Long Lances

The Long Lances are a free company of sellswords, one of several hired by the Yunkai'i Wise Masters to bolster their forces against Daenerys Targaryen during the siege of Meereen. Their name suggests a specialization in cavalry, and they are consistently grouped with other mercenary outfits such as the Windblown, the Company of the Cat, and the Golden Company in the Yunkish war effort. The company is led by a captain named Gylo Rhegan, a man described as looking more like a shoemaker than a soldier, who speaks in murmurs. The Long Lances are first mentioned in the context of the Yunkish envoy's activities in Volantis, where the Wise Masters are actively hiring swords to oppose the dragon queen. They are later noted as having taken ship for Yunkai, and their presence in the field is confirmed when they attempt to close the Khyzai Pass against Daario Naharis and the Stormcrows, an effort that fails when the Stormcrows descend on them in the night, killing several and convincing a dozen of the Long Lances to change sides. The company is also present at the Horns of Hazzat, where they fight alongside the Yunkish forces and the legions of New Ghis against the Butcher King of Astapor. During the later stages of the siege, the Long Lances are one of the four free companies whose commanders are sent as envoys to Meereen, with Gylo Rhegan representing them. Their presence is a constant factor in the military calculus of the conflict, and they are considered part of the patchwork host that Ser Barristan Selmy and the Shavepate plan to break in their proposed attack on the Yunkish siege lines. The Long Lances are also mentioned as one of the companies that the Yunkai'i have bought, alongside the Company of the Cat and the Windblown, and there is talk that the Wise Masters have bought the Golden Company as well. Their role is that of hired blades, motivated by gold and the promise of plunder, and their loyalty is understood to be contingent on payment and the prospect of victory.