The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Chapter 337: The Decisive Battle: Feint to the East, Attack in the West!

The mouth of the Trident River – Saltpans. After the Mountain had basically finished harvesting the crops around Saltpans, it was the first month of the year 299 AC.

"The decisive battle!" the Mountain said. "Roose Bolton is deploying his troops at the Green Fork crossing, intending to fight us in open battle." The Mountain held up the letter of challenge written to him by Roose Bolton.

The generals all burst into laughter upon hearing this.

The Mountain looked around at his generals: Anguy, Jull, Sweet Raff the Sweetling, the executioner Dunsen, Big Chiswyck, the fierce Tobert, the captain of the guards, the Ape, Rorge, and Ser Gratten. All of them were laughing heartily.

Apart from Jaqen, Ellyn, and Polliver, none of them were anything less than arrogant and contemptuous of the enemy.

Jaqen was mute, and could only express his feelings with grunts and gestures. Ellyn was a Northerner, and was internally resistant to fighting against other Northerners, so he always went into battle against them with his visor down, never showing his true face.

The Mountain never underestimated Roose Bolton. But his generals had become extremely arrogant due to Roose Bolton's previous retreat, where he had abandoned his armor and fled, and they completely looked down on the Northern army. This was actually a very bad thing. It often meant that Roose Bolton had achieved his goal of making them complacent. Since he had returned after retreating and deployed his troops at the crossing, he was naturally ready for a decisive battle.

Roose Bolton never fought unprepared!

The Northern army was not easily defeated, mainly because Roose Bolton was a general who charged ahead in battle. If he changed his style this time and became someone who charged in the front, the Northern army's long-suppressed true combat power would explode.

Roose Bolton had no cavalry, but his spearmen outnumbered the Mountain's cavalry tenfold. In a static battle, the Mountain's cavalry would suffer heavy losses. The cavalry of less than a thousand men was the Mountain's main asset, and he couldn't afford to lose them. The infantry this time were also the Mountain's Clegane men, his direct troops. The Brave Companions, Amory's Men, and the mountain infantry, nearly two thousand men, were harvesting crops on the eastern shore of the Gods Eye near Harrenhal.

The Mountain's harvest this time was also divided into two routes, with both sides of the great river being worked simultaneously. The crops on the eastern shore of the Gods Eye were also vast and boundless, requiring thousands of laborers to work the land. One-Eyed Teague, the little beauty Qylla, and the skinny Galt – their thousand or so mountain men were the best farmers, while the Brave Companions and Amory's soldiers were responsible for transportation.

The Mountain's cavalry and infantry on the west bank of the great river this time, excluding the grain harvesting team, were less than two thousand men, and their combat power was half of what it used to be. Looking at the relaxed and indifferent expressions of these generals, the Mountain knew that this time they were in trouble!

"Brothers, Roose Bolton has returned after fleeing. While we were harvesting grain downstream at the Crossroads, he has returned to the crossing and sent scouts to deliver letters demanding a decisive battle. I have replied and agreed to the challenge. This will be a tough battle, and only victory is allowed, no defeat. Who dares to take the lead?" The Mountain said slowly, his eyes sweeping over the generals.

"Heavy cavalry should naturally be used for charging into the enemy lines! I volunteer to be the vanguard!" Sweet Raff the Sweetling said with a grin.

"I am willing to take the lead," the executioner Dunsen stood up and shouted loudly. The Mountain admired his martial skills the most. Whether it was a spear, javelin, or longsword, he was absolutely first-class.

"Horse archers are good at long-range attacks and can defeat the enemy without engaging with infantry," Anguy said. "I am willing to sign a military pledge."

Anguy was also getting carried away!

Two units of horse archers, only two hundred bows. The enemy's foot archers numbered three thousand, and a single volley would be three thousand arrows.

Any team going to charge alone would be committing suicide. They underestimated the Northern soldiers' rejuvenated combat power. The Mountain had to admire Roose Bolton, who had managed to persuade the Northern soldiers, who had fled in defeat, to return and openly challenge the Mountain to a decisive battle at the Green Fork crossing.

Victory or defeat, a decisive battle!

A decisive battle was a fight to the death! Either victory or death!

The Mountain was unwilling to risk his two thousand men against ten thousand Northern 'remnants'. Even if he won in the end, it would be a pyrrhic victory, and his capital would be basically exhausted!

In secret, Roose Bolton must have prepared some good things to welcome the Mountain. The Mountain knew this very well.

He understood Roose Bolton!

The Ape, Rorge, stood up and roared loudly, volunteering to be the vanguard. He wanted to lead the guards and a unit of a hundred heavy cavalry to charge and break through the enemy's lines from the center. He swore that he would.

The generals all volunteered for battle, each thinking that the Northerners were just paper tigers.

The Mountain said, "Brothers, our harvest at Saltpans is basically complete, and it's time for us to return. Listen to my orders. Eat early tonight. We will launch a night raid, with both cavalry and infantry moving out together. We will reach the crossing before dawn and catch Roose Bolton off guard. I will personally lead the heavy cavalry to charge into the enemy lines. Brothers, this time we will defeat Roose Bolton in one fell swoop. Whoever can capture him, I will knight him. If a knight captures him and makes a great contribution, there will be generous rewards."

The generals were overjoyed and agreed with a roar, their fighting spirit soaring. Everyone thought they could capture Roose Bolton, and everyone wanted to cut off the heads of the Northern generals and stick them on the tips of their spears to show off. So they all actively prepared.

In the evening, the Mountain ordered: "The horse archers will be on the left, led by Anguy, and will board the large ships on the left at the Saltpans docks. The heavy cavalry will be on the right and will go to the Saltpans harbor docks to board the large ships on the right. The infantry will follow, boarding the large and small ships in the middle. Everyone, move quickly to board the ships, and no noise is allowed. The guards, led by Rorge with a hundred-man unit, and Jaqen, leading the guards, will be responsible for escorting the nearly thousand civilians who were looted this time, waiting on the shore, and boarding the ships last."

The generals received their orders and came to the docks. In the harbor, several huge merchant ships had been added, and no one knew where the Mountain had found them, or if the merchant ships doing business on this route had been temporarily requisitioned.

The generals and soldiers boarded the ships one after another, all secretly admiring the Mountain for sending them to the crossing by ship. This way, sailing all night would tire the sailors, but it would allow the soldiers to rest well and be full of energy, and they would be able to defeat the paper-tiger Northerners in one fell swoop when they landed ashore at dawn.

The mouth of Saltpans was Crab Bay. After a hundred or so ships, large and small, had been loaded with all the cavalry and infantry, the guards, the hundred-man rearguard, and the thousand or so civilians remained on the shore. The Mountain ordered Rorge to wait there, and the ships set sail and splashed through the water, advancing in the darkness.

The Mountain issued an order that the soldiers should rest on the ships, with their armor on and the horses saddled. So the generals and soldiers rested on the spot, conserving their energy, and waiting for the great battle after the night.

At dawn, Anguy woke up and walked to the bow of the ship. In the distance directly ahead was vaguely visible land. He was shocked to find that both sides were wide expanses of sea. Turning back, behind him was the boundless sea.

Anguy was shocked. If they were sailing on the Trident River, there should be land on both sides.

Around him, hundreds of large and small ships were working hard to sail, advancing towards the black shadow of land ahead.

Had they crossed Crab Bay overnight?

Anguy looked towards the large ship in the center. On the bow, the Mountain was also standing, looking down at him from a high position.

"Lord!" Anguy came to the closest position and shouted.

The Mountain raised his hand: "Centurion Anguy, prepare for battle!"

Anguy swallowed a mouthful of saliva and suppressed many questions: "Yes, Lord!"

Then, the land ahead began to become clearer, the sky became brighter, and he could see far away.

A huge castle appeared on the hills by the sea, and a huge port also appeared. In the port, the vague shapes of ships were also revealed.

On the Mountain's large ship, the horns sounded: Woo woo woo! Woo woo woo woo! Woo woo woo woo woo! The soldiers on hundreds of ships rose one after another, and the centurions' military whistles also sounded sharply, as if shouting loudly: Fight! Fight! Fight!

Where was this? Whose castle was this? Who were they attacking after crossing Crab Bay? Anguy didn't know! But one thing he knew was to sound the military whistle and order his soldiers to get up and prepare for battle.

The Mountain's large ship was the first to rush into the unfamiliar port. Anguy saw the Mountain jump onto another merchant ship and draw his greatsword. With the first strike, he cut a sailor who hadn't figured out what was going on in two!

Then the Mountain's guards jumped off the large ship one after another, their swords gleaming, and rushed into the cabins of a large ship.

Anguy stood at the bow, ordering the sailors to row faster. He took out his bow and arrow, but saw Jull had already jumped onto another ship, holding a longsword and killing his way in.

So Anguy also put his bow and arrow on his back, and naturally couldn't ride his horse. He jumped off the ship and onto another large ship, and a dazed fellow walked out to meet him: "What happened?" he asked. Anguy gripped his sword with both hands, and the longsword cut into the man's neck.

In half an hour, dozens of large merchant ships in the port were captured, the captains were escorted out, and the sailors were escorted out wearing only their underpants. The port battle ended.

The Mountain arranged for several large ships to return, ordering the captured sailors to row back to pick up Rorge and others to cross the Green Fork back to the west bank of the river, instead of crossing Crab Bay to come here. Then, the Mountain pointed his greatsword at the castle not far away and said, "Brothers, follow me to take the castle." The generals and soldiers agreed with a roar. Although they had won a victory, most people still didn't know where they had arrived, but the only thing they could be sure of was that this was not the Green Fork crossing battlefield. Their opponent was not Roose Bolton.

The battlefield carefully laid out by Roose Bolton, the battlefield waiting for the Mountain to drill into, was shamelessly abandoned by this scum of a man. He had none of the honor of a lord or the courage of a knight. He replied and agreed to the decisive battle, telling Roose Bolton to wait, but his men crossed Crab Bay in the dark and attacked another large town.

The huge town facing Saltpans across Crab Bay was called Maidenpool, and it was the territory of House Mooton.

Maidenpool was a major port and trading center in Crab Bay, several times larger and more prosperous than Saltpans, and naturally had several times more people.

Saltpans was mainly about salt, and its trade volume with the other side of the Narrow Sea was very small, while Maidenpool was a super large town on the eastern edge of the Gods Eye, and also the easternmost territory of House Tully of the Riverlands. Facing the Narrow Sea, with warm summers and blooming flowers.

Lord Mooton, following the summons of his liege Lord Tully, led seven hundred-man units to Riverrun. There were not many guard soldiers in Maidenpool, only three hundred-man units.

But Maidenpool had high walls built around it, and the entire town was protected by walls. Although the stone walls had strong defensive capabilities, it was a pity that the walls were not city walls. As the Mountain's nearly two thousand soldiers rushed out of the docks like ants towards Maidenpool, the startled soldiers on Maidenpool's walls were dumbfounded.

Suddenly, where did so many enemies come from?

Woo woo woo! Woo woo woo woo! Woo woo woo woo woo!

On the walls of Maidenpool, the horns of enemy attack sounded.

The people of the whole town were still asleep, because there were many large merchant ships coming and going in the port, and there were many kinds of horns, and they sounded every day, so everyone was used to it. Moreover, the war was thousands of miles away in Riverrun, and Maidenpool had not had any battles for seventeen years.

The people of the whole town had forgotten the sound of the enemy attack horns, except for the soldiers. Everyone's vigilance was very low, and they were immune to the sound of the enemy attack horns.

Most of the people in Maidenpool were indifferent, but the soldiers guarding the town were all alarmed. They quickly assembled and came to the walls. Then, they saw the soldiers running like ants to attack, and the leader was tall and burly, like a giant.

The three centurions were suffocated with shock: there were too many enemies, densely packed, several times their number. And their walls were walls, although they were three meters high, they were not city walls. There was no need for siege equipment, no need for ladders, and the walls were more than ten miles long, and the enemy could climb over them anywhere.

"Archers, prepare!" A centurion drew his longsword and shouted.

So, the three hundred men tremblingly drew their bows and arrows, looking up at the sky, ready to shoot!

Swish!

An arrow flew and hit the centurion's throat. He and his longsword fell together, crashing onto the stones outside the wall with a thud.

The other two centurions looked at each other in fear.

They had never heard of such a divine arrow at such a distance.

Swish!

Another arrow flew and hit another centurion's chest. The centurion staggered and knelt down. The long arrow pierced through his armor and hit his heart. He knelt down and curled up, already dead.

The third centurion was so frightened that he ducked and hid, not daring to show himself. The fighting spirit of the three hundred soldiers melted away like thin snow in the sun. They put down their bows and arrows, their faces filled with confusion mixed with panic.

"Brothers of Maidenpool, I am the Mountain. Open the gates and surrender, there will be no killing; resist stubbornly, and you will all be hanged!"

The Mountain's voice was like thunder, more effective than the soldiers' enemy attack horns, not only deterring the three hundred soldiers, but also shocking the sweet dreams of all the town's citizens.

I am the Mountain! I am the Mountain! I am the Mountain!

Is there any name more frightening than this?

No!

The Mountain's cavalry had all become infantry, because the terrain was not flat. The oak shield he held was like a door panel, and the soldiers around him, after running into range, all raised their round shields.

Round shields and longswords did not hinder the running speed of these people, which made the soldiers on the walls unbelievable. They could not run like this while holding shields. They couldn't do it.

The Mooton soldiers did not fire an arrow. The Mountain led his guards to the gate of the wall. With a roar, the Mountain raised the heavy oak shield like a door panel and slammed it against the gate. With a bang, the gate latch broke. With the second strike, the gate shattered. The Mountain rushed in, stood still, like a god of war. The guards around him poured into the town like a tide.

"Brothers, drop your weapons. I don't want to kill you, your wives, and your children!" The Mountain roared, his voice like thunder rolling across the sky above Maiden's Spring. His greatsword pointed towards the soldiers on the wall. Even standing on the ground, he could swing his greatsword and chop off the heads of the soldiers on the wall.

The only centurion glanced at his fallen comrade, already dead at his feet. He dropped his longsword and shield, raising both hands high. The soldiers followed suit, throwing down their bows, arrows, swords, and spears, raising their hands.

The vast Maiden's Spring was taken without bloodshed!

And the highest noble in Maiden's Spring was Elanor Mooton, the daughter of Earl Mooton. She was Earl Mooton's eldest daughter and heir, and unmarried.

Elanor Mooton, one of the Mountain's primary targets this time.

Thank you to the three book friends [Chau534], [世事无常19], and [求挚] for your rewards. Thank you, handshake!