The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Chapter 555: The Great Battle (9) Retreat

(Bonus chapter. Thank you to [Golden Winged Ancestral Dragon] for the reward. Tomorrow, I will add one more chapter for Dragon to show my gratitude.)

*

Flap flap!

Two black ravens appeared in the sky above Pyke.

Pyke was the territory of Lord Greyjoy. On the high walls, the golden kraken banner on a black background fluttered. Next to the kraken flag was a banner with a huge warhammer, representing the sigil of House Emrick.

This year, eighty-nine-year-old Lord Eryk Emrick was appointed as the Governor of the Iron Islands and Acting Lord of Pyke by King Euron Crow's Eye. After Crow's Eye left the Iron Islands to launch his conquest of the Westerlands, Eryk was the highest authority in the Iron Islands.

Eryk sat in a sedan chair carried by eight guards from House Emrick, surrounded by more than a dozen of his descendants. Everyone looked up as the two ravens flew over their heads and into the window of the tall maester's tower.

After a long while, Maester Gormond Leopold, who served Balon, tremblingly brought two letters. Eryk crushed the wax seals. The two letters were identical, and the content was exactly the same. These were the raven letters released by the blind High Septon Baelon Blacktyde before his suicide.

To ensure the message was delivered, High Septon Baelon released all the ravens.

"The Mountain has taken Lannisport and set fire to Euron's warships in the harbor," Eryk said to his descendants.

The guards and family descendants all looked at each other in dismay!

"The Mountain's cavalry, numbering more than two thousand, charged into the formation and broke through the King's center army on the plains outside Clegane's Holdfast, killing thousands of Euron's soldiers. Countless Ironborn soldiers fled in defeat. Euron's first battle is lost."

The Emrick family descendants all changed color.

On the city walls, the guards of Pyke, who had switched their allegiance to Crow's Eye, had grim expressions, but were secretly delighted.

They had no loyalty to Crow's Eye and were only forced to bend the knee and swear allegiance due to the situation.

Balon's guards were waiting for Asha Greyjoy to fight back!

Eryk's descendants were as numerous as those of Lord Walder Frey of the Riverlands. Because he had a good personal relationship with the former King Dagon Greyjoy and used a warhammer that was the heaviest in the Iron Islands, his prestige and qualifications were respected among the Ironborn. After he swore allegiance to Crow's Eye, he was immediately valued.

To win over House Emrick and deal with Asha, Crow's Eye, in his capacity as King of the Iron Islands and head of House Greyjoy, betrothed Asha to eighty-nine-year-old Eryk as his rock wife. Asha escaped before the wedding, but Crow's Eye used a seal instead of Asha and held a wedding for Eryk and Asha in the Grey King's Hall on Great Wyk.

According to law and ancient tradition, Asha was the legal wife of Ser Eryk Emrick.

"Father, perhaps we should send raven messages, summoning all the soldiers on the island to assemble at Lordsport on Pyke, and then send out naval scouts to patrol the southern part of the Iron Islands day and night."

"Wilder, are you afraid that the Mountain will attack the Iron Islands?" Eryk asked.

"Father, the Mountain has taken Lannisport and burned the warships. Euron has no way back."

Eryk was silent. He looked at the letter in his hand. High Septon Baelon said in the letter that the Mountain had set fire to the ships in the harbor. Alas, what a pity for those sturdy, battle-hardened warships!

"Father, is the King's war... in danger?" Heir Norjen asked the question that everyone was worried about.

They were worried about Crow's Eye's failure!

Crow's Eye valued the Emrick family, which was an opportunity for the Emrick family to rise. The Emrick family's territory was small and mountainous. Although they had many descendants and a prosperous population, their economy and overall strength were second-rate among the Iron Islands nobles. After joining Crow's Eye, their power, status, territory, and wealth all benefited greatly.

The Emrick family hoped that Crow's Eye would win a great victory and live to be a hundred years old.

The burly and fat Eryk looked at the sea without saying a word.

The letter said that the King's campaign was doomed to failure, and the High Septon wanted Eryk to prepare for the worst and be ready to deal with the Mountain's counterattack at any time.

Would the Mountain counterattack the Iron Islands?

Eryk admitted that he was not good at land warfare, but when it came to naval warfare, when had the warriors of the Iron Islands ever been afraid? Never!

After an unknown amount of time, the silent Chieftain Eryk finally spoke: "Maester, send out raven messages, summoning all the fighting men and ships from the seven islands of the Iron Islands to assemble in Lordsport within three days. We must prepare for the Mountain's revenge!"

"As you command, my lord!" Old Maester Gormond Leopold said tremblingly.

King Euron was fierce and good at fighting. More than seven hundred warships attacked the Westerlands. It was really incomprehensible how he could have been defeated!

Victarion, the commander of the Iron Fleet, led more than three hundred warships to attack the Shield Islands. The first night's raid was a great victory. He successfully captured four islands and executed all the nobles on the islands. The noblewomen and women were all left behind, and the leaders and centurions enjoyed a night of pleasure. The next day, Victarion led the fleet to attack the ports of the Reach, effortlessly defeating the Tyrell family's small fleet. Three hundred warships went north along the Mander, invincible. Raven messages said that Victarion had already attacked the Tyrell family's capital, Highgarden, outside the river in the Reach, and Victarion caused the entire Reach to tremble.

How could Euron, with twice as many warships and twice as many troops as Victarion, have been defeated?

Eryk Emrick was uneasy. He had joined a new master and betrayed Asha Greyjoy, who had the right of inheritance. If Crow's Eye was defeated or even killed, if Asha came back with an army, would the Emrick family face disaster?!

Cold sweat dripped from old Eryk's back! Just as the Emrick family was about to rise, King Euron's war had failed! Did the Drowned God choose the wrong person, or was the blind High Septon's judgment wrong before his suicide?!

*

Before Eryk on the Iron Islands received the High Septon Baelon's raven message, Crow's Eye had already received Baelon's raven message. The content of the letter was very short: the harbor had fallen, and the Mountain had set fire to the warships!

Crow's Eye felt a pain in his chest after reading the High Septon Baelon's letter, and he couldn't speak.

Warships were the lifeblood of pirates; warships were also the soul of the Ironborn. Seven hundred warships were Crow's Eye's glory and everything. That was all the hard work he had put in for more than ten years after being exiled by King Balon, preying on others at sea... Crow's Eye's heart was greatly injured, and the pain in his back from the hammer blow in the melee intensified... The scene he saw was blurred and shaking...

*

Lannisport.

Deafening cheers rang out throughout the city. The city had been recaptured, and the sound of horns and military whistles echoed through the city. The residents of the city all came out, happily helping the Mountain escort prisoners, clean up the corpses, weapons, and armor on the streets, and sweep and wash the bloodstained streets.

The Mountain's voice was like thunder: "People of the North City, let us clean up the city first, burn the enemy's corpses, and sort out the spoils of war. When all the people return to the city, every one of you who participated in the battle today will go to the Westerlands Bank to receive money, salt, and swords. The Mountain keeps his word. Everyone, go find Ser Rafford Clegane to get a registration card. Registration cards are issued in the great hall of the Earl's Keep."

The people of the North City erupted in overwhelming cheers!

The Mountain gave the order: "Ser Rafford Clegane, lead the people of the North City to clean up the streets, and then return to the Earl's Hall to register the names of the people who participated in the battle today."

"As you command, Duke," Sweetmouth said with a grin.

"Ser Polliver Clegane, Ser Reynard Westerling, Ser Duncen Clegane, you three, take stock of the spoils of war on the warships and count the names and number of warships. The grain, armor, and wealth on the warships are now confiscated and handed over to Lady Jeyne."

"As you command, Duke!" Polliver, Reynard, and Duncen said in unison.

"Dogmouth, you and I will count the prisoners and lead the soldiers to clean up the corpses, spoils of war, and bloodstains on the streets."

"As you command, Duke," Dogmouth was overjoyed.

Duncen, Polliver, Reynard, and others did not get the honor of working with the Duke. He did.

Dogmouth was also from the North City, an orphan, tough and righteous. He was once a small servant in the Gull Mercenary Company in the West City of Lannisport. After the commander of the Gull Mercenary Company was killed by Bighead, the Gull Mercenary Company chose to submit to Bighead, but only Dogmouth refused to submit. Finally, Bighead went to find Dogmouth and saved Dogmouth's life in a street fight, and only then did he subdue this guy.

The Mountain liked Dogmouth's character, and he also liked his seemingly thin and honest appearance, but shrewd and cunning character.

Dogmouth was a beggar from the North City, an orphan. Because he spoke sarcastically and liked to swear, he got the nickname Dogmouth. He had no name or surname. The Mountain knew that it was time to give Dogmouth a name. Only when Dogmouth had his own Clegane surname would he be qualified to be knighted.

The Mountain rode Red Smoke, and Dogmouth rode a warhorse, leading a thousand cavalry and a thousand infantry to begin cleaning up the battlefield. The two of them did not need to do it themselves, just give orders. All the people in the city, regardless of men, women, old, or young, participated in the work of cleaning up the battlefield.

"Lord Mountain," an old man came to the side of the Mountain's Red Smoke, respectfully offering the Mountain a horn cup of wine.

The Mountain took it and was about to drink it all in one gulp, but Dogmouth hurriedly said, "Duke, please let me be your wine taster now."

Wine tasters and food tasters are the same, both to prevent enemy spies from poisoning the food and drink.

After Dogmouth was subdued by Bighead, he had long since become a loyal and devoted member of the death squad. Bighead specially found Dogmouth and made him his brother, because among the thousand members of the Gull Mercenary Company, only Dogmouth did not forget his roots and sought revenge for the former commander of the mercenary company, Bighead, and threw Bighead into prison, causing Bighead to become a death row prisoner, who was later saved by the Mountain.

The Mountain learned blood magic from Jeyne and was not afraid of poisoned wine, but it was best to be low-key if you had the ability, and you could only protect yourself best if you were not known.

The Mountain handed the horn cup in his hand to Dogmouth.

Dogmouth took the horn cup and took a big sip. After a while, there was nothing unusual. Dogmouth handed the horn cup to the Mountain and nodded slightly to the old man.

The Mountain drank the horn cup of wine in one gulp, then thanked the old man. The old man took the horn cup, his emotions were agitated, his lips trembled slightly, and his voice was excited: "Duke, the common people thank you for defeating the Ironborn and saving this city from the destruction of war."

The old man had deep feelings for this city!

The Mountain said a few words of humility, and the old man was grateful to the Mountain for drinking his wine. With such a short interlude, more people came over, holding food in their hands, and some holding silk in their hands. Those who could offer silk were either nobles or wealthy merchants.

Lannisport was the fourth largest port in the Seven Kingdoms and the largest city in the Westerlands. It was home to many wealthy merchants who had made their fortunes from trade. These people were grateful to the Mountain because their wealth was in the city, and every big boss had left his family in the city.

The Mountain met the people who came to be close to him one by one. Later, more and more people gathered, and the Mountain simply got off Red Smoke and enjoyed everyone's expression of respect for him. He accepted anything that the people offered him, whether it was wine, bread, roast meat, silk, cloth, silverware, paintings, daggers, or short swords.

Compared to Earl Odbur, who was nowhere to be seen, the Mountain, who led the troops to capture the city, naturally won the hearts of the people more.

He who wins the hearts of the people wins the world.

When the hearts of the people have a choice, the advantage of he who wins the hearts of the people will be unstoppable!

*

At night, in the large plain outside Clegane's Holdfast, in Crow's Eye's camp, a group of infantry quietly headed towards the Riverlands Great Road to the north. All the bells and other ornaments that would make noise on these people had been removed, and no one dared to light torches.

There was also a camp in the distance, which was the camp of the terrifying Clegane cavalry. This invincible cavalry team had been following behind Crow's Eye's army, not too far, not too close, following slowly. Perhaps they were tired from the daytime charge. Until the night was cool, the night gradually deepened, and time gradually slipped into the late night, they did not launch a sudden attack that made people worried.

The daytime cavalry charge gave the Ironborn soldiers an unforgettable impression. In land warfare, cavalry is the trump card.

At the same time, another team quietly groped towards the small road to the south. After passing the small road, they turned west again, and walked all the way to the Coastal Road, and then turned south, towards the territory of the Reach.

This team had about five thousand people, with the first batch of one thousand people departing first. They set off in four batches in the dark and gathered on the Coastal Road.

Eight thousand people left in two teams. The night was dark, and the camp was brightly lit, with scouts all around the camp. In the shadow of the tents, another team set off, heading east, with the goal of the Gold Road, taking the road to King's Landing.

Crow's Eye decided to abandon the false name of King of the Iron Islands and go to King's Landing to meet with Hand of the King Kevan. Kevan needed allies. Anyone who had an opponent like the Mountain would need a powerful ally.

This team of three thousand people was also lightly equipped and quietly withdrew under the cover of night.

Crow's Eye's army of more than 30,000 men had about 12,000 men leave. Of the remaining 18,000 men, he left 5,000 soldiers to deal with the Clegane cavalry that was following them. These 5,000 soldiers were mainly archers, with spears and long axes as the main force. Close combat soldiers and archers were combined, firmly staring at the brightly lit camp behind them.

Since Crow's Eye had decided to withdraw his troops, he had not thought about fighting again. He decided to withdraw the remaining troops silently in all directions in an hour, at the time when people slept best at night. By the time the Clegane people discovered something was wrong early tomorrow morning, they would have safely withdrawn!

Thanks to [Golden Winged Ancestral Dragon] and [Learning is Really a Little Goblin] for their support and rewards. Thank you, handshake!