Chapter 71

"Are the Iron Islands crazy, starting to steal timber?" Suoluo Si held a whip in his hand, exhaling white vapor in the cold air, his hair tied into a topknot on his head, looking particularly strange.

Ha'erwen and Sir Zhandeli watched her, as if the answer lay entirely in her heart, but she refused to explain it to everyone.

She only felt an inexplicable irritability.

"Youlun is an ambitious one; stealing timber for shipbuilding is likely to build ships and expand the scale of plunder. And plundering the hostile, weak Sea Border City is simply killing two birds with one stone." This is just simple history.

"How is that killing two birds with one stone?" Sir Zhandeli asked.

"Sea Border City and the Iron Islands are sworn enemies; they have fought who knows how many times in Iron People Bay and below Sea Border City."

"Sea Border City is now extremely weak; it can no longer be their sworn enemy." Suoluo Si said.

"Sea Border City was originally built as a fortress to resist neighbors' invasions; the Meilisite family has rich experience fighting pirates, so they could survive along the Iron People Bay coast, naturally having support. To say, in this world, whoever knows the Iron Islands best is none other than them. Even though they are now weak, with high walls protecting them and alarm bells ringing, the Iron People can only sigh." That castle towers, the coastal terrain is treacherous, making it impossible to fall easily.

"So, at most they can only loot outside the city." Ha'erwen added.

"Indeed. In fact, this time they also ventured inland at risk to loot. They are still looting large pieces of timber; I truly don't know how big a fleet they intend to build."

"Does Sea Border City still have shipbuilding materials?"

"Sea Border City's original fleet was no worse; as early as the reign of King Helun, Sea Border City was King Helun's shipbuilding base, at which time the Meilisite family controlled the continental coast's sea entrances."

"It seems the Meilisite family still retains a shipbuilding lake on the upper reaches of the Green Fork River; each completed vessel can sail westward along the deep current into the sea, or open the sluice, use trackers to pull the boat into the Green Fork River, then proceed east along the Trident River to Salt Field Town, entering the sea on the other side of the continent. There is no such convenient place anywhere under heaven."

"If one occupied Sea Border City, wouldn't that allow direct passage across the eastern and western oceans of the continent?" Suoluo Si asked.

"The stretch from Sea Border City to the western coast has rugged mountains on both banks, with a very fierce current; ships cannot sail upstream, so passage is impossible. But from the eastern coast to the western coast, it's not necessarily so; as long as a few water locks are built, it's not impossible."

"With these few followers of the Brotherhood, she felt her speed had slowed considerably. After a day's horseback ride, she only reached the Green Fork River near Wastestone City. Who knows how many Iron People petty thieves will remain by the time they reach Sea Border City?"

"Let's set off!" After everyone waited by the river to add water, Meiyi announced.

"Oh, future Queen. Can your buttocks really hold out? My two thighs have already been rubbed raw!" Suoluo Si complained.

Meiyi heard that, then looked toward Zhandeli and the others. They gazed at her in silence, obviously each having endured torment.

"How are you, Ha'erwen?" Meiyi asked.

"Ha ha, Miss, I'm the son of the stablemaster. This trifle is nothing to me." He had already mounted his horse, flipping a whip in his hand.

"Eh, even if we can endure it, I think the horses beneath us can't take it. Look at them, they're all about to foam at the mouth. If they die on the road, it will only delay the journey further." Suoluo Si refused to continue, saying whatever.

"The Iron People have begun looting timber, which is enough to prove they are preparing for greater looting and more active operations. Their target, even if not the Northern Border, could be the Western Border, Southern Border, or any other place. Since I am the future queen, I must understand all this clearly. In the Northern Border I have prepared neither a place for them nor a prison." She handed the finished parchment to Suoluo Si, who after a brief look passed it to Zhandeli.

"The iron people have begun looting timber, which is enough to prove they are preparing for a larger looting, more aggressive action. Their target, even if not the Northern Border, could be the Western Border, Southern Border, or any other place. Since that is my future queen, I need to go and understand all of this clearly. In the Northern Border, I did not prepare a place for them, nor did I prepare a prison." She handed the prepared parchment to Suoluosi, who after glancing at it briefly passed it on to Zhandeli.

"I will prepare boxes for their heads." She pulled the reins, turned the horse's head, "Perhaps prepare spears, depending on their identities."

"Perhaps you will consider leaving some alive." He suddenly said.

"For pirates, I never leave a living mouth. Unless keeping them alive is valuable." She patted Black Iron; Black Iron neighed, then bolted toward the direction where the sunset fell, leaving behind a thundering of hooves.

"The evening clouds were charming, and the verdant clouds chased the two riders on the plain."

The evening clouds were enchanting, and the azure‑green rosy clouds chased the two knights across the wilderness.

She raised her head; a lone eagle patrolled the half‑dark sky.

So beautiful it made one lose one's mind, Mei Yi could not help but sing:

「The sunset shines on my solitary walk, walk yi, walk yi!

「The evening clouds accompany my chase of the clouds, clouds yi, clouds yi!

「The heron spreads its wings, leaving a lone shadow—how tranquil, how still! How still!

「The swift horse's hooves tap, boom‑boom shaking the earth,

「Not even insects chirp, nor birds cry!

「The wind's sound whimpers softly in my ear, the dark shadows of grass and trees lightly brush my arm.

「The road ahead stretches boundless; let me ride my horse east and west,

「The road ahead is vast and green; hear me sing and sigh! 」

I don't know why, but she suddenly sang this ancient tune 'Evening Sunset' from the River Junction Land. For thousands of years, this land has perhaps always been like this.

「Miss, I didn't know you could sing! 」

「There's still much you don't know! 」 she replied loudly.

「Miss, you sing beautifully. What song is this? 」

「This is the song of the king of rivers and hills of the River Junction Land. After Te Lisidi Fen the Fourth was defeated here, later generations left this one of the songs praising him. 」

「We are the victors, so we should change to a more lofty song. 」 he replied loudly.

I have lost my father, lost my younger brother, my sisters are scattered everywhere, and you say we are the victors?

「Even if you're right, we ought to change to a joyful song praising victory! What do you have, each, that can come to sing? 」 Mei Yi asked loudly.

「Haha, good! 」 he lightly flicked his whip; a crack of the whip split the long sky, instantly overtaking Mei Yi and charging forward.

Mei Yi chased wildly behind.

All that could be heard was his loud shout:

「You see my horse's hooves rumbling like thunder on the plain;

You see my blue‑black knight swift as lightning; I, facing the evening at the Great Wall, have already reached White Harbor;

Birds cannot compare to me; their soft wings can only scent the petals;

Jackals cannot compare to me; their four feet are frail compared to my iron‑shod hooves;

Oh, I gallop across the world,

Oh, I tread over mountains and rivers,

The mountains are my bedroom,

The wilderness is my drill ground,

Rejoice, I am the general's reliance,

Rejoice, I am the king of the wilderness.

Celebrate, the battlefield is my blessed land where I strive,

Celebrate, blades and spears are the forest I've traversed,

Celebrate, the realm of the old gods is my homeland, my eternal pasture where I gallop,

Not bad, Halwen! Your family's song can actually be this fun! No wonder you're a northern lad; I thought the Brotherhood had worn out your passion completely!

Haha, how could that be? he replied

Giddyup! Meiyi shouted, instantly catching up to Halwen ahead. "Kid, dare to race me? Let's see who reaches that mountain first."

What's there to fear! he urged his warhorse

The lone eagle crossed a drifting white cloud, flying toward the dark distance

They stopped at the mountain's base; Meiyi, relying on her fine steed, barely won by half a step

At the mountain's base, both horses neighed, panting with hot breath

Halwen, after so long in the Brotherhood, your horsemanship hasn't fallen into disuse." she said

How could I forget such a thing? As soon as I mount a horse, I feel as if I've grown four legs anew. If my riding weren't better, I might have been cut down by the Demon Mountain in some ditch of Hejian. Sigh, I never thought I'd survive in Hejian while Lord Ade and my father died in King's Landing. What a pity! He sighed, "We northerners have gone south so many times, yet never once gained any benefit—truly ominous."

After defeating Bolton, after the North is pacified, I will still go south; then I will truly raise my sword to avenge them. Lion, hang them one by one; rose, pluck them petal by petal

I believe you, my lady." Halwen said, "My father said you and Qiongen and Ade's other children are all different

How so?

Ah, this is at least the case: the mother is different. If you truly want to know who your mother is, after you reach Twin Rivers City, you can follow the Green Fork River to seek Greywater Watch; Lord Holman Reed is the only one who knows the answer." He murmured, as if speaking of something completely unrelated to Meiyi

Of course. The first time I went south, I had prepared to go, but then I feared being intercepted by Father Lord Ade, so I went all the way south, never daring to seek his friends. So I missed it then. This time, if I have the chance, I naturally should go see. Alas, what a pity—time is pressing, and northern affairs are far more important than mother's matters

Perhaps I can make a trip for you." He flicked his whip, saying, "What could I do back in Winterfell? I've grown accustomed to the wild; I fear I could no longer adapt to castle life

Great!" Meiyi nodded, "This couldn't be better. The two children of Count Holman went to Winterfell, then left, choosing to go north; now is the time, also an opportunity, to relay news of his two children to him. Alas, as a father, how could he rest easy letting his two children wander alone outside?

I will surely complete this task for you, my lady." He looked at Meiyi and smiled, "When you were in the Brotherhood, you also inquired about Lord Ade's remains; when we reach Twin Rivers City, I will also investigate along the way. I think, if I were Haris Moran, seeing that Kalin Bay has already fallen, I would certainly think to ask Lord Ade's good friends for help crossing the Neck, then bring Lord Ade's remains home

Excellent. This is indeed possible." Meiyi approved this judgment

They spent a night on the vast plain; the next day, an hour before dawn lit the earth, they continued across the wasteland

By the time it neared noon, she had already spotted from above those enemies who seemed rather dull