Chapter 214: Bats Ravage Harrenhal, Robb Schemes to Break Casterly Rock

The sun rose from the east, and the sky turned cobalt blue.

The soldiers of Harrenhal began to assemble on the vast parade ground; every soldier wore plate armor and carried a longsword stained with wildfire and an obsidian dagger.

These brave soldiers were going to Harroway's Town to face the undead; this town near the confluence of the Blue Fork, Red Fork, and Green Fork was under threat from an army of the undead.

The northern sky was overcast with thick clouds and gusts of cold wind; there was no doubt that these were caused by the undead.

Catelyn looked at the obsidian daggers at the soldiers' waists; obsidian weapons were fragile, but they could easily kill White Walkers.

Some knights of Harrenhal believed that obsidian weapons had a chance to kill Death Knight Rhaegar.

Lord Rickard Karstark, fully armored and mounted on his warhorse, prepared to lead the expedition in person.

Catelyn stopped Lord Rickard, "You are the commander of Harrenhal appointed by Eddard; it is too dangerous to leave the castle to fight, you should stay behind."

Lord Rickard said, "I am the commander, so I should all the more lead by example and charge at the front."

Some commanders liked to charge into the fray, while others liked to hold the rear; Lord Rickard Karstark clearly belonged to the former, as he charged at the front line every time he went to battle.

Catelyn hoped Lord Rickard would change his mind, "The defense of Harrenhal cannot do without you. The mission to rescue Harroway's Town can be left entirely to other commanders."

Harrenhal possessed two dragons: the dragon Eagle Eye from the Vale and the dragon Magic Dragon Koi from the Riverlands; it was a pity that these two young dragons were too small, currently only the size of calves.

In addition, Harrenhal had seven griffins, which were slightly smaller than the dragons.

The giantess Xixi was the nurse for the griffins, the dragons, and Lord Robin Arryn; these dragons and griffins drank giant's milk and ate beef, mutton, and bones every day, growing very quickly, but they were not yet ready for the battlefield.

With Lord Rickard Karstark holding down Harrenhal, Catelyn felt more at ease. The soldiers and knights from the Riverlands, the Vale, and the North were all afraid of this short-tempered Lord of Karhold.

Under Catelyn's persuasion, Lord Rickard finally agreed to stay at Harrenhal.

The next problem was choosing the commander for this expedition to Harroway's Town.

Lysa Arryn leaned in, "Sir Vardis Egen has followed Jon Arryn for many years and is loyal and brave; he is experienced in battle and can be tasked with commanding this expedition."

Sir Vardis Egen had long served as the Captain of the Guard at the Eyrie and served as the Captain of the Guard for the Hand of the King during Jon Arryn's time as Hand of the King in King's Landing; he had participated in a series of battles during the Usurper's War and was very experienced.

As a Canyon Knight, Sir Vardis Egen believed in the Seven; after the arrival of the undead, Sir Vardis Egen became even more devout, insisting that the cavalry use shields engraved with the Seven-Pointed Star emblem.

"When the Andals first brought the Seven to Westeros, the Vale was the earliest settlement for the Andals; even today, many rocks on the Five Fingers are still engraved with the ancient Seven-Pointed Star emblem."

"When fighting ordinary enemies, the Seven-Pointed Star might be insignificant, but when fighting evil things like the undead, the Seven-Pointed Star will protect us."

Catelyn and Lord Rickard stood on the walls of Harrenhal, watching Sir Vardis Egen and Sir Raymund Darry lead three thousand cavalrymen to march north toward Harroway's Town; the Seven-Pointed Star emblems shone in the sunlight along with the lances, like steel roses blooming in the sun.

Originally, Catelyn wanted to send more reinforcements, but when fighting the undead, the fallen warriors would turn into the undead, so having more people was not necessarily an advantage.

By now the sun had risen high, but there were an unusually large number of bats in the air, and Catelyn could not help but frown.

"Why are there so many bats? Logically speaking, bats should loathe the sunlight."

Lord Rickard twisted his beard, "Harrenhal has always had many bats! The House Lothston that preceded House Whent had the bat as their sigil."

Kanu the skinchanger said from the side, "I don't like these bats; my falcons, eagles, and owls can all smell that these bats are not normal—they are filled with the stench of death, cold, and disease."

Arya stroked "Needle," which was a slender assassin sword.

"Kanu, why don't you use your falcon to hunt down these bats? Falcons are much faster than bats."

Kanu said in a flat tone, "Lady Arya, these bats are very evil; I suspect they were sent by the undead. My falcons, eagles, and owls are all unwilling to go near these bats."

Arya gave a light snort, "It must be that your cultivation level is not high enough; if it were your master, Eagle King McCain, he would certainly be able to control the raptors to hunt down these bats."

The direwolves Lady and Nymeria were also disgusted by the bats in the air, letting out bursts of howls toward them.

The marcher archer Anguy nocked an arrow and drew his yew bow to its full length; with one shot, a bat spun to the ground, spilling a pool of black blood and emitting bursts of foul odor.

Arya clapped and cheered, "Anguy, you are truly amazing. I feel that your archery skills are just as strong as Fellan's."

Anguy smiled, "We Stonesmen are born marksmen."

Lareza from Dorne was not to be outdone; she had dark skin, her mother was from the Summer Islands, and she was one of the bastard daughters of the Red Viper Oberyn, as well as Eddard's foster daughter. She picked up a goldenheart longbow, a specialty of the Summer Islands, aimed at the bats high in the sky, and fired an arrow; the long arrow traced an arc, and a bat shrieked as it fell, struggling on the wall.

Lareza said, "When it comes to archery, we Dornish are still the most skilled."

The Stonesmen and the Dornish were mortal enemies with deep-seated blood feuds, but Lareza and Anguy had become close friends; the two of them were responsible for training the soldiers of Harrenhal in archery. Arya also often followed Lareza and Anguy to learn archery.

Anguy said unconvinced, "Lareza, you use a goldenheart longbow, while I use a yew bow; a goldenheart longbow is much more expensive than a yew bow, and its range is also much further."

Lord Rickard Karstark said calmly, "Our Harrenhal possesses so many crossbowmen and even more master archers like Lareza and Anguy; no matter how many bats come, there is no need to fear."

However, when night fell, thunderous horns echoed throughout Harrenhal.

Kanu the skinchanger was covered in cold sweat, "The bats are here! My owls, falcons, and eagles have all seen them."

Anguy stroked his yew bow, "No matter how many bats come, they will all die!"

Kanu shook his head like a rattle, "These are not the small bats that appeared during the day, but giant bats! Their wingspans are as large as giant eagles!"

The sound of the horns awakened Harrenhal; the soldiers hurriedly put on their armor and grabbed their crossbows, yew bows, and swords, preparing to fight. Lord Rickard Karstark moved through the courtyard, shouting orders.

"Crossbowmen, prepare! Ballistae, prepare! No matter what monsters appear in the night sky, do not panic; aim at them and fire decisively!"

The crossbowmen were distributed across the Terror Tower, Widow's Tower, Kingspyre Tower, Wailing Tower, and Ghost Tower; there was a ballista every fifty meters along the walls. The ballistae fired arrows over two meters long.

The bright moonlight shone on Harrenhal, and when the giant bats appeared in the dark night, they quickly obscured the moonlight.

The ballistae rang out, and a long arrow struck the wing of a giant bat, causing black blood to flow; the soldiers on the walls cheered in unison, but the giant bat crashed onto the wall without dying. It shrieked and collided with a nearby ballista, instantly overturning it, and several soldiers nearby were knocked off the wall by the giant bat.

Sir Mason had his arm bitten off by a giant bat; blood sprayed from the stump, and he shrieked repeatedly as he fell from the walls of Harrenhal.

The walls of Harrenhal fell into chaos; many catapults and ballistae were overturned by the giant bats. The crossbowmen on the walls fired volleys of arrows, and some giant bats were turned into hedgehogs, covered in arrows, but the giant bats seemed not to feel pain and continued to charge madly despite being struck by countless arrows.

The giant bats bit the necks of the Harrenhal soldiers and sucked hard; the soldiers turned into mummies, and after the light in their eyes dimmed, they turned a ghastly blue.

Sir Harry of Raventree Hall had his leg bitten off by a giant bat; he fell from the stairs, landed on the straw, and slid to the ground. The nurse Mary immediately ran over, attempting to check Sir Harry's injuries, but by then, Sir Harry had already turned into a blue-eyed dead man; he used his cold hands to lift the nurse Mary directly off the ground and strangled her to death.

Those bitten to death by giant bats would turn into the undead; this was the worst part. The more soldiers who died at Harrenhal, the more undead there would be.

Outside the gates of Harrenhal, thousands of undead emerged from the darkness; they stared at the gates of Harrenhal, waiting for the bats to open them from the inside.

Lord Rickard in the castle guarded the gate himself, shouting, "Use fire arrows and torches! Give these bat bastards a taste of what we've got!"

The soldiers fought back with torches and fire arrows; fire was the bane of the undead. The giant bats had already reached the courtyard, and at this moment, bats of normal size also appeared.

Catelyn, Sansa, Lady Whent, and Arya were in a room on the second floor of the Kingspyre Tower when a swarm of bats rushed in, attempting to bite them; Sansa was so scared she could only use her hands to drive them away. Lady and Nymeria bit some bats to death, but there were simply too many of them.

Arya used Needle to stab some bats to death; at this moment, Shield Dawson and the Water Dancer Syrio Forel arrived, and the two guards swung their swords to kill a floor full of bats, but more bats swarmed in through the windows.

Catelyn, carrying Sansa and the Lady of House Whent, tried to escape to the first floor, only to find the stairs crawling with bats.

The bats bit holes all over Sansa's dress, revealing her snow-white thighs; Catelyn's arm was bitten, and the Lady of House Whent began to weep.

Catelyn placed her hand over her heart, "Gods! Who can save us? Who can save us helpless, wretched people?"

At that moment, as if the gods had responded, the silver-white Magic Dragon Eagle Eye and the reddish-brown Magic Dragon Koi flew to Catelyn's side.

Every tower in Harrenhal is absurdly large; even the smallest guest room is big enough for a giant to live in. Therefore, the nursery for the Magic Dragons and the Griffin was on the second floor of the Kingspyre Tower, next to the rooms of Catelyn, Sansa, and Arya.

The giant nursemaid Leilei was in the nursery, feeding the Griffin and the Magic Dragons, while Arya, Sansa, and Catelyn took care of the Magic Dragons and the Griffin together.

Hearing the sounds of battle in the hall and smelling the scent of blood, the Magic Dragons Eagle Eye and Koi rushed out of the room. Koi spat out orange flames, and Eagle Eye spat out blue-white flames. The bats were no match for the dragonfire; they were bathed in it one after another, dying with shrill screams.

The giant Leilei rushed out of the room; she picked up a screen, which looked like a fan in her hand, and swatted a group of bats to death.

The Griffin also rushed out of the room. Before the Griffin, the bats were nothing but mice. The Griffin possessed the strength of a lion and the agility of an eagle. It flapped its wings, hunting the bats. Soon, the bats on the second floor of the Kingspyre Tower suffered heavy casualties, and the people secured the second floor.

However, in the courtyard, on the battlements, in the stables, the armory, and even in the kitchen, there were sounds of battle everywhere.

Arya said, "We should let the Magic Dragons and the Griffin go to the courtyard to join the fight! The bats are afraid of dragonfire."

Sansa said worriedly, "Eagle Eye and Koi are still young dragons, and the Griffins are also cubs. When Father left Harrenhal, he explicitly instructed that the young dragons and Griffins were not allowed to participate in the battle."

Arya said excitedly, "If we let the bats run rampant, they will open the city gates, and Harrenhal will fall. When that happens, Eagle Eye, Koi, the Griffins, as well as Lady and Nymeria, we will all die."

Catelyn hesitated. She looked toward Shield Dawson and Syrio Forel, who were loyal guards of House Stark, "You have followed Eddard through many battles; what is your opinion?"

Shield Dawson's shield was stained with the blood of bats, "My Lady, if the Magic Dragons and the Griffin do not join the battle, it will be difficult for us to hold Harrenhal."

The Water Dancer Syrio Forel said, "Harrenhal needs every bit of strength tonight."

The giant Xixi waved her fists, "My children, the Magic Dragons and the Griffin are all ready for battle."

Catelyn considered for a moment, "Let the dark bats of the undead taste the fury of the Magic Dragons and the Griffin!"

Originally, the Harrenhal garrison was retreating steadily; the major towers, the city walls, and the inner sides of the city gates were struggling to hold on.

When the Magic Dragons Koi and Eagle Eye, along with the seven Griffins, appeared in the sky above Harrenhal, the dragonfire ignited a giant bat in the air, and the Magic Dragons let out a roar.

The morale of the garrison was greatly boosted. Lord Rickard used a flame sword to hack a giant bat to death and roared, "The Magic Dragons and the Griffins are gifts bestowed upon us by the Old Gods. Under the watch of the Old Gods, Lord Eddard hatched these divine beasts in Harrenhal. They are the guardian deities of Harrenhal!"

"Long live Stark! Long live the Wolf King Eddard!"

"Long live the Wolf King Eddard!"

Anguy nocked an arrow and drew his bow, hitting a giant bat in the head with one shot. The giant bat slammed hard into the ground, and just as it tried to get up, the black and white bears tore it into pieces together.

The giant Dodo leaped high and grabbed a giant bat with both hands. The giant bat bit the giant's face, and the giant let out a roar that made spines tremble, tearing the giant bat apart with his bare hands.

Lareza's arrows never missed; she hit a giant bat, and the giant bat plummeted into the Godswood, where the Direwolf and the Terrorbird killed the giant bat together.

In the smithy, Gendry, wearing a horned helmet, used a hammer heated red in the furnace to strike a wight soldier. The wight let out a scream and fell down.

Under the sweep of torches and flame swords, the bats in the Terror Tower, Wailing Tower, Widow's Tower, and Ghost Tower of Harrenhal were cleared out one after another. Those garrison members who had unfortunately turned into the undead were also killed by fire and dragonfire.

Subsequently, the Harrenhal crossbowmen used fire arrows to repel the undead army beneath the city gates, leaving behind a field of bleached bones.

Finally, after paying a heavy price, the Harrenhal garrison finally won the defensive battle.

The commander of Harrenhal, Rickard Karstark, was slightly injured, but he endured the pain and immediately dispatched craftsmen to repair the catapults, ballistae, and arrow towers on the city walls overnight.

After dawn, Catelyn stood on the battlements, watching the soldiers pile the corpses of the giant bats into the bear pit to be burned. The thick smoke looked like long, slender fingers stroking the sky.

Catelyn looked toward the North, where there was also thick smoke; there was no doubt that the town of Lord Harroway was fighting the undead.

A few days later, news arrived that Sir Vardis Egen's three thousand cavalry warriors had used the "Hammer and Anvil" tactic beneath the walls of the town of Lord Harroway to repel Prince Rhaegar Targaryen's undead army. Prince Rhaegar Targaryen fled into the night along the Kingsroad, retreating toward the south.

Lord Rickard let out a long sigh of relief, "As long as we hold Harrenhal, we can effectively protect the Trident river basin. The undead cannot leave a mighty fortress like Harrenhal behind them."

Catelyn said, "I hope Eddard returns to Harrenhal soon; we need the Magic Dragon Flying Wolf."

Lord Rickard twisted his beard, "We have our own Magic Dragons, my Lady. Eagle Eye and Koi have already proven themselves."

In the Westerlands, Lord Tywin rowed with the sailors and finally reached Ketch on the dilapidated fishing boat, the "Cat".

Lord Tywin had never ridden such a dilapidated vessel; even by the standards of a fishing boat, the "Cat" was too broken. The canvas was covered in patches, and the cat wood carving on the prow was riddled with holes from insects.

However, upon arriving at the fishing village on Fair Isle, the "Cat" was the fastest fishing boat in the village.

Because the Seagard fleet and the North Coast Fleet frequently harassed Fair Isle, Lord Farman of Fair Isle mobilized the Fair Isle fleet to protect the waters near Faircastle. The area around Faircastle became a war zone, and Lord Tywin's dilapidated fleet, having set sail from Castamere, would not survive an encounter with any enemy warship.

Lord Tywin had no choice but to order the fishing boat fleet to steer far clear of the waters near Faircastle and chose to land at a small fishing village southwest of Fair Isle. By this time, one of Lord Tywin's dilapidated fishing boats had been sunk by the North Coast Fleet, and another had been scattered by a storm. Fortunately, the dilapidated fleet finally reached the fishing village on Fair Isle.

The local fishermen presented the "Cat" fishing boat to Lord Tywin. They claimed that in its youth, this boat had participated in many smuggling operations, with tracks reaching as far as Oldtown, the Arbor, King's Landing, and even White Harbor. Even the famous smuggler, the Onion Knight, had once used it.

Tywin did not doubt that this smuggling ship had also participated in smuggling activities in Lannisport; after all, Fair Isle was adjacent to Lannisport, but the fishermen just dared not admit it.

Tywin never showed mercy to smugglers and would hang executed smugglers in the port of Lannisport to feed the crows.

However, for this fantastic voyage from Castamere to Ketch, Tywin was willing to trade knights of the Westerlands for an excellent smuggler like the Onion Knight, because all the way, Lord Tywin had been dodging the North Coast Fleet commanded by the Iron Bitch. If he had a sailing expert like the Onion Knight, Lord Tywin could have reached Ketch much sooner.

The Iron Bitch was an Ironborn pirate by origin. A dignified Lord of the Westerlands had actually been reduced to dodging pirates at sea; Tywin was so angry his lungs were about to explode.

When approaching Ketch, because the food they ate was not clean, several oarsmen began to suffer from diarrhea. Tywin had to row with the oarsmen, along with Kevan and Jaime, and only then did he arrive at Ketch, gray-faced and covered in foul sweat.

Stepping off the "Cat", Tywin's face was livid. Tywin began to suspect that the gods letting him return to the Westerlands continent on the "Cat" was a cruel joke. He set out as a Lion of the Westerlands, but returned as a cat.

Ketch was the second-largest town in the Westerlands, second only to Lannisport. It had not yet been attacked by enemies from land, but the Iron Bitch had brought the North Coast Fleet and plundered many nearby fishing villages. The port here had also been looted, and the fish market, docks, and shops had been burned.

Seeing this scene, Tywin was burning with rage. The Kenning family of Ketch descended from Qhorin Kenning of Harlaw, possessing pure Ironborn blood.

In those days, the High King of the Iron Islands and the King of the Rock fought for the coastal areas of the Westerlands. At that time, Ketch fell into the hands of the Ironborn and was an important stronghold for the Ironborn to plunder the Westerlands.

The founder of the Kenning family of Ketch was the Ironborn warrior Qhorin Kenning. Qhorin Kenning chose to fight for Casterly Rock. He blew the Qhorin's Horn, the prostitutes opened the side gates, and Qhorin Kenning led the soldiers of the Westerlands to capture Ketch from the Ironborn. The King of the Rock rewarded Ketch to Qhorin Kenning to defend against the Ironborn from the sea.

Now, the Kenning family could not even deal with an Iron Bitch. Tywin felt from the bottom of his heart that the Kenning family was truly a bunch of trash.

Lord Terrence Kenning came personally to welcome Lord Tywin's party. He looked at the gray-faced, shabbily dressed Lord Tywin and was astonished.

"Lord Tywin, many people are saying that you died in battle at Castamere."

"That is a rumor maliciously spread by the enemy. Rumors collapse on their own; I am still alive." Lord Tywin clenched his fists, "Tell me the recent war situation."

Lord Terrence Kenning said, "The Iron Bitch led the North Coast Fleet to attack Lannisport. Lady Genna Lannister personally climbed the city walls to boost morale and repelled the Iron Bitch."

"The Leyton family of Deep Den, the Sarwyck family of Silver Hall, and the Brax family of Hornvale have all surrendered."

"Lord Sarsfield has also surrendered. The Blackfish Brynden Tully and Robb's army are marching toward Casterly Rock along the River Road. The army commanded by Barristan is marching toward Ketch from the seaside. The Red Viper Oberyn and Bronze Yohn have appeared on the Golden Road and are also marching toward Casterly Rock."

Jaime said angrily, "So many traitors in the Westerlands? When our army recovers the Westerlands, the fate of these traitors will be as miserable as House Reyne of Castamere and House Tarbeck of Tarbeck Hall!"

Lord Terrence Kenning was clearly very unhappy, and he complained to Duke Tywin about Jaime.

"Jaime, where have your manners gone? The nobles of the Westerlands only surrendered due to the situation; as long as our army defeats the enemy, these nobles will still return to the embrace of the lion."

Lord Terrence Kenning said, "Duke Tywin, during this time, not all the news reaching the Westerlands has been bad. Queen Regent Cersei of King's Landing has dispatched an army of the undead, captured the Stormlands, and large swathes of the Crownlands; the flames of war have already burned to the Riverlands, and the undead army is at the gates of Harrenhal."

Duke Tywin was invigorated, "Is the news reliable?"

Lord Terrence Kenning nodded, "Members of the Church exiled in the Crownlands and Riverlands wrote letters denouncing the crimes of Queen Regent Cersei and His Majesty Joffrey, stating clearly that they are marching toward Storm's End and Harrenhal. The commanders of the two undead armies are the Death Storm and Rhaegar Targaryen, respectively."

For a moment, Duke Tywin almost smiled.

"With the Riverlands under attack, the Wolf King Eddard must withdraw his troops from the Westerlands to reinforce Harrenhal, and we can defeat the enemies in the Westerlands one by one."

Jaime frowned, "But the Stark Army is still marching toward Casterly Rock, with no signs of retreating."

Tywin said, "Once the undead capture Harrenhal, they can directly threaten the Trident basin and even the Vale; as long as we hold Casterly Rock, Eddard will have no choice but to withdraw from the Westerlands."

"Autumn has now arrived, and winter is not far off. When winter comes, the undead from Beyond the Wall may also invade the North; then, it will be the time for the lion of the Westerlands to take revenge. I will defeat the eagles of the Vale of Arryn, the trout of the Tully Riverlands, and the direwolf one by one!"

Lord Kenning said excitedly, "Duke Tywin is beginning his journey of revenge! Long live the lion! What do you intend to do?"

Duke Tywin stared at Lord Kenning, "The first step of revenge is to conscript troops to protect Casterly Rock. I want you to gather four thousand soldiers for me and come with me to Casterly Rock."

Lord Kenning said gloomily, "Duke Tywin, Kayce is also facing attacks from the enemy. The army of Ser Barristan could be at the gates at any time, and there is also the Iron Bitch raiding on the sea from time to time. I need soldiers to protect my lands."

Duke Tywin said, "Their ultimate goal will be Casterly Rock and Lannisport. Rest assured, it is impossible for the enemy to attack Kayce."

After some bargaining, Lord Kenning drew three thousand soldiers for Duke Tywin, and House Prester of Feastfires sent out two thousand soldiers.

Adding the military horses brought by nearby Knighted Landed Knights, Duke Tywin gathered over six thousand soldiers and set off for Casterly Rock.

The Wolf King Eddard arrived at Riverrun with the Giant Eagles and the Magic Dragon.

The soldiers on the ramparts of Riverrun let out cheers that sounded like a mountain of calls and a sea of roars.

Giant Eagle Prince Michu continued to lead the Giant Eagle Legion, along with the King of Lightning and the Red Priest Thoros of Myr, rushing toward Harrenhal.

Eddard stayed at Riverrun, where he met Renly Baratheon.

Renly was all smiles, "Wolf Prince, are you satisfied with my Knight of Flowers and Brienne?"

Eddard hugged Renly, "They performed bravely on the battlefield. As for you, Your Majesty Renly, your joining my army has greatly boosted our morale."

Renly presented the Rose and Stag Crown; the magnificent crown was made of gold, sapphire, red garnet, cat's eye, and other expensive gems and metals.

"It is a joke for me to wear the crown. I now present the crown to the Wolf Prince; I am only willing to be a servant of the Wolf Prince and contribute my meager efforts."

After failing to claim the kingship, Renly had changed a lot.

Renly said, "Wolf Prince, the Imp is still imprisoned in the dungeon with his squire. If possible, I hope you will spare his life. Although he is a Lannister, he is a man of good character."

In the dungeon, Eddard met Tyrion and his squire Podrick Payne.

Tyrion's food was quite good, he could see books every day, and the dungeon was clean and tidy.

Eddard said, "Tyrion, our army has already captured many castles in the Westerlands. Soon, Lannisport and Casterly Rock will also fall. Are you willing to surrender?"

Tyrion stared with those mismatched eyes.

"My old man was cruel to me, and my old sister Cersei treats me like an enemy, but my uncles were good to me—whether it was the late Uncle Tygett, Uncle Gillian who went missing at sea while searching for the family sword, or Uncle Kevan."

"And my old brother Jaime; my old brother Jaime treated me the best. He has loved and protected me since I was a child. Even if only for Jaime's sake, I could never betray the Lannisters."

Eddard suppressed a smile, "The Kingslayer once deceived you back then, and you are still being kept in the dark."

Tyrion smirked, "Wolf Prince, if you are playing the game of sowing discord, I won't fall for it."

Eddard said calmly, "Do you still remember Tysha? Your wife Tysha."

The smile on Tyrion's face vanished, and he said nervously, "Of course I remember. How do you know about Tysha? It must be some surrendered Westerlands noble who told you my scandals. Tysha was a prostitute; I thought she was a farm girl. I married Tysha when I was thirteen."

"It was brother Jaime and my father Tywin who made me see my wife for what she was—it turned out she was a prostitute. Later, my father handed Tysha over to a company of soldiers to enjoy, and each soldier paid one copper coin."

"I was the last one to go, and I paid a silver coin, because my old man said that a Lannister's worth is different."

Eddard said, "Tysha was never a prostitute; she was just a farm girl. It was just that Jaime colluded with Tywin to deceive you, making you believe Tysha was a prostitute."

Tyrion stood frozen on the spot, various past events flashing back in his mind. Tyrion recalled the various details of that year and suddenly realized that what Eddard said was the truth; Tyrion completely collapsed.

"Why did Jaime lie to me?"

Eddard said, "When you have the chance, you can ask Ser Jaime yourself."

Tyrion was filled with guilt, "Where did Tysha go? I actually, actually joined those beasts back then to ravage and humiliate her."

Eddard said, "I believe Tysha is still alive, living somewhere. Now, the undead army is attacking Harrenhal and Storm's End. If the undead are allowed to run rampant, everyone, including Tysha, will die, and your old sister Cersei is the mastermind behind the creation of the undead."

"Tyrion, work for me! If you work for me, I will never make you an enemy of the Lannisters; you only need to help me deal with the undead. In return, I will help you find Tysha. I am a skinchanger, and finding people is my specialty."

Tyrion sighed, "Brother Jaime has exhausted the last bit of my affection for the Lannisters, and I do not wish to continue rotting in this dungeon. I yearn to find Tysha and atone for my sins."

"Wolf Prince, I am willing to serve you."

Podrick Payne also knelt down, and Eddard helped Tyrion up.

"Now, come with me to Harrenhal."

At the Three Sisters, Euron Greyjoy's Silence was anchored in the port of Sisterton.

A sudden storm destroyed the longship fleet of the Three Sisters. When Euron Greyjoy slaughtered his way into the port of the Sistermen with his pirate ships, the Sistermen tried to resist with all their might, but unfortunately, the Sistermen left corpses everywhere before this band of mad pirates.

Lord Sunderland led the charge himself but was wounded by an arrow and had to flee under the protection of his personal guards, completely abandoning Sisterton. The pirates completely controlled the entire town.

Previously, the Wolf King Eddard had written to warn the lords of the Three Sisters to be careful of pirate raids. Since the Three Sisters were themselves a pirate den, all the lords of the Three Sisters, including Lord Sunderland, treated the Wolf King's warning as a joke.

Unexpectedly, this day finally arrived.

Euron Greyjoy watched as the pirates put women and children in shackles and forced them onto slave ships.

Euron was the second brother of King Balon and the second uncle of Theon. Several years ago, because he had an affair with the salt wife of his third brother Victarion, King Balon exiled him.

Euron was handsome, with black hair and black eyes, fair skin, his left eye covered by an eyepatch, and his right eye a smiling blue eye.

Over these years, Euron had taken the Silence to raid the Free Cities and the cities of Slaver's Bay, even completing an expedition to the Valyrian Ruins and the Smoking Sea, and even visiting Asshai.

Now, Euron had returned to Westeros, laden with sorcerers from the East and evil power.

The captain of *The Squealer*, Davison, a pot-bellied Ibbenese, said: "Crow's Eye, the Sistermen are vulnerable. If you are willing, we can completely conquer the Three Sisters, then raid White Harbor, sail up the White Knife, and even threaten Winterfell. Winterfell holds the countless riches the Wolf King has accumulated."

The sorcerers presented an ancient horn.

Euron smirked: "I have already obtained what I wanted. I am going to find three beautiful maidens to warm my bed tonight. As for the next step, we shall discuss it tomorrow. I hate following plans."

Casterly Rock. Duke Tywin finally arrived at Casterly Rock with his main army, beating Robb and Brynden Tully to it.

Previously, the Acting Castellan of Casterly Rock, Stafford Lannister, had dispatched soldiers to intercept Robb and Brynden Tully. The Lannister army suffered heavy losses, but it also bought precious time for Tywin, Jaime, Kevan, and others to escape back to Casterly Rock.

Casterly Rock is the largest, wealthiest, and most well-defended castle in Westeros. Possessing numerous bunkers, watchtowers, and towers, Casterly Rock is, in essence, a giant rock.

The height of the giant rock is three times that of The Wall or the Hightower of Oldtown. Inside, it contains halls, barracks, armories, smithies, granaries, stables, and even a harbor, docks, and shipyards in the sea-level caves.

Historically, Casterly Rock has never been breached or forced to surrender.

It is said that back then, Queen Wisangniya rode her magic dragon Vhagar to tour the Westerlands. Upon seeing Casterly Rock for the first time, Queen Wisangniya could not help but sigh, thankful that the last King of the Rock chose to kneel and submit after the Field of Fire. Once the Lannisters chose to turtle inside Casterly Rock and defend, even dragonfire would be helpless against this giant rock fortress.

Duke Tywin passed through the Golden Gallery, walked through the Hall of Heroes—which displayed the magnificent armor of past Kings of the Rock and Lords of Lannister—and returned to the Golden Hall.

The throne in the Golden Hall backed onto a ten-meter-tall golden lion statue, looking majestic and shimmering in the torchlight.

Tywin sat upon the throne.

"Casterly Rock has never fallen. I must teach that brat Robb and Brynden Tully a lesson. The Westerlands desperately need a victory to boost morale."

Sir Kevan said: "Brother, do not forget, the Wolf King Eddard has a magic dragon."

Tywin gave a light snort: "A dragon that has not yet grown up. Besides, I analyze that the magic dragon and the wolf have followed the Wolf King Eddard to the Riverlands to fight the undead."

Jaime said: "Father, Lannisport and Casterly Rock are the heart of the Lannisters. Once on our own turf, we must teach the enemy a lesson. I request to lead the cavalry out. I will certainly be able to crush the brat Robb and Brynden Tully's army!"

Tywin said indifferently: "In a normal cavalry engagement, I do not doubt you could defeat the enemy. However, the enemy has skinchangers, and even the Golden Lady of the Westerlands has turned to the enemy. Sending cavalry to charge like this would merely be a waste of troops."

"My Westerlands army will hold Casterly Rock. When the undead ravage the Riverlands and the Wolf King is forced to pull troops from the Westerlands to rescue the Riverlands, my Westerlands army can then sound the horn of counterattack."

Jaime was unconvinced: "The brat Robb and Brynden Tully's army far outnumbers us. Once Barristan's army, the Red Viper, and Bronze Yohn's army assemble at Casterly Rock, I conservatively estimate the enemy's numbers will exceed forty thousand."

"They are entirely capable of marching on Lannisport. The defenses of Lannisport cannot compare to Casterly Rock. Furthermore, there are giants and giant eagles in the enemy camp. If the enemy attacks Lannisport directly, are we to just turtle in Casterly Rock?"

A flicker of excitement flashed in Tywin's golden eyes.

"You are right. As long as Brynden and the brat Robb have a shred of brains, they will certainly attack Lannisport. I have decided to sue for peace with the Wolf King's army."

Jaime was somewhat confused: "Father, you said that ever since the High Septon declared the Lannisters had desecrated the Seven and harmed the followers of the Seven, it was impossible for the Starks to agree to peace talks with us."

Tywin said: "In the past, it was indeed impossible for the Starks to agree to peace talks, but now, the situation has changed. The undead are ravaging the Stormlands and the Riverlands. The Starks know the threat of the undead far exceeds ours, and the North may also be attacked by the undead. They will be willing to negotiate; at the very least, for the sake of that precious honor, they will be willing to consider our peace proposal."

"Once peace negotiations begin, the other side will give us a chance for a ceasefire. We will stall for time, and once the undead have expanded their gains in the Riverlands, the enemy will still have to withdraw troops from the Westerlands. Once they withdraw, we will begin to recover our lost territory and seize the opportunity to spread the flames of war to the Riverlands."

Jaime was somewhat reluctant.

"Relying on the undead to win a war? I would rather fight with real steel. Father, the undead are the bitter fruit brewed by Cersei; they are a disaster for all mankind. We cannot sink so low as to view the undead as allies."

Tywin said disdainfully: "If you truly think that, you are a truly naive fool! The undead are the Wolf King Eddard's conspiracy. Do not forget, that undead sorcerer Ogbeta is a Wildling. It must have been Eddard who sent the undead sorcerer to King's Landing to seduce Cersei into corruption."

"It is just that the undead sorcerer later escaped the Wolf King Eddard's control, and the Wolf King Eddard's Riverlands suffered an invasion by the undead. In a sense, this is nothing more than playing with fire and getting burned."

Tywin turned to Kevan: "Send the letter immediately. I want to use peace talks to buy us time."

The Wolf King's army was camped at Oxford, only three days' distance from Lannisport. Brynden Tully and Robb looked at the letter sent by Duke Tywin's envoy.

Brynden Tully gave a light snort: "Our army is at their gates, and Duke Tywin is actually requesting peace talks."

Robb said gloomily: "The Lannisters have a point; the undead are indeed a common threat to humanity. I am worried about Harrenhal. My mother, Arya, and Sansa are all at Harrenhal, and it is being attacked by the Death Knight Rhaegar."

"Others may have forgotten the threat of winter and the undead, but the North never forgets, and the Starks always remember: Winter is Coming."

"Perhaps we should accept the Lannisters' request for negotiations? In any case, most of the Westerlands territory has already been occupied by the Wolf King's army."

Roose Bolton said in a soft, whispering voice: "Young Wolf, thinking this way is truly too noble. Viewing the problem of the undead from the perspective of humanity is exactly what Duke Tywin is exploiting. Every day, Tywin uses such schemes and tricks to devour good people like you."

"Where did the undead come from? They are the handiwork of Queen Regent Cersei and King Joffrey in King's Landing. The undead attacking Harrenhal and the Riverlands is precisely to force our army to withdraw from the Westerlands."

"Once our army agrees to a ceasefire with the Lannisters of the Westerlands, the Lannisters in King's Landing will continuously create undead to attack our lands. Once our army begins to withdraw, within half a year, Duke Tywin will be able to retake the Westerlands. At that time, Tywin will join forces with the undead army from King's Landing to pincer the Riverlands."

Robb frowned: "So this is another Lannister conspiracy."

Brynden Tully said: "Our army stopping to negotiate would give the Lannisters a chance to catch their breath. When the Wolf King was in the Westerlands, he once told me that under no circumstances would he stop fighting the Lannisters. Therefore, no matter what conspiracy Tywin is brewing, our army will not stop its advance."

Robb said: "But the problem is that the defenses of Casterly Rock are truly too formidable. Everywhere there are arrow towers and catapults, and there is a ring-fort at the top of the giant rock. Furthermore, there is a harbor in the sea-level caves. This giant rock is three times the size of The Wall. Our army will break its head against Casterly Rock."

Roose Bolton revealed a sinister smile.

"Young Wolf, I suggest we summon the surrendered Westerlands nobles and have their armies charge as a suicide squad. The more of them who die at the hands of the Lannisters, the more loyal they will be to the Starks."

The next day, the attack officially began. An army of several thousand, composed of House Banefort, House Brax, House Sarwyck, House Plumm, House Leyton, House Lefford, and others, launched an attack on Casterly Rock.

Giant stones and long arrows rained down from Casterly Rock. These Westerlands noble armies that had surrendered to the Wolf King suffered heavy casualties and had to retreat.

Duke Tywin stood on a watchtower observing the battle. Seeing that peace talks were hopeless and that the Starks were still sending Westerlanders as the vanguard, he could not help but curse.

"The Starks are all hypocrites; they are truly shameless."

After the attack was thwarted, Robb began to change his strategy.

"Pass the order down: bypass Casterly Rock and attack Lannisport directly. The walls of Lannisport are at least easier to deal with than Casterly Rock."

The twenty-thousand-strong army marched toward Lannisport. Duke Tywin saw the enemy's movements from the balcony of Casterly Rock and was deeply depressed.

"The enemy is indeed going to attack Lannisport. If our army sits trapped in the city and remains idle, Lannisport will inevitably fall."

"Jaime, take five thousand cavalry to raid them. Focus on attacking the enemy's flanks so they cannot lay siege to the city."

Kevan said: "Five thousand against twenty thousand has no chance of winning. It would be better to keep the troops in Casterly Rock to hold the line."

Duke Tywin said: "If we let the enemy capture Lannisport, the enemy can completely blockade Casterly Rock and then break the remaining Westerlands castles one by one. Afterward, Casterly Rock might suffer the same fate as Castamere."

That night, Jaime led five thousand cavalry toward Lannisport. The enemy's movements were quickly captured by the Eagle King McCain's owls.

Robb and Brynden dispatched multiple cavalry units: Fellan's first unit of Barrowlands cavalry, Domeric's second unit of Dreadfort cavalry, Theon's third unit of Winterfell cavalry, Lyn Corbray's fourth unit of Canyon Knights, the Red Viper Oberyn's fifth unit of the Viper Group, the sixth unit of Greatjon Umber, and Sir Wendel's seventh unit of White Harbor Knights.

The seven cavalry units circled and flanked them. The enemy also had mammoths, giants, bears, and terrorbirds assisting. Soon, Jaime's Westerlands cavalry was exhausted and the formation collapsed. Jaime led his cavalry to fight a bloody path out and escaped back to Casterly Rock.

Duke Tywin was deeply depressed and could only watch helplessly as the enemy attacked Lannisport. Subsequently, news arrived that Sir Barristan had led the Wolf King's army to capture Ketch and Feastfires. Duke Tywin's mood hit rock bottom.

The Wolf King's army had made no progress in the attack on Casterly Rock. Robb suddenly had an idea. He ordered the soldiers to find several fishing boats and load them with jars of wildfire, firewood, and leather clothing. The Golden Lady also sprinkled a handful of gold powder inside the fishing boats.

That night, taking advantage of the night wind, the burning fishing boats, filled with the long wind, crashed into the harbor in the caves of Casterly Rock. All the Lannister ships in the harbor caught fire.

The soldiers at the port tried to extinguish the fire, but the Wildfire had already formed an emerald demon, releasing billowing thick smoke, and many soldiers were choked to death directly by the thick smoke.

The main body of Casterly Rock is a giant rock; the fire engulfed the port and could not spread, but the thick smoke followed the tunnels and corridors, beginning to diffuse upward, rapidly filling the halls, bedrooms, stables, armories, Smith shops, kitchens, the Golden Hall, and more, causing many soldiers to suffocate to death.

Jaime protected Tywin and Kevan, hiding on a platform on the second floor; by the moonlight, he finally discovered that thick smoke was pouring out of every window, every balcony, and every exit of Casterly Rock, and people were fleeing to the watchtowers, Arrow Towers, and balconies to take refuge, but some long-dilapidated balconies were crushed directly, and many soldiers fell while screaming.

Giant eagles appeared in the sky; when Eddard left the Westerlands, he took most of the giant eagles with him, but he still left ten for Robb and the Blackfish.

The people fleeing the thick smoke were crowded on the Arrow Towers, watchtowers, and beside the Catapults, with almost no power to fight back; under the attacks of the giant eagles, many soldiers screamed as they fell from high altitudes, turning into a pool of red mud hundreds of feet below.

Due to the thick smoke, the Lion Gate of Casterly Rock completely lost its defense; Giant King Mag, riding a Mammoth, arrived before the gate and smashed it open with a warhammer, and the thick smoke inside rushed out, causing the giants to dodge away.

Subsequently, the Lion Gate was set ablaze, and the thick smoke continued to pour into Casterly Rock.

Countless Westerlands soldiers died in the thick smoke just like that; Duke Tywin understood that Casterly Rock had completely fallen, so he gloomily went to a seaside cave, which was the place where the Lannister family took refuge, and boarded a Longship hidden in the cave with Kevan, Jaime, and a group of Lannister personal guards.

Fleeing toward the sea.

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(End of this chapter)