Greenstone

Greenstone is the principal castle and seat of House Estermont on the island of Estermont, located off the coast of Cape Wrath in the stormlands. The castle fell to the Golden Company during the opening moves of their invasion of Westeros, when a landing party commanded by the sellsword captain Marq Mandrake seized it after being put ashore on the island by Volantene ships.

Capture and Strategic Significance

Mandrake's force, numbering close to five hundred men, had been landed on Estermont by the Volantene captains who had transported the Golden Company across the narrow sea. The Volantenes, eager to be rid of their passengers, had deposited Mandrake and his soldiers on whatever land they sighted first, scattering the company's strength across multiple islands and coastal points. Mandrake took Greenstone without the support of archers, a fact that raised concerns among the company's leadership about whether the castle had managed to send out ravens before it fell. Jon Connington, commanding the invasion, dispatched orders for Mandrake to leave a garrison behind and bring the rest of his men—along with any noble captives—over to Cape Wrath to reinforce the main body of the Golden Company.

Hostages and Political Value

The captives taken at Greenstone were considered valuable hostages. Haldon Halfmaester noted that House Estermont had blood ties to both kings currently contending for the Iron Throne—King Tommen Baratheon in King's Landing and King Stannis Baratheon at the Wall—making the prisoners useful for ransom or political leverage. Homeless Harry Strickland, the captain-general of the Golden Company, welcomed the prospect of good ransoms from the captured nobles.