As the Northern fleet approached Blacktyde, it was faced with a small fleet of 10 ships that were easily sunk and the fleet docked on Blacktyde. Then a small battle ensued to get a foothold on the island. In this battle Sam was fighting at the front with Rodrick Stark and some Winter Wolves who were there to make sure that Sam don't get himself killed. In this battle Sam alone killed more than 10 men with his dual axe.
After the landing on Blacktyde was secured, the northmen marched on Blacktyde castle. Calling it a castle is farfetched as it was more of a keep than a castle. The castle was put to siege immediately and archers were posted all around it at all hours to ensure no Raven leaves from there. There were no efforts made to breach the castle on Sam's order and after Sam explained the reason, they all laughed at ironborn's bad luck and agreed.
While the Blacktydes hid in their castle the northern army had free reign over the island, everyone who wielded weapon was either killed or became a handicap who was then sent to North to be sacrificed. All the Drowned Priest and greybeards too old to weird weapon were also shipped to the North. All the thralls and salt wives were freed and were promised to be sent to their respective kingdom once the royal Navy arrived.
After that, the northern army split up and went to their respective targets leaving Lord Wolfe to handle the siege. Similar things happened at all the islands since no one anticipated an attack from the North and their Navy and men were still at the coast of Westerlands and Reach. It took a month-long campaign most of which was travelling, waiting for repairs to the ship to be done and waiting for supplies from the North.
Thanks to the Earth Singers, Northern army don't have to waste time in siege since the food stores and water sources of ironborn got tainted by pests. They have to come out of the castle or die from hunger. There the northern forces dealt with them swiftly on the open field. By the time the Northern host was done with the five islands, only children below 16 cycles and women were left in the islands.
Symeon himself led the attack on Old Wyk and put the castle of House Drumm to siege. Then he went to the Nagga's hill where he had the 44 ribs of the alleged Sea Dragon dug out and sent North to be carved into longbows and if they were not fit for it than to be ground into powder to be used as fertilizer. While digging them out, beneath one of the ribs, he found a spherical object that was harder than stone. When Sam picked it up, it started sucking his magic. Thinking it may be some kind of treasure of Age of Heroes he had it safely stored in a chest in his cabin in the ship and had a strict guard drawn around it at all times.
When the Drumms and their men sallied out they were, like everywhere else, swiftly dealt with and defeated, during which Sam himself defeated Dunstan Drumm in single combat and took the Valyrian Steel sword Red Rain from them. Ironborn may be expert in naval battles, to a certain degree, but they make poor combatants since their primary targets are weak and defenceless smallfolks. They have no coordination, no discipline and barely hears to their lord's command.
This became the first ever war in which Northman did not send even a single man to take the black. The Northman even looted everything that was not attached to the floor and walls, be it the ironborn's treasury and vaults, furniture, artifacts and books, everything that could be found was taken from them. Not even the ancestral heirlooms were spared as only those houses which had a child below sixteen were left alive and were in no position to oppose. But no rapes were committed after some men of the North were sent to be sacrificed along with the ironborn. The message was clear, behave like ironborn than you will be treated like them as well. As for the dead ironborn, their heads were chopped and boiled to remove skin from them and sent North to be planted on pikes on the coast of the North. As for their bodies, they were thrown in the sea to serve as food for the fishes.
But the fun and retribution of the Northman came to an end before they could go to Saltcliffe and Pyke, Lonely Light was not even considered a proper part by ironborn, much less by northerners, because they could see the Royal fleet and Hightower fleet in the distance. When they reached the island of Pyke and Saltcliffe and put them on a naval siege. Sam himself went to the flagship of the Royal fleet where all the important lords were.
"The Blacktyde, Orkmont, Harlaw, Great Wyk and Old Wyk are yours, Your Grace." Sam said to Robert.
"What how did you capture 5 islands so soon. Are you lying to His Grace. It is a great crime to do so." No doubt it was Mace Tyrell who spoke up. All the northern lords that came with Sam and Ned Stark were. But they remained silent because it was Sam who spoke in a voice so cold as if winter had come early.
"I am not in a habit of lying that some southerners are born with. Ah! Lord Tarly, I almost didn't see you there. Last time during the rebellion I can't congratulate you. You managed to outsmart our king, a great feat in itself, which not even the Last Dragon could accomplish." Sam said, leaving no doubt who he was speaking of. Then looking back at the blubbering fool that was Mace Tyrell "And if your forces cannot achieve a task as simple as swiftly, then your forces are nothing but inefficient and useless." The cabin became painfully silent once he finished. "If..." Sam started to say but someone decided to interrupt him again.
"No matter how efficient your forces are Lord Stark. No siege ends this fast." It was Jon Arryn, Hand of the King who spoke up.
"As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, if our efforts are not valued then I am withdrawing all my men and banners from this conflict." Sam said completely ignoring Jon Arryn and began leaving the room.
"Stand right there, Symeon." Robert finally spoke up in his booming voice. Sam stopped at that. "You didn't answer the Hand's question."
"It is a matter of the North. Since when does the Hand care about the North's affair." Sam said
"Why wouldn't the Hand care about the North. It makes half of His Grace's realm." Tywin Lannister, smelling blood, jumped in.
"Oh! Is that so then why, my ravens were being disregarded when I clearly warned about such a rebellion months ago in the ravens I sended to our dear, loyal and hardworking Hand. Not only that, but I was also told not to incite fear among the realm by our dear Hand" Sam said.
"You mean to say that you warned the crown about this rebellion, but your ravens were ignored." The Old Lion said.
"I mean exactly that, Lord Lannister. Not only that when I persisted and still kept sending ravens warning of such a situation, this is what I receive in reply." Sam said, throwing the note he received from Jon Arryn months ago, at the table. The Old Lion picked it up and read it for everyone aloud.
"From the way I see it, nothing like this would have occurred, my fleet and city would not have burnt, thousands of men would not have died, if the Lord Hand had tried to confirm the words of Lord Stark's messages." Tywin Lannister said in a calm voice, but everyone knew it was the calm before a storm.
Robert sighed and said, "Why wasn't I told anything about this."
"I confirmed it with Varys, and he said there are no reports of rebellion in the Iron Islands." Jon Arryn said.
"So now the words of a eunuch are enough to ignore a Lord Paramount and threaten to replace him." Tywin said.
"I did not mean to replace him, just place a regent as I thought he was too young to rule." Jon Arryn said in his defence.
"It surely did not sound like that in this letter, and you did not answer the first question, are the words of a foreign eunuch with uncertain loyalty enough to ignore the words of a Lord Paramount." Lord Tywin pressed. Sam did not even have to do anything, Tywin's anger at his reputation and legacy being ruined and his greed for being the ruler from the shadows, making him do everything on his own.
"Varys never gave me a reason to doubt his loyalty and words and I thought that Lord Stark was young and hungry for glory like many young men. I accept it was my fault that I did not investigate properly." Jon said, apologetically.
"A mistake that other kingdoms had to pay for, while your kingdom is safe on the other side of the continent, away from ironborn. I am not sure if you did this unknowingly or purposefully." Tywin said.
"What do you mean Lord Lannister." Mace the Fool finally spoke up.
"Isn't it obvious. All the kingdoms on western coast faced attack other than Dorne. Among the kingdoms on the eastern coast, Stormland's can't build a proper port or fleet, due to its storm, to trade, crownland is the direct jurisdiction of the crown and any attack on it will look badly on him and his own kingdom was safe from attack. When all our kingdoms are burning and will be recovering, his will be prospering." Tywin said.
"The worst thing is that this news has reached my bannermen and there are talks of seceding from the Iron Throne. They say that if they have to bled due to the King's folly they will rather not be a part of the realm." Sam said.
"Can't you stop your bannermen and put a stop on these talks of rebellion." Robert said, looking angrily at Jon.
"And what would I say to them. I think you are forgetting what happened a decade ago. I am not threatening you, Your Grace, but telling you that if you want these talks to finish, I will need some concessions." Sam said.
"What do you want." Robert asked tiredly.
"Another decade of tax exemption for informing you about this rebellion, all the things taken from the five islands I captured will belong to the North for winning those islands and ending half the rebellion and permission to expand North of the Wall and no one interferes. Any lands and resources won there will rightfully belong to House Stark and North for the insult by your Hand." Sam said and phrased it in such a way that no one can say he asked too much.
"You will not ask men or coin from the crown for the expansion." Robert asked. He may not like counting copper, but he knows how to read the situation.
"No, we will use our own men and resources." Sam said.
"You will receive the written permission as soon as we reach King's Landing." Robert said agreeing.
"And what of our loss. The Hand is left to do as he please once again. Let me remind you, his kingdom was and will be the only one to profit for next few months, maybe even years." The Old Lion said.
"From now on all the messages or decrees of the Lord Hand with the official sigil of the Hand will be first read by the Small Council and after their approval only will it be sent. Not a word Jon, this is all your mess that I am trying to clean." Robert said when Jon Arryn opened his mouth to say something.
"Then I don't think you need my men to hold the five islands. So, by your leave, Your Grace." Sam said and took all the Northman with him back to the North in just 2 two days just in case they found about what he did, and Jon Arryn tries to do something to nurse his bruised pride.
Some may think that why Sam asked for expansion North of the Wall instead of compensation in gold or something else. Firstly, in the name of building outpost he could build forts that can be used to diminish the numbers of the thralls under the Others. Secondly, the prospectors have found many metals and gems in the northern mountains and since Frostfangs is in the same mountain range it is better to stake claim now rather than wait for them to realize and come to colonize the area. Third, why not make North half of Westeros instead of almost half of Westeros. It would be a good achievement for history books for Sam.
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Author's Note
Following chapters will be a quick summary of what was done by Sam in the years before the canon storyline began.