Rhaegar controlled his dragon, hovering in the sky above Gods Eye Lake, looking down at the dense fleet below.
All the Scorpion Crossbows, crossbows, double-arc golden heartwood greatbows, throwers, grappling hooks, throwing spears, all emitted a cold, eerie gleam.
The warriors gripped their weapons, awaiting only Rhaegar's command, to see the black banner with the red dragon unfurl.
In this era, all methods and weapons capable of dealing with dragons were essentially on display.
Rhaegar felt that the offensive and defensive techniques of the Tyroshi were no more than this, perhaps even inferior. Ordinary Tyroshi and pirate warships would not be so well-equipped, especially since the Tyroshi and pirate mercenaries were not a unified entity, but were reluctantly brought together for some purpose.
For dragons, the greatest threats were the Scorpion Crossbows and golden heartwood greatbows. Scorpion Crossbows were incredibly powerful, their bolts three times the size of ordinary arrows. The Dornish had even developed giant scorpion crossbows. The double-arc golden heartwood longbows had a long range, reaching four hundred yards, making them second only to Dragonbone Bows. Rhaegar's fifty longbowmen were also his secret weapon.
Every morning, Rhaegar would have those ships practice with him above Gods Eye Lake. Rhaegar made them launch fiercer, more brutal, and more aggressive attacks, using all their might against him and his dragon.
Gods Eye Lake was particularly lively, with the shouts of sailors, the mechanical whirring of crossbows, and the whistling of arrows. But the most shocking sounds were the roars of the dragon and the fierce winds stirred by its leathery wings.
The dragon raged in the sky, casting a huge shadow.
War is a bloody drill; a drill is an unbloody war.
The dangers faced by a Dragonrider were also considerable, especially when riding a smaller dragon, whose firepower, stamina, and defense were very limited. Falling from a great height, being targeted by a volley of arrows, or attacked by grappling hooks and throwing spears were common occurrences.
The most tragic was the fate of Prince Jacaerys and his companion Vermax during the Battle of the Gullet. It is said that a lookout on a Myrish galley managed to throw an anchor at Vermax as it swooped past, snagging it between two scales. The anchor then dug deeper due to the dragon's speed. The sailor then tied the chain to the mainmast, and the combined weight of the ship and Vermax's flapping wings tore a jagged gash in the dragon's belly.
Although Rhaegar's dragon surpassed ordinary small dragons in speed, attack power, alertness, and recovery ability, it still remained within the category of a small dragon. Only by fully unleashing the dragon's potential could they achieve an easy and splendid victory in the war for the Stepstones.
Rhaegar needed to train his dragon to dodge arrows and face them directly, and also to maintain high vigilance during low-altitude flights. Low-altitude flight and fierce arrow volleys were the greatest threats to a small dragon.
The training was extremely strict, even brutal. After increasing firepower and lowering flight altitude, the surging arrows still caused Rhaegar a lot of trouble. Especially having to dodge the thrown grappling hooks to prevent them from catching the dragon's wings.
"The Prince is down!" "The Prince is down!"
"The Prince is up again!" "The Prince is up again!"
The crossbowmen and warriors on the fleet roared, encouraging the prince and dragon swaying in the tumultuous rain of arrows. In every war, only when a decisive victory or defeat was achieved would someone shout for it to end. Rhaegar expended immense stamina.
Rhaegar's ancestor, Jaehaerys I the Conciliator, was similarly brutally honed by seven Kingsguard members during his time on Dragonstone, often ending up covered in wounds. To become a born warrior, one needed to be forged into steel by the sound of swords and spears.
By the end, everyone on the ships was exhausted, unable to lift their arms to pull crossbows or bows. They admired the Prince's cruel, rigorous training methods, and even more envied the Prince and his dragon's excellent recovery abilities. No matter how intense the training was on the first day, the Prince and his dragon would still demand stronger training on the second day.
The training continued day after day, until Rhaegar's dragon could leisurely stroll through arrow volleys, even protecting itself during low-altitude flight. The dragon's speed became faster and its vigilance higher.
Rhaegar intended to use the small dragon's swiftness to raid the Stepstones, while also ensuring his companions were not harmed.
Rhaegar had sent people to inquire about the war for the Stepstones. The Tyroshi and pirates were entrenched in the Stepstones, and had hired many mercenaries to participate in the fighting. The iron throne's fleet was ready to go, but it seemed the war would not be quickly resolved, as conflicts around the Stepstones usually lasted for several years. A positive note, however, was that the relationship between Tyrosh and Myr had fractured, and this war was instigated by Tyroshi exiles, so the Third Daughter could not fully commit.
On an afternoon when training was paused, Corlys also sent Rhaegar a letter.
Rhaegar opened the letter, and on the parchment was the familiar rose emblem of House Tyrell.
"A letter?" Rhaegar was somewhat surprised to see the letter. It wasn't from King's Landing, nor Dragonstone. Instead, it was from a place Rhaegar hadn't expected: the South, Highgarden.
Mace Tyrell?
Rhaegar's eyes lit up. He remembered Mace Tyrell, the heir to the South, who wore green velvet, looked heroic with his curly hair, but whose talent and martial skills were mediocre.
Rhaegar opened the letter. The first half was Mace's praise for him, commending his heroic spirit, divine appearance, unparalleled martial prowess, and calling him a born warrior. But then, the tone shifted, and Mace began to praise himself.
"I, Mace Tyrell, am skilled in swordplay and delight in the sounds of war. Taught by renowned masters since childhood, my martial arts are proficient. My greatest honor would be to serve Prince Rhaegar. I am willing to fight alongside the Prince with my humble body, even if it means my brains are splattered and my bones ground to dust. If the Prince requires, I shall lead Highgarden's elite knights and my kin, the Redwyne Fleet, to assist the Prince."
Rhaegar read it, dumbfounded at first, but quickly figured it out. This Ser rose was here to 'piggyback' off his achievements.
The Reach in the South was renowned as the richest and most populous of the Seven Kingdoms. House Tyrell was a vast and powerful family, and Duke Ross had also recruited famous masters for Ser Mace. The Reach itself was the birthplace of knightly culture. However, this young Lord Mace's aptitude was truly mediocre and ordinary; he had never achieved any honors in tourneys or on the battlefield. Even as the heir to the South, such a poor performance would invite ridicule from others. Moreover, there were many ancient families in the South, many of whom harbored resentment towards House Tyrell.
However, House Tyrell was not without options. Mace could bring along a skilled subordinate to 'gild the lily'; with a 'heavenly proxy' to carry him, Lord Mace could also gain honors.
House Tyrell's friendship with Rhaegar was a win-win situation. The Prince had a dragon, and the Third Daughter had already turned hostile. Under heavy protection, honor could also be obtained.
Once the cooperation was established, Lord Mace could gain the honor he longed for, and Rhaegar would gain Tyrell manpower and a portion of the Redwyne Fleet.
Befriending Prince Rhaegar represented mutual support between the rose and the heir to the iron throne; they believed in Prince Rhaegar. If the war for the Stepstones was won, Mace Tyrell could further declare to the world, "Prince Rhaegar and I achieved this great victory together, and Prince Rhaegar and I won the triumph together."
Rhaegar thought about it. Mace, this 'inflatable fish', though mediocre in talent, had the advantage of a small brain and was relatively obedient and dull. Moreover, if Mace joined, he could also attract skilled individuals from the South, especially the Redwyne Fleet.
Rhaegar personally wrote a sincere letter, expressing his gratitude to Mace Tyrell and his family. Rhaegar did not reveal his plans to sweep the Stepstones, but he also did not completely reject Ser Mace. This intricate design was most likely not from Mace's foolish mind, but perhaps from the guidance of Ser Mace's parents.
However, as a matter of reciprocity, after the training of the small dragons was complete, he would act at the appropriate time. If war broke out, House Tyrell and the Redwyne Fleet would indeed be needed.