The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Arya knew these streets well; her cat-catching training had taken her all over them. She turned down several streets to get out, but each one had gold cloaks guarding the entrance. Arya knew this place better than the gold cloaks. She ran down the steps into an underground passage.

Here was a dark passage filled with dragon bones. The dragon bones were preserved in their complete form, just as they had been in life. She had been here catching cats. Dance instructor Syrio Forel had instructed her to catch a different cat every day, and she had to chase the cat king 'Black Back' because she had caught all the other cats in the Red Keep.

The cat king 'Black Back' had run down these steps into the darkness below. Arya, chasing the cat at the time, had passed through an open narrow door into this passage. She almost bumped into the dragon bones in the darkness. She reached out and touched the dragon bones, which gave her a big fright in the darkness. Later, when she went to chase the cat through the bones, she was very impressed by the heat emanating from the dragon bones.

The second time she came here, the gate on the steps was closed, but this did not stop Arya. She climbed up the wall like a cat and climbed down from a very small window. In order to catch the cat king 'Black Back' hiding here, she brought a flint and a small torch the second time.

Today was a special situation. In order to avoid being caught by the gold cloaks, Arya came here for the third time. She crawled through the small narrow window into the underground dragon bone passage. It was pitch black in front of her, and she had no fire.

Arya opened her eyes and groped forward, relying on her memory. In the darkness, she felt the presence of the dragon bones. The mouths of those dragon bones were taller than she was.

Arya knew that this dragon bone road connected to many other roads, one of which led directly to the Blackwater River outside the city, and another led to a deserted wasteland in Flea Bottom, which was overgrown with weeds and piled with decaying short wood and broken bricks.

*

While Arya was groping her way in the darkness, in the Tower of the Hand, the gold cloaks and red cloaks joined forces to carry out a massacre. Septa Mordane, Steward Vayon Poole, Master of the Horse Hullen, the stable boys, the cook, the butcher's son and apprentice Mikken, and the guards guarding the Tower of the Hand were all killed.

Sansa was found in her bed by the Hound. To keep her from being alone, Steward Vayon Poole's daughter, Jeyne Poole, was rescued from the swords of two gold cloaks by the Hound. Jeyne Poole was Sansa's close friend and childhood playmate. The two girls were taken away by the Hound.

Eddard Stark got what he asked for. All the servants who followed him from Winterfell to King's Landing and all the guards who stayed in the Tower of the Hand were killed in the Tower of the Hand. Even the horses in the stables and the chickens, ducks, and goats in the livestock pen were all killed.

Hand of the King Eddard Stark was thrown into the dungeon because he would not surrender and would not recognize Joffrey's right to inherit.

*

Meanwhile, Lord Beric Dondarrion of Blackhaven, who had been ordered by Hand of the King Eddard Stark to go to the Westerlands to capture Amory Lorch, was leading the red priest Thoros, Eddard Stark's captain of the guard Alyn, and Ser Gendry and Ser Raymar Royce on the official road in the Riverlands.

Lord Beric, Captain Alyn, Ser Gendry, and Ser Raymar Royce each led twenty guards from their families; the red priest Thoros led twenty gold cloaks. The group of one hundred and five people first took a detour through the Riverlands to survey the scene of the massacre and asked the local and nearby villagers, eventually reaching a consistent conclusion: the murderer was Amory Lorch of the Westerlands.

This investigation result was consistent with Hand Eddard's judgment!

Beric Dondarrion ordered that they take a border path from the Riverlands, pass through the Riverlands, and enter the Westerlands from the upper reaches of the Red Fork to capture Amory Lorch on the Lorch family's territory.

*

Beric's guards held up the banner of King Robert, not knowing that Robert was already dead; Alyn held up the banner of the Hand of the King, but the Hand had been stripped of his power and thrown into the dungeon.

In fact, after the new king ascended the Iron Throne, he immediately sent out the fastest scouts to recall Beric Dondarrion and bring Joffrey I's order: terminate the operation and return to the palace with everyone.

If Beric did not terminate the operation, he would become a rebel against Joffrey I's dynasty for disobeying the royal order and would instead become the target of suppression; if he obeyed Joffrey I's order, Beric would have to terminate the operation and let Amory Lorch get away with impunity, which was contrary to Beric's investigation and conclusion that Amory Lorch's crimes must be severely punished.

Beric Dondarrion was in a very awkward situation. He was lucky that he had not yet received the order from the scouts sent by Joffrey I.

The scouts were chasing after Beric Dondarrion on the road, and the scouts who set off several days later needed time.

Beric's group of one hundred and five people were all cavalry, and their speed in heading to the Westerlands after investigating the bloody case in the villages and towns of the Riverlands was not slow.

*

A figure appeared at the intersection of the mountain road ahead.

This person was riding a horse, wearing a flat-topped giant helmet, and his armor reflected a glittering light. The sunlight passed through the gaps in the tall trees and sprinkled on his body.

A two-handed greatsword extended diagonally from above his left shoulder.

On either side of him were two very tall warhorses, unattended, with saddles and reins fully equipped. One of the warhorses carried a huge oak shield, and the other warhorse carried a dozen javelins.

This person was as tall as a giant, and the warhorse under him looked like a toy horse. The horses on his left and right were very tall, but they were made to look small by this giant.

The Mountain stood alone in the road.

Beric Dondarrion, Captain Alyn, the red priest Thoros, Ser Gendry, and Ser Raymar Royce were all taken aback.

Ahead was the entrance to the mountain road leading to the borderlands, with forests on both sides.

The Mountain stood in the road.

But the generals all understood that the Mountain was not alone, and the culprit Amory Lorch had not yet appeared.

At the King's Landing tournament, the bravery of the Mountain's men had impressed everyone. The five generals had also witnessed the actions of the Mountain's vassals, each of whom was skilled in martial arts, especially ruthless and cruel.

Beric raised his hand, and the entire team stopped immediately.

Beric ordered Ser Gendry and Ser Raymar Royce to guard the rear and pay attention to whether the road behind them had been cut off.

Gendry and Raymar immediately turned around and led forty men to defend the rear.

Beric ordered Alyn and the red priest Thoros to hold the line, while he himself rode forward alone.

"Mountain, I am Beric Dondarrion of Blackhaven, in the name of King Robert and by order of Hand of the King Eddard, to go to the Westerlands to capture the criminal Ser Amory Lorch. In the name of the King and the Hand, I ask you to clear the way."

Clang!

With a soft sound, the Mountain closed his visor. He reached out and took two spears from the horse beside him. With a flick of his hand, one spear came whistling, aiming at Beric Dondarrion.

Throwing spears was a skill that everyone in the Mountain's cavalry team had trained hard on. Although the Mountain was a lord, he also trained hard, without exception.

Beric Dondarrion was shocked!

The Mountain didn't say a word and tried to take his life.

It was too late for Beric to draw his sword. In his haste, he abandoned his horse and fled for his life, rolling off the horse. With a thud, the spear hit Beric's saddle. The force was too great, and it pierced through the horse's back. The tip of the spear came out of the horse's belly.

One spear pierced the horse!

Accurate and swift!

The warhorse wailed and fell to the ground with a crash, its limbs twitching and unable to struggle. A spear was stuck through its body.

If Beric Dondarrion hadn't dodged quickly, he would have been pierced together with the horse by this spear.

Beric got up from the ground, and a scream rang out beside him. His family guard captain rushed up to protect him and was pierced through the chest by a spear, flying off the horse. Before he even landed, he was dead. The scream was not from the captain, but from several guards behind him.

The captain was pierced through the body by the spear and flew backward, knocking over several guards who were charging behind him.

Clang!

Beric Dondarrion drew his longsword. Javelins whistled around him, and black shadows flashed like lightning. Two more guards were pierced through the body by javelins, and their screams ended in an instant.

Beric Dondarrion's family crest was lightning, and the Mountain's unmatched spears were like black lightning.

Beric shouted for a defensive formation, so the warriors took down their shields and made a defense.

The Mountain took two more spears from the horse's back with both hands. This time he did not throw them.

With his arm strength, it would be effortless to throw the spears to attack the opponent's formation, but the opponent stopped advancing and defended in place, so he did not kill anyone.

"Mountain, do you dare to disobey the royal order?" Beric said sternly.

The Mountain's voice boomed, echoing in the forest, like thunder rolling, rumbling: "Surrender, submit to me, and I will spare your lives." As the Mountain spoke, shouts rang out from the woods on both sides at the same time. Red cloaks from the Westerlands rushed out of the woods. Dornish archer Anguy also rushed out in front of Ser Gendry and Ser Raymar Royce, who were guarding the rear. He fired several arrows in a row, shooting down several guards beside Gendry and Raymar one by one.

Anguy used a long arrow and a hard bow, with a triangular armor-piercing arrowhead.

Anguy led fifty men to block the retreat.

When Anguy drew his bow again, claiming to shoot Ser Gendry to death, Ser Gendry wisely dropped his longsword and raised his hands; Ser Raymar Royce took down his shield and charged forward with his longsword. Anguy's first arrow pierced Ser Raymar Royce's left arm and shield together. Amidst Ser Raymar Royce's screams, the second arrow pierced Ser Raymar Royce's neck.

Ser Raymar Royce crashed off his horse and died on the spot.

The Mountain sat motionless in the saddle. Sweetmouth Ralph of House Clegane led a hundred warriors from the forest on the left, and Dunsen of House Clegane led a hundred warriors from the forest on the right. A group of men also appeared behind the Mountain, led by Polliver of House Clegane with fifty warriors.

The Clegane soldiers surrounded them from all sides, with only the Mountain sitting motionless.

With a command from the Mountain, javelins and arrows were fired at the same time. Enemy soldiers and warhorses were hit by arrows and spears one after another. Several guards who mustered their courage to charge forward had not yet reached the enemy when both they and their horses were shot into hedgehogs.

Bows and arrows and javelins were long-range killing methods, the first choice of the Clegane cavalry, and an essential skill.

After bows and arrows and javelins, there was close combat, which was the technique of sword and shield.

With just javelins and bows and arrows, Beric's team's defensive formation was shattered.

At this rate, without the enemy losing a single person, Beric would be completely annihilated.

Beric Dondarrion dodged a spear and chopped down two stray arrows, shouting: "Stop, we surrender!" However, the enemy's arrows and javelins still rained down, and screams echoed through the forest. The guards beside him fell one after another.

Beric dropped his longsword and raised his hands. Only then did the Mountain shout: "Stop!"

The bows and arrows and javelins in front, behind, left, and right stopped firing.

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, none of the Northmen were injured or killed. Although the bows and arrows and javelins also attacked them, they seemed to have eyes and were all blocked by their shields.

Seven of Beric's brothers died, and six were injured. Almost all twenty of Ser Raymar Royce's guards were killed by Anguy's team, with only three guards surviving.

Polliver of House Clegane was the first to rush over to accept the surrender. He killed all six of Beric's injured and fallen brothers with one sword each.

*

Inside the forest's marching tent, Beric Dondarrion was the first to be brought before the Mountain.

He was tied up with ropes, and Polliver twitched his right cheek as he led Beric to the Mountain. The Mountain waved his hand, and everyone else retreated.

"Lord Beric, what are you doing here?"

"Capturing Amory Lorch. He massacred the people of the Riverlands."

"By whose order?"

"Hand of the King Eddard Stark. I have already ascertained the truth in Stonebridge and Oaktown. Ser Amory Lorch is the culprit in the village and town massacre."

The Mountain stared at Beric. This young lord was very handsome, with dashing golden-red hair.

"Your Hand Eddard has been locked in the black cells. He is no longer the Hand, but a criminal; King Robert has been killed by a wild boar. The new King Joffrey I has ascended the throne. Your mission is actually invalid."

Beric sneered, not believing what the Mountain said.

"I can give you Amory Lorch's head, but you must first swear allegiance to me."

"I will never swear allegiance to you," Beric flatly refused. "The Westermen are lawless and will soon face the wrath of the King and the Hand."

"King Robert and Hand Eddard?" The Mountain laughed and ordered someone to take Beric down.

*

"Captain Alyn!" The Mountain was taller than Alyn even when sitting in a chair.

"Yes, Mountain!"

"Are you willing to kneel and submit to me?"

"I would rather die than submit."

"Then would you like to rescue Eddard Stark in the black cells of the Red Keep in King's Landing?"

"Black cells?"

"Yes, the King is dead. Eddard Stark is ignorant of current affairs and was ordered arrested by the boy king Joffrey I and locked in the black cells. He will soon be beheaded."

Alyn was stunned!

"I know you don't believe it, but you are already a prisoner in my hands. If I want to kill you, I will kill you. There is no reason to lie to you."

"Why would the Lord be locked in the black cells?"

"He believes that the heir to the throne should be Stannis Baratheon, while Cersei believes it should be Joffrey Baratheon. The two sides clashed, and Lord Eddard was arrested. Apart from the three girls Sansa, Jeyne Poole, and Arya, the rest of the Northmen have been killed."

Alyn was suspicious.

"Do you want to save Lord Eddard Stark?"

"Yes!"

Kneel and swear your allegiance to me!

Thank you to the following readers for their support: Dianyi Old Divine, Duke of Fedi Nan, and Riding a Donkey Reading. Happy New Year!