Chapter 263: The Wolf Girl After the War

The heavy rain pattered, constantly hitting her outer robe and cloak. Rainwater flowed into her neck along her hair and face, pouring into her body, and the cold feeling was simply suffocating.

The weather had now completely broken down. Dark clouds carrying storms with the breath of the ocean poured rain mercilessly here, catching people off guard.

When their cavalry walked out of the castle, the dark clouds in the sky were already rolling. When her cavalry rushed into Bolton's battle formation, the world had begun to become dark. Only the occasional lightning illuminated the chaotic battlefield, and the continuous thunder echoes tightly suppressed any horns blown in the rain.

Under the pouring rain, a few feet away, friend and foe could not be distinguished. She could only order the soldiers to keep blowing horns to collect the soldiers.

She really didn't know whether the sudden heavy rain was beneficial or harmful to her. Before the storm appeared, when the battle was about to be decided, their cavalry had already taken advantage of the situation to enter Bolton's battle formation that was not defended in time; however, when they were about to expand the results and capture the red priest or Roose Bolton and Tyrell's officers in one fell swoop, the accumulated heavy rain accompanied by terrifying lightning and thunder poured down.

Any advance or pursuit had become futile and unfeasible.

She saw cavalry falling absurdly on the muddy ground in the accumulated water and mud, struggling but unable to stand up, and being slaughtered by the enemy infantry who immediately counter-charged and formed a formation. She really didn't know if Bolton had made up his mind to use the infantry to fight to the death, would the result be different.

She didn't even know how the war ended or when it ended quietly. She only saw a large group of cavalry surrounding a team of infantry formed into an arc in the horse formation, until Ghost jumped into the circle like a black shadow, destroying the morale of the remaining enemy soldiers at the last moment.

After the war, she tried her best to ride on the warhorse, collecting the cavalry along the way, and gathering them around her, but more people were always missing: she saw Brandon Keji breaking through the chaotic enemy formation with his warhorse, followed by Banyan Taoha pouring in along the gap, and then disappearing into the darkness filled with rain; Kongqi Kongdun rushed straight into the middle formation from the other side, charging left and right, and then disappeared into the galloping cavalry behind him.

She remembered that she was the same at the beginning, taking the guard cavalry to look at the position where the big flag was, and rushing into the cavalry coming towards her. She slashed countless swords and cut off countless heads, rushing into the panicked enemy camp, but she never found the enemy's core target.

When the thunder and rain receded and the heavy rain turned into a drizzling light rain, the soldiers remaining on the battlefield seemed to realize that the battle was over and the enemy had left.

Then came the horns of retreat echoing across the battlefield, over and over again.

The soldiers dismounted one after another at this time, leading their warhorses, and cast their eyes on her.

"Your Highness, look, if it weren't for the heavy rain, Bolton would only have been able to escape back to the Dreadfort alone." Theon Snow laughed and said to her in the rain.

"If it weren't for the heavy rain, the battle in the Riverlands would have ended." She wouldn't let him escape back alone.

Mei was drenched in the cold rain, looking at the chaotic battlefield, knowing that Bolton could at most take half of the soldiers to the next stage.

"Yeah, we have already received the white raven from the Citadel—perhaps the South is too far from the North, and the ravens have all tired their hair white. This is clearly supposed to be summer, hey, it's just that this rain is too cold." His hair was soaked through, and Mei saw him trembling with cold in his armor, and he was also trying his best to endure, but even so, it didn't stop him from continuing to speak, "That white raven seems to be still kept in the raven cage. Good sister, shall we go back and roast that bird to eat? I remember the Viscount seems to have hidden quite a bit of red wine in the wall, shall we go and taste it too? Wouldn't it be wonderful to have some wine and meat after the war?"

"You go back quickly. Remember when roasting birds and heating wine, let the servants light all the fireplaces and let the cook burn enough hot water."

"This is new, I have never given such an order. However, leave the things in the city to me." He didn't stay, leading the warhorse beside him and walking back into the hazy rain.

She had ordered Haerluo and others to lift the wounded into the castle, but it was hard to say how many people could survive this cold rainy night. The situation of the poor Bolton captives would only be worse, and she could only allocate very few resources to rescue them.

By night, the whole castle was full of screams. The blacksmith kept stuffing red-hot branding irons into the wounds of the unlucky soldiers, and Mei couldn't find any clean, dry cloth to bandage them at all.

The castle hall was also crowded with noisy soldiers. Fortunately, the fireplace fire was indeed lit, turning the hall into a furnace. The stuffy situation would make you feel like you had returned to summer.

The soldiers took off their clothes here and hung their wet inner robes and cloaks between the fireplaces. Under the steaming of the fireplace flames, the steaming water vapor and the special sweat smell would make you think this was a low-class brothel in King's Landing.

Before entering the hall, Mei personally organized her soldiers. Except for the area specially set aside for the wounded, the remaining positions were entered by groups of soldiers in turn, leaving time for them to dry their clothes. When the time was up, she was merciless, driving them out and letting them set up tents in the castle's already flooded drill ground to find a way to spend the night.

The conscripted servants were scattered all over the hall, constantly holding rags and buckets, wiping the dirty ground of the hall, using insignificant strength to fight against the constantly polluted environment.

Besides these tasks, Mei urged the chef to supply steaming bread as much as possible.

Unpleasant things happened at this time.

When the chubby chef supplied burnt bread one after another, Mei ordered the soldiers to drag the chef into the hall for interrogation. Under the gaze of many naked soldiers, Mei rewarded him with enough whips according to military law. But it seemed that waking him up from sleep kept his northern hardness. After eating the whips, he didn't know what was good for him and cursed "bastard" at her. As a result, his new master Theon Snow laughed wildly in front of everyone, strangled him to death, and threw him into the courtyard where the night rain was constant.

Mei didn't know if it was appropriate to do so. Anyway, after this, the bread not only came out faster, but also smelled better: it was mixed with horse meat, which made the soldiers who entered the hall first feel indignant.

Every night before the rain stopped was a night of death, and soldiers kept dying in high fever, and then were moved to a specially built mortuary shed. She didn't even take a look at the end.

On the third day after the rain stopped, Earl Glover arrived under the city with nearly two thousand infantry.

Mei finally announced her departure from Shanyang City at this time, leading a mighty army to set off for Wind Snow Hall.

If they could successfully take Wind Snow Hall, then the Dreadfort would be completely open to her on the western front.

"How is Hornwood Castle now?" After receiving the information that Bolton's army had left Hornwood Castle, he organized the army to start the pursuit. This time was at least not too late.

"Can only say there is no change. I hope Bolton brought enough supplies from the city, otherwise they can only be starved to death to take the castle, but according to the current situation, it is still too far from achieving the goal. Wyman Manderly has already sent newly recruited soldiers to besiege."

"Who is the defender?"

"Sir Hanks Raymond. His father was once the captain of the Bolton family guard. I have tried to persuade him to surrender, but this person is soft and hard, if the city is broken one day, he must be flayed!"

"How many soldiers do they have?"

"At most five hundred. And the besieging soldiers are at least twice this number, most of them are Manderly's soldiers. Bolton killed all of Manderly's soldiers when he broke the city. They know that if Manderly enters the city, they will surely die. So, if you finally solve Bolton, you must personally try to persuade them to surrender, otherwise..."

"Otherwise we can only wait for them to starve to death."

"The first to starve to death might be us." He said impolitely, and then changed the topic, "Your Highness, the news from Winterfell reports that Jon has already led the mountain clan army and the wildling army to go north again to recover Hearth and Karhold. Harion Karstark and Lord Greatjon Umber also followed the army. Your brother might be the one who peels the lion skin."

"The good lion skin is all in King's Landing." Mei sighed deeply, she only had deep worries.

How was she going to support so many armies?

"Your Highness, Earl Wyman wrote back saying that he has continued to recruit soldiers in White Harbor and, at the request of that kid Cregan Cerwyn, sent a thousand soldiers to help him defend Jones Flint. I heard that Flint's attack is extremely fierce."

"This is a good thing."

"Good thing?"

"Whether it is attacking Torrhen's Square or Cerwyn, it is better than him attacking the Riverlands. He should occupy the territory of the Ryswell family with his new wife and officially incorporate the three territories into his rule. At that time, whether to surrender or rebel, there will be a way out! Heh, the strategy of three parts, actually produced this accident!"

"Your Highness, after you defeated Bolton under Hornwood Castle, he felt dangerous."

"Makes sense. However, the Riverlands are also a mess!"

"The whole Seven Kingdoms are a mess. The Kingslayer is still cleaning up debts and hitting church gangs for his old sister until now. The common people in King's Landing call him the one-handed 'Maegor'. He perhaps hasn't realized who his real opponent is now."

"Real opponent, who is that? That Aegon VI who occupies Storm's End?" Thinking of the letter he sent imitating the Conqueror's tone, she felt ridiculous.

"The new maester in Winterfell brought us news from overseas. He said that the Dragon Queen Daenerys Targaryen is marching towards Westeros."

"Maester Roland. He spent quite a bit of my gold, but could only bring news useful to the Kingslayer!"

"If the news he brought is correct, Daenerys at least has two dragon knights. This is not just useful to the Kingslayer."

"Useful to me? Then I can borrow dragons from the Dragon Queen to help me take Hornwood Castle and the Dreadfort before everyone knows the news?"

"The most anxious thing now is neither Hornwood Castle nor the Dreadfort," he led the warhorse and looked at the sun rising ahead, "but Wind Snow Hall. Otherwise, this march would become a deterrent to Bolton's Riverlands allies, what's the use of this?"

"Expect a miracle."

"The gods are cruel! Where would there be miracles?"

"I don't care about the gods!" Now she only cared about Will and his two hundred cavalry. ===== CHAPTER 264 =====

"I don't care about the gods!" Now, she only cared about Will and his two hundred cavalrymen.