Aquido said with relief. If Gendry was willing to speak of conditions, then negotiations were still possible.
"You may think so," Gendry replied. "You have traveled far. Go and rest." He dismissed Magistrate Aquido with a wave.
The soldiers led the Tyroshi envoy away to a camp set in a more remote corner…
"Call all the commanders," Gendry ordered. "The time has come for us to take Tyrosh."
"Yes, Commander-in-Chief," Qyburn answered.
The war council of the Wolf Pack Army and the Free Army was held in secret.
The Handsome Man, treasurer and advisor to Gendry.
Dick the Fletch, Gendry's advisor.
Maester Qyburn, the learned man, intelligence officer, and Gendry's mentor.
Longspear, cavalry commander of the Wolf Pack Company.
Steel Fist, infantry commander of the Wolf Pack Company.
Black Billy, archer commander of the Wolf Pack Company.
Gilo Reha, commander of the Spear Company.
Grey Wolf, leader of the Unsullied, commander of the Royal Guard, and commander of the Free Army.
Ser Jorah, commander of the Royal Guard.
"The time has come for a full attack," Gendry told them. "The Tyroshi envoy brought rich gifts and words of peace. The Tyroshi are famous for their greed; if they were not desperate, they would never act like this."
"Then let us use their own trick against them," the Handsome Man suggested with a smile. "Tyrosh is using gifts to buy time. Once help arrives from Lys and Volantis, Tyrosh will surely strike back at Myr."
"Tyrosh's helpers may not come from Lys or Volantis, but from the Khals," Maester Qyburn said, his old eyes still bright.
"Khals?" someone asked.
"Exactly. Only a Khal can truly save Tyrosh," Qyburn replied. "The Lyseni have also taken in Myrish exiles, but their Magistrates are hesitant. To attack Myr from the sea is too hard, and on land they dare not face the Free Army. Volantis has not yet reached its election year. As for the Iron Throne, Old Jon is dead, Stannis has left King's Landing, and the city is likely in chaos."
"There is such a risk," Gilo Reha agreed. "For many years, the Magistrates of Myr paid tribute to the Dothraki to avoid being raided. Once the Tyroshi add fuel to the fire, these horsemen may indeed come charging."
"Sirs, the horsemen are fierce," Grey Wolf said calmly. "But so long as the Free Army I have trained can hold their Unsullied formation, they will not fear the horsemen's raids." The Unsullied were most famous for standing firm against the horsemen in the city of the Black Goat.
"Gentlemen, my mind is set," Gendry announced. "To avoid being dragged into a three-front war, we must speed up the attack on Tyrosh. Harris's fleet will blockade Tyrosh by sea. Grey Wolf and Steel Fist will lead the Free Army and part of the Wolf Pack to prepare for raids by the Khals. I will command the main reserve."
"Three fronts?" someone asked, puzzled.
"There are enemies hidden within Myr as well," Gendry said. "There will always be those lurking in the shadows."