The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Banefort Castle.

The closest castle to the Crag.

The lands of Count Banefort and the Crag are intertwined.

Banefort Castle was also the last castle in the Mountain's night raid of twenty castles.

By then, it was already dawn. When the Mountain arrived at the gates of Banefort Castle with over twenty knights led by Count Damon Marbrand and Baron Adam Marbrand, Count Banefort took the initiative to surrender without any resistance, extending a sincere offer of peace.

The Count frankly admitted on the high ramparts (not the city walls) that he had no intention of antagonizing the noble Westerling family. He had already prepared to return all the Westerling family's lands, but only reluctantly agreed to Count Damon's request, temporarily refraining from returning the lands to the esteemed Count Gavin, out of consideration for Damon's feelings.

In truth, Count Banefort had a selfish motive. If Count Damon could truly withstand the Mountain's pressure, he still wanted to continue occupying the Westerling family's lands. But if Count Damon lost the struggle against the Mountain, then he would change his allegiance and return all the lands belonging to the Westerling family.

The Mountain gave Count Banefort the opportunity to switch sides, and Count Banefort wisely seized it. In front of all the knights, Count Banefort openly declared that he would immediately return all the lands belonging to the Westerling family.

After the Mountain also expressed his very insincere gratitude for Count Banefort's understanding and reasonableness, the Mountain led Count Damon and others into Banefort Castle. These counts or barons who had been captured in the middle of the night were all able to walk freely, but they had many wounds on their bodies and faces. Those who resisted fiercely were tied up completely; those with a mild attitude were only bound by their hands.

The chief culprit, Damon Marbrand, was continuously carried horizontally on the Mountain's horse, his face towards the ground. As for his precious son, Ser Adam Marbrand, who had a close personal relationship with Jaime Lannister, he was tightly bound. His lips were broken, several teeth were knocked out, his lips were swollen high, and his clothes were covered with bloodstains.

As for Count Damon, half of his face was a mess. He had been given two golden slaps by the Mountain last night, and half of his face was as swollen as bread. That eye was also looking at people through a slit. The Count's previous boasting, his usual delicacy, his arrogance as Tywin Lannister's cousin, and his contempt for others had all disappeared.

The Mountain and his party ate and drank their fill at Count Banefort's home, and the horses that had been running around all night were given enough water and fodder. Without the Mountain's instructions, Banefort had already sent out ravens to report the good news of Gregor's recent situation to the Westerling family. Subsequently, Count Banefort presented a gift of one hundred gold dragons to celebrate the Mountain's family wedding, and on the gift plate was the land deed belonging to the Westerling family.

The Mountain very restrainedly only took the land deed. He very much wanted the one hundred gold dragons sent by Count Banefort, but he also resolutely refused.

The goal this time was very clear, and the slogan shouted was known to everyone: to take back the land inherited from generation to generation by the ancestors, not to extort money from anyone.

Taking back the land has a legitimate excuse, and the land has people, taxes, and sources of soldiers, which is enough. This matter was originally 'reasonable in some ways and unreasonable in others.' As long as the land is in hand, there is no need to take anyone's money. This is to avoid the taboo of greed.

If both land and money are taken, I am happy, but there will always be a lump in other people's hearts, which is really too much.

When Count Banefort saw that the Mountain resolutely refused to accept one hundred gold dragons, he was very happy in his heart. The Mountain was cruel but measured, so he was very considerate, understanding, and found ten carriages to 'invite' the twenty-odd captured knights into the carriages one by one. The Mountain and his twenty-two Clegane 'killers' rode their warhorses, protecting these ten carriages, and slowly headed towards the Crag of the Westerling family.

Banefort Castle is tens of miles away from the Crag.

As soon as the carriages entered the Westerling family's territory, Count Angus stopped the carriages. He jumped off his horse, invited Lord Mountain to the back of the team, and requested the Mountain to let him go back. He would immediately send someone to deliver the Westerling family's land deed to Casterly Rock.

It turned out that Angus had thought it over and refused to go to the Westerling family's territory to be humiliated. He was a man with a spirit of chivalry, and these people have a fatal flaw, which is that they value their honor very much.

Since his fist is not as big as the Mountain's, and his backer, Count Damon, is even more miserable than him, no matter how many soldiers his family has, he is in the Mountain's hands, and no one in the entire family dares to act rashly. He had originally stood on Damon's side because of Damon's guarantee and persuasion. Now that things have reached such a point, it is meaningless to play with the Mountain when he is in the Mountain's hands!

Returning it cleanly, then return it!

Moreover, the Mountain is a fierce general liked by Duke Tywin, the number one in combat power in the Westerlands; and he has recently invented a series of things, which is even more in line with Count Tywin's heart. Judging from the series of events where Tywin took Jeyne Westerling as his adopted daughter and then married his adopted daughter to the Mountain, who would dare to kill the Mountain? Without Tywin's nod, who the hell would dare!

So Angus made a decisive decision. Sooner or later, he would have to give the Mountain what he wanted, so why bother to endure further humiliation?

The Mountain stared at Count Angus for a while without speaking. He drew his small knife and cut the rope on Count Angus's hand, nodded, pursed his lips, and signaled the Count to ride away directly.

Along the way, the Mountain and his brothers also took some good horses they saw. The number of horses in the team also increased a lot, and there were many empty horses!

So, Count Angus thanked the Mountain and rode away!

The team continued to move forward, and not far away, they saw a large flag in front: three roaring black hounds attacking on a golden field. - 'Sweetmouth' Rafford Clegane led the Clegane cavalry to welcome the Mountain.

Soon, another group of people arrived, led by the young hero Reynard Westerling and the heavy axe fierce man Rolph Spicer, leading a team of twenty people to welcome the Mountain!

The team continued to move forward, and after a while, another flag appeared, with six white shells on a golden beach - Lady Jeyne and Count Gavin Westerling led thirty family soldiers to welcome the Mountain.

Suddenly, the team became lively.

After Gavin Westerling exchanged greetings with the Mountain, he was about to go to the carriage to greet Damon Marbrand and show a friendly attitude, but he heard the Mountain say, "Knight Reynard."

When Reynard heard this, his face immediately turned red, and he said, "Ser Gregor, I am not yet a knight."

"Oh!" Gregor said, "If you perform well, I would be happy to knight you."

"Thank you, Ser Gregor!" Reynard was overjoyed.

The Mountain, with twenty-two soldiers, picked off more than twenty northern nobles overnight and captured more than twenty knights. In the heart of this young Reynard, the Mountain was already a very remarkable figure.

"Reynard, I want to send you to do something!" It was 'send', not 'invite'.

"At your command, Ser Gregor, you are already my blood-related family, and Reynard is willing to follow under your command."

The Mountain was waiting for Reynard to say these words.

He knew Reynard's character very well. He was an extremely reliable young man, and his loyalty did not need to be tested. Given time and proper training, this child could become a great talent. Although Count Gavin was useless, his greatest contribution was to give birth to the siblings Jeyne Westerling and Reynard Westerling.

"Reynard, I order you to take the family scouts to patrol the border of the Westerling territory. The scouts will rotate day and night. Once you find any suspicious people entering the territory, immediately send someone to report to me!"

"Yes, Ser Gregor!" Reynard was overjoyed. The feeling of going to war filled the young man with excitement and fighting spirit. He immediately called the family scouts, saluted the Mountain, bid farewell, and rode away with the scouts.

Invisible and silent, the Mountain naturally intervened and took control of the Westerling family's military power! The only person who could see this on the spot was Jeyne Westerling!