The Golden Company lands in the Westeros

The Golden Company, the most renowned of the free companies, had spent a century in exile, dreaming of the land their fathers had lost. Founded by Bittersteel, a bastard son of King Aegon the Unworthy, after the failed Blackfyre Rebellion, the company had lived and died in the Disputed Lands, fighting for Myr, Lys, and Tyrosh. Now, under the leadership of Jon Connington, the exiled Lord of Griffin's Roost and former Hand of the King to Aerys II Targaryen, they had crossed the narrow sea to reclaim their birthright. Connington, who had dyed his hair blue and passed himself off as a sellsword named Griff, had spent years in hiding, raising and educating Prince Aegon Targaryen, the son of Rhaegar Targaryen, whom the realm believed had been murdered during the Sack of King's Landing.

The Landing and the First Victories

The Golden Company landed on the shores of Cape Wrath, a stretch of coast that Connington knew well from his youth. The landing was not without its difficulties; storms had scattered the fleet, and only about half of the company's ten thousand men had arrived, along with none of their elephants. Despite this, Connington moved swiftly. He sent Black Balaq's archers ahead to silence the castle's ravens, preventing any warning from being sent. The attack on Griffin's Roost, Connington's ancestral seat, was a model of efficiency. The gate was found unbarred, and the castle fell with the loss of only four men. The garrison and smallfolk were gathered in the yard, and Connington, his beard grown out and his hair dyed, presented himself as their rightful lord. Most swore fealty without hesitation. Simultaneously, Ser Tristan Rivers led a force to capture Crow's Nest, the seat of House Morrigen, and Laswell Peake marched on Rain House, the stronghold of the Wyldes. Both fell with similar speed. The swiftness of the victories was a testament to the discipline of the Golden Company and the element of surprise.

The Revelation of Prince Aegon

With Griffin's Roost secured, Connington sent for Prince Aegon, who had been kept hidden on the poleboat Shy Maid. When the prince arrived, Connington revealed his true identity to the assembled captains of the Golden Company. He presented the boy, whose hair had been dyed blue to conceal his identity, as Aegon Targaryen, the firstborn son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Princess Elia of Dorne. The revelation was met with a stunned silence, but it was clear that many of the captains had already known the secret. Homeless Harry Strickland, the captain-general, had told them when they reached the river. Strickland was a cautious man, more concerned with contracts and coin than with glory, and he had been tempted by a lucrative offer from the Yunkishmen to fight against Daenerys Targaryen in Slaver's Bay. He argued that they needed Daenerys and her dragons to succeed, and that invading Westeros without her was folly.

The Decision to Sail West

A fierce debate erupted in the captain-general's tent. Strickland argued for caution, pointing out their lack of ships, the strength of the Lannisters and Tyrells, and the impossibility of taking the realm without Daenerys's army. But the younger captains, led by Tristan Rivers and Franklyn Flowers, were eager for action. They were tired of Illyrio Mopatis's ever-changing plans and saw the chaos in Westeros—a boy king on the Iron Throne, the north in turmoil, the riverlands devastated—as the perfect opportunity. Prince Aegon himself spoke up, declaring that he was the only dragon they needed and that he would claim the Iron Throne by himself, with their swords. Connington, who was secretly suffering from greyscale and knew he had little time left, threw his support behind the prince. He argued that Dorne would join them, as Aegon was Elia's son, and that they could win easy victories before the Lannisters even knew they had landed. One by one, the captains of the Golden Company rose, knelt, and laid their swords at the feet of the young prince. Even Homeless Harry Strickland, blistered feet and all, was forced to acquiesce. The course was set: they would sail west, not east, and claim the Iron Throne for Aegon Targaryen.