The Battle of the Reeds was a Targaryen victory fought on the south shore of the Gods Eye during Aegon Targaryen’s campaign against Harren Hoare. It marked an early success in the king’s march toward Harrenhal, but the victory was costly: Harren’s forces struck again at the Wailing Willows, exposing the danger that remained around the lake.

Campaign and Setting

Within days of his coronation, Aegon sent his forces in three directions. Orys Baratheon led the main body south toward Storm’s End, while a fleet under Daemon Velaryon sailed north for Gulltown. Aegon himself marched northwest toward the Gods Eye and Harrenhal, the enormous fortress that was the pride and obsession of Harren Hoare. The Battle of the Reeds took place during this advance, as the king’s army met resistance on the lake’s southern shore.

The Battle and Its Cost

Aegon was attacked on the south shore of the Gods Eye twice. The Battle of the Reeds was a Targaryen victory, but the campaign’s immediate success did not prevent further losses. At the Wailing Willows, two of Harren’s sons crossed the lake in longboats with muffled oars and fell upon the Targaryen rear. The attack inflicted heavy losses, turning the advance into a reminder that victory in one encounter had not secured the surrounding country.

Aftermath and Significance

The contrast between the Battle of the Reeds and the Wailing Willows defines the episode’s military outcome: Aegon’s forces won the named battle, yet Harren’s sons could still exploit the lake to launch a surprise assault. They later proved unable to withstand the dragons. Returning across the lake toward Harrenhal, they were caught when Balerion fell upon them from the morning sky; their longboats burned, and Harren’s sons died. The Battle of the Reeds therefore belongs to a campaign in which battlefield success, vulnerability to counterattack, and the decisive force of the dragons followed in quick succession.