Chapter 259

In the early morning, a light mist drifted over the wilderness; the grass was covered in frost. After people rose and walked a circuit, the frost turned into light puddles, adding a hint of sticky damp chill to the bloody air.

The fire left a patch of whitish ash in the camp; the unburned firewood lay haphazardly to one side, listless, and the last bit of accumulated ash also fell with the vibration.

Only now could the soldiers truly feel the reality of last night's battle and see their enemies clearly.

The enemies' corpses were piled together, blocking the breach through which the gray marsh entered this highland; the edges of the ground were covered in bright red blood.

The Northern Border is so cold that even blood can be preserved longer, without appearing dark.

Ordinary blood shows that these frog people are indeed just humans, except they wear more tattered, scarce clothing, their hair is more disheveled, and their appearance is more ferocious and ugly.

In fact, living in such a harsh environment, one cannot expect them to look like normal people, let alone handsome; even their weapons have a sinister air: something like a spear and a fork, the tip's sharp point unknown what natural object it is. Clearly not steel.

The only threat to them is bows and arrows, but the bows and arrows are too small, seeming more suited for shooting birds or fish; unfortunately, they have few of them, and their power and arrowheads are insufficient to pierce cavalry armor from a distance.

This is the weakest enemy she has faced in all her battles. But if not for the shaggy dogs, perhaps they would have suffered a great loss; the crocodiles alerted them.

Several dozen wild boars of various sizes could not even feed her soldiers, so when she brought back the crocodile caught by the shaggy dogs to the camp, they began to cheer. They thought tonight would be a night of indulging in wild boar and crocodile feast, until the soldiers, while cleaning the crocodile, slit open its belly and discovered a skinned corpse inside its stomach.

The skinned corpse ended their night's merry atmosphere, diminished their enjoyment, and in the end even the crocodile meat turned bitter.

This is also a good thing, as everyone began to realize this place is not safe; thus, when Mei Yi woke the guards, and the guards woke the others, no one carried any resentful disturbance.

Mei Yi first noticed the restless frog people, then, acting with enthusiasm, after waves of their feathered arrows flew, she charged into their crowd; afterward, the ambusher and the ambushed exchanged roles.

The night's battle was easily won, but it is obvious that many soldiers have been unable to sleep well since then; now most of them look listless.

"Your Highness, should we just leave these people here?" Ha'erluo asked.

"Do you want to skin them and use them as bait for crocodiles?" Mei Yi laughed as she looked at him.

I mean, should we bury them, burn them, or leave them here?

Mei Yi glanced again at the heap of corpses—this was the only victory she could not claim from the defeated.

Their ragged wrappings were loosely draped over their bodies; some crude hide armor was crudely cut, barely hanging on their chests, unpolished, untreated, perhaps still smelling of hide in fine weather—when hungry, one could boil these things into food… but Mei Yi's soldiers still had at least three days of rations, so there was no need to cling to tradition and loot the battlefield. Moreover, wasn't it said that the river east of the Northlands is richer? Ahead lie plenty of fat sheep ready for slaughter.

"Leave them here. After replenishing water, depart immediately." She indeed had no time to collect the bodies.

Out of a little remorse, she flicked her gaze at the corpse heap.

"May you return to the realm of the old gods."

A breeze swept over the corpses, the hair stuck to their ashen faces trembling, slightly revealing the faces beneath the strands. They looked far more peaceful than last night's ferocity—death made them appear especially young. They were not old.

She turned and left; beside her, Huode had already readied a warhorse for him.

"Is that crocodile belonging to these frog people? Are they coming to retake the loot?" She mounted her horse, with Sasha following behind, and asked aloud.

"They'll loot you too!" Huode interjected.

"Why? I'm not a crocodile."

"You're like a crocodile—you both eat…" Though young, he knew to stop in time.

"I know what you want to say." Sasha stood behind Mei Yi, though Mei Yi could almost guess her expression: "Father said, everyone eats people; those who don't eat people cannot survive."

When she uttered "eat people," she clearly lowered her voice.

Having stayed in Lin Dong City for so long, she already knew the locals' taboo against cannibalism.

"I certainly won't eat!"

"Idiot! When you grow up, you'll naturally eat. Right now you're only fit to be eaten—you're not even a lord!" Sasha burst out laughing, "Come to think of it, everyone here is a knight, while you, this little brat, are just a lowly squire—what right do you have to eat people?"

"Aren't you a squire too? And I don't want to 'eat people' either." He also lowered his voice.

"Idiot! I am the lady lord of Skaggs Island, just… the same, a lady lord of the Northlands." She smirked secretly, Huode surely feeling her pride, "You didn't know? I am the female baron of the Warm Water Hall, directly sworn to…"

"You're merely a viscount of Cannibal Island; I too can become a viscount—at least… the Bocheng family castle has been lost, what sort of lord are you?"

"Your Highness will help me reclaim the Warm Water Hall, as long as I grow to your size… I'm growing fast, unlike you, who just arrived here."

Mei Yi turned her head slightly, seeing her gesture at her chest, suspecting Sasha was deliberately reminding her of her 'duty'.

She gave a faint smile and spurred her horse faster.

She felt that from north to south, west to east, everywhere were her enemies, everywhere matters needing settlement, everywhere hidden worries needing soothing and resolution; yet Stark's power was not yet consolidated, Catherine's blood feud unavenged, and the ice wolves' claws still unsheathed.

By afternoon, they crossed a saddle-shaped mountain and a frigid stream, after which they beheld a vast plain.

This was the core region of Bolton.

Bolton had drawn half its forces from across the river east, massing them along the White Blade River; now her five hundred cavalry could almost roam the river east freely. She did not know whether Wil, Kongqi Kongdun, advancing by another route, had encountered the enemy, but through the eyes of the blue hawk she had already seen the enemy troops awaiting her.

The gold squirrel on a red field of the Mormont family banner already waved across the river to greet them.

"Shh!" She pulled the reins, issuing the command directly: "The Mormont rabble waits for us across the river; my guard cavalry will follow me to lure him… Gas, Harlow, take the remaining cavalry and hide behind that small hill; after they cross the river, envelop them from both flanks and annihilate them."

"Yes, Your Highness!" Gas immediately obeyed.

"Your Highness, let me lure them instead." Harlow volunteered.

"Oh?"

"You didn't say we were the bait…" Harlow hadn't finished before Gas cut him off.

"You? Isn't Your Highness's bait enough weight?"

"Your Highness is certainly substantial, and as bait fragrant enough," Harlow blushed but still smiled confidently, "yet I truly worry that upon seeing Your Highness, they'll be like mice seeing a cat… seeing the ice wolf, then frightened into fleeing back to the castle."

"My guard cavalry are few now… would they really be that timid?"

"They might be bold enough, but upon seeing Your Highness, they'd likely be gone, even if only you appeared."

What fine flattery—the nearby cavalry burst out laughing. Gas glanced at Harlow in astonishment, as if seeing for the first time a boy who could speak like that.

"All right, this banner is yours." Mei Yi gestured to the soldier beside her to hand over the great ice wolf banner.