The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Chapter 553: The Great Battle (7) Letter

(This is a combined release of the guaranteed chapter and the owed chapter. I wrote over five thousand words, afraid of losing it due to a power outage, so I saved it in drafts. I forgot to correct the typos and set the time, so it was released!)

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In Clegane's Keep, a raven flew into the maester's chambers in the main castle, landing on Maester Harry's arm. Maester Harry removed the parchment scroll from the raven's leg, read it, and hurried to the main hall to meet Lady Jeyne.

Lady Jeyne was in the midst of a council with her generals, with Lady Dorea Quentina and Sansa Stark seated beside her. Behind Jeyne stood two female generals: Brienne of Tarth and Serilda the She-Ox.

Sansa, as a handmaiden, had been given in marriage to Reynard Westerling by the Mountain. She no longer served anyone as a handmaiden. With the outbreak of war between the Westerlands and the Iron Islands, she followed Jeyne as the future Lady of Casterly Rock.

Jeyne took the letter from Maester Harry and read it, saying, "Commander Joyce Foote and General Jekko Locke, while flanking the Crow's Eye's army, were intercepted by enemy forces. They joined forces to break through the Crow's Eye's center twice, killing thousands, nearly ten thousand. Tens of thousands of the Crow's Eye's soldiers routed as a result, and the Crow's Eye's army has lost its morale."

The entire hall was silent, and everyone exchanged glances, finding it hard to believe.

Were the Crab Coast's cavalry so formidable? Two thousand men fighting against fifty thousand, routing the enemy and killing thousands, nearly ten thousand? Wouldn't even the edge of an axe be blunted from so much hacking?

Lord Odbur, Lady Shatter, Lady Farman, the Lord of Haystack Hall, the acting Lord of Cornfield, Ser Iwan Lydden, the castellan of Golden Tooth, the young lord of Feastfires, Lannister of Lannisport, Lannys, Lanny, Lannister of Casterly Rock… all were speechless.

Did the barbarians of the Crab Coast possess dark magic?

This was an absolutely unbelievable feat!

The ferocity and bloodlust of the Ironborn and pirates were known and feared by everyone in the Westerlands. If the Mountain hadn't designed and Weapons Master Tobho Mott hadn't forged the secret weapon—the dragon-hunting ballista—the Westerlands coalition would have had no confidence in victory against the fifty thousand-strong army attacking Clegane's Keep!

The Clegane army's commanders, however, were overjoyed!

They were impressed by the Crab Coast cavalry's combat prowess!

The Crab Coast cavalry's warhorses were dragons among horses, unmatched by the warhorses of the Seven Kingdoms, and the cavalrymen were just as outstanding, as admirable as their steeds!

Even the forty mountain clan chiefs of the Mountains of the Moon, who never submitted to anyone, were impressed! Shagga and Tymor, the least willing to bow their heads to anyone, couldn't help but reveal expressions of admiration.

Before this news arrived, no one would have believed that over two thousand cavalrymen could charge into an enemy army of fifty thousand.

The Crab Coast cavalry's bravery and strength filled the Westerlands nobles, ladies, knights, and generals with surprise and joy. For the Lannisters of Lannisport and Casterly Rock, Lannys, Lanny, and other families, the surprise outweighed the joy.

Most of the Lannister main line and its branches were unwilling to believe it!

How could the Mountain's cavalry be so powerful?

The Clegane infantry commanders were itching for a fight, regretting that they couldn't fight on the battlefield alongside the cavalry. Like the cavalry, they were equally frustrated. The infantry ambushing in the city were all part of Chiswyck the Big Man's thousand-strong main force. The other infantry had no chance to request battle.

Inside the city, the infantry lying in ambush were not just the two hundred-man companies that seized the city's east gate, but Chiswyck the Big Man's elite thousand-strong battle-axe company, each man a native, a hooligan who had risen from the streets of Lannisport.

Jeyne said, "My lords and ladies, commanders, Joyce Foote and General Jekko Locke have performed a great service. Two thousand main force cavalry and several hundred reserve cavalry have rendered the Crow's Eye's army demoralized. Duke Tyrion and Chiswyck the Big Man have also seized Lannisport's east gate, south city, and the lord's main hall. Currently, Euron's several thousand infantrymen are attacking the lord's main hall, trying to retake it. Chiswyck's eight hundred infantrymen in the north city are flanking the west city's harbor, setting fire to the Crow's Eye's warships. Once the fire starts, the pirates and Ironborn besieging the lord's main hall will be defeated without a fight. We have safely weathered this disaster in the Westerlands. Next is the matter of defeating Euron head-on and capturing him alive."

Lady Shatter and Lady Farman took the lead in applauding, their faces beaming. The Westerlands nobles all breathed a sigh of relief. The main hall was filled with enthusiastic and sustained applause.

Jeyne waved her hand, signaling for the applause to gradually subside. "The Crow's Eye, Euron, has not admitted defeat. He is still advancing toward our Clegane's Keep."

"Mother, please allow me to lead the horse archers to shoot a volley and severely dampen the Crow's Eye's morale," Anguy, who had been ordered back to the Clegane camp to rest and reorganize, stepped out of the ranks and said.

He deeply regretted that he had not had the opportunity to fight alongside Generals Joyce and Jekko because he had returned to Clegane's Keep to rest and reorganize. Such an opportunity would not come again, and he felt a pang of regret in his heart!

"Mother, please allow me and General Anguy to lead six hundred horse archers to shoot a volley at the Crow's Eye," Jeyne Clegane also stepped out of the ranks.

Jeyne waved her hand, not agreeing. "Fall back!" the lady said calmly.

Jeyne and Anguy exchanged glances and returned to the ranks of the generals. The two looked at each other, their minds in sync. Their father had ordered the cavalry to flank the Crow's Eye's rear, and not to engage the Crow's Eye in battle midway. However, Jekko and Joyce not only engaged, but also broke through the Crow's Eye's center twice, a clear violation of military orders.

But Lady Jeyne cleverly said that the Crow's Eye's infantry had intercepted Joyce and Jekko. It was absolutely impossible for infantry to intercept the Crab Coast cavalry's warhorses on the plains at the speed of infantry.

Clearly, Generals Joyce and Jekko had not chosen to detour to avoid the enemy's interception, but had instead chosen to fight, which was a violation of military orders.

If Joyce and Jekko dared to disobey military orders, so did they!

The Mountain was as strict as a mountain regarding military orders, but Jeyne still had a hint of womanly kindness.

Jeyne and Anguy decided to lead the horse archers into battle, shooting a volley at the Crow's Eye's army on the way. Horse archers had an absolute advantage over infantry at long range, advancing and retreating freely, simply bullying them.

The Crow's Eye originally could have reached the edge of Clegane's Keep in about a day of rapid marching, but now that they had been ambushed by Generals Joyce and Jekko, it would take another day to arrive.

Then they would intercept them tonight, serving the Crow's Eye's camp with rockets.

Cavalry shooting at infantry, the enemy attacking and them retreating, the enemy stopping and them shooting, was just like playing.

Jeyne stared at Jeyne, then glanced at Anguy, as if she saw through their thoughts. Jeyne and Anguy lowered their heads together, not meeting their mother's gaze.

Jeyne said, "Before we fight the Crow's Eye, I have something to say to everyone. Maester Harry, please bring out all the letters from the spies we have captured."

Maester Harry bowed and replied, "Yes, my lady!"

Some rolled parchment scrolls were taken out of the maester's chambers by Maester Harry and placed on Lady Jeyne's table.

Jeyne said, "Before the Crow's Eye Euron came to attack the Westerlands, he himself and the generals under him had been maintaining secret contact with certain great lords of the Westerlands. Some of these letters were discovered by Duke Tyrion when clearing the property deeds, land deeds, subject populations, and tax ledgers of the various lords. Some were sent by the Crow's Eye's spies within the month before the great battle, attempting to land at Lannisport and deliver them to the hands of certain lords. Lord Odbur, what do you think should be done with these letters that have private dealings with the Crow's Eye, some of which are related to war?"

Lord Odbur broke out in a cold sweat.

In fact, not only in the Westerlands, but also when the Westerlands fought the North, the great lords had similar correspondence in private. Many lords had indirect blood ties with each other. Duke Tywin had long-standing friendly relations with the Boltons of the North and the Freys of the Riverlands, and they corresponded constantly during wartime. One of Duke Tywin's sisters even married a member of the Frey family as his lady. In the Vale, there were also nobles who intermarried with the Westerlands and those who intermarried with the Riverlands. Their relationships were complex and layered.

These things didn't matter if they weren't pursued, but once they were, they could be considered treason during wartime. Many Westerlands nobles maintained secret underground relations with the nobles on the Great Wyk islands for iron ore.

These letters would become their fatal flaw. Many nobles were secretly communicating and exchanging information with each other before the war arrived. If the nobles were defeated, most of their territories could be preserved as long as they submitted.

As long as Lady Jeyne turned her face, with a word, some people in the Westerlands would lose their heads for communicating military intelligence and private friendship.

This was the same as the principle that some great nobles had secret private dealings with pirate chieftains, only it could not be made public.

Lord Odbur did not know what Jeyne meant. He had already killed Martyn Lannister, the acting Lord of Casterly Rock, Kevan Lannister's only heir. Since there was no turning back, he might as well do it.

"My lady, the Westerlands and the Iron Islands have always been incompatible. The Crow's Eye Euron has independently declared himself king, which is rebellious and treasonous. Those who correspond with the Crow's Eye and those who correspond with the Iron Islands nobles should be beheaded if they involve military intelligence and war!" Lord Odbur said. He looked towards Grand Maester Bancroft, hoping to see some hints, but the Grand Maester was expressionless.

Jeyne looked at Lord Odbur and remained silent for a long time. The hall was plunged into an unbearable suffocation. Jeyne suddenly said softly, "Maester Harry, bring the candles."

"Yes, my lady."

Maester Harry brought the candles and lit them.

Everyone was uneasy, not knowing if there were any letters among the letters piled on the table that were related to their lives. Some were confident about their letters, but no one knew if the Crow's Eye and his nobles had sent new letters to them before they were read out.

Jeyne said calmly, "Although Euron has not been captured yet, and although Kevan Lannister is colluding with the Iron Islands, my lord duke, the lords and ladies present, and I are all Westerlanders. Westerlanders should be one family. Maester Harry, burn all the letters."

"Yes, my lady!" Maester Harry replied respectfully.

A subtle peace emerged in the suffocating atmosphere of the hall.

Lord Odbur's face became very ugly, as if he had been punched hard.

In the hall, the nobles secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Some knights who had not corresponded with the Crow's Eye and Iron Islands nobles were relieved, afraid that they might be accidentally injured. Who knew if the Crow's Eye would suddenly write to them beforehand to recruit and persuade them to surrender!

A handmaiden brought a large brazier, and Maester Harry personally lit each parchment letter, then threw the parchment into the brazier. Each parchment burned, curled, and emitted a slight crackling sound and faint blue smoke. After burning for a while, all the parchment letters were completely burned.

Jeyne said, "Okay, now I want everyone to work together with one heart and listen to my orders to win this war."

"Yes, my lady!" The Westerlands coalition nobles said in unison, never before so united. They looked at Lady Jeyne with gratitude and submission.

If it were the Mountain, he would definitely have killed some of them. Fortunately, they were facing Lady Jeyne. The lady showed mercy and burned all the correspondence, and the nobles who had 'unclean' behavior were all grateful.

The Mountain was bloodthirsty and merciless, and everyone in the Westerlands feared him!

The Mountain would not hesitate to exterminate a clan in anger.

This decision was undoubtedly a decision that only Lady Jeyne could make, which was truly the great fortune of the Westerlands!

Jeyne said, "Lord Odbur, I want you to lead the Lannisport troops to ambush in the woods of the nearest coastal road. If Euron's troops pass by, let them pass first, then ambush them from behind."

Everyone was stunned!

Lord Odbur was also taken aback and said, "My lady, the Crow's Eye Euron's army is coming to our Clegane's Keep for a decisive battle, but the coastal road is on the westernmost coast, which is too far away."