Chapter 203: The Battle of Crag, the Tragic Death of Frey

Eagle King McCain controlled the eagles, falcons, and owls, scouting Crag for the Stark Army in the morning mist.

Crag stood upon the hills above the waves of the Sunset Sea, overlooking the ocean to the west.

A few days ago, Earl Barristan from Harvest Hall in the Marches had already led two thousand Stark soldiers to capture Hollow Hill, a castle in the northern Westerlands belonging to House Banefort, descendants of the Hooded Man.

Now, another fierce general of the Wolf King Eddard, Baron Swann, also from the Marches, was leading troops to attack Crag.

Once Crag was captured, the Stark Army would be one step closer to the heart of the Lannister lands, Casterly Rock and Lannisport.

House Westerling of Crag was ancient and proud; in history, they had once flourished due to the gold mines in their territory and even intermarried with House Targaryen, yet now, the Westerling gold mines had long since dried up, and the house was in decline, impoverished and decaying.

Duke Tywin had gathered the Westerlands Army, stationing troops at the Golden Tooth, the throat of the Westerlands, to confront the Stark Army led by the Young Wolf Robb and Brynden Tully the Blackfish; many soldiers of House Westerling had responded to the call of their liege lord, Lannister, and gone to the Golden Tooth, so the defenses of Crag were relatively weak.

In the early morning, while many in the castle were still asleep, a soldier of Crag stretched on the ramparts and unzipped his breeches to urinate; Sir Baron Swann drew his yew bow to its full length, and the flying arrow instantly pierced the soldier's breastplate, causing him to scream and fall from the ramparts like a bundle of turnips.

The sentry on the ramparts saw his companion struck by an arrow and immediately blew his conch horn; Eagle King McCain's eagle dove from the sky, its sharp talons gripping the Westerling sentry's hair and tearing away a piece of scalp, causing the sentry to scream and fall to the ground, silencing the horn.

Many of the defenders of Crag were temporarily recruited farmers and miners, mostly old men and children, who had been sleeping in the stables of Crag; when the enemy attacked, some had just woken from their dreams, and the Captain of the Guard of Crag shouted orders for these hastily assembled soldiers to hurry to the walls and meet the enemy.

The archers of the Stark Army showered the walls of Crag with a deadly rain of arrows; many Westerling soldiers who walked onto the walls were struck by sharp arrows and screamed repeatedly, and some new recruits instantly lost their courage and began to turn and run back to avoid the arrow rain.

The battering ram of the Stark Army had already reached the gates of Crag, and the Stark soldiers began to use the ram to strike the gate; the old bronze gate soon showed cracks.

Subsequently, grappling hooks flew onto the walls, and Sir Baron Swann led the Stark soldiers to be the first to charge onto the ramparts of Crag; soon, the steel torrent of the Stark Army submerged the walls of Crag.

Shouts, horse neighs, screams, curses, and groans echoed within the ancient walls of Crag; metal clashed, steel sang, and the newly recruited Westerling soldiers, lacking training, equipped with tattered leather armor, and even more lacking in combat experience, faced the well-trained, experienced Stark Army in full plate armor, turning the battle quickly into a one-sided slaughter.

An hour later, the battle for the Westerling stronghold of Crag ended; Sir Baron Swann led the Stark Army to completely occupy this ancient, decaying castle, and the Roaring Lion Flag of the Lannisters and the six Seashell Flags of House Westerling on the ramparts were all cut down, replaced by the rising Direwolf Banner of House Stark.

The captives were brought before Baron Swann.

The head of the Westerling family, Gawen Westerling, Earl of Crag, had been injured in the battle, with blood flowing from his head.

Earl Gawen Westerling appeared very frightened and said, "Sir Baron, I am your captive; I beg you to treat me and my wife and children well, and my relatives will pay to ransom us."

Baron Swann said, "You are all captives of the Wolf King Eddard; only the Wolf King can decide whether to release you."

Earl Gawen's wife, Sybell Spicer, was a dignified old woman, but there was a hint of evil and cunning in her eyes; she said, "My maiden family are merchants, and my relatives will give you enough money to ransom me and my family."

Baron Swann said disdainfully, "Can you be richer than the Wolf King? We do not care for your ransom."

Jeyne Westerling was the daughter of Earl Gawen; she was slim with a full figure, chestnut curly hair, and a heart-shaped face; seeing the castle captured and her family turned into captives, Jeyne shed sorrowful tears.

"I beg you to treat these innocent soldiers and commoners well; they are innocent."

Baron Swann nodded, "Girl, you have a kind heart, unlike your family, who only care about their own survival. Rest assured, the Wolf King does not allow us to slaughter the innocent indiscriminately."

Subsequently, Baron Swann sent soldiers to lock Earl Gawen, Jeyne, Lady Sybell, Lady Sybell's brother Rolph Spicer, and Earl Gawen's sons into the dungeon.

Baron Swann and Eagle King McCain stood on the ramparts, gazing toward the southeast.

Eagle King McCain's eagle circled in the air.

Baron Swann said, "Crag itself does not have much strategic value; I have decided to leave five hundred men to hold the castle. This place is already very close to Deep Den, the seat of House Marbrand; I heard that the reinforcements sent by Duke Tywin, led by Sir Kevan, have already arrived at Deep Den, and Bronze Yohn is leading a large army south to approach Deep Den. I have decided to take the light cavalry and quickly head south to attack the villages in the Marbrand territory."

Eagle King McCain stroked his snow-white beard, "With a pincer attack from both sides, Deep Den will surely be captured by the Stark Army."

Sir Baron Swann said worriedly, "I am a bit concerned about that golden lady beside Sir Kevan; Eagle King McCain, you must send your owls, falcons, and eagles to scout carefully."

At the Golden Tooth, Duke Tywin and Jaime stood on the majestic walls, watching the soldiers of Earl Medger Cerwyn pushing catapults and ballistae as they slowly moved toward the Golden Tooth.

Jaime shaded his eyes with his hand and carefully observed the enemy troops.

"The enemy has only a thousand men, all infantry and siege engines; Father, give me a thousand cavalry, and I can easily tear this siege force apart."

Duke Tywin pointed his finger at the woods on the distant hills.

"Do you not see? On the distant valley, smoke is rising, and flags are fluttering; it is obvious that the enemy has ambushed cavalry on both sides. An old battlefield hand like Brynden Tully the Blackfish would not send a siege force to the foot of the Golden Tooth just to throw their lives away; he is clearly trying to use the siege force to lure our army into a sortie."

Jaime said, "Are we to just let the enemy siege force approach?"

Duke Tywin snorted, "The enemy's catapults have a range far inferior to the catapults on the walls of our Golden Tooth; besides, our army is in a superior position, and if they dare to come, they will be smashed into pulp by the catapults on the walls before they even reach the foot of the castle."

Jaime said gloomily, "Father, the Young Wolf Robb and Brynden Tully the Blackfish do not have the guts to storm the Golden Tooth; on the contrary, Bronze Yohn, Barristan, and Baron Swann are leading the Stark Army to continue ravaging the northern Westerlands; they have captured the Hollow Hill of House Banefort and the Crag of House Westerling, and are approaching the gold mines of the Pendrey Hills and the gold mines of Castamere."

"What is even more terrifying is that the Stark Army led by Bronze Yohn has already approached Deep Den; once Deep Den of House Marbrand falls into the hands of the Stark Army, the Stark Army can attack the rear of the Golden Tooth from Deep Den, and our army will be surrounded by the enemy."

Duke Tywin said coldly, "After King Balon's disastrous defeat in the North, it was destined that the Westerlands would fall into a difficult situation. Damn the ironmen; I have already written to King Balon, hoping he will quickly regroup and attack Seagard in the Riverlands, so that at least he can block the southward advance of the North Coast Fleet."

Jaime said, "Father, the Iron Islands fleet suffered heavy losses in the Battle of the Heatwave River in the North, and the Iron Islands themselves may be attacked by the North; I estimate that it will be difficult for King Balon to send a fleet to attack the Riverlands."

Duke Tywin said helplessly, "You are right; now that the Wolf King possesses the armies of the North, the Vale, and the Riverlands, and the Iron Islands fleet has been defeated, the Westerlands can no longer rely solely on the alliance with the Iron Islands."

"Fortunately, we still have the support of the Reach; I have already written to Duke Mace Tyrell, requesting him to send troops to attack the Riverlands. As long as House Tyrell of Highgarden is willing to send troops to attack the Riverlands, the Wolf King's army will have to turn south to deal with the Reach, and the Westerlands can steadily counterattack and drive the Wolf King's army out of the Westerlands."

Jaime frowned, "With the Westerlands themselves under attack, will House Tyrell of the Reach still support the Lannisters?"

A flash of anger crossed Duke Tywin's eyes.

"No one follows a loser; now, the Lannister family is more like a defeated lion. Fortunately, the marriage between Joffrey Baratheon and Margaery can attract House Tyrell to continue maintaining an alliance with the Lannisters."

Jaime said worriedly, "Father, the news coming from King's Landing is more terrifying than the last; many people say that Cersei has become a Wight Queen, Joffrey Baratheon has become the Skeleton King, and an undead necromancer is ruling King's Landing. If the Westerlands have received news from King's Landing, surely Highgarden has heard it too; will they still accept the marriage alliance with the Lannisters?"

Tywin said disdainfully, "Those are just rumors fabricated by Stannis and the Wolf King Eddard together. Stannis has surrounded King's Landing, so he naturally releases all kinds of despicable rumors to demonize Cersei and Joffrey Baratheon, so that Stannis's crown can become legitimate."

Jaime was not convinced, "But the letter sent from Riverrun after Tyrion was captured contains content that matches these rumors very well."

Tywin said, "Tyrion became a captive of the Starks and the Tullys; he is a spineless dwarf, so he naturally let the enemy manipulate him and wrote a letter full of lies to disrupt the morale of the Lannisters; that is all."

"I do not allow you to continue discussing the undead in King's Landing in the future; King's Landing is under the control of the Lannisters, that is the fact, and I do not want to hear any more remarks about the undead, King's Landing, or the Wight Queen."

In fact, Duke Tywin's heart also began to worry that the legend of the undead in King's Landing was true, but he would not admit it with his mouth.

At this time, the Lannisters nominally still held the Iron Throne of King's Landing, and Joffrey Baratheon was the king on the Iron Throne, which made many nobles and knights of the Westerlands believe that Joffrey Baratheon was the legitimate king, and their following of the Lannisters was a just war.

If Tywin publicly admitted that King's Landing had become a city of the undead, Cersei had become the Wight Queen, and Joffrey Baratheon had become the king on the Skull Throne, then the morale of the Westerlands would be even more scattered, and it would become an almost impossible task to repel the aggressive Stark Army; therefore, Duke Tywin refused to admit that King's Landing was a city of the undead and forbade his subordinate nobles from discussing this matter.

Sir Addam Marbrand, his armor stained with blood, arrived at Duke Tywin's side.

"Lord Eddard, Brynden Tully the Blackfish and the little imp Robb sent House Frey to attack from a small path; I used archers to ambush them, shooting and killing Walder Rivers and Ryman Frey. The soldiers of House Frey trampled each other and suffered heavy casualties; Aenys Frey and Black Walder led the soldiers of House Frey and fled back to the camp of the Stark Army."

Jaime was shocked, "The Stark Army is not familiar with the terrain, yet they were able to find a small path to attack?"

Duke Tywin snorted, "The little imp Robb has a direwolf; it is rumored that he, like his father the Wolf King Eddard, is a Warg, not to mention that in the Stark Army outside the Golden Tooth, there are other skinchangers who can rely on birds and beasts to scout."

"Brynden Tully the Blackfish and the little imp Robb chose the unknown Medger Cerwyn as their vanguard; I felt the enemy was feigning an attack on the front and wanted to sneak attack from the small path, so I arranged for Sir Addam Marbrand to strengthen the patrol of the small path early on."

Jaime sighed in admiration, "Father, thanks to your correct prediction, otherwise the fortress of the Golden Tooth might have been sneak-attacked by House Frey. Our army has achieved a resounding victory."

"It was a resounding victory, yet it also fell into the Wolf King's trap," Duke Tywin said gloomily. "Having House Frey launch a sneak attack from the side path was most likely the conspiracy of the Wolf King Eddard. We shot and killed Lord Walder's bastard Walder Rivers and his son Ryman Frey; Lord Walder will record this blood debt against the Lannisters."

"House Frey are relatives of the Lannisters; your Aunt Genna is married to Lord Walder's second son, Emmon Frey. Lord Walder is also a shrewd man, and I had originally hoped to find an opportunity to win his support. Once House Frey at the river crossing leans toward the Lannisters, by relying on the river crossing of The Twins, we could threaten the rear of the Riverlands, or even the Neck."

"Now that the descendants of House Frey have died at the hands of the Lannisters, Lord Walder will surely have no choice but to be wholeheartedly devoted to the Wolf King Eddard. The Lannisters have lost a potential ally and gained a powerful enemy house; all of this is because of the Wolf King Eddard's trickery."

Addam Marbrand said: "Duke Tywin, the Deep Den territory of House Marbrand is currently suffering attacks from the Stark Army. The House Marbrand soldiers under my command are all in a state of panic, worried about the wives and children left in the territory. I hear that the barbarians of the Stark Army's Mountain Legion snatch women and children and wantonly rape the women. They will send the women and children to the Riverlands."

Duke Tywin suppressed his anger. "The dogs we Lannisters sent to the Riverlands at most only kill every commoner, yet the Wolf King's Mountain Legion snatches women and children, viewing women as cows for breeding and children as future boars—it is utterly shameless!"

Addam Marbrand said: "Duke Tywin, I request to lead troops to reinforce House Marbrand's Deep Den."

Duke Tywin shook his head. "Ser Addam, you must remain here."

"Lanny and Kevan will protect Deep Den."

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(End of chapter)