Chapter 205

Mei Yi rode her warhorse and quickly fled the surging giant dragon whirlwind.

When she looked back again, the tornado began to show its power: huge trees, branches, splintered planks, and even a cow went madly swirling in its might, inspiring awe.

It is hard to imagine that such weather could appear in the deep winter of the inland North.

The dragon whirlwind followed the valley wall, flinging the debris it carried onto the road along the cliff, then swiftly departed in the opposite direction following the cliff's curvature.

Were it not for the yellowish dust and the smell of rotting decay, she would almost think the whirlwind had never appeared before her.

Magic? She certainly felt something abnormal, but she didn't believe anyone could alter the weather so precisely through magic; moreover, she had already sensed the pressure dropping and seen the whirlwind, only then did her unease truly ease.

As for the magical aura within it, she would have a chance to learn about it slowly.

On the return journey, she saw the cavalry escort following her.

"Your Highness?" she heard the soldiers ask.

"I'm fine," this seemed not what they were concerned about, "Lady Dustin got lucky and let her escape!"

She had no time to explain further, leading them back to the battlefield at speed.

After cutting down several scattered cavalry along the way, she again took her position on one side of the battlefield.

Dustin's cavalry lingered, unwilling to abandon the infantry, playing a horse-archery game with the Streamland cavalry on the distant open wasteland, sometimes charging at the White Harbor riders, sometimes returning to loose a few arrows at the Streamland horsemen.

Sir Malong led the large cavalry but failed to separate the left and right infantry; instead, part of them coalesced into a larger formation, while the remaining remnants gathered themselves into a smaller square.

The White Harbor cavalry circled the large square, momentarily unable to find a breach to exploit.

On the chaotic battlefield, numerous soldiers lay fallen and warhorses neighed in distress.

"Where are the archers?"

"They were routed and killed by Man De Le; most of Man De Le's cavalry losses were at the hands of the archers," Kai Nan replied.

Mei Yi tallied the troops; behind her remained sixty or seventy cavalry, some of whom came from the South.

Sir Bolong led the remaining cavalry around the smaller square, occasionally probing for a charge, but the bristling spears thwarted him. Sometimes the infantry square would step forward, squeezing the cavalry's space, acting most aggressively and arrogantly.

Mei Yi led her remaining cavalry at a quick march to the enemy's great square, which numbered seven hundred men, with infantry stacked three deep inside and out; the outer rank were heavy infantry with shield and sword, the second and third ranks leveled their spears, and at the sound of orders they moved in orderly unison, as one body.

Just as Mei Yi halted her horse, the enemy's harassing cavalry swept over from the other side, swiftly leading their horsemen toward her.

"Watch out, Your Highness!" her nearby guard cavalry shouted in panic.

A few lone feathered arrows drifted down beside her like floating fluff, then a few more came from another direction.

"This bunch of fools wants to kill me but dare not come close." A scattered force of about a hundred, after the Streamland cavalry ceased pursuit, also halted, standing far off on a hill, men and horses panting, exhaling steam in the deep winter like mist rising from a grave mound.

"Sir Luo Fu, who is the leader of this detachment, and can we induce them to surrender?"

The cavalry held aloft a blue-field snowman banner and a gray-field red fox banner; she had certainly seen them before, but never cared which minor clan they belonged to, assuming she would never need to bother with such trifles.

"The leader is Brandon Florel," she realized, instantly recalling that name; Sir Luo Fu seemed oblivious, continuing, "The family's crest is the same as that of the Florens of Riverbay—both foxes—this family imitates the fox, every member a fox, shifting loyalties, hard to trust; I think persuading them to surrender will be difficult."

The Florels are an extremely remote branch of the Florens in the North; whatever era the Florens can trace back to, the Florels can trace back to as well.

"Is he the head of the Florel family?"

"He? Impossible, he's a suitor of Lady Dustin, the uncle of the Viscount Florel. Oh, right, the Florel family's stronghold is at Red Fox Hall, near Wolf Howl Town."

Such vital information she actually didn't know.

Lady Dustin is an important opponent of hers, and her "suitors" are very basic intelligence, however……

"There's another banner inside," she quickly gave up, pointing to the blue snowman banner, "Which family does that belong to?"

"It should be Feilinte of Snow Valley City," Sir Luo Fu mused, "I'm not too familiar with them."

"If we want to whittle down the infantry slowly, we need to drive away these pesky bugs."

Mei Yi instantly entered the hairy dog's body.

Everywhere reeked of stench and blood; on the breeze, aided by the hairy dog's nose, there was also a faint seaweed scent; the sounds were complex, layered, all kinds of men and mounts, light or heavy……

She lifted her eyes, and in an instant located the target amidst the chaotic battlefield.

A black silhouette moved like a whirlwind, each step brimming with power.

The rider did not notice it, but the warhorse had already sensed it.

The enemy's warhorses neighed loudly on the hill, the cavalrymen at a loss, lowering their hands and continually soothing them.

The black shadow leapt up; before the cavalry could determine the direction of danger, the hairy dog instantly bit through the neck of the sword still unsheathed, spraying blood and toppling corpses, instantly throwing the riders into chaos as they fled in disarray.

"Ooo… ooo…" Sir Kong Qi blew the war horn.

This was the moment Mei Yi had been waiting for; she quickly abandoned the hairy dog, spurred her mount, and the surrounding guard cavalry accelerated, reaching the enemy-held hill in just a few breaths.

Under the hairy dog's support beside them, the warhorses were no longer under the riders' control, each neighing and rearing; as Mei Yi led her guard cavalry in a charge past, they remained in place, and only a few dozen enemy riders remained mounted.

At that moment the hairy dog leapt again, pulling an attendant beside Brandon Florel from his horse, and the fox banner fell from the mount.

"Dismount immediately! Die resisting or acting rashly!" As Mei Yi prepared to charge again, Sir Luo Fu bellowed to the troops; Mei Yi forcibly suppressed her urge to act, then looked toward the bewildered, frightened enemy on the hill.

"Dismount!" the soldiers behind shouted.

Brandon Florel's face was bloody, both hands gripping the reins tightly, controlling his agitated warhorse, his eyes fixed on Mei Yi—his men stared fixedly at him.

"Dismount!" he shouted in despair.

Half the cavalry obeyed his order and dismounted; the other half brandished their swords, unsure what to do.

Sir Cuebek immediately led a small cavalry detachment to seal the final gap.

Thus the remaining half also dismounted at the command of another officer.

At that moment Sir Cuebek ordered his men to lead away the warhorses of the Gravemound cavalry.

"What is your name?" she asked another officer beside Brandon Florel.

"Edelik Feilinte," he threw his bloodied longsword at Mei Yi's feet, still maintaining a proud bearing.

"You lost."

Most of the White Harbor cavalry still circled the square, restricting the infantry's movements. Mei Yi felt urgent, yet this situation required an attempt that could not be skipped.

"Lost to a beast," he said, giving the hairy dog a cold stare; the hairy dog bared its wolf fangs at him, teeth and muzzle slick with blood.

You take pride in this?

He still refused to speak, and his face turned bright red.

Lady Dustin fled in disgrace—tell me, why won't you leave?

We aren't good at fleeing.

Excellent, that's what a northern man should be! Mei Yi gave a faint smile, pointing at the infantry formation, and said, "Tell me, who is that officer under the Pryde family banner?"

"Erion Pryde." Brandon Loferel answered.

Could he possibly surrender to me?

"You can try," Adelick Filte glared at Mei Yi with a vicious grin, "Strip naked and try."

Kong Qikong Dund strode forward, one hand grabbing his collar, the other clenching a fist and hammering his stomach; he collapsed instantly, hands bracing on the icy ground, mouth open in a silent groan.

"As long as he still has troops, he won't." Brandon Loferel answered coldly—at least he was somewhat cooperative—"This is Grave Tomb Village; he has time, you do not."

The infantry stepped in regular rhythm, spears in hand, advancing step by step, scattering and driving off the White Harbor cavalry.

"Although it's difficult, it's not impossible—he still has troops, while you have none," she said, intending to crack the turtle shell as practice for attacking the Bolton infantry formation ahead. "So, will you surrender?"

"My liege is still alive; I've prepared to be imprisoned in Winterfell."

"After this battle, many soldiers are wounded; I can't escort you to Winterfell."

"Then you can let us go?"

"Or kill you and feed you to my wolves," Mei Yi sneered, losing patience, then told Sir Cuibeikè: "Tie them up; wait until I break the infantry formation before speaking further."

"Hoo..." the horn sounded again; Sir Malong led the cavalry back to Mei Yi's side, looking in astonishment at the many bound prisoners.

"Your Highness is heroic!" Sir Malong praised.

"The infantry has no arrows?"

"They're all spent," Sir Malong said proudly, "My archers were broken in battle, chopped up like meat." He then looked at the prisoners: "Your Highness, the rest are tough nuts—capturing these prisoners means we can already return to Winterfell."

"Your Highness, those cowards have fled," the Streamland cavalry commander arrived on horseback beside her, "Seeing you defeat... them, those timid souls all fled for their lives; thinking I was still needed here, I didn't continue the pursuit."

Mei Yi nodded.

"Your Highness, since Lady Dustin has fled, crushing this hedgehog is worthless; better to return to Winterfell." Bolong, having abandoned the southern cavalry, also came here and made the suggestion.

"White Harbor horsemen, follow me mounted." She directly ordered Manfred's cavalry: "Follow me, break the small squad, then drive the men before the large formation to seek a breakthrough opportunity! Bolong, lead the southern cavalry to harass the large formation, seek a gap; Viscount Paine Red, lead the Streamland cavalry to patrol the outskirts, timely have troops block the escape loophole. Sir Loferel, lead the guard cavalry to intercept from the other side."

Regarding controlling warhorses, she is becoming more proficient, feeling she can craft a set of horse armor and battering ram for breaking formations, specifically to use such warhorses to charge the tight infantry formation.

"Your Highness?" Sir Malong expressed some doubt and dissatisfaction.

Mei Yi reached out to stop.

"I have never failed, sir!" she said, then leapt onto her warhorse, leading the White Harbor cavalry toward the small infantry formation.