The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Two days later, a Clegane cavalry force, consisting of bow riders led by Anguy, appeared at the Green Fork crossing.

Several ferry boats docked by the river immediately began rowing towards the eastern bank.

The cavalry showed no intention of seizing the ferries; they leisurely set up camp along the riverbank.

Soon, another cavalry unit arrived, again bow riders, led by Jory Clegane, and they also set up camp.

Across the river, Roose Bolton, employing a 'wait and see' tactic, had already received the news and ordered his men to prepare for retreat.

Before long, the Mountain himself arrived with the Clegane heavy cavalry, establishing a camp by the river.

Before the Clegane cavalry arrived to set up camp, the Northern scouts had already reported the news to Roose Bolton and returned to the eastern bank by boat. The few small boats remaining at the crossing also belonged to Roose Bolton.

Upon seeing the heavy cavalry arrive, Roose Bolton ordered a swift retreat.

Thus, over ten thousand soldiers began to move, accompanied by the sounds of horses' hooves, horns, curses, the bleating of sheep and cattle, the clashing of swords, the scraping of armor, and the shouts of centurions.

An hour later, Roose Bolton's logistics corps began to retreat, followed by heavy infantry, spearmen, light infantry, and militia.

All the camps struck their banners and retreated north.

As Roose Bolton had anticipated, numerous boats, large and small, appeared upstream and downstream of the Trident, and the Mountain's infantry began to emerge in droves.

Seeing the Mountain's army seemingly coming out in full force, the generals on the opposite bank accelerated their retreat. Time is a valuable thing; things themselves do not remain unchanged over time. Roose Bolton had finally achieved his desired outcome: to lure the Mountain to cross the river and attack them.

In any confrontation between two armies, one side will always lose patience first.

The Mountain's commandeered boats, large and small, arrived at the crossing, and the bow riders began to cross the river.

Maege Mormont, holding the rear, ordered the Bear Island infantry to retreat at a forced march.

She had no desire to be caught by the Mountain's light cavalry. Light cavalry pursuing infantry is nothing short of a massacre.

Maege Mormont was inherently brave, but unfortunately, her army's commander, Roose Bolton, had taken the lead in retreating, causing the army's morale to waver significantly.

During the previous Battle of the Green Fork, the Northern army suffered heavy infantry losses due to the lack of cavalry to counter the enemy's cavalry, but Roose Bolton's infantry suffered almost no losses, which greatly displeased Maege Mormont.

Bear Island's population was already small, and this time all the warriors had come out in full force, totaling less than seven hundred men, yet they had lost over two hundred men in the previous battle. If everyone had fought to the death, Maege Mormont would have had no complaints. However, Roose Bolton, as the commander, had fled first, and Maege was unwilling to be left behind.

The Mountain's bow riders were formidable, as had been demonstrated in the previous battle. The Western archers' right shoulder armor was also slightly different, and their arrows seemed to have a longer range.

Maege Mormont's forced march was fierce. The Bear Island soldiers were already tall and strong, with excellent endurance and stamina. Soon, Maege's rearguard soldiers surpassed the White Harbor Manderly's infantry, and shortly after, they overtook the Flint's infantry.

Seeing Maege Mormont, responsible for the rearguard, advancing frantically, no one wanted to fall behind. Consequently, the commanding officers and centurions ordered their respective soldiers to march at a forced pace. Everyone was chasing each other, and the formation became chaotic. Fortunately, the Kingsroad was flanked by wide, traversable grasslands, and everyone scattered. It was no longer a retreat formation, but a disorganized scramble to escape, like a rabble.

If Roose Bolton had been the one to hold the rear, the formation would not have collapsed due to a retreat maneuver. They had finally managed to provoke the Mountain into attacking, but everyone was thrown into disarray by Roose Bolton's wise decision to leave first.

The infantry in the center, who had been orderly, were affected by the chaos behind them, and some soldiers began to discard items to lighten their load. As a result, morale quickly collapsed.

In the end, the Northern army could no longer distinguish between the vanguard, the center, and the rearguard. Everyone sprinted with all their might.

By the time Anguy and Jory's two teams of bow riders had crossed the river, the Northern army had left behind countless spears, helmets, armor, cloaks, and tents.

This was no longer a retreat, but a rout. Along the way, Northern soldiers trampled each other, resulting in dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries.

Anguy and Jory led the bow riders to secure the area, followed by the Mountain and his heavy cavalry, then a thousand Clegane infantry and five hundred-man teams for gathering supplies.

The soldiers calmly gathered the items abandoned by the Northern army, piling them into a small mountain, and then sent them across the river. A logistics team and soldiers consisting of five hundred men were responsible for continuously transporting the grain, vegetables, and fruits back to Harrenhal. The highest-ranking officer in the team was Maester Martyn.

The enforcement team led a hundred-man team to supervise the villagers and the supply gathering team, following along the way. Rorge and Biter were responsible for protecting the villagers, preventing women from being raped and men from being beaten.

Ten days later, the Mountain led his army south along the river, passing through fields and farms. The Trident River suddenly widened, the water flow slowed, and the smell of salt replaced the smell of trees in the air. In the fields and farms, ripe crops swayed in the wind.

The Mountain led his army into the villages, drove out all the villagers, had the elderly take charge of the children, and gathered all the teenagers and adults. First, they plundered all the belongings of the village, then set it on fire, leaving the villagers with no 'worries'. Subsequently, hundreds of villagers and hundreds of supply-gathering team members, totaling over a thousand laborers, went to work in the fields, harvesting all the visible crops.

The heavy cavalry dismounted their armor and transformed into grain transport teams, responsible for transporting all usable items, such as grain and ironware, to the riverbank and loading them onto boats.

Anguy and Jory were responsible for patrolling the rear, guarding against the sudden appearance of Roose Bolton's forces from the north and the Vale's army from the east.

Although Roose Bolton's army appeared to be fleeing in disarray, the Mountain believed that it was likely a result of Roose Bolton's design, hoping that the Mountain would attack. However, the Mountain simply refused to attack, instead proceeding down the river to harvest crops and plunder the population.

Fortunately, since the start of the grain-grabbing operation, only Northern scouts had been sighted, and as soon as the Mountain's bow riders moved, those scouts would flee in panic.

*

One night, the Mountain led Anguy and Jory's light cavalry nearly a hundred miles, launching a surprise attack on a small town: Saltpans. This was a small town located at the mouth of the Trident River as it entered the sea bay, and the only town in the lower reaches of the Trident River. The town was prosperous and wealthy, producing sea salt to supply the eastern Riverlands and the western Vale, and it was also a small maritime trading port.

A castle ruled the town, but it was as small as an ordinary manor, with an outer ward and curtain walls surrounding a tall, square keep. There were many shops, inns, and taverns around the docks. The Mountain raided this place at dawn. While the town's knights were still asleep, the Mountain and his soldiers held their swords to their necks.

With virtually no resistance, the Mountain easily captured the town. The town was located by the sea, with stretches of salt pans. To the east of the town's port was the Bay of Crabs. More than a dozen merchant ships in the port were also seized by the Mountain. These merchant ships flew bizarre flags, most of them from across the Narrow Sea.

The Mountain plundered the town lord's wealth, executed all the knights who dared to disobey, and ordered the town's salt workers to continue production. The owners of the shops, inns, and taverns, after swearing allegiance to the Mountain, preserved their families' lives and their wealth. The guests in the inns and taverns were also gathered together and released one by one after the Mountain's review. Any guests who might report to the Vale were hanged by the Mountain in the town square.

After dealing with the affairs of the town's natives, the next matter was the merchant ships in the town's port.

The Mountain summoned all the captains for a meeting, inquiring about their origins, trade businesses, and return destinations. He had in-depth conversations with some apprehensive captains. The content of the conversations was rich, but mainly related to food, drink, and women, as well as gambling and trade.

The Mountain demanded that these captains guarantee that they would come to Saltpans again to do business, saying that he had taken over Saltpans and did not want Saltpans to lose its overseas trade business. The captains, facing the Mountain, made a solemn oath in the name of the Sea God. Finally, the Mountain accepted the captains' generous banquets and gifts, and then released these merchant ships one by one in order.

The last to leave was an ocean merchant ship, fully loaded with honey wine and some animal skins from the Riverlands and the Vale. The merchant ship had two tiers of oars, a gilded prow, and three tall masts with purple sails furled. The hull was also painted purple.

The merchant ship set sail, and the two tiers of oars were activated together. Although the captain stood at the bow and raised his hand to salute the Mountain, the Mountain knew that this fellow couldn't wait to leave immediately, because if he were calm, he wouldn't have ordered both tiers of oarsmen to row together. He could have relied on the wind in the sails. Currently, the wind was favorable.

A sailor rolled barrels of honey wine on the deck, rolling them to the lower entrance, where other workers stacked the honey wine in the ship's lower hold.

"Who are you?" The sailor moved a barrel of honey wine and saw a wild boy with short hair. He was certain that there was no such young boy on board.

This young boy was Arya Stark.

The Mountain crossed the river to sweep the eastern bank of the Trident, first to plunder the population, second to harvest grain, and third to send Arya unknowingly onto a Braavosi merchant ship.

Arya didn't understand what the sailor was saying. This merchant ship was from Braavos and was returning to Braavos. The sailor was also Braavosi, speaking the local language of Braavos.

The sailor didn't know the Common Tongue of Westeros.

"Shhh, I need to see the captain!" Arya said.

"Who exactly are you?" The sailor reached for a stick, but he was actually bluffing. Arya's Needle was pointing at his chest, moving incredibly fast.

"No, no, don't!" The sailor turned pale with fright.

Needle had already pierced his skin, blood seeping out, and Arya's hand was very steady, her eyes cold.

This kid will kill! The sailor made the right judgment!

"Captain!" the sailor shouted loudly.

The captain had just breathed a sigh of relief, the Mountain's figure on the shore growing smaller and smaller, they were safe. Although he saw the other ships leaving unharmed, the Mountain was too ferocious, that burly body, that huge sword, those terrible arms, those scythe-like eyes, all made the captain uneasy.

The captain was very afraid of the Mountain!

"What is it?"

"There's a young boy here!"

"What? Bring him over here!" the captain shouted.

"Captain, it's better if you come over here!" The sailor dared not move. He had seen the look in the wild boy's eyes many times, the kind that only merciless mercenaries and pirates had.

The captain strode over and saw a young boy—but actually a young girl—holding his big sailor at bay with a small, pointed sword.

"I am the captain," he said, "What do you want? Child, put down your sword first."

"I want to…" Arya suddenly inexplicably swallowed the words 'go to Braavos', "…to go north… to the Wall. Look, I can pay." She handed him the money bag, Needle leaving the big man's chest, but not returning to its sheath, preventing the big man from suddenly grabbing a stick to beat her. This period of life had taught her a lot, "The Night's Watch has a castle by the sea."

Why did she say go to the Wall? Why did she say go to that castle by the sea? Was it because of her brother Jon Snow?

It must be!

Arya often thought of Jon Snow in the dead of night. Although Jon was a bastard, he was Arya's best brother. Needle was the gift that Jon had specially given her when he parted with her.

Wasn't it home that she missed?

The most correct place to go was White Harbor, and then go upstream through the White Knife River back to Winterfell.

The Mountain had planned to send Arya to Braavos, and although Arya had successfully boarded the ship, she had temporarily changed her mind. It wasn't that she wasn't going to Braavos, but before she went, she wanted to go home and take a look.

"Eastwatch-by-the-Sea." The captain poured the silver coin into his palm and frowned, "Little girl, is this all the money you have?" The captain knew that the name of the Night's Watch castle by the sea was 'Eastwatch-by-the-Sea'.

The well-traveled captain could tell at a glance that Arya was a girl. His eyes were very accurate, poisonous.

Arya gripped Needle tightly in her hand. It was dangerous that the captain had seen that she was a girl. And the big sailor clearly looked blank.

"I won't stay in a cabin or anything," she said, "I'll sleep in the hold below, or…"

"Take her on as a ship's whore," a passing oarsman said, carrying a bundle of wool cloth on his shoulder, "She can sleep with me."

"Watch your tongue," the captain reprimanded.

“I can work,” Arya said. “Scrub decks or something—I’ve scrubbed stairs in castles, washed dishes, swept floors, or I can row…”

“No,” the captain said. “You’re not strong enough.” He gave the silver coin back to her. “Even if you were, it wouldn’t matter, child. We’re not going north. There’s only ice, war, and pirates up there. We’re going around the Claw. I saw a dozen Lysene pirate ships heading north, and I don’t want to run into them. We’re turning around here and going home, and I suggest you do the same.”

Arya remembered the words of Demon Mountain: “Arya, you can’t go home. Danger awaits you if you return. No one can say who will win the war. If the Starks are defeated, the flock will never be safe as long as a wolf remains. Even the lions fear the direwolves. Winter is coming, Arya. Direwolf blood flows in your veins. You are a direwolf.”

“Child, we’ll be stopping at Gulltown ahead. You’ll have to get off the ship there!”

“What kind of ship is this, sir?”

He gave her a weary smile. “This is the three-masted ship 'Titan's Daughter', from the Free City of Braavos.”

Braavos! Braavos! Braavos! Very well, Braavos!

“Good. That’s where I’m going.”

The captain paused, then looked at her with an expression of helplessness. “Very well, but your fare isn’t enough, child!”

“I have this!” Arya reached into her smallclothes. The iron coin was kept deep inside for safety, so she had to dig for it.

The captain looked at Arya. The mead carriers and sailors gathered around, more and more of them. They pointed and whispered, mostly disbelieving that this wild boy was actually a girl.

“Another silver coin wouldn’t make a difference, child,” the captain said patiently.

“It’s not silver,” her hand found it, “it’s iron. Here.” She placed it in his palm. It was Jaqen H’ghar’s small black iron coin, the face on it worn smooth. It might be worthless, but…

The captain turned it over, looking at it in surprise, then looked back at her. “This… how…?”

Arya remembered the words Jaqen had taught her, and Demon Mountain had repeatedly drilled into her, even last night, making her repeat them several times.

So Arya crossed her arms over her chest and said loudly, pretending to know what it meant, “Valar morghulis.”

“Valar dohaeris,” the captain responded, touching his brow with two fingers. “Valar dohaeris! Very well, child, your fare is waived. I will take you to Braavos. No one on this ship will dare to bother you, and you will have a private cabin.”

Arya couldn’t hide her surprise. The little iron coin was worth more than gold dragons and silver stags.

The captain solemnly handed the iron coin back to her. “Welcome to the 'Titan's Daughter'. It is my honor, child!”

“The honor is mine, Captain. Thank you.” Arya was both surprised and delighted. She had assumed that once she gave the iron coin, it would belong to the captain, but the captain didn't even want the coin. He wanted nothing and would send Arya to Braavos for free, and she would even have a private room.

This was great!

On the dock, Demon Mountain watched the large merchant ship sail away, his face expressionless, but his heart was churning. He tried not to change the world's original trajectory, lest the butterfly effect cause the world to deviate too far from its original course, causing his control to be miscalculated due to the unknown. However, he had intervened in Arya's affairs.

He advanced Arya's path as an assassin by a great deal and intervened to pave the way for her journey to Braavos.

The North appears strong on the surface, but it is actually in a precarious state!

Because the Northern army marched south, the North was empty. The Iron Islands, which had secretly formed an alliance with Lord Tywin long ago, would take the opportunity to land on the west coast of the North and attack Hother Umber's territory, Torrhen's Square. Eddard Stark's ward, and also the Iron Islands' nominal heir, Theon Greyjoy, would betray his commander Robb Stark, lead the ironborn to attack Winterfell, and commit a massacre. Winterfell, without troops or defenses, would fall.

Demon Mountain recalled that he had actually reminded Eddard Stark twice.

The first time, Demon Mountain told Eddard not to continue investigating Jon Arryn's death, as it would kill all the guards and servants in his Tower of the Hand and lead to his own imprisonment and death. Eddard did not listen.

The second time, after rescuing Eddard from the dungeons, Demon Mountain told him to focus all his strength on the North, both on Winterfell's own defenses and on the Wall, because winter was coming and the White Walkers were coming. From the feedback received so far, no Northern troops had returned to the North, and Eddard had once again ignored Demon Mountain's advice.

The Northern and Riverlands armies, led by Robb and Eddard, would sweep through the Riverlands and the Westerlands, defeating the Westermen and leaving Tywin unable to retaliate. This was something Demon Mountain was happy to see. It was most advantageous for Demon Mountain when the strength of the Westerlands' lords was constantly weakened.

However, when Hother Umber's Torrhen's Square was taken by the ironmen, and when Theon Greyjoy took Winterfell, everything would be quickly reversed.

Demon Mountain had released two butterflies that would change the world's trajectory to Eddard Stark. Eddard Stark was not perceptive enough to catch them. The fate of the North and the Stark family could only be left to the gods.

As for Demon Mountain, he would seize all the harvestable grain in the Trident River region. He had to thank Tywin's march west, which had attracted almost all the Riverlands' forces; and he had to thank Roose Bolton, whose cautious and timid character had been consistently displayed.

In order to preserve his strength, Roose Bolton refused to fight Demon Mountain to the death, but this was exactly what Demon Mountain wanted.

Demon Mountain also needed to preserve his strength. If he was going to fight, he had to win a great victory.

And the next battle would not be long in coming!