Dominate the Game of Thrones with Mount and Blade

Chapter 22 Westward

The Blackwood soldiers were very clever. Most of them turned around in a mess and slipped away without looking back.

They left behind a bound captive and Santaga lying on the ground groaning.

Andrew was about to order a pursuit, but Arthur raised his hand to stop him.

"Why? We have enough advantages." Andrew was puzzled.

"Let's take Brynden to Riverrun as soon as possible." Arthur explained.

This was done to prevent Earl Tytos, the head of the Blackwood family, from sending a large army to pursue Arthur.

Arthur's 35 armored soldiers and more than 20 peasant soldiers could not stop the thousands of troops from Raventree City.

You know, both Blackwood and Blackwood maintained a standing army of more than 3,000 people.

And most of the vast land from the Blue Fork River in the north to the north bank of the Red Fork River belonged to the Blackwood family.

Some also belonged to the Tully family.

However, considering that the Red Fork River and the Tengshi River further west divide the Tully family's territory into three parts, it is hard to say whether the Tully family can defeat Blackwood on the north bank of the Red Fork River.

But as long as they enter the Tully family's territory in the west, I think Tytos will not dare to use force on the feudal lord's territory at will.

Then show Edmure the evidence and let him do justice.

Andrew scratched his helmet, "But Lord Hendry did not order us to follow you to Riverrun."

"I will pay him a large sum of gold dragons as a reward for borrowing you. In addition, everyone present will be given three silver deer each."

After hearing that they could get three silver deer, the Bracken soldiers were immediately excited.

"We are all Brackens, Lord Hendry will agree."

"That's right, Andrew, you are just a knight, how dare you refuse Lord Arthur's request?"

"Isn't it just to go to Riverrun? We will go with you."

"The Tullys are hospitable, there is nothing wrong with going."

These soldiers are all civilians in the Riverlands, many of whom have no land at all and join the army, and they only get four or five silver deer a month.

Just going to Riverrun can get three silver deer, which is simply pie in the sky.

In fact, this situation of maintaining a large number of standing armies only occurs in the Riverlands and the Reach controlled by the Tyrell Rose Family.

Because the two places are the second and first grain-producing areas of the Seven Kingdoms, there is enough food to feed the extra population.

In addition, the climate is warm and suitable for reproduction, and the uneducated farmers do not know birth control, which leads to a large population growth in peacetime.

It has been fifteen years since Robert became king, and a new round of population growth is about to begin.

Unfortunately, the long summer that lasted for nearly ten years is about to end, and the contradiction between food and population will be infinitely magnified.

By then, even if Robert is not dead, Westeros will be in chaos for a while.

During the Targaryen Dynasty, there were many years of war with Dorne and several Blackfyre rebellions, which could consume the excess population to ensure that after the long summer, Westeros's food reserves could allow the remaining people to eat until the next summer.

It is worth mentioning that the Brackens are the main supporters of Daemon Blackfyre, the illegitimate son of the Targaryen family, the so-called Black Dragon Party.

Faced with the enthusiasm of the soldiers, Andrew could not refuse.

Anyway, Arthur explained to Hendry and Earl Janos that he was just an executor.

Andrew convinced himself in this way.

After tying up Santaga and releasing the captives, more than 500 people lined up to set off.

Soon, Arthur's castle appeared in front of him.

Several people were lying on the ground, a farmer-like man hugged someone and cried loudly, and the steward Umber and some peasant soldiers stood aside.

The horse trotted and brought Arthur to the front.

He recognized that this was Darren, a villager from Riverside Village, who had followed him to capture Brynden and his gang yesterday.

The three people on the ground seemed to be dead. There was no good meat on their bodies. They must have suffered a lot before they died.

The woman Darren was holding was a young woman with a very conspicuous bulge in her belly. In addition to the skin that was beaten, there was a lot of blood flowing between her legs.

It was obviously a miscarriage.

"Seven layers of hell!" Arthur exclaimed loudly, "Did that officer Blackwood do this?"

Darren cried and couldn't speak. Amber replied with some guilt:

"Yes, my lord. I am ashamed that I failed to protect your people when you went out. I am not a good steward."

"It's okay." Arthur comforted him.

Looking at the grief-stricken Darren, Arthur felt a little sad.

He jumped off his horse, walked up to Darren, and said, "I am ashamed for not being able to protect you and your family. I swear, the Blackwood family will pay the price for this."

The honest villagers of this riverside village should have had their own little lives, maybe not very happy, but also have a goal.

Three families were broken just because of Brynden's act of pretending to be a bandit.

This is not a villager who can be robbed at will in Mount and Blade, this is a living person.

Maybe it's a wife, maybe a daughter, maybe a mother, in short, she is a person with a certain social relationship.

Just like that, she was abused to death.

Arthur secretly hated Brynden and the officer.

"Amber, go and bring Brynden and his men out, I will take them to see Duke Hoster and let him deal with this matter fairly." Arthur ordered.

"Darren, are you willing to go to Riverrun to testify? The Duke will give you an explanation." Arthur bent down and asked.

Darren wiped his nose and looked at Arthur blankly, "I...I am willing, but can you bury my wife and children?"

"They are evidence that we will take to Riverrun." Arthur said softly, "We can wrap your wife and children in salt so that they will not rot quickly."

Darren's eyes were empty and he neither nodded nor shook his head.

Arthur felt that he should have agreed, so he ordered the servants in the castle to bring out salt and dispose of the three corpses.

In addition, some soldiers from the main family were also sent to carry food. It would take two or three days to walk from here to Riverrun. It would be impossible not to bring enough food.

Fortunately, there is enough food stored in Arthur's Castle.

After instructing Amber to continue to guard the family fort, Arthur set off with criminals, prisoners and five hundred soldiers.

Their destination was River Run City at the confluence of the Red Fork River and the Tengshi River.

…

Crowtree City.

"My lord, Master Brynden has been kidnapped by Arthur Bracken of Moulin Rouge."

The sentry who escaped was the fastest and ran back to Crowtree City early the next morning and reported the matter to Count Tytos.

"Huh~? Where are the soldiers around my son? Where's Santaga? Where's Roger? Are they losers? More than a hundred people can't run a small Moulin Rouge?" The Earl was furious.

The sentry did not dare to tell the fact that Brynden was pretending to be a bandit, so he could only speak vaguely: "They were all captured. When the remaining brothers saw that something was wrong, they all came back to report to you like me. They are all on the road at the moment. "

"What a waste, get out." The earl obviously didn't believe this statement.

He stood up quickly, wandered back and forth in the hall for a few times, and then ordered to the frightened manager beside him:

"Gather all the soldiers near Crowtree City, let's go find my son."

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