Chapter 198: Renly Flees, Clashes in the Riverlands, and a Bloody Battle in the North

Duke Mace of Highgarden, Lady Olenna the Queen of Thorns, and Willas Tyrell, the heir to Highgarden, sat around a round table in the study.

Willas said worriedly, "An alliance between House Tyrell and the Lannisters would be a huge mistake."

Duke Mace spread his hands and said, "If we don't ally with the Lannisters, what do we have to oppose Stannis and the Florents? Willas, you saw it too—those foxes wearing flower crowns, replacing the rose banners on the Rose Stag's throne with flower-crown fox banners. That is the sigil of House Florent!"

Willas said disdainfully, "I admit, when I was in the hall and saw that golden woman sprinkle a handful of gold dust to conjure those flower-crown foxes, I was as shocked as you. But think about it carefully, it was nothing more than the sorcery of the golden woman."

Lady Olenna said, "Even if the golden woman's sorcery is fake, the Florents' ambition for Highgarden is real. Alester Florent is Stannis's Hand of the King; they are bent on seizing Highgarden and the Reach from the Tyrells."

"Circumstances force our hand; we can only ally with the Lannisters."

Willas was somewhat unhappy, "The Lannisters are greedy and will stop at nothing to achieve their ends. I would rather ally with the Starks. Grandmother, the Wolf King Eddard holds the armies of the North, the Vale, and the Riverlands, along with the Winter Wolves, the Three Rivers Army, the Chick Eagle Army, the Wildlings, the Rockborn, and the Mountain Clans—all of them swear fealty to the Wolf King Eddard."

"Most importantly, the Wolf King Eddard is an upright man. If the Reach joins the Wolf King Eddard, we could easily force the Lannisters, Stannis, and King Balon to submit and end the war. Margaery could perfectly well marry the Young Wolf Robb."

Lady Olenna's face darkened, "Logically speaking, House Stark is ancient and noble; Eddard could easily be crowned King in the North, King of the Vale, or even King of the Trident, yet he has not claimed the title. Currently, Eddard's title remains the Wolf King bestowed by King Robert; it is a prince's title."

"If Eddard had claimed the throne, I might consider marrying Margaery to the Young Wolf Robb, or even consider letting you marry Sansa, but the problem is that Eddard has not crowned himself king. Even if Eddard were crowned king, he is not the king on the Iron Throne. The goal of House Tyrell is for Margaery to become the Queen on the Iron Throne, then give birth to children of Tyrell blood, so that in the future, a king of Tyrell blood will be born."

Duke Mace said irritably, "I even suspect that Eddard has allied with Stannis. Look, Eddard has never clashed with Stannis, has he? With a massive army at Harrenhal, Eddard watched as Stannis occupied the Crownlands. I hear the Red Viper Oberyn has gone to the Riverlands to fight side-by-side with the Starks."

"Since the civil war broke out, Dorne has maintained strict neutrality, but I do not believe Prince Doran is sleeping; he must be building up his forces, ready to invade the Reach at any moment. The Dornish have always been enemies of the Reach. The Starks allying with Stannis and flirting with Dorne makes them enemies of the Tyrells."

Lady Olenna said, "Willas, your father has a point; we can only ally with the Lannisters. Through the method of marriage."

Willas said gloomily, "Ser Kevan actually suggested I marry Cersei. Rumor has it Cersei sleeps with the Kingslayer, and she has been with many other wild men. I hear that in King's Landing, she keeps several strongmen as boy-toys. I do not want to marry such a viperous harlot." Mostly, the crippled Willas worried he would be unable to satisfy Cersei after marriage.

Lady Olenna touched her grandson Willas with her aged hand, "Rest assured, I will not let you marry the leftovers of Robert and Jaime. The marriage between the Tyrells and the Lannisters will be achieved through the union of Margaery and Joffrey. By then, Margaery will be the Queen."

Willas raised an eyebrow, "Grandmother, Margaery is already the Queen; she is Renly Baratheon's queen. Or do you consider Renly a dead man?"

Olenna said dismissively, "Kill Renly, and wouldn't Renly be a dead man?"

Willas said nervously, "Grandmother, are you really going to kill Renly?"

Olenna gave a light huff, "The wastrel Renly is no different from a corpse anyway. We stopped providing the golden wine of the Arbor to King Renly, and the King actually drank ale with gusto. We truly were blind to have married Margaery to him in the first place."

Duke Mace said, "The marriage between Margaery and Renly was witnessed by a Septa and a host of nobles from the Reach; they completed the wedding before the New and Old Gods. Only by killing Renly can Margaery be rescued from this failed marriage."

Willas sighed, "Besides killing, there are other ways to annul a marriage. Since Renly has lost the support of House Tyrell, his kingdom has already collapsed. As a usurper who claimed the throne, in the eyes of Stannis and the Lannisters, Renly is guilty. Why not let Renly take the black and send him to the Wall?"

"Once Renly takes the black, he automatically renounces his family and his house; his marriage contract with Margaery is automatically annulled. Renly would also renounce his rights to Storm's End, the Stormlands, and the Iron Throne. I believe both the Lannisters and Stannis would be satisfied."

Olenna's lips pressed tight, "I hear the Night's Watch at the Wall has almost become the private armed force of the Wolf King Eddard. If Renly goes to be a member of the Night's Watch, Loras would surely follow. I do not want my grandson, the Knight of Flowers, to wither away on the Wall."

Willas thought for a moment, "The vows of the Citadel's order could also allow Renly to annul the marriage. My mother comes from House Hightower, and House Hightower has close ties to the Citadel. I believe the Citadel would be very happy to accept Renly as a Maester. Once Renly becomes a Maester, his marriage contract with Margaery is automatically annulled."

Duke Mace widened his eyes like an inflated fish, "Maester Renly? The thought of Renly grinning and serving a lord in some castle feels strange."

Olenna said sharply, "If Renly becomes a Maester, who knows if he will write a book later describing his brief reign as king at Highgarden? Perhaps he would describe in detail how he refused to taste the honey of the Little Rose of Highgarden, but loved the chrysanthemums in the flower garden instead... Forget it! I will never allow Renly to go out and spout nonsense."

Duke Mace agreed, "Renly must die; once dead, it is clean and swift."

Willas said gloomily, "Renly is a guest of Highgarden; he has eaten our bread and salt and lived under our roof. To kill him like this violates the Guest Right and will bring down the curse of the New and Old Gods."

Olenna revealed a sinister smile, "Who said I would do it at Highgarden? I will drive Renly out of Highgarden and send people to do it in the wilderness."

In Renly's bedroom, Brienne and the Knight of Flowers Loras stood guard by Renly's side. Renly, in a dirty silk coat, sat on a straw bed.

Willas pushed the door open and lowered his voice.

"King Renly, leave Highgarden quickly; my grandmother may kill you at any moment."

Loras was shocked, "Why is Grandmother so heartless?"

Willas said helplessly, "Highgarden has already allied with the Lannisters. If King Renly still wants to live, leave quickly!"

Renly, looking like a beggar, clutched that crown of roses and stags.

"Willas, you are truly kind to still call a beggar like me 'King'. You want me to leave, but where can I go? The Stormlands nobles have abandoned me, and the Reach nobles have abandoned me. Had I known the end of the King's Road was a clown, I should have apprenticed under Moon Boy when I was in King's Landing."

Brienne placed her large palm on Renly's shoulder, "Your Grace, please do not lose heart. Please come with me; we will go to Tarth together. Tarth is my home. My father, the Evenstar Lord Selwyn, although he swears fealty to Stannis, would surely be willing to help us live in seclusion in the mountains of Tarth."

If they lived in seclusion in the mountains of Tarth, Brienne fantasized about being able to bear Renly a bunch of babies.

Loras frowned, "Brienne, Tarth is very close to Storm's End. If you hide King Renly on Tarth, Stannis will discover you sooner or later. In doing so, you will not only cause King Renly to lose his life, but also implicate House Tarth."

"I suggest fleeing to Dorne and finding a ship there to cross the Narrow Sea. We can earn money by working as mercenaries in the Disputed Lands and establish our own mercenary company. Why shouldn't Renly be a mercenary king?"

Renly thought for a moment, "I will not go to Tarth, nor will I go across the Narrow Sea. Brienne, Loras, if you are willing to follow me, then come with me to the North!"

Brienne was confused, "To the North?"

Renly nodded, "I am going to defect to the Wolf King Eddard."

Loras said, "The Wolf King Eddard controls the North, the Vale, and the Riverlands, and holds a massive army, but he may not necessarily support your cause, nor may he be willing to send troops to defend your crown!"

Renly spat on the crown in his hand, "It is this crown that has corroded my soul. I will no longer pursue the crown. I will present this expensive crown to Eddard and then obtain a position by Eddard's side. Loras, Brienne, you follow me not because of my crown, right?"

Brienne and Loras said in unison, "Of course not!"

Renly gripped the hands of Brienne and Loras, "Only when the wind blows hard do you know which grasses are resilient."

"Brienne, Loras, you have followed me through adversity and stood the test. Let us go to the North together! Let us follow the Wolf King Eddard and serve him. Eddard has Magic Dragons, a legion of skinchangers, and giants; he will surely be the final victor."

With Willas's help, Renly, Brienne, and Loras packed enough food and Gold Dragons, left Highgarden through a side gate, and headed north toward the Riverlands.

At Riverrun, under the city walls, a dozen commoners who had had their right feet chopped off received bandages from Maesters and nurses. Lord Roose Bolton watched this scene with no expression, while Ser Edmure was furious.

"The Brave Companions are ravaging the Riverlands. Vargo Hoat and those animals have crippled the people of the Riverlands. Amory Lorch committed a massacre at Antler, and the Mountain Gregor raped women at Cockle."

Because the Riverlands have no natural defenses, the Westerlands can always send cavalry to raid the Riverlands, burning and pillaging in the villages of the Riverlands, turning the lands of House Vance, House Piper, and House Tully into scorched earth.

The most hateful are the Brave Companions, whom the common folk call the "Bloody Mummers". This is a mercenary company hired by Duke Tywin from across the Narrow Sea. The leader is the Qohorik "The Goat" Vargo Hoat, who likes to chop off the hands and feet of commoners and captives; he is a cripple-fetishist.

Vargo Hoat's subordinates are also quite bizarre: he has a Septon named Urswyck who likes to rape young boys; a mercenary called Shagwell who likes to gnaw the flesh off women's faces while raping them; and a Maester without a chain named Qyburn who likes to perform vivisections with a knife—those who fall into his hands suffer a fate worse than death.

The subordinates of the Mountain, Amory Lorch, and others are also notorious.

Duke Tywin now leads a large army gathered at Golden Tooth. The mad dogs he sends out are light cavalry in groups of dozens, raiding, burning, and killing everywhere, then fleeing into the mountains of the Westerlands.

The more Edmure thought about it, the angrier he became, "I demand we march on Golden Tooth immediately and attack the Westerlands."

The Blackfish Brynden said coldly, "Ser Edmure, you are not young anymore; be more mature! Tywin released his mad dogs—the Mountain, the Brave Companions, and Amory Lorch—precisely to provoke us into attacking Golden Tooth. Under the walls of that Westerlands fortress, our army would suffer heavy casualties."

Edmure said hatefully, "Uncle, are we to do nothing?"

The answer came from Robb, "Uncle, Prince Oberyn's Viper Group has killed quite a few of the Mountain's soldiers. Our cavalry has caused the Brave Companions heavy casualties, and we have executed every captive from the Brave Companions. The Lannisters will pay a heavy price for their ravages."

Edmure suppressed his anger, "But what I want is revenge. I wish to carry the flames of war to the Westerlands immediately. I want to lead the troops myself and attack the Westerlands!"

Robb said sharply, "Uncle, you do not have that authority. Before my father went to the North, the commanders he appointed for the Riverlands were myself and Ser Brynden."

Edmure said gloomily, "I am the Heir of Riverrun and the Riverlands."

Ser Brynden said, "Our current armies in the Riverlands come from The Vale, the Riverlands, and the North. Edmure, you are a good man, but you are not suited for war. You stay in the castle; Robb and I will deal with the Lannister."

Robb and Ser Brynden walked toward the camp outside Riverrun. Robb said, "Ser Brynden, if we tell Ser Edmure the news that the Mountain Legion of Stoney Sept is about to attack the Westerlands, would he feel more at ease?"

Ser Brynden said, "No. A surprise attack on the Westerlands from Stoney Sept is a military secret. Edmure does not have a tight mouth; if you tell him, he might tell his mistress, his whores, or his friends Marq Piper, Hugo Vance, or Petyr Frey."

Robb and Ser Brynden, leading one thousand cavalry, left the camp to sweep away the mad dog Tywin who had invaded the Riverlands.

According to Eddard's orders, the Riverlands had already begun to rebuild Stoney Sept. In this castle, soldiers skilled in mountain warfare were gathered, including the Mountain Clans, Northern Mountains tribes, Cave Dwellers, Night Walkers, and Rockborn.

Among them were Wildling Raiders who had once climbed The Wall, such as Grig, Eloc, and Jarl, as well as skinchangers like the Goat Girl Gisella, the Eagle King McCain, Orell, and the Cat Girl Jeyne.

This legion would cross the mountains bordering the Riverlands and the northern Westerlands, raiding mountain villages, gold mines, and silver mines. If Tywin wanted to block this legion and protect the mining areas in the northern Westerlands, he would have to split his forces from Golden Tooth and march north.

In this way, the forces at the Westerlands fortress of Golden Tooth would be reduced, and the Wolf King's army beneath Riverrun would have the opportunity to attack the Westerlands.

The Wolf King Eddard took the giant eagle and the Magic Dragon to the North; he was to confront the invading Ironborn on the west coast of the North. Military command of the Riverlands was handed to Robb and Ser Brynden. As for the commander of Harrenhal, Eddard chose the Karstark Lord, Rickard Karstark.

Harrenhal was not only a vital military stronghold protecting the mouth of the Trident and the Ruby Ford crossing, but also the castle where the Magic Dragon cub Koi, Eagle Eye, and the seven little griffins lived. Eddard's wife Catelyn, his ward Duke Robin, Lady Lysa, and his daughters Arya and Sansa also lived in Harrenhal. Furthermore, Harrenhal gathered more than ninety noble wards that Eddard had adopted in the Riverlands and The Vale.

Eddard relied heavily on Ser Brynden, Robb, and Lord Rickard because they were loyal and capable. As for those whose loyalty was questionable, such as Roose Bolton and Theon, they were not given important roles.

Edmure was sidelined because of his lack of ability, and he was deeply depressed. Roose Bolton, standing to the side, said, "Ser Edmure, you are the Heir of Riverrun and should be protecting your people. I think it is truly excessive that Ser Brynden and Robb will not let you lead troops into battle."

The Wolf King Eddard rode the giant eagle and took the Magic Dragon to the North; he ordered Theon and Roose Bolton to serve in the army at Riverrun. Now, Roose Bolton clearly felt that he was not being used, and like Edmure and Theon, he was frustrated and unfulfilled.

However, Theon at least still had the regard of the Young Wolf Robb; Roose Bolton could only share the same misery as Edmure.

Edmure said gloomily, "What can I do? The Wolf King and the Blackfish never give me a chance to lead troops."

Roose Bolton smiled, "You should take the initiative to seize the opportunity. These mad dogs sent by Duke Tywin are at best guerrillas. What difficulty is there in wiping out such enemies? You should take the initiative to attack."

At this moment, Fellan and Domeric returned in a hurry with a troop of cavalry.

Domeric saw Edmure and hurriedly said, "Ser Edmure, where are Ser Brynden and Robb?"

Edmure said, "They have led troops on an expedition. Tell me whatever it is!"

Fellan said, "We discovered the Kingslayer in the area of the Whispering Wood. He is leading troops to raid the villages in the Whispering Wood. According to the news brought back by the scouts, the Kingslayer has fewer than two hundred cavalry."

Roose Bolton's eyes lit up, "Ser Edmure, the opportunity has arrived. If you capture the Kingslayer Jaime, the Wolf King will surely value you."

Under Roose Bolton's instigation, Edmure's confidence immediately exploded, "I will lead one thousand cavalry at once; I must hunt down the Kingslayer."

Fellan said doubtfully, "Ser Edmure, I think we should still ask for instructions from Ser Brynden and the Young Wolf Robb."

Roose Bolton said, "Opportunities are fleeting. By the time Ser Brynden and the Young Wolf return, the Kingslayer will have long since fled back to the Westerlands."

Edmure and Fellan went to assemble the cavalry, and Domeric followed them, but Roose Bolton grabbed him.

"Domeric, you stay here."

Domeric was puzzled, "Father, hunting down the Kingslayer Jaime is a great honor!"

Roose Bolton gave a light hum, "Honor comes with great risk. The Kingslayer Jaime is no ordinary person; he has killed many experts on the battlefield. I will not allow you to take the risk."

Domeric was puzzled, "Then why did you encourage Edmure and Fellan to attack?"

Roose Bolton lowered his voice, "Edmure is the Heir of Riverrun; guarding the territory is his duty. As for Fellan, he is a poacher promoted by the Wolf King; it is only right that he risks his life for the Wolf King. You have no need to compete with such a dangerous enemy as the Kingslayer."

Domeric shook his head, "Father, Fellan is my friend, and he is the husband of my aunt, Lady Barbrey. I will not let him face the Kingslayer alone. I will go with Fellan to hunt the Kingslayer."

Roose Bolton watched as Domeric mounted his horse and left. Domeric was clearly much nobler than Ramsay Snow, who remained at the Dreadfort. Whenever he thought of his son growing more and more like a Stark and becoming a member of the wolf pack, Roose Bolton felt deeply depressed.

At Warhorse City, located at the mouth of the Rills, the Iron Islands fleet used ballistae and catapults to smash one gap after another into the walls of Warhorse City. Subsequently, the Ironborn surged onto the walls of Warhorse City like a torrent of steel. After a bloody siege, the castle fell into the hands of the Ironborn.

Asha watched the golden kraken banner of House Greyjoy fluttering atop the walls of Warhorse City, and the joy of a victor surged in her heart.

The Ironborn stripped armor, daggers, longswords, and battle-axes from the corpses of the enemy dead. Some Ironborn knelt down to use small knives to cut rings from the hands of the corpses; this was the "Iron Price," the way of paying that the Ironborn praised most.

The Warhorse City commander Jacks was brought before Asha and Victarion. The Ice-River Wolf Emblem on Jacks's chest had been pierced by an arrow, and blood was trickling out.

Asha glared at the Wolf Castle commander, "If you want to live, surrender quickly."

Jacks spat out a mouthful of blood and foam, "I am the Wolf King's man, a subject of the Stark. I will never surrender. The Wolf King will kill you all."

Aeron Greyjoy said gloomily, "These savages who worship the Weirwood Heart Tree must all be offered to the Drowned God."

Subsequently, the Drowned God priest and several soldiers drowned the Warhorse City commander in the sea.

On the Stony Shore, the Ironborn paid a heavy price to capture the Wolf Castle of Stony City. Afterward, Aeron Greyjoy drowned more than thirty Winter Wolves soldiers, including the commander of Stony City, Desmond. Aeron Greyjoy wanted to sacrifice more captives to the Drowned God, but was stopped by Asha.

If one wants to conquer the land of the North, one must win over the hearts of the people. Drowning too many Northern captives would only invite unnecessary hostility and make it even harder for the Ironborn to gain a foothold in the North. Clearly, Aeron Greyjoy did not understand this at all.

Although Stony City and Warhorse City had both fallen into the hands of the Ironborn, the damage to the walls was very severe. Once the North began its counterattack, how long could these castles hold out?

What unsettled Asha most was the Weirwood Heart Tree in the Wolf Castle. At Blacksmith City, Aeron Greyjoy ordered the burning of the Godswood. The trees around the Godswood were all consumed by the raging fire, but the Weirwood Heart Tree remained unmoved in the flames. People were astonished to discover that seawater had actually appeared on the land around the Weirwood Heart Tree.

Aeron Greyjoy believed that the Drowned God had manifested a miracle, using seawater to spare the life of the weirwood, symbolizing the Drowned God's mercy toward the Old Gods. However, Asha was not convinced; that looked more like a miracle of the Old Gods.

After capturing Stony City, Aeron Greyjoy ordered the Ironborn warrior Falk to take an axe and chop at the Weirwood Heart Tree in the Godswood. The Weirwood Heart Tree bled sap like fresh blood. As a result, Falk accidentally let go of the axe, and the sharp blade severed half of Falk's foot. Falk screamed repeatedly and died the next day from a wound infection.

The Ironborn began to whisper, believing this to be a curse of the Old Gods.

Now that they had taken the third Wolf Castle, Warhorse City in the Rills, Aeron Greyjoy had learned his lesson and did not dare to provoke the Godswood there.

Victarion looked at the dilapidated castle, "What kind of stupid names do the Northerners give their castles? Warhorse City? Why is it called that?"

The one who answered was the Reader, Rodrik Harlaw, who was the Lord of Harlaw and Asha's uncle.

"The Rills is an important warhorse-producing region in the North. This is the territory of the Ryswell House. The warhorses from this place are widely loved by the knights of the Green Lands at the tourneys in the South; they are much stronger than the horses of our Iron Islands."

The Ironborn of the Iron Islands were accustomed to traveling by ship and were not used to riding horses. People's mounts on the islands were usually the smaller Harlaw ponies. Therefore, the Iron Islands had no decent cavalry. Asha began to worry: if the Rills cavalry were to arrive in force at Warhorse City, how would the Ironborn resist, relying on these broken walls?

Asha said, "We must repair the walls immediately."

Victarion looked toward the north, "So it is a warhorse-producing region. I heard that this land is ruled by the aged Lord Ryswell, and his sons must have all gone south with Eddard to fight. I truly wish to take my ships and go conquer Rills Castle, sweeping through the territory of the Ryswell House with sword and fire."

Asha said, "Third Uncle, let us put the Rills aside for now. We still need to conquer Dawn Watch. That castle is the largest and most solid of the Wolf Castles on the west coast of the North. I heard that the Wolf King's bastard, Jon Snow, is personally defending Dawn Watch. A hard battle is waiting for us."

Victarion said disdainfully, "What battles has that bastard fought? I can easily take Dawn Watch."

The Reader Rodrik said, "Iron Fleet Commander, if it were me, I would not underestimate Jon Snow. I heard that this Jon Snow followed the Wolf King to participate in the wars of Conquering the Rockborn and Conquering Beyond the Wall. When the Wolf King went south, he appointed Jon Snow as the Warden of the North; he must have extraordinary qualities."

"Don't forget, Jon Snow has a direwolf in his hands."

Victarion said with contempt: "Reader, are you scared by a little wolf pup? Eddard is far away in the Riverlands; as long as we occupy Dawn Watch and Moat Cailin, Eddard won't be able to return to the North."

Asha Greyjoy said: "In any case, capturing Dawn Watch quickly is the most important thing."

In the Riverlands, Edmure Tully was hunting the Westerlands cavalry led by the Kingslayer Jaime in the Whispering Wood.

The Westerlands cavalry numbered less than two hundred; to surround the enemy, Edmure divided his one thousand cavalry into multiple squads, attacking in turns.

Jaime, with his golden hair, clad in gilded armor and wielding a golden sword, led the Westerlands cavalry, broke out of the encirclement, and fled westward.

Domeric and Edmure's cavalry squads pursued the Kingslayer until they reached a range of hills. Domeric said: "Ser Edmure, we should wait for the other cavalry squads to rendezvous and hunt the Kingslayer together. Such a pursuit is too dangerous; it's easy to fall into an ambush, and we have fewer than three hundred cavalrymen."

Ser Edmure revealed a confident smile, "The Kingslayer's cavalry has suffered many deaths; by now, there are probably not even one hundred left. I must capture him alive. Once I capture the Kingslayer alive, I want to see what Robb and Brynden Tully will say."

Edmure insisted on the pursuit, so Domeric had no choice but to continue following. He hoped that Fellan would arrive soon with his cavalry, as Fellan had more cavalry under his command.

After nightfall, Edmure and Domeric pursued the Kingslayer to a range of barren hills. Suddenly, arrows flew in a volley, and the cavalry around Domeric fell from their horses one after another, screaming in agony.

At this moment, the Kingslayer in his gilded armor led the Westerlands cavalry out from all directions of the barren hills. Edmure felt a chill of terror.

Edmure's warhorse was struck by a sharp arrow and fell; Domeric gave his own warhorse to Edmure.

"Ser Edmure, our hunting operation has turned us into the prey. Run quickly!"

Edmure mounted the horse, "Domeric, what about you?"

Domeric said: "I will find a way to escape." Domeric whipped the warhorse, and the horse carried Edmure as he fled toward the east.

A Westerlands cavalryman brandished a lance and thrust it at Domeric. Domeric leaped into the air, stepped on the lance, and flew onto the horse's back. He stabbed the lancer to death with his sword, threw the corpse off the horse, and seized the enemy's warhorse. Just as he was about to flee, two cavalrymen blocked his path.

Domeric hacked to death a cavalryman whose breastplate was engraved with the sigil of a hooded man, then faced a Knight of House Crakehall whose breastplate bore a spotted boar. Domeric used his longsword to slice off the enemy's right hand, and the enemy died screaming.

Arrows whistled through the air; Domeric's plate armor was pierced, and he felt a sticky dampness on his right arm as blood flowed out.

A figure flashed by; the Kingslayer Jaime charged over on horseback and knocked Domeric off his horse.

The shadow of the Kingslayer Jaime loomed over Domeric.

Jaime had met Domeric during the tourney at King's Landing. He said: "Little Flayed Man, your skills are not bad! I originally wanted to slaughter the Heir of Riverrun, Edmure, but since the Heir of the Dreadfort has delivered himself to me, I'll have to make do."

"Seize Domeric for me and take him back to the Westerlands!"

At Dawn Watch, the port of the Barrowlands, hearts were filled with panic.

In the last few days, the news brought by ravens had become more terrifying one after another. The Blacksmith City of Sea Dragon Point, the Stony City of the Stony Shore, and the Warhorse City of the Rills had all fallen under the attacks of the Iron Fleet.

Black wings brought black news, and the soldiers in the castle were all dispirited.

Jon stood on the battlements. The young soldier Harkley said: "We should let the North Fleet go to meet the enemy. Relying solely on the Wolf Castle will never stop the Ironborn's offensive."

Facing the Ironborn army, Jon chose a strategy of avoiding battle to preserve his ships, because the North Coast Fleet was simply no match for the Iron Fleet, let alone the main Ironborn fleet.

Although the various Wolf Castles had fallen, the North Coast Fleet and the fishing boats were all hidden in the upper reaches of the Barrow River. As long as they held Dawn Watch at the mouth of the Barrow River, the North could still preserve the ships of the North Coast Fleet for a future counterattack against the Ironborn.

Another young soldier, Strawhead, said: "Maybe it was the Iron Bitch Harlen who betrayed us. If we let the Ironborn defend the Wolf Castles, this kind of situation would happen."

Jon Snow said: "It is very likely that Harlen died for the North along with the Ironborn under her command. Blaming her at this time is not fair to Harlen."

Lady Barbrey said worriedly: "With Warhorse City fallen, I fear the Ironborn will plunder my father's Rills."

Jon Snow said: "Rest assured, the enemy's target is the throat of the North, Moat Cailin. The Rills are meaningless to the Ironborn. To attack Moat Cailin, they must pass through Dawn Watch. I deduce that the Ironborn's next target must be Dawn Watch."

Facing pair after pair of fearful eyes, Jon Snow understood that he must encourage the soldiers and awaken their courage.

"The Ironborn have captured three Wolf Castles, but they have suffered heavy casualties. Every time they occupy a castle, they must divide their forces to garrison it. Moreover, when the Ironborn attacked the castles, the walls of the Wolf Castles were severely damaged; the North could retake these Wolf Castles at any time."

"I have long since ordered Lord Barack Flint of Flint's Finger to wait for an opportunity to retake the Blacksmith City of Sea Dragon Point. We have an ambush force at Flint's cliffs; these soldiers will harass the Blacksmith City day and night without rest."

"At this very moment, the Acting Castellan of the Tallhart family, Lamberd Tallhart, and the Heir of Torrhen's Square, Benfred Tallhart, have already led troops toward the Stony Shore, waiting for an opportunity to capture Stony City."

"Lord Ryswell of the Rills is also mobilizing cavalry and siege units. Once the main force of the Iron Islands moves east to attack Dawn Watch, enters the Heatwave River, and marches toward Moat Cailin, the Rills will be able to retake Warhorse City!"

Hope gradually ignited in the soldiers' eyes. Jon Snow said: "After the Ironborn captured Blacksmith City, Stony City, and Warhorse City, they were already at the end of their strength by the time they reached the walls of Dawn Watch. Dawn Watch is the sturdiest fortress among the West Coast Wolf Castles; the Ironborn invaders are destined to suffer a crushing defeat here!"

In King's Landing, Cersei sat on the Iron Throne, with Rhaegar Targaryen and the Undead standing on the left and right, guarding the entrance to the steps of the Iron Throne.

The necromancer Ogbeta and Grand Maester Pycelle stood in the hall, and the dragon bones of the Targaryen family were arranged in every direction of the Throne Room.

Ogbeta was dressed in black, hunched over, and holding a skull scepter. Grand Maester Pycelle was somewhat stooped and wore a gray robe.

A few days ago, Grand Maester Pycelle was still putting on airs, requesting to return to the Citadel and let the Citadel send a new Grand Maester to replace him, but Cersei flatly rejected Pycelle's request.

Pycelle was now old and decrepit; the old waste could kick the bucket at any time. Fortunately, Ogbeta could resurrect the dead. Cersei intended that as soon as Pycelle died, she would have Ogbeta resurrect him to continue serving Cersei.

Cersei prepared to have Pycelle write a book titled "The Conquest of Cersei," which would surely be even better than Aegon the Conqueror's conquest of the Seven Kingdoms.

The dragon bone behind the Iron Throne was the largest, coming from Aegon the Conqueror's mount, Balerion. Balerion was also the largest magic dragon in the recorded history of Westeros; he could swallow a mammoth in one bite.

Cersei stared at the necromancer Ogbeta, "When will we be able to resurrect these magic dragons?"

Ogbeta said: "Your Majesty, what is resurrected using giant dragon skeletons is, strictly speaking, not a magic dragon, but a frost dragon. They have no flesh and blood, and the dragonfire they breathe is ice."

Grand Maester Pycelle stroked the chain around his neck, "Forgive my candor, but no book about magic dragons has ever mentioned frost dragons."

Ogbeta said with contempt: "Old man, just because it isn't recorded in books, does that mean it doesn't exist in the world? Your books also recorded that giants, skinchangers, dragons, giant eagles, and griffins were extinct, yet now, all these things have appeared in Westeros."

Grand Maester Pycelle frowned, "Have griffins also been reborn?"

Ogbeta nodded, "The masterpiece of the Wolf King Eddard. He hatched the Riverlands magic dragon koi and the Vale magic dragon Eagle Eye at Harrenhal, and in addition, he hatched seven griffins. Old man, while you were still buried in books studying history, the Wolf King Eddard was creating history, yet you were completely unaware."

Grand Maester Pycelle's eyes widened, "Where did you get this intelligence?" After Varys disappeared, Ogbeta became the Master of Whisperers.

Ogbeta said: "The Great Other I serve told me. In the darkness, I can see things happening far away."

Cersei clenched her hands, "In that case, Eddard has three magic dragons. Eddard's troops are strong and his horses are sturdy; even if I have fierce generals like the Undead and Rhaegar Targaryen, I may not be a match for Eddard."

Ogbeta said: "Your Majesty need not worry. The Night King beyond the Wall is currently recruiting troops. Once winter arrives, the Night King will breach the Wall and attack the North. Eddard's home is destined to become a paradise for the undead."

A flash of suspicion crossed Cersei's eyes, "Who is this Night King? Is he also a servant sent to me by the Great Other?"

Ogbeta suppressed a laugh, "Yes, without a doubt."

Cersei said: "Who knows how many years it will take for winter to arrive. I heard that the sister of the Beggar King Viserys, Daenerys, also hatched three magic dragons in Essos. Why are there so many magic dragons now? This bitch will definitely attack Westeros with magic dragons in the future. We must hurry and resurrect the frost dragons. Ogbeta, I command you to act immediately."

Ogbeta revealed an ugly smile.

"Your Majesty, resurrecting frost dragons requires powerful magic. Only by destroying the statues of the Seven on the Baelor's Sept can we please the Great Other."

In these days, Grand Maester Pycelle has grown increasingly afraid of Ogbeta; he has already learned to protest against the necromancer in a roundabout way.

"I feel that doing this is not quite right. Many of the common folk in King's Landing are followers of the Seven, and the knights and people of all walks of life throughout Westeros mostly worship the Seven. Destroying the statues in Baelor's Sept will likely incite public anger."

Cersei sneered, "If I can resurrect an ice dragon, all the people of Westeros will have to tremble at my feet; what does mere public anger matter? Ogbeta, as long as you can bring back an ice dragon for me, I grant you permission to demolish Baelor's Sept."

At Dawn Watch, huge catapults were parked on the towering city walls. Giants brought over massive boulders and placed them on the catapults; other giants pulled the levers in unison, and the giant stones traced an arc through the air, falling down and instantly smashing through an Ironborn longship.

Jon stood on the city wall, issuing orders.

"The range of our catapults far exceeds that of the Ironborn. As long as we aim at the Ironborn siege engines on the shore and smash them hard, the enemy will never be able to approach the city walls!"

The Ironborn's catapults and ballistae were hit by the massive stones just as they reached the shore; many Ironborn were smashed into meat paste, and even some ships on the sea were struck by the giant stones.

Asha Greyjoy stood on the deck of the Iron Victory, observing the situation on the city walls with a captured telescope, and said gloomily, "There are at least three giant catapults on the walls of Dawn Watch. These are catapults operated by giants; our catapults' range is far inferior to these giant catapults."

As she spoke, two more Ironborn longships were struck by giant stones, began to take on water, and sank, while some Ironborn began to jump into the sea, screaming.

"Reader" Roderick said, "Dawn Watch looks taller than the walls of Warhorse City and Stony City. This castle is very difficult to take; it would be better to send ships to blockade the river mouth and attack Moat Cailin directly."

Iron Fleet Commander Victarion shook his head stubbornly, "No. According to the captives, the Blacksmith City at Sea Dragon Point, the Stony City on the Stony Shore, and Warhorse City in the Rills have all sent their ships to the upper reaches of the Barrow River. Dawn Watch happens to hold the mouth of the Barrow River; as long as we take this castle, those ships will all belong to the Ironborn."

"Reader" Roderick looked at the fleet behind him; the Ironborn ships stretched to the end of his vision.

"Even if you want to take this castle, there is no need to have so many Ironborn longships waiting at Salt Spear, is there? You could easily send a fleet to scout the Heatwave River and see if the enemy has any defenses."

To occupy Moat Cailin, the Ironborn need to travel upstream along the Heatwave River, a river that originates in the Neck. After reaching the source of the Heatwave River, the Ironborn would be less than half a day's ride from the North fortress of Moat Cailin and could easily threaten it.

Victarion agreed, and he summoned Ralph Kenning.

"Take ten longships, go to the Heatwave River, and clear the obstacles on the river."

Ralph Kenning said excitedly, "Commander, I believe the enemy at Moat Cailin is vulnerable. Perhaps by the time you take Dawn Watch and set off for Moat Cailin, we will have already taken it."

Victarion said angrily, "The Ironborn attacked the Wolf Castle at Salt Spear, so Moat Cailin must have received a warning. Furthermore, the Heatwave River is the territory of the swamp devils; do not underestimate the enemy. Your order is to scout and clear obstacles; you are not permitted to attack rashly."

Ralph Kenning led ten longships and sailed toward the Heatwave River.

The giant catapults on the walls of Dawn Watch covered the Ironborn's intended landing point with their range. As soon as the Ironborn's siege engines were pushed onto the beach, they were struck by giant stones before they could go very far. The beach was covered in Ironborn corpses, and brains and blood stained the beach red.

Seeing that the siege engines could not approach Dawn Watch, Victarion and Asha Greyjoy ordered the Ironborn longships to land outside the range of the enemy's catapults and then launch a desperate charge toward the walls of Dawn Watch.

Jon Snow mobilized the crossbowmen to fire from the battlements and arrow towers. Arrows flew like locusts, and the Ironborn screamed as they were hit and fell. The Ironborn who managed to kill their way to the base of the wall had their ladders barely set up before they were attacked by falling stones and boiling oil.

The battle lasted until dusk. More and more Ironborn were killed in action, and the corpses of the Ironborn stretched from the base of the walls of Dawn Watch all the way to the seaside.

Victarion suppressed his anger, "That bastard Snow only knows how to hide like a turtle on the city walls."

"Reader" Roderick said, "Victarion, the Ironborn are not good at sieges. The Ironborn's siege engines cannot threaten Dawn Watch, which means the Ironborn are destined to be unable to take this Wolf Castle. Hurry and attack Moat Cailin! Are you going to let so many Ironborn warriors die for the sake of a mere Wolf Castle?"

Asha Greyjoy echoed, "That's right! Third Uncle, just leave a fleet behind to blockade the waters outside Dawn Watch."

Victarion had no choice. He left behind the ships of the Humble House and the Cod family to blockade the mouth of the Barrow River, while the Iron Fleet and the ships of House Harlaw, Blacktyde House, the Botley family, the Drumm family, and the Goodbrother family headed toward the Heatwave River.

Jon Snow, on the city wall, saw the Iron Islands fleet heading toward the Heatwave River and immediately found Lady Barbrey and Commander Shad.

"You two hold Dawn Watch; I am going to the upper reaches of the Heatwave River to stop the Ironborn from attacking Moat Cailin."

Jon Snow took Ygritte, twenty cavalrymen, and Ghost, and galloped toward the upper reaches of the Heatwave River.

Giant Eagle Prince Michu, Wolf King Eddard, and Giant Eagle Princess Bessa, with more than thirty giant eagles, flew through the endless Neck in the dark of night. They were already approaching the Heatwave River and Salt Spear. The Magic Dragon Flying Wolf followed closely behind.

In order to reach the West Coast of the North in time, Eddard, Michu, and Bessa kept switching giant eagles, changing to a new one whenever one got tired, and without stopping day or night, they finally arrived near the Heatwave River.

Under the bright moonlight, Eddard inhaled the Natural Force in the air. He smelled blood, sea salt, and sea breeze, as well as the smell of iron. This was the smell of the chainmail and ring armor worn by the Ironborn on the Iron Islands longships.

Asha Greyjoy stood at the bow of the Black Wind. She noticed that the area around the mouth of the Heatwave River was full of dense forests, and the river channel was significantly narrower than the Barrow River. The Iron Fleet and many ships had all entered the Heatwave River.

Jon led his cavalry and rode wildly all the way to a camp on the upper reaches of the Heatwave River.

"The Ironborn fleet is sailing upstream along the Heatwave River. Quickly release our ships into the Heatwave River."

The soldiers untied the cables of all the canoes and dilapidated fishing boats filled with wildfire, and the current carried the ships as they rushed downstream.

In the darkness, Ralph Kenning, who was commanding the scout longships, stood at the bow and saw the canoes drifting from afar. He laughed loudly, "The Northern savages are actually using canoes to launch a sneak attack? It's hilarious."

The first mate beside him said, "That's not right; there are some small boats following behind."

Ralph Kenning shielded his eyes from the moonlight and said disdainfully, "They're all just canoes and fishing boats. How could such a beggar fleet be a match for Ironborn longships? But they all seem to be empty boats. What exactly is going on?"

After the first canoe approached, Ralph Kenning ordered the Ironborn to hook the canoe with grappling hooks. The canoe was full of a thick, dark green substance.

Ralph Kenning picked up a torch and jumped onto the canoe to inspect it. He grabbed a handful of the viscous substance and held it up to the torch to observe, "What on earth is this?"

In an instant, the wildfire on the canoe exploded into flames. Ralph Kenning screamed as his whole body was swallowed by the bright green fire. His eyes burst like jelly, his flesh melted, and the longship was engulfed by the emerald flames. The Ironborn screamed repeatedly; some jumped into the water to save themselves, but even the river water was burning.

Drifting downstream, the canoes, fishing boats, and wine barrels filled with wildfire set the entire Heatwave River ablaze.

Victarion stood on the Iron Victory and saw the longships in front catching fire and being swallowed by green flames. He was shocked, "What is this?"

"Reader" Roderick on the Bookish said in astonishment, "This is wildfire! The excrement of the Alchemist! Everyone, get to the shore and escape!"

One longship after another caught fire. The Ironborn on the smaller longships abandoned them and fled once they reached the shore. The large ships like the Grey Wind, the Iron Victory, and the Bookish could only row desperately downstream, while behind them had already become a purgatory of wildfire.

However, what made the Ironborn longships despair was the appearance of iron chains at the mouth of the Heatwave River. These were chains assembled from the dismantled chainmail of giants. Giant Wun Wun, leading five other giants—three on each side of the river—pulled the underwater chains taut and tied them to large trees in the forest, blocking the retreat of the Ironborn fleet.

The longships crashed into the iron chains one after another. The wildfire behind them was closing in; the green flames were so scorching that they were like torches between heaven and earth, and even the sky turned emerald.

At this moment, the roar of a magic dragon came from the sky, and the Magic Dragon Flying Wolf and the giant eagles appeared.

The Magic Dragon Flying Wolf bathed the ships in the Heatwave River with dragonfire, igniting one longship after another, while the giant eagles' wings fanned the flames, causing the wildfire to sweep downstream.

Some Ironborn began to strip off their chainmail and ring armor and jump into the sea to escape.

One longship after another burned up, the entire Heatwave River boiled, and the Iron Islands fleet was being wiped out.

Thanks to Afeng Who Is Me, A Flower in the Crowd, and Fiantandaodong Zhang Wulang for the monthly tickets. Thank you for your support!

(End of this chapter)