Chapter 199: Crushing the Ironborn, Invading the Westerlands, and the Negotiations at Bitterbridge

"Black Wind" was Asha Greyjoy's first longship, her pride; Asha had once taken this longship to Lannisport and Oldtown for trade, to the Stepstones to compete with Lys pirates, and to the North's Sea Dragon Point and Bear Island to raid.

Asha dreamed of sailing "Black Wind" to Braavos, Volantis, Ib, the Smoking Sea, Slaver's Bay, and the Summer Islands to seek adventure and become a Pirate Queen.

Now, on this night of slaughter, Asha stood by the Heatwave River, watching helplessly as "Black Wind" caught fire and sank, her crew screaming as they died in the flames.

Asha had imagined countless times how her "Black Wind" might sink: captured by the Royal Fleet, sunk by the Arbor Fleet, or burned by the ships of the Ironborn's mortal enemies like Fair Isle, Seagard, or the Shield Islands.

When death truly descended upon "Black Wind," Asha discovered it was to be buried in dragonfire; the damned magic dragon and direwolf were spraying orange-yellow flames from the sky.

The magic dragon and direwolf were about the size of a giant eagle; the giant eagle would occasionally dive down, snatch an Ironborn from the deck, fly high into the air, and then drop the screaming Ironborn into the flames.

Glen tried to shoot the magic dragon and direwolf with his bow, the sharp arrow speeding toward the dragon's head, but it was melted by the scorching dragonfire just as it neared the dragon's mouth; subsequently, Glen had his skull torn apart by a giant eagle and fell into the river, screaming.

When the magic dragon approached the sky above "Black Wind," Asha tried to kill it with a throwing axe.

Asha was a master of the finger dance; the finger dance of the Iron Islands involved two people throwing axes at each other, which could only be caught with bare hands, and the game usually ended when one person had a finger sliced off, screaming in agony and bleeding profusely; Asha was quite confident in her axe-throwing skills, so she aimed at the magic dragon and threw with all her might.

The magic dragon and direwolf lazily dodged the axe attack, and then, the magic dragon began to spray scorching dragonfire.

The dragonfire ignited the sails of "Black Wind," and the flames quickly spread to the mast and cabins.

Asha had no choice but to abandon ship and jump into the water to escape under the protection of Qarl the Maid. The water of the Heatwave River was very hot, and Asha finally understood why this northern river bore such a name.

Fortunately, the Heatwave River was not very wide, and Asha and Qarl the Maid swam a few dozen meters to reach the shore.

There were many Ironborn on the shore who had jumped ship to escape; they were soaked to the bone, looking like a pack of defeated, bedraggled dogs.

The largest longship of House Harlaw, "Bookish," crashed into the bank, crushing two smaller ships belonging to House Botley; Asha's uncle, the Lord of Harlaw, "The Reader" Roderick, jumped off the deck under the protection of a group of Harlaw soldiers and reached the shore.

Asha approached "The Reader" Roderick and said indignantly, "Uncle, the North's magic dragon burned my ship, and I must have my revenge. We can rally the Ironborn who escaped to the shore and head upstream along the Heatwave River to capture Moat Cailin."

"The Reader" Roderick said, "Asha, don't be a fool. The Ironborn's advantage is our longships; with longships, we can use the Heatwave River, Salt Spear, and the sea to move freely in the North. Now, the enemy has burned the Heatwave River and has giant eagles and magic dragons to assist them; most of our ships are destroyed, and we are doomed to total defeat."

Stretching for dozens of miles, everything was burning; the iron chains at the mouth of the Heatwave River caused many longships to become jammed together, colliding with one another; everywhere there were sunken ships, burning ships, and waterlogged ships, and everywhere there were corpses and Ironborn swimming to escape.

The flagship of the Iron Fleet, "Iron Victory," was also burning; "Iron Victory" was buried in emerald-green flames, destroyed by the Alchemist's wildfire of excrement and urine.

Asha frowned, "Even 'Iron Victory' is finished; could it be that my third uncle, Victarion, is already dead?"

Victarion was the Iron Fleet Commander and the commander-in-chief of this expedition to the North; if he were dead, it would be a huge loss for King Balon and the Ironborn.

"Commander Victarion is over there," Qarl the Maid pointed out to Asha.

In the firelight and the pale moonlight, Asha saw Victarion and Aeron Greyjoy arriving at the shore in a small boat, under the protection of "The Barber" Nute, Ear Wulf, and others.

Victarion's plate armor was dripping wet; in the distance, another Iron Fleet longship, "Drowned God," burst apart, and an emerald-colored firework appeared in the sky.

Illuminated by the firelight, Victarion gritted his teeth and said indignantly, "My Iron Fleet has been buried in this sea of fire, and so many Ironborn warriors have been buried in the flames. Aeron, you clearly said that the Drowned God's power in this place was strong."

Aeron Greyjoy's face was pale, his fear clearly written on his face, "The Drowned God's power is indeed strong; if you had allowed me to drown more Northerners in the sea as a sacrifice to the Drowned God, we would not have suffered such a crushing defeat."

Asha suppressed her anger, "Now so many people are buried in the flames; this is not the way Ironborn should die. Uncle Aeron, did you really pray to the Drowned God with sincerity?"

Aeron Greyjoy's eyes were cold, and he glared at Asha with hatred, "Woman, watch your tongue; it is precisely because there are too many people like you who do not respect the gods that the Drowned God did not protect us."

"The Reader" Roderick said, "Now is not the time for arguing; let us quickly rally the Ironborn warriors and return to Dawn Watch. We still have enough ships there to allow us to retreat to the coastal Sea Monster Castle."

It was Wolf Castle, not Sea Monster Castle; Asha highly doubted that after experiencing such a crushing defeat, the Ironborn could hold out in those coastal castles for much longer.

Thus, Victarion, Asha, and "The Reader" Roderick shouted orders, demanding that the Ironborn on the shore march on foot toward the mouth of the Heatwave River.

When the Iron Islands fleet set out from the Iron Islands, every Ironborn sang the songs of the ancient Ironborn raiders, praising the Drowned God and the great conquest; they thought that attacking the North would be a great opportunity for the Ironborn to return to the Old Way.

At the Blacksmith City of Sea Dragon Point, the Stony City of the Stony Shore, and the Warhorse City of the Rills, after bloody sieges, the Ironborn finally captured these coastal Wolf Castles; the Ironborn were full of pride, surrounding Dawn Watch and moving upstream along the Heatwave River, thinking they could usher in a great victory at the throat of the North, Moat Cailin.

Little did they expect that the Iron Islands fleet would be caught here in a pincer attack of wildfire and magic dragons, with most of the Ironborn buried in the river and flames; the surviving Ironborn could only walk back to the sea like bedraggled dogs, treading on the muddy ground.

Victarion, wearing plate armor, was exhausted and drenched in sweat; he said gloomily, "I finally understand why the people of the Green Lands love to ride horses; without ships, walking is truly tiring! If I had known, I should have raided the Rills and seized the warhorses there."

"The Reader" Roderick said, "This place belongs to the swamp region; unless one is familiar with the terrain, even with warhorses, one cannot move freely. This also has its benefits for us, the retreating side; after all, the cavalry of Moat Cailin cannot pursue us on a large scale."

The Heatwave River was a river in the Neck, and the ground nearby was full of soft silt; if one strayed far from the bank, it was possible to sink into the swamp and be swallowed by quicksand.

A rain of arrows shot from the reed beds in the distance, and the Ironborn who were hit screamed in agony; Asha saw that the archers were a group of short people who moved as if flying on the swampy ground.

The Ironborn fought back with crossbows and yew bows, but the Crannogmen dived into the reed beds and disappeared.

"Swamp devils!" Victarion gripped his longsword, "Even the cowardly Crannogmen have come to bully us."

The giant eagles and magic dragons continued to attack the straggling Ironborn from the air; in the dark swamp, there were ambushing swamp devils everywhere, and in the distance, wolf howls could be heard; Jon Snow and Ygritte were hunting down the Ironborn from upstream of the Heatwave River with the direwolf Ghost.

On this night of slaughter, the Ironborn were trembling, bleeding, and fleeing for their lives.

In the great hall of Riverrun in the Riverlands, Brynden Tully was furious, glaring at his nephew Edmure Tully.

"What right did you have to launch a rash attack? The order given to you was to remain at Riverrun; now look at this, you've suffered losses of men and officers, and even Domeric has been captured."

Edmure Tully said apologetically, "It was Fellan and Domeric who told me that the Kingslayer Jaime had appeared in the Whispering Wood, and I prepared to capture him alive."

Robb crossed his arms, "Uncle, you are truly merciful, but the Kingslayer Jaime led you into an encirclement. Your rash attack constitutes disobedience of military orders."

Edmure Tully clenched his fists, "The Westerlands are ravaging my people; I am the Heir of Riverrun and the Riverlands, and I have the right to protect my own territory."

Roose Bolton, standing to the side, was expressionless, though in reality, his inner anger was raging; his son Domeric had been captured by the Westerlands, and the Dreadfort might lose its heir at any moment.

Originally, Roose Bolton had long since anticipated that Edmure Tully was no match for the Kingslayer Jaime; the reason he incited Edmure Tully to attack rashly was to make Edmure Tully commit a mistake, hoping that Edmure Tully would be beheaded by the Kingslayer or captured by the Westerlands.

If that were the case, perhaps Robb and Brynden Tully would divide a portion of the military authority to him, Roose Bolton.

In Roose Bolton's plan, it would be best if Fellan also died at the hands of the Kingslayer Jaime; Fellan was a poacher promoted by Eddard, belonging to the new nobility of the North, and Eddard had used Fellan to marry Roose Bolton's sister-in-law, Lady Barbrey, and now they even had children.

Eddard personally facilitated the marriage between Fellan and Barbrey, making Barbrey a loyal subject of Winterfell, directly splitting the alliance between the Dreadfort, the Rills, and Barrowton.

If Fellan died and Barbrey became a widow again, Roose Bolton might be able to win back the support of the Rills and Barrowton for the Dreadfort, expanding the influence of Bolton House within the North.

Roose Bolton's calculations were precise; he wanted to use the Kingslayer Jaime to get rid of Fellan and Edmure Tully, but he did not expect that the gods would play a huge joke on Roose Bolton: Fellan and Edmure Tully both returned safely, and only Domeric was captured by the Kingslayer Jaime.

Edmure Tully placed his hand on Roose Bolton's shoulder, "Lord Roose, at that time my horse was hit by an arrow and fell; it was Domeric who gave his mount to me; otherwise, it would have been me who was captured, not Domeric."

Roose Bolton's voice was very soft, "Domeric has always been a hero," while inwardly he cursed Domeric as a stupid fool.

Robb said, "Lord Roose, Domeric is my father's ward, and Domeric and I are as close as brothers; I will definitely find a way to save Domeric. If there are suitable prisoners, we will exchange prisoners with the Lannisters to get Domeric back."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Red Priest Thoros of Myr arrived in the hall, escorting Tyrion, the mercenary Bronn, the Hound, and the squire Podrick.

As soon as Roose Bolton saw Tyrion, "The Imp? It seems the candidate to exchange for my son Domeric has arrived."

Robb, Brynden Tully, and Edmure Tully were all excited; Brynden Tully said, "Thoros, where did you capture the Imp?"

The Red Priest Thoros said, "In Stoneway. The Imp wanted to go to the Westerlands to reunite with Duke Tywin and the Kingslayer, but he ended up being captured by my men."

Tyrion wore shackles on his hands, "My lords, I have seen much fighting throughout the Riverlands along the way, and I hope the Lannisters can immediately cease hostilities with the Riverlands."

Edmure Tully said indignantly, "Imp, you are willing to stop the war now that you are a captive? What kind of logic is that?"

Tyrion said sternly, "The undead have eroded King's Landing, and my dear old sister Cersei has fallen and become the Corpse Queen. The necromancer Ogbeta is attempting to resurrect a frost dragon in King's Landing; it would be most unwise for humanity to continue its infighting. King Robert Baratheon and Prince Rhaegar Targaryen have both been reborn."

Robb said with disdain, "Imp, your ability to weave stories is truly top-tier; you have no shame left to save your own life. Why don't you say that Aegon the Conqueror has been resurrected on Dragonstone, and with his sisters and three magic dragons, has begun his great conquest?"

Brynden Tully, Edmure Tully, and Roose Bolton all began to laugh.

The Red Priest Thoros said solemnly, "My lords, I have seen everything the Imp speaks of in the holy flames, and I do not believe he is lying."

The Hound said in a rough voice, "What Tyrion says is the truth. I previously served under Joffrey Baratheon, and I saw the death storm with my own eyes; it looked exactly like King Robert Baratheon. As for that Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, I have never seen Rhaegar, but the elderly grooms, cooks, and veterans in the Red Keep all say it is undoubtedly Rhaegar."

The smiles of Brynden Tully, Robb, and Roose Bolton vanished, and silence spread.

Robb frowned, "Could such a thing be?"

Tyrion said, "Lannister, Stark, and Tully should set aside their disputes and deal with the threat from King's Landing together. Stark comes from the North and must understand the threat of the Others and wights; the undead are even more terrifying than the Others."

Brynden Tully said, "The undead are indeed terrifying, but the Lannister lackeys who burn, loot, and slaughter the common folk in the Riverlands—how are they any better than those undead? If the Lannisters in King's Landing have been eroded by the undead, then perhaps the Lannisters in the Westerlands have already fallen as well."

"Tyrion, if you can end the Lannister atrocities, we might consider a ceasefire, but I fear Duke Tywin would never consider your opinion; as far as I know, your father does not love you."

Tyrion made a face, "Stannis has surrounded King's Landing on all sides, and not a single raven can fly out of King's Landing. My old man Duke Tywin and brother Jaime do not know what has happened in King's Landing. If Lord Brynden Tully is willing to let me go to the Westerlands, I can certainly convince my old man to join forces against the undead."

Brynden Tully gave a light huff, "Do you take me for a child?"

Tyrion said helplessly, "How about this! Let me write a letter and send it to the Westerlands; I want to make brother Jaime and Duke Tywin understand what has happened in King's Landing."

Brynden Tully nodded, "You may write the letter, but whether it can be sent depends on whether the content of your letter serves the interests of the Wolf King."

"Take Tyrion to the dungeon and give him paper and a pen."

Podrick said, "I am Lord Tyrion's steward, and I request to be imprisoned with Tyrion."

Robb refused, "You are our captive; how could we let you have your way?"

Tyrion said, "The boy Podrick is innocent; I request that you treat him well."

Soldiers led Tyrion away, leaving only the three captives, Sandor Clegane, Podrick, and the mercenary Bronn, in the hall.

As soon as Edmure Tully saw Sandor Clegane, he thought of the Mountain Gregor, and he said angrily, "The people of House Clegane are Lannister lackeys. Sandor, your brother Gregor is ravaging the Riverlands with a pack of mad dogs, and you are no good either. I will kill Gregor sooner or later."

The Hound Sandor Clegane's burned face twitched, "Only I can kill my brother, but if you are willing to throw your life away, you may try; you soft, flaccid trout think you can kill the Mountain? Give it a damn rest! Also, I am no longer a Lannister dog; I no longer serve the Lannisters."

Thoros said, "Sandor is willing to serve the Wolf King Eddard."

Brynden Tully said, "The Hound Sandor Clegane, Eddard has always appreciated you, and I welcome you to join the Wolf King's ranks."

The Hound Sandor Clegane said in a rough voice, "As long as there is enough wine, meat, and gold, I can fight for the Starks, but don't you dare expect me to kneel and swear loyalty."

Robb smiled, "No one is asking you to swear loyalty, Sandor; we only need your sword to kill our enemies."

Subsequently, the mercenary Bronn also agreed to fight for the Starks, but only Podrick refused to betray Tyrion.

Brynden Tully said, "The boy Podrick is very honest; let him stay with Tyrion in the dungeon for the time being."

Soldiers led Podrick to the dungeon, and Brynden Tully called for a steward to arrange rooms for Bronn and Sandor Clegane in Riverrun; the Hound and Bronn left the hall.

Edmure Tully said gloomily, "Sandor Clegane is a vassal of the Westerlands and served as Joffrey Baratheon's personal guard for a long time. As for Bronn, he is nothing but a mercenary who loves money; how much loyalty could such a person have for the Wolf King?"

The Red Priest Thoros said, "Sandor hates the Mountain Gregor to death; it is said that after the Mountain inherited Clegane's Keep, Sandor never returned. Sandor has a bad temper, but he has never done anything evil. Since he no longer serves the Lannisters, we can win his loyalty."

"As for Bronn, mercenaries love money, but they are not necessarily without loyalty. In fact, in Stoneway, the ones who first discovered the Imp and the Hound were the mercenaries Vargo Hoat and Greenbeard. At the time, Vargo Hoat and Greenbeard could have easily extorted a Gold Dragon from the Imp and let them go, but as soon as they discovered the Imp, they immediately notified me."

Brynden Tully said, "Regardless of the character of Bronn and Sandor, they are both excellent at fighting."

Then Brynden Tully looked at Edmure Tully, "Unlike some people, with a kind heart and mercy like a saint, yet always losing battles on the battlefield—what is the use of that?"

Edmure Tully said angrily, "Uncle Brynden, give me soldiers, and I will surely wash away my shame!"

Brynden Tully waved his hand, "Forget it! We all know your capabilities; it is not worth using the lives of soldiers to wash away your own shame. Edmure, I hope you remember today's lesson. Your rash attack will be dealt with by the Wolf King."

Roose Bolton said, "My lords, since we have captured the Imp, could we use the Imp to exchange for my Domeric?"

Robb thought for a moment, "Lord Bolton, if Duke Tywin agrees, we are willing to hand over the Imp in exchange for Domeric, but I fear Duke Tywin will refuse."

Victarion, Asha Greyjoy, and Aeron Greyjoy fled to the seaside in a disheveled state and jumped onto the Cod family's longship, the Slave.

Initially, Iron Fleet Commander Victarion had ordered the longships of the Humble House and the Cod family to remain in the waters outside Dawn Watch, waiting for an opportunity to attack this sturdy Wolf Castle.

This arrangement was made because the proud captains and nobles of the Ironborn were all eager to go to Moat Cailin to participate in this great military operation.

The task of blockading Dawn Watch was considered insignificant and far from glory. Such a task could only be given to the Humble House and the Cod family; these two great families were the lowest-born among the Iron Islands nobility, both being descendants of bondmen and salt wives.

Unexpectedly, the Iron Fleet and the Iron Islands leader longships led by Victarion, Asha Greyjoy, and the Reader Roderick met with disaster on the Heatwave River; more than two-thirds of the longships were destroyed in the burning of wildfire and dragonfire.

The Cod family and the Humble House, who had remained in the waters of Salt Spear and Dawn Watch, instead escaped the disaster, and their longships became the hope for the Ironborn fleeing back from the Heatwave River.

When they first killed their way to the North, Victarion was sailing the Iron Victory, Asha Greyjoy was sailing the Black Wind, and Aeron Greyjoy's ship was the Drowned God.

Now, the Ironborn warrior Victarion, the Iron Islands female warrior Asha Greyjoy, and the Drowned God's mouthpiece Aeron Greyjoy could only huddle and shiver on the deck of the Slave; it was truly a great irony.

In fact, they were still considered lucky; along the way, Crannogmen, giant eagles, and magic dragons continuously hunted down the Ironborn. The Harlaw leader, the Reader Roderick, the Botley leader, and the famous raider Cleftjaw Dagmer did not make it out of the Neck, their fates unknown.

Asha Greyjoy worried about her uncle, the Reader Roderick, "My uncle is not on the ship; I want to take men back to the Neck to find him."

Victarion gave a light huff, "Don't be a fool; the Neck is the territory of the swamp devils, and if you are hit by their poison arrows, you won't survive. Quicksand and marshes have also swallowed many Ironborn warriors. I estimate the Reader should have been captured by the Crannogmen or the Winter Wolves."

"If you return to the Neck, you won't be able to find the Reader at all; you will only be throwing your life away for nothing. When we return to Warhorse City, we will inquire about the news of the Reader, Dagmer, and the Botley leader. If those Ironborn leaders are still alive, we can pay gold to the wolf pups to ransom them back."

The Ironborn had a lot of gold, all of which were gifts sent by the Lannisters to King Balon to form an alliance with the Iron Islands. The Lannisters used gold to lure the Ironborn into attacking the North, but the Ironborn ended up suffering a crushing defeat.

On the deck of the Slave, Asha Greyjoy urged her third uncle, Victarion.

"The North Coast Fleet has all hidden in the upper reaches of the Barrow River north of Dawn Watch. Under normal circumstances, the North Fleet is no match for the Iron Islands fleet, but now, the Iron Fleet has been almost completely wiped out, and the longships of many Iron Islands leaders have been buried in the flames on the Heatwave River; the Iron Islands fleet has suffered heavy losses."

"If the North Coast Fleet attacks from the upper reaches of the Barrow River at this time, the Iron Islands fleet will find it difficult to resist. The Iron Islands ships dare not linger in the waters near Dawn Watch anymore. Third uncle, we should all set sail for Warhorse City at the mouth of the West Coast river."

Victarion clenched his fists, "Even if we have suffered huge losses, the Ironborn are invincible at sea. If the Wolf King and his bastard mongrel dare to send the North Coast Fleet to pursue, I can just happen to take the Ironborn Pirates and take my revenge!"

Aeron Greyjoy roared, "What is dead may never die! But rises again, harder and stronger!"

The other Ironborn raiders also roared along, "Rises again, harder and stronger!"

When fleeing on foot on land, the Ironborn were like stray dogs, their eyes dull one by one, but when they arrived on the Ironborn longship, with the waves beneath their feet and the scent of sea salt all around, the Ironborn gradually regained their courage.

At Dawn Watch, the Wolf King Eddard, riding a giant eagle and accompanied by a magic dragon and a flying wolf, landed in the courtyard of Dawn Watch, while the soldiers of the Winter Wolves and the common folk let out cheers that sounded like the roaring of mountains and the crashing of seas.

Lady Barbrey embraced Eddard, "Wolf Prince, I did not expect you to rush back to save us."

Eddard said, "The ironborn dared to invade the North, so of course I had to return to the North to protect my home. I heard that you gave birth to a strong son for Fellan?"

Lady Barbrey said excitedly, "Yes! I finally have a son of my own. Wolf Prince, your Robb is almost an adult, and only now have I had a son of my own."

Jon Snow arrived before Eddard with Ygritte and Ghost.

Eddard hugged Jon Snow, "Jon, I have appointed you as Warden of the North; you did not let me down. Using wildfire to attack the ironborn fleet was a good idea."

Jon Snow said calmly, "These are all the merits of the soldiers, and it could not have been done without the help of Lady Barbrey and Ygritte."

The crannogman lord Howland Reed, riding a lizard-lion and escorting a group of captives, walked over.

The small crannogman Howland Reed said, "Wolf Prince, we have captured the Lord of Harlaw, Rodrik Harlaw, as well as the leader of King's Port, Saven Botley, and also the notorious 'Cleftjaw' Dagmer."

These leaders were all covered in mud, their faces gray and dirty, with shackles on their hands.

Eddard said, "We in the North did not go to provoke the Iron Islands, yet the Iron Islands came to launch a massive attack on the North; what kind of logic is this?"

The "Reader" Rodrik said helplessly, "This is the order of King Balon. After the Iron Islands allied with the Westerlands, the Lannisters incited the Iron Islands to attack the North."

Leader Botley said, "Lord Tywin promised that once the Iron Islands conquered the North, he would cede the North to the Iron Islands and let King Balon become the King of the Iron Islands and the North."

Eddard smiled, "Lord Tywin is truly generous! It is just a pity that the Iron Islands could never conquer the North; your territories added together are not even as large as one Sea Dragon Point in the North, so what would you use to conquer it?"

Cleftjaw Dagmer, a white-haired raider, said proudly, "The ironborn have longships."

Eddard nodded slightly, "Longships are indeed the advantage of the ironborn, but your longship fleet suffered a crushing defeat at the Heatwave River. I estimate that over two-thirds of your longships were destroyed in the wildfire."

"King Balon allying with the Lannisters is also very stupid. I possess the North, the Vale, and the Riverlands; I have magic dragons, giants, and the three ace armies: the Winter Wolves, the Three Rivers Army, and the Chick Eagle Army. The army of the Riverlands will soon attack the Westerlands, and the Lannisters will be unable to save themselves."

The "Reader" Rodrik sighed, "We ironborn have seen the power of the Wolf King this time."

Eddard stared at Rodrik, "Lord Harlaw, you are Theon's uncle. Theon often mentions you to me, and I know you are a smart man who likes to read. Surely you know very well in your heart that the Iron Islands are simply incapable of resisting the Starks."

The Reader Rodrik said helplessly, "After King Balon put on the driftwood crown, his brain became a bit muddled. My two sons died in the Battle of Fair Isle during the Greyjoy Rebellion, and in the Battle of the Heatwave River a few days ago, I lost even more relatives. Dreaming of being king is the madness in the blood of the ironborn."

Eddard said, "If King Balon still has any sanity, he should stay obediently in the Iron Islands. If he dares to be an enemy of the Starks again, I will raze the entire Iron Islands. I have magic dragons, griffins, and giant eagles. Even if the ironborn can dominate the seas, how can they resist the masters of the sky? Longships cannot fight magic dragons; what you have seen is only one of them, and I have two more young dragons growing sturdily at Harrenhal."

The magic dragon flying wolf spread its wings and spat out a stream of flames; the faces of Leader Botley, the Reader Rodrik, and Dagmer were all filled with fear.

Eddard said, "Is the Iron Bitch Helene Pyke still alive?"

The Reader Rodrik nodded, "Helene Pyke is imprisoned in the dungeon of Blacksmith City."

Hearing that the Iron Bitch Helene Pyke was still alive, Jon Snow and Eddard were both very happy.

Eddard waved his hand, and the soldiers escorted the captives, including the Reader Rodrik, Leader Botley, and "Cleftjaw" Dagmer, to the dungeon of Dawn Watch.

Jon Snow said, "Father, the ironborn have captured Blacksmith City at Sea Dragon Point, Warhorse City in the Rills, and Stony City on the Stony Shore. At this moment, Lamberd Tallhart and Benfred Tallhart of the Tallhart family at Torrhen's Square are leading troops toward Stony City, preparing to take back the Wolf Castle."

"Lord Ryswell of the Rills is also leading cavalry and siege engines to march toward Warhorse City, preparing to take back Warhorse City from the hands of the ironborn. Lord Barack Flint of Flint's Finger is also leading a large army to march toward Blacksmith City, preparing to take back the Wolf Castle Blacksmith City by the Flint's cliffs."

Eddard said, "The ironborn have already been routed. I will take the giant eagles and the magic dragon and head west, which can help the Northern army take back the Wolf Castle along the coast."

Jon Snow said, "Father, when the ironborn attacked the North, I adopted a strategy of avoiding battle to preserve the ships. Therefore, the ships of the North Coast Fleet are well-preserved. We have enough ships; why not gather all the ships at Seagard to transport the army of the Riverlands and wipe out the Iron Islands?"

Eddard shook his head, "The Iron Islands have experienced the crushing defeat at the Heatwave River and will be unable to recover their vitality in a short time; the ironborn are not worth worrying about. The Lannisters are the biggest threat. What I want to attack is the Westerlands of the Lannisters."

"When I left the Riverlands, I had already arranged a Mountain Legion at Stoney Sept, led by Bronze Yohn to attack the northern mountainous region of the Westerlands."

In the northern mountainous region of the Westerlands, Bronze Yohn led the Mountain Legion army, set out from Stoney Sept, arrived at the foot of the mountains, and began to climb the peaks that border the Riverlands and the Westerlands.

To coordinate with this mountain sneak attack, Eddard had already made meticulous deployments before leaving the Riverlands.

The fleet of House Mallister of Seagard had already begun to attack villages and small towns along the northern coast of the Westerlands, and some ships would also focus on attacking the coastal areas of the Banford family's territory at Hollow Hill, which would attract the attention of the Westerlands and make the Westerlands lax in their defense of the mountains bordering the north and the Riverlands.

Bronze Yohn pointed to the mountains of the Westerlands.

"Warriors, some of you come from the Northern Mountains, some from the Vale, some from Beyond the Wall, and some from Skagos. We are all followers of the Wolf King and warriors of the Wolf King. As long as we cross this mountain range, we can reach the Westerlands, which are rich in gold and silver mines. If we defeat the army of the Westerlands, we can plunder the gold and silver mines there!"

The warriors let out cheers, and Shagga brandished his steel battle-axe and roared, "I want to kill the men of the Westerlands, rape their women, and give the beauties of the Westerlands a strong child."

Bronze Yohn frowned, "Shagga, the Wolf King's army does not allow the rape of civilian women. We are going to conquer the Westerlands, not plunder and run, so we must win the hearts of the people."

The Eagle King McCain first sent owls, falcons, and eagles to scout the mountains of the Westerlands, and then "Goat" Grig, Eloc, Jarl, and other wildling raiders who had climbed the Wall before led small squads to begin climbing the peaks with nails and ropes.

The peaks bordering the northern Westerlands and the Riverlands were very steep and dangerous, but compared to the Wall, they were much easier to climb. The small squads led by Grig, Jarl, and Eloc spent over two hours climbing to the top and threw down ladders made of ropes. Subsequently, the warriors of the Mountain Legion, including Rockborn, Mountain Clans, Northern Mountain Clans, Night Walkers, and Cave Dwellers, began to climb the rope ladders.

The commander of this Mountain Legion appointed by Eddard was Bronze Yohn. This legion also included the Rockborn Lord of Driftwood Hall, Billy Stern; the Lord of King's Hall, Resson Magnar; the Northern Mountain Clans warrior "Big Barrel" Wull; Liddle; Black Donald Flint; and the Mountain Clans warriors Shagga, Timett, Chella, and Greenwood.

The skinchanger Goat Girl Gisela, Cat Girl Jeyne, and Tigris, who rode a saber-toothed tiger, went with the army. The goat of the Goat Girl Gisela could walk on air among the steep peaks, while the shadowcat and the saber-toothed tiger were fierce beasts for mountain warfare.

By the time the large army entered the Westerlands, the time had already entered midnight, and it was pitch black.

The Lannisters had some defensive towers in the northern mountainous region, each guarded by only a few soldiers. After the war broke out between the Lannisters and the Riverlands, Tywin once envisioned setting up beacon towers in the mountains and sending more soldiers to strengthen patrols in the mountainous region, but it had never been implemented.

In the darkness, the skinchangers possessed excellent night vision. Led by the Eagle King McCain, Cat Girl Jeyne, Saber-toothed Tiger Warrior Tigris, and Goat Girl Gisela, the warriors of the Mountain Legion easily killed the Westerlands soldiers in the defensive towers.

By the time dawn broke, the Westerlands' defensive towers in the mountains had all been captured by the Mountain Legion. Bronze Yohn led the Mountain Legion to advance toward Nun Castle in the south, which was a famous gold-producing area.

Victarion, Asha Greyjoy, and Aeron Greyjoy finally arrived with the fleet at Warhorse City, the estuary of the Rills. Unexpectedly, the Wolf King Eddard, the Prince of Giant Eagles Michu, and the Princess of Giant Eagles Bessa were already waiting above Warhorse City with giant eagles and magic dragons.

The army of the Rills had already captured Warhorse City, and the golden kraken banner on the ramparts of Warhorse City had been replaced by the Stark direwolf banner and the horse head banner of the Rills.

The corpses of the ironborn were piled into small hills under the city walls, and the cavalry of the Rills were cursing the ironborn in the sea from the beach.

Victarion said gloomily, "The wolf pup actually took back Warhorse City so quickly? What on earth were the ironborn defenders doing?"

Asha Greyjoy said helplessly, "The ironborn are not good at defending cities; staying on the city walls to defend against enemies below the city is not the old way. Moreover, when the ironborn captured Warhorse City, this Wolf Castle, the city walls were already severely damaged. The most critical thing is that the Starks have giant eagles and magic dragons!"

Aeron Greyjoy said angrily, "I will pray to the Drowned God, hoping that the Drowned God will grant us a huge sea monster so that we can fight against the magic dragons."

Asha Greyjoy felt that Aeron Greyjoy did not have that kind of ability; although Aeron Greyjoy was pious, he had not yet shown any magical abilities.

On the contrary, Asha Greyjoy heard that her second uncle Euron was plundering on the continent of Essos with the Silence, and that Euron kept sorcerers on the Silence. Perhaps Euron would return with some kind of power, but could the magic brought back from the eastern seas still be considered a miracle of the Drowned God?

Asha Greyjoy wanted to ask Aeron Greyjoy, but she knew that the relationship between Aeron Greyjoy and Euron was very bad.

Euron always took pleasure in torturing others, not even sparing his own brothers. It was rumored that Aeron Greyjoy had been raped by Euron when he was a child. As for Victarion, he hated Euron even more; back then, Euron had an affair with Victarion's salt wife, which led to Victarion beating the salt wife to death with his heavy fists, and King Balon exiled Euron.

Due to the fear of being attacked by magic dragons and giant eagles, every longship was equipped with heavy crossbows. During the day, the chance of killing a magic dragon or a giant eagle was much greater than at night.

Victarion and Asha Greyjoy led the fleet westward.

Asha Greyjoy said, "Third Uncle, do you think Stony City has also fallen?"

Victarion said: "Regardless of whether Stony City has fallen, we cannot continue to stay in the North. At the Heatwave River, my Iron Fleet lost two-thirds of its ships, and the great ships of the Iron Islands' leaders are almost entirely lost. Relying on these small boats, the Ironborn cannot defeat the North. The Ironborn can only retreat to the Iron Islands and reorganize the fleet."

Stannis, Alester Florent, and Melisandre arrived in the middle of Bitterbridge under the banner of peace.

Earl Randyll Tarly and his flag-bearer, Sir Hyle Hunt, arrived opposite Stannis.

Alester Florent was Randyll's father-in-law. Upon seeing Randyll, he said affectionately: "Randyll, my daughter Melisa has borne you two sons and several daughters. We are family. I heard that House Tyrell no longer supports Renly Baratheon, and Renly Baratheon has fled. Why don't you surrender to the true King, His Majesty Stannis?"

Randyll said disdainfully: "House Tyrell is my liege lord. They have abandoned Renly Baratheon, but they have turned to support Joffrey Baratheon on the Iron Throne in King's Landing. I cannot swear allegiance to 'Duke' Stannis. Why doesn't Stannis attack King's Landing directly?"

Melisandre said: "King's Landing is already shrouded in a mist of death. The Corpse Queen Serxi is in King's Landing, using the Undead to rule with cruelty. His Majesty Stannis is waiting for the right moment to launch an expedition."

In fact, Stannis had once wanted to send the Royal Fleet, the Stormlands army, and the Crownlands army to attack King's Landing, but the visions Melisandre saw in the holy fire indicated that attacking King's Landing would be disadvantageous to Stannis's side, so the plan to attack King's Landing had to be temporarily postponed.

Alester Florent said resentfully: "Serxi is in King's Landing, having abandoned the faith of the Seven. She has begun to worship the evil Dark God. Serxi destroyed the Godswood and the Royal Sept; such an act of impiety will surely invite divine retribution! King's Landing has become the territory of heretics. Randyll, as a Knight, why must you swear allegiance to heretics?"

Randyll stared awkwardly at the flaming heart emblem on Alester Florent's chest. "The Dark God is a heretic, but your Red God is not? Stannis's kingdom surrounds King's Landing; isn't the situation in King's Landing just you people talking to yourselves?"

Alester Florent said: "Randyll, we are family. For the sake of Sam and Dickon, how can you oppose the righteous His Majesty Stannis? I care most about my grandsons. I believe Sam must be at Horn Hill right now, praying for your safe return."

Randyll laughed dryly. "You don't care about Sam at all. You haven't seen Sam for many years. I sent Sam to the North long ago; he is now the foster son of the Wolf King Eddard. You know nothing, yet you pretend to care about your grandson?"

"Lord Alester, I respect you only because you are the father of my wife, Melisa. You brought House Florent to defect to Stannis without a word. From that moment on, Melisa and I knew that House Florent never considered House Tarly as one of their own. Since that is the case, why must you talk to me about affection?"

Stannis's jaw tightened. "Randyll, what will it take for you to surrender?"

Randyll said: "It is simple. If House Tyrell of Highgarden swears allegiance to His Majesty, I will swear allegiance to you. Otherwise, between you and me, we can only be enemies."

Randyll turned his horse and left, returning to the Reach army camp west of Bitterbridge. Alester Florent said awkwardly: "Your Majesty, I told you long ago that Randyll would not surrender."

Stannis gave a light snort. "Randyll remains at Bitterbridge, leading the Reach army. If I go to attack King's Landing, Randyll will certainly attack from the rear. By then, those Reach nobles who defected to me—House Fossoway, House Merryweather, House Peake—they will likely have to swear allegiance to Highgarden all over again."

Alester Florent said: "Your Majesty, now that the Reach is allied with the Lannister, they are the enemies of the Wolf King Eddard. We can write to the Wolf King Eddard and have him divide his forces to attack the Reach. Then, the Reach will have to divide its forces to confront the Stark Army in the Riverlands, and our army can sweep through the Reach, forcing Highgarden and the entire Reach to submit."

Stannis said coldly: "You make it sound easy. The Wolf King's army is currently in a standoff with the Westerlands in the Riverlands. I hear that even the North itself has been attacked by the Iron Islands. How could the Wolf King easily declare war on the Reach?"

"Regardless, I am in a good mood. My foolish brother Renly Baratheon has lost the support of House Tyrell, so Renly Baratheon has no strength to compete with me for Storm's End and the Stormlands."

Alester Florent frowned. "Your Majesty, Renly Baratheon has gone north. He has gone to defect to the Wolf King. There is no guarantee he won't ask the Wolf King to send troops to support his cause and help him retake Storm's End and the Stormlands."

Stannis shook his head. "That is impossible. Eddard would never send troops to help a clown like Renly Baratheon."

Melisandre said: "Your Majesty, Renly Baratheon no longer poses any threat to the Stormlands or Storm's End. However, we must be careful of King's Landing. King's Landing has a Storm King of pure blood; he is your brother, the late King Robert Baratheon."

"The Death Storm."

The Westerlands, the Westerlands Army camp west of Golden Tooth. Duke Tywin held Tyrion's letter and frowned.

"How did Tyrion end up in the Riverlands? And become a prisoner of House Tully?"

Jaime had always loved his younger brother Tyrion. He said: "We have the Heir of Bolton House, Domeric, in our hands. Why not use Domeric to exchange for Tyrion?"

Duke Tywin looked down at the letter, his expression growing increasingly ugly.

"What on earth is Tyrion babbling about? He says the government of King's Landing is now in the hands of an Undead wizard, Ogbeta, and that Serxi has converted to the Dark God and become half a corpse—the Corpse Queen Serxi."

Duke Tywin handed the letter to Jaime. Jaime took the letter and read it, also greatly shocked.

"The letter says Serxi burned the Red Keep Godswood and destroyed the Royal Sept. This is truly terrifying. What on earth is Serxi doing?"

Duke Tywin said disdainfully: "Tyrion is talking complete nonsense in this letter. He even says Robert Baratheon and Rhaegar Targaryen have been resurrected and become Serxi's servants. It is pure ghost talk. I suspect the people who captured Tyrion at Riverrun forced him to write this letter with the goal of smearing the Lannister."

The Golden Lady walked over lightly. She had already returned from the Reach with Kevan.

"Duke Tywin, what Tyrion says in the letter is true. On the way to the Reach, I met many birds that had fled from the direction of King's Landing to the west, sparrows and swallows. They told me that terrible things have happened in King's Landing. The Undead have indeed eroded the court of King's Landing, and the Dark God has already shrouded King's Landing."

Tywin and Jaime were shocked beyond measure. Tywin pondered for a long time. "The part about Robert Baratheon and Rhaegar Targaryen being resurrected—is that true too?"

The Golden Lady nodded. "One bird might lie, but if a hundred birds are all telling the story of the Death Storm and Rhaegar Targaryen, then it is true."

Jaime suppressed his anger. "If Serxi burned the Royal Sept, this will offend the Church. What will the Knights of the whole world think? Why would Serxi worship the evil Dark God?"

The Golden Lady shrugged. "I suspect that Queen Regent Serxi in King's Landing, facing Stannis's army at the gates and looking at the Wolf King's army at Harrenhal, was waiting expectantly for the Westerlands Lannister army to come to her aid, but they did not come. Serxi fell into fear, and fear is a catalyst for corruption."

"The Undead wizard seduced her toward corruption when Queen Regent Serxi was afraid, making her a believer in the Dark God. Of this, I have no doubt."

Duke Tywin said angrily: "Whatever reason Serxi has, she should not have accepted the Dark God. Even if King's Landing becomes a lonely city, as long as the Lannister occupy King's Landing, Joffrey Baratheon is the King on the Iron Throne valued by the believers of the Seven. Now that Serxi has converted to the Dark God, if this news gets out, who among the pious of the Seven Kingdoms will still support Joffrey Baratheon?"

"Perhaps our marriage alliance with House Tyrell of the Reach will also be affected."

The Golden Lady said: "Lord Tywin, let the matters of King's Landing and the Reach rest for now! The Westerlands itself is being attacked. Today, a bird from the north told me that the Stark Mountain Legion is rampaging in the mountains of the Westerlands. Thousands of mountain warriors are going to plunder the gold and silver mines of the Westerlands."

Jaime was greatly shocked. "The mountains between the northern Westerlands and the Riverlands are very treacherous; it is difficult for an army to cross the mountains."

At this moment, a Raven flew in from the north. Its black wings brought black news.

Duke Tywin finished reading the letter, feeling deeply depressed.

"The Rockborn, Mountain Clans, Cave Dweller, Night Runners, and the Mountain Legion composed of the High Mountain Clans have already captured several gold and silver mines in the Westerlands. I must divide my forces to go north and wipe out these invaders."

Thanks to Alalalalajun and ghost1024 for the monthly tickets. Thank you for your support!

(End of chapter)