"The horse lords come and go, bearing gifts. They will leave."
This saying perfectly captured the Free City's attitude towards the Dothraki.
The Dothraki were a quintessential nomadic people of the pre-gunpowder era. Lacking a unified government, they were scattered into individual tribes known as "Khas." These tribes were led by the fiercest warriors, called "Khal."
Their Khalasar had a fixed city, Vaes Dothrak – their capital. However, they rarely stayed there for long. They spent most of their time migrating with their tents, following water and grazing land. Their economy relied heavily on raiding neighboring countries. For survival, the tribes also attacked each other.
Pentos saw several Dothraki tribes passing through each year, some new, some old.
Within a Khalasar, when a Khal died, a new Khal would take power. Alternatively, the "Khas" (similar to the tribes under the Hunnic royal tent) would split, reforming into several Khalasars, with the previous "Ko" (chieftains of the tribes under the Khal) becoming new Khals. Or, the various tribes would merge, consuming each other.
Whenever the Dothraki migrated through, the Pentoshi nobles would proactively offer gold, silver, and gifts, providing them with supplies and directing them to plunder elsewhere.
The people of Pentos had even built magnificent palaces by the bay for the Khals to rest in as their Khalasars migrated.
The nobles of the Free Cities were quite pleased with this solution, as they could use wealth to stop the bloodshed, and even take the opportunity to extort more money.
Viserys preferred to call it Tribute.
However, the people of the Free Cities had no sense of nationhood or national identity; after all, the rulers with real power in these cities were the merchant-governor alliances.
They only needed to ensure that the trade routes were not disrupted, and that they could continue to make money; they didn't bother with anything else.
What Illyrio wanted to show Viserys was a Dothraki tribe that happened to be passing through, reportedly with a scale of ten thousand warriors.
Illyrio was a merchant and a schemer; he understood human nature, and of course, he wouldn't let Viserys see the tribe of "Khal Drogo" he really wanted to introduce right away.
He wanted Viserys to first get an impression of the Dothraki warriors, and then tell him that this was not the strongest; that there was a more powerful tribe, a rising overlord of the grasslands, who could be a bridge for him.
Having learned that the tribal leader wasn't called Drogo, Viserys understood the situation.
He realized this was Illyrio's response to his earlier resistance.
It seemed they were quite invested in this plan to link the last of the Targaryens with a Dothraki Khal.
Viserys had a plan in mind.
He slept soundly that night.
The next morning, Viserys got up early, ate a simple breakfast, and changed into the servant clothing Illyrio had provided. He then left the house with Illyrio and the servants.
Illyrio rode in a luxurious carriage, driven by two servants, with over a dozen servants on horseback following.
Viserys, by the way, knew how to ride a horse.
Before the Targaryen dynasty fell, Viserys had been a prince in King's Landing for eight years. The Targaryen family valued martial prowess, and Prince Rhaegar, who was the heir apparent, was renowned for his bravery.
Viserys, who was not originally in line to inherit the throne, was being groomed as a prince to assist Rhaegar in the future. He had learned martial arts from a young age, and of course, had learned to ride a horse.
Even after he fled to the Free Cities, his riding skills hadn't diminished. After all, among the nobles who sheltered him, there were those who valued martial arts. He had to accompany them on their rides, or how else could he flatter them?
Just like now, Illyrio had invited him to accompany him to watch the Dothraki horses. Could he really refuse?
This wasn't a good thing. If the original had not known how to ride, just the act of learning to ride could have been used to stall for a long time when necessary.
Today was Viserys's first time walking the city streets since coming to Pentos. He had to say, his impression was extremely poor.
He hadn't felt much when he first left the courtyard, but as soon as he left the courtyard area, a suffocating stench hit him in the face.
There weren't many people on the street in the morning, but the muddy ground, animal feces, and various kinds of garbage were everywhere. The smell of excrement and fish mingled together, making it difficult to breathe.
Even with the memories of his predecessor, and being prepared for it, Viserys underestimated the harsh environment of a large coastal commercial city, similar to a medieval one.
Fortunately, they were on horseback and quickly traversed the streets, exiting the city's massive walls and arriving outside.
Although the gathering places outside the city weren't much better, the view was at least open, and the air circulated.
However, this brief respite didn't last long. They soon arrived at a medium-sized encampment a few hundred meters outside the city. This was a small plain on the eastern outskirts, away from the shantytowns built along the moat, beside a Valyrian-built road.
The encampment was only protected by simple wooden stakes, clearly a temporary construction.
Despite its simplicity, a large contingent of soldiers was stationed there for guard duty. The camp gates were heavily guarded. When Illyrio's party arrived, they had to confirm their identities before being allowed entry.
Inside the camp were many mule carts, laden with goods.
The flags in front of the camp bore the insignia of Pentos's city guard.
Entering the camp, Viserys began to observe.
He had served as a centurion for a princess in his previous world and knew a bit about ancient military formations. He could easily tell from the temporary tents and the distribution of personnel that there were at most five hundred people in the camp.
Compared to that, there weren't many elite troops wearing armor. They were mostly responsible for guarding and standing watch. From what he could see, there was only a fifty-man squad.
The remaining personnel were mostly auxiliary staff in charge of the merchants' governors' transportation, unarmed and wearing only cloth.
Occasionally, some wore leather armor and carried swords. These were the attendants of the governors.
Viserys's current attire was that of an attendant, with a leather helmet covering his hair and most of his face.
Along the way, his guide was talking to Illyrio, discussing transportation matters.
When they reached the main tent in the center of the camp, Illyrio told the guards to wait outside while he went in to handle things.
Illyrio had already instructed Viserys to seek out the leader among his guards if he had any problems – the same man Viserys had seen accompanying Illyrio when he was invited to Lys.
He was also suspected to be a eunuch.
Viserys therefore guessed that Illyrio's personal guards were all "Unsullied".
In this situation, Viserys spoke very little and did not move around much.
His silence and stillness pleased Illyrio. Viserys, however, did not care what Illyrio thought; he only focused on observing more and speaking less.
About a quarter of an hour after arriving at the camp, with one merchant governor after another arriving at the central tent and messengers leaving, the temporary camp quickly began to show signs of breaking camp.
More and more of the governors' attendants gathered outside the tent, but nothing untoward happened.
Viserys noticed that most of them were Unsullied guards like those of Illyrio, all silent and quiet. It seemed that using Unsullied as guards was a normal practice in Pentos.
Actually, because Pentos and Braavos had been at war, and Pentos had lost, the peace treaty stipulated that the people of Pentos could not hire mercenaries, contract with free companies, or maintain any army beyond the city guard. Therefore, the nobles were forced to buy Unsullied to protect their property. For some external military affairs and internal management, they could only rely on the city guard established jointly by the governors. In fact, the largest military force in the city was the armed monks of the Red Temple.
Viserys didn't know the reason for this. He just stood in a group of Unsullied guards, somewhat suspicious that Illyrio had arranged for him to act as a servant. He wondered if it was a sign of disrespect, or if there was some kind of perverse amusement involved.
After the mule carts in the camp had almost all departed, Illyrio and a group of governors walked out of the tent.
The governors' actions were not the same. They exchanged farewells with each other. Some set off directly back to the city, while others called to their attendants to ride horses and catch up with the departing mule cart teams.
After the others had almost all left, Illyrio called to Viserys and his group. They mounted their horses and followed his luxurious carriage in the direction of the mule cart team.
There was silence all the way. They rode east along the Valyrian-built road across the vast plains. After about five or six miles, a river appeared ahead.
This was still some distance from the Rhoyne, the natural border of Pentos, but it was a tributary of the river. However, Illyrio's carriage did not follow the mule cart team, but turned elsewhere, stopping at a low hill.
Then, the plump governor got out of the carriage, mounted a horse that had been prepared, and led Viserys and his retinue to ride up the low hill.
The portly governor beckoned Viserys closer, and the attendants obligingly moved away.
He said apologetically, "Your Grace, I have put you to some inconvenience."
Viserys affected a magnanimous air, replying, "It is of no consequence, Governor. Do not concern yourself."
The portly governor was merely being polite and quickly changed the subject, stating, "This high ground offers a perfect view of the Dothraki approaching to receive the tribute. Please, Your Grace, wait a moment."
Viserys was obliging, replying, "I had expected to go to the Dothraki camp."
He gazed into the distance. Across the river lay a windswept expanse of plains, with low, rolling hills in the distance. He could faintly see patches of green grass, and a wide dirt road stretched towards the horizon.
Illyrio replied, "Your Grace is unaware. The Dothraki camp is far away. Historically, when presenting gifts, both sides send representatives to meet here. If they were stationed too close, the city's inhabitants would not rest easy. In truth, we do not fear these barbarians. The Red Priests assure us that with the Lord of Light's protection, even if a million Dothraki attacked, we would have nothing to fear..."
This aligned with Viserys's observations, and he pretended not to hear Illyrio's later attempt to cover his words.
The eastern part of Pentos was a vast plain, perfectly suited for cavalry. If the passing Dothraki settled too close, the consequences would be dire if the Khals made any moves.
"So, how do you assess the Dothraki's intentions?" Viserys asked casually. "What if they're feigning, using trickery to get more 'gifts'?"
Illyrio said confidently, "We will know, Your Grace."
Viserys sensed Illyrio's confidence and couldn't help but sneer inwardly. He mumbled, "It seems you have a great deal of experience with such matters."
Illyrio faintly heard the mockery and turned to look at Viserys. He could only see a hint of anticipation on the face mostly covered by the helmet, as if he were waiting for the Dothraki to appear, and that his earlier words were just a casual remark.
He gazed in the direction the mule cart convoy was traveling, and after a moment, several columns of smoke rose from the low hills in the distance.
As the smoke rose, a dense mass of men and horses gradually appeared on the low hills about three or four miles away. From that distance, they looked like ants, but they were densely packed, impossible to count.
The black smoke on the plain gradually rose into the sky, like giant ropes hanging from the horizon to the clouds, while the tiny dots of men and horses, like ants, poured out from the hills, and then slowly surged towards the moving mule cart convoy like a black tide.
Viserys had commanded a hundred men on the plains of Hyrule. When the riders emerged from the mountains, he quickly estimated that there were about fifteen hundred cavalry, judging by the formation and distance, divided into three units of five hundred.
It had to be said, with only a few signal fires, this fifteen hundred-strong force suddenly appeared beneath the sky. They then descended from the low mountains, and as they moved across the vast plain, the riders became increasingly clear, creating a truly awe-inspiring effect.
On Earth, bombarded by information, many people couldn't truly imagine the shocking sight of a thousand cavalry charging on an ancient battlefield, only able to make assumptions based on the "big scenes" they saw in television dramas. But in reality, a thousand-strong cavalry formation, once deployed, could stretch for four or five hundred meters.
Especially for a grassland army like the Dothraki, who didn't wear armor, it was rare for them to bunch up. They were skilled at cutting up the battlefield like a hunt, engaging in a chaotic melee.
The Dothraki clearly intended to display their strength. These troops, who Illyrio said were here to meet them, suddenly charged towards the mule cart convoy when the distance between the two groups was about a mile.
Of course, no fighting broke out between the two sides; the Dothraki cavalry formation was merely showing off its military might.
After a brief clamor, the charge stopped. The troops turned, and the cavalry formation merged into two groups, as if escorting the "gifts" sent from Pentos, surrounding them in the middle of the formation.
Even standing on this low hill, three or four miles away, one could easily feel the cavalry's charge, the dust billowing, the earth trembling, and the approaching riders truly like a tide.
The scene was indeed grand, but it wasn't enough to faze Viserys.
The Dothraki horsemen were, after all, just men. He'd seen marching formations packed with grotesque creatures, and he'd commanded a hundred men in an attempt to slay a dragon.
He'd even had the chance to transform into a dragon himself.
But this served as a reminder to Viserys: if he were to use a dragon's breath to fight against a thousand or ten thousand soldiers in the future, it would be best to have them bunched together. And an army would be needed to finish the job.
A formation of fifteen hundred cavalrymen could stretch for four or five hundred meters. Once a formation of ten thousand men, even if they were foot soldiers, spread out, it would be a real headache to deal with them.
Based on his own experience, once the enemy realized they should scatter when facing a dragon, even a dragon with endless reserves of magic would find it difficult to easily annihilate them single-handedly.
That was why the Targaryens hadn't been able to conquer Dorne, even in the age of dragons, and they needed the support of armies and subjects.
Illyrio watched Viserys, saw his gaze drawn to the Dothraki cavalry, and observed his silent contemplation and changing expressions. He then asked with a certain amount of satisfaction, "Your Grace, what do you think of these Dothraki horsemen?"
Viserys could easily hear the smugness in Illyrio's tone, though he couldn't tell if it was genuine or just an act for the sake of the plan.
"Well, I understand now," Viserys said, not giving Illyrio the reaction he wanted. He looked at him with a serious expression. "You're serious, and you're not like those nobles who are just playing around. Governor Illyrio, I see your ambition, and I've confirmed your attitude and execution. To help me regain the throne, you've even devised a seemingly feasible plan and are firmly implementing it, trying to convince me."
Viserys rode his horse up to Illyrio, and said with unprecedented solemnity, "Just for this, Illyrio, you don't need to do much. Just keep this ambition and work for me. If I retake the Iron Throne in the future, the position of Hand of the King will be yours."
"." This wasn't the reaction Illyrio wanted, but he still took the words, expressing his confusion at Viserys's reaction. "Your Grace?"
Viserys didn't answer immediately. He rode forward a distance, then reined in his horse before Illyrio could react in a way that would damage his current high spirits. He looked back, signaling for Illyrio to come forward for a private talk.
Illyrio was hesitant. After a moment of hesitation, he still rode closer, his face showing his confusion.
....
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