| Davos III | ||||||
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| A Clash of Kings chapter | ||||||
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| POV | Davos Seaworth | |||||
| Place | Aboard the Black Betha on the Blackwater Bay | |||||
| Page | 599 UK HC (Other versions) | |||||
| Chapter chronology (All) | ||||||
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Davos II ↑ | ||||||
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↓ A Storm of Swords Davos I | ||||||
The royal fleets clash in the Battle of the Blackwater. A great chain is raised across the Blackwater Rush to prevent Stannis Baratheon's ships from retreating, and wildfire destroys most of the galleys, including that of Davos Seaworth.
Synopsis
[edit]
Davos's ship Black Betha is in the second line on the right as Stannis's great fleet, under the command of Ser Imry Florent, enters Blackwater Bay. The more cautious Davos disapproves of Imry's aggressive approach, but their fleet was delayed and Stannis is waiting with his host on the south shore of the Blackwater Rush. Davos sees that the defenders of King's Landing have few enough ships, but the shore is well fortified, and dozens of catapults and archers line the walls of the city. Davos is glad to know that Stannis sent Melisandre back to Dragonstone, because the king feared the commonfolk would say it was the sorceress who won the battle.
As they pass two winch towers on either side of the headwaters of the channel entering the Blackwater Rush, Davos fears a chain boom, which he sees exists, but it is not raised. The old sailor is curious, but there is little time to consider what it means.
Fighting breaks out, and despite his inexperience, Imry's battle plans seem to be working well. Pots of pitch are are flung by the defenses with limited effectiveness. When two of Stannis's ships land on the northern bank and begin to disembark soldiers, Davos sees Sandor Clegane leading a sortie of knights against them. The fleets of the rival kings then begin fighting in the river. The defenders use wildfire as expected, but Imry did not believe the dangerous substance would be available in significant quantities. Some of Stannis's ships land on the southern shore and begin to take on his soldiers for transport to the northern bank of the river.
The situation changes when Swordfish rams a Lannister barge filled with pots of wildfire, causing a huge explosion. The channel turns into a ruin of hundreds of ships, many burning from the unquenchable green liquid. Davos goes overboard as hundreds of men on both sides die screaming in the green blaze. As the mass of ships and debris begin to float back out towards the bay and Davos hopes he can reach the open sea, he sees the great chain boom raised closing off the Blackwater Rush, turning its mouth into the mouth of hell.
Character list
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Appearing: |
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Mentions
[edit]References and Notes
[edit]- Analyses and summary of the chapter in the course of a 10th reread by Slynt.
- Review and summary by Leigh Butler.
- The synopsis was copied from AOL member vbkorik27 previously at [1].