Battle on Whispering Sound

Note: The title of this article is conjecture and may be subject to change.

Battle on Whispering Sound
Conflict	War of the Five Kings
Date	300 AC
Place	Whispering Sound, the Reach
Result	Unknown Villages and fields along Whispering Sound are burnt
Combatants Iron Throne/ House Baratheon of King's Landing: The Reach, led by House Tyrell House Costayne House Hightower Kingdom of the Isles and the North/ House Greyjoy House Drumm House Goodbrother House Harlaw House Harlaw of Glimmering House Merlyn House Myre House Orkwood House Saltcliffe House Sharp House Sunderly House Volmark House Wynch Commanders Unknown Unknown Strength Unknown Ironborn fleets, excluding the Iron Fleet Casualties At least 2 dromonds[1] Unknown number of longships[1]

A battle on Whispering Sound takes place in 300 AC during the second phase of the War of the Five Kings, and is part of the ironborn campaign in the Reach. Following the taking of the Shields, the new King of the Iron Islands, Euron Greyjoy, sends his ships to raid up Whispering Sound as well as other parts of the Reach. With much of the Reach's armies and navies fighting in the War of the Five Kings in the stormlands, crownlands, and riverlands, the Reach is poorly defended.

Prelude

Reports of the ironborn taking the Shield Islands reach King's Landing. The ironborn are said to have a thousand ships, although this is most likely an exaggeration. Queen Margaery Tyrell demands that the Redwyne fleet, which is besieging Storm’s End and Dragonstone, be allowed to leave the stormlands and the narrow sea in order to defend the Reach, but Queen Regent Cersei Lannister refuses, stating that the two castles remain a danger to King's Landing and King Tommen I Baratheon's rule as they remain loyal to a rival king, Stannis Baratheon. Margaery's brother, Ser Loras Tyrell, offers to lead a charge on the walls of Dragonstone in order to quickly end the siege, which Cersei accepts.^[2] A fortnight later it is reported that Loras has successfully taken the castle, being grievously wounded in the process, which allows for the Redwyne fleet to make for the Reach.^[3]

In the meantime Euron Greyjoy has ordered his fleet to carry out attacks on settlements of the Mander, the Arbor, and Whispering Sound. King's Landing is informed of ironborn raids up Whispering Sound, threatening Oldtown, one of the largest cities in Westeros.^[3]

Battle

The battle takes place between the Iron Fleet and ships of the Reach, presumably those of House Costayne, as Whispering Sound falls within their domains, or those of their overlords, House Hightower.^[1] The victor of the battle is unknown, although Samwell Tarly spots burnt villages and fields on the banks of Whispering Sound, suggesting the ironborn were successful in raiding the settlements along the river.^[1]

Many destroyed merchant and fishing boats are spotted on the banks of the river, as well as longships and two dromonds.^[1] The dromonds are presumably part of the Hightower fleet. One half-sunken longship bearing the flag of the Crow’s Eye is spotted.^[1]

References