The Mountain of Ice and Fire

The Clegane family originated from Rose of Red Lake, daughter of Garth the "Greenhand." It is said that even today, women of the Clegane family who inherit the blood of Rose of Red Lake still possess the shapeshifting ability to turn into cranes.

Compared to Bloodraven Brynden Rivers' ability to transform into a three-eyed raven, the ability to turn into a crane seems somewhat more advanced.

However, since Rose's death, it seems that no rare shapeshifters have appeared among the female descendants of the Clegane family.

Of course, these are just rumors. Nevertheless, the Clegane family has produced many notable figures and has a very close relationship with the Tyrell family.

Ser Vortimer Clegane was the master-at-arms for three generations of Highgarden's lords.

Ser Parmen Clegane was a member of Renly Baratheon I's Rainbow Guard and fought alongside Brienne of Tarth. After Renly was killed by a shadow assassin, Parmen joined Stannis Baratheon's side. His new king sent Ser Parmen and Erren Florent to Bitterbridge to rally Renly's infantry. At Bitterbridge, Parmen was captured by the enraged Knight of Flowers, Loras Tyrell, imprisoned in the dungeons of Highgarden, and later beheaded.

Lady Melaia Clegane is the wife of Lord Alester Florent. Alester served as Stannis' Hand on Dragonstone.

Lady Meredyth Clegane was a companion, confidante, and handmaiden to Queen Margaery Tyrell. After Margaery Tyrell was ordered to be killed by the Mountain, Meredyth Clegane chose to commit suicide in devotion to her mistress.

After receiving information from Benson, the Northern and Westerlands allied forces advanced slowly, with their first target being Red Lake, the home of the "renowned" Clegane family.

*

Red Lake City is named after a large red lake outside the city.

Red Lake irrigates the Clegane family's lands, leading to abundant harvests and rich fishing resources, which in turn makes the people of the territory wealthy.

Ser Rodrik rode back to Red Lake City.

He was in a sorry state.

He had three arrow wounds on his left arm.

Armor-piercing arrows had pierced through his oak shield, pinning his left arm to the shield.

The arrows on the shield had long been removed, and the shield had been discarded.

He returned alone on horseback. As soon as he entered the city, a soldier galloped to the Lord's Keep to report the news of Ser Rodrik's wounded return.

Lord Clegane was taken aback and hurried out to greet Rodrik.

"What happened?"

"Addam Crakehall is here."

Ser Rodrik himself did not see Addam Crakehall.

The two scouts he sent to investigate the news also did not return, most likely intercepted and killed by Benson Mudd.

"Did General Crakehall injure you?" Lord Clegane asked, moved.

Addam Crakehall is the Mountain's ward. The Mountain is already the King of the Seven Kingdoms. Who dares to provoke Addam?!

"No, it was Addam's scout captain, Benson Mudd."

The Mudd family are vassals of the Riverlands, but because Addam married the eldest daughter of Lord Mudd, his army includes a force from the Mudd family.

"Benson shot you? Why? What happened?"

"Addam is leading a Westerlands army and a Northern alliance, a total of five thousand elite soldiers, along the coastal road to attack Highgarden. Benson said they were ordered by His Majesty to capture the rebel Lord Willas Tyrell in Highgarden."

Lord Clegane was immediately rendered speechless.

"Lord, has Lord Willas truly rebelled?"

"I have not heard any news of this."

"Benson wants me to relay a message: he wants Red Lake City to gather its forces and follow General Crakehall to attack Highgarden. If we refuse, he will destroy Red Lake City."

"Did you see His Majesty's order?"

Rodrik shook his head.

Lord Clegane looked at the family knights beside him, pondered for a long while, and said, "Sound the horns, summon the vassals."

"Yes, Lord."

The Lord's captain of the guard left like a whirlwind.

As long as the horns are sounded on the city walls, the vassals of Red Lake City can hear them. Red Lake City is on a plain, and the sound of the horns blown from the highest point of the city walls will travel far.

In fact, Red Lake City is not on the main coastal road. It deviates from the coastal road relatively far, but it is the location of the first major noble family at the border between the Reach and the Westerlands. The Oakheart family of Old Oak is the noble family on the coastal road. However, the Oakheart family's location is further back.

If the invading army is only faithful to the coastal road route, it can completely bypass Red Lake City, but if the news spreads, the advancing force will be caught in a pincer attack between Red Lake City and Old Oak, facing enemies on both sides.

Half an hour later, all the vassals of the Red Lake City territory arrived at Red Lake City at full speed and paid their respects to Lord Clegane. Clegane has quite a few minor nobles under his banner. The Reach is rich in resources and is the granary of the Seven Kingdoms. The Clegane family, which owns the Red Lake water source, has a large population in its territory, and the minor nobles are also wealthy, with abundant harvests every year.

Half an hour later, the Clegane family gathered all the vassals under its command and all the soldiers in the city, totaling three thousand men. With a command, he opened the city gates and led his army out of the city, deciding to follow General Addam Crakehall to attack Highgarden.

Loyalty to His Majesty the King and the extermination of the rebel Willas Tyrell was the unanimous opinion of Lord Clegane and his vassals.

Just as Red Lake City decided to surrender to the Westerlands and Northern allied forces, Addam Crakehall, Sansa Stark, Reynard Westerling, and Lewel Umber were sailing a hundred longships, heading east along the Mander River towards Highgarden.

Sailing upstream from the mouth of the Mander at the Shield Islands, it would only take a day to reach Highgarden. Sansa calculated the time and would launch the attack at night.

The Highgarden, which once had three layers of walls and a maze defense, is now just a wooden fortress newly built on the ruins. Except for the complete walls on the west and south sides, the walls on the north and east sides have long been dilapidated, and the collapsed walls have not yet been fully repaired. Many places allow direct access to Highgarden's inner city.

*

Winter nights come earlier than usual, with short days and long nights. Just as it was getting dark, Sansa's fleet arrived in the river below Highgarden. The longships chose to land away from the docks.

The docks were small, with a few ships lit with starlight.

Highgarden has no navy of its own; the Shield Islands are Highgarden's naval defense line. The first navy of the Reach is the Redwyne family of the Arbor, with hundreds of warships; the second is the Shield Islands, with fifty warships.

The Redwyne family had already sworn allegiance to the Mountain. Lord Redwyne, who had committed a capital crime but was not beheaded, was grateful that the Mountain had spared his life. After returning to the Arbor, he handed over his family's wine and navy to the Iron Throne as a sign of loyalty. The world-renowned wine, His Majesty the King became the sole agent; the Redwyne family's navy has become a component of the Royal Navy fleet.

The Redwyne family, the most economically powerful in the Reach, was subdued by the Mountain, and the Shield Islands of Highgarden had already been taken down by Addam and others without a word leaking out.

As long as Addam, Sansa, and Reynard displayed His Majesty the King's orders, the nobles of the Shield Islands would all submit—they had already submitted to the Mountain, and this time they were submitted to again.

Night fell, and the surrendered soldiers from the Shield Islands led the way. They were locals of the Reach and knew the area well. They encountered two patrols along the way, but they were able to approach them as their own people and cleanly and efficiently eliminate the scouts. The army then silently followed, entering the newly built Highgarden, which had lost its former glory, without losing a single man.

The soldiers guarding the city were tricked into opening the city gates by the surrendered soldiers of the Shield Islands. Addam, Sansa, Reynard, and Lewel led a thousand elite soldiers in, and with a shout, the soldiers guarding the city scattered like birds and beasts.

After entering the city, Addam took the center, with Reynard and Sansa leading the army in front, and General Lewel bringing up the rear. The crowd shouted in unison and charged towards Willas' inner city highlands.

The team encountered almost no resistance on their way to the gate of Willas' keep. The few generals who rushed out were shot dead by Addam one by one, making it easier for Reynard to chop off their heads with his sword. With the death of a few main generals, the soldiers had no fighting spirit and scattered in a swarm.

The Highgarden guards, elite troops who had been ambushed by the Dornish and burned by the Mountain's dragonfire, had almost all died in the last great battle. Willas' four main vassals had also all died in battle. The newly appointed captains, master-at-arms, and supervisors, as well as the newly trained and assembled garrison, were simply no match for the original garrison.

Reynard commanded the soldiers to surround Willas' keep. He ordered all the soldiers to light torches, and the torches burned brightly, illuminating the night sky of Highgarden on the ruins.

The royal flag and the Mountain's military flag were raised, and Reynard's voice rang out like a bell: "I am Reynard Westerling of Casterly Rock in the Westerlands, and I am here by order of King Gregor Clegane to capture the rebel Willas Tyrell. Soldiers who are loyal to His Majesty the King, put down your swords and come out, and we will not harm you."

Willas Tyrell was comfortably drinking red wine and reading a book in his bedroom. His bedroom was kept as it was, and the charcoal fire in the fireplace was burning brightly. By the time he heard the commotion outside, he had not yet understood what was happening.

Until his new captain, supervisor, and master-at-arms came to his bedroom.

The supervisor said cautiously, "Lord, the Mountain has sent General Reynard Westerling to capture you. There are reports that the Lord is secretly training assassins, preparing to enter the Red Keep to assassinate His Majesty the King."

Willas Tyrell looked up in astonishment!

Training assassins to assassinate the King? Why was he himself completely unaware?

"Supervisor, go call the maester, and quickly write a letter to His Majesty the King. Someone is framing me. I have not trained assassins, and I have never thought of going to the Red Keep to assassinate the King."

Willas Tyrell was somewhat incoherent.

In fact, his head was buzzing, and he didn't even know what he was saying.

His palms were sweating, his back was hot, and his heart was pounding violently, as if it would burst out of his chest at any moment.

Although the Mountain killed Willas' father, brothers, and sister, Willas Tyrell was not a courageous or heroic person, and he never thought of revenge.

"Lord, this is not that His Majesty the King's information is wrong, nor is it that other nobles want to frame you. This is the Mountain's excuse to exterminate the Tyrell family," Captain of the Guard Rowan said heavily.

Willas Tyrell was stunned. In his ears, a thousand whistles blew at the same time, and in his stomach, a thousand crabs were pinching and pinching. The figures in front of him were also blurred.

"Lord, the Mountain wants us to die, and our only option is to fight," the master-at-arms shouted.

Clang!

The master-at-arms drew his longsword!

"No, no!" Willas Tyrell was awakened by the sound of the sword being drawn. The illusion disappeared, and he returned to the real world.

"Lord, what should we do? Give the order," the captain of the guard said resolutely.

Clang!

The captain also drew his longsword.

"None of you move. The Mountain wants my life, and I'll give it to him. There's no need for you to risk your lives as well." Willas was well-read, knowledgeable, and intelligent. After freeing himself from fear, he immediately made up his mind.

He didn't want his vassals and soldiers to die for him; it was meaningless. He didn't want the people of Highgarden to suffer another war; they had experienced enough wars.

Since the Mountain wanted him dead, there was no way for him to escape.

Everyone has to die eventually, so let it be.

Reynard Westerling's shouts continued, and he brought out His Majesty the King's orders. Sure enough, when the soldiers and civilians of Highgarden heard that they had come to capture the rebels by order of His Majesty the King, they lost their fighting spirit.

Highgarden itself was still in ruins, with black liquid stones everywhere. Many of the walls on the north and east sides had been burned down by dragonfire and had not been repaired.

His Majesty the King was a dragon knight and had also subdued Daenerys Targaryen, the Mother of Dragons. Who could defeat His Majesty the King's dragon and Daenerys' three dragons? No one!

The soldiers and civilians of Highgarden couldn't help but shudder at the thought of the Mountain's dragon.

The dragon's rampage had destroyed Highgarden, which had been prosperous for hundreds of years, burned countless warriors to death, and collapsed countless houses and towering walls. That dragonfire burning had destroyed the confidence of the soldiers and civilians of Highgarden.

*

With the sound of the door opening, the gates of Willas' castle slowly opened, and a wheelchair was pushed out, with Lord Willas Tyrell, the Lord of Highgarden, sitting on it.

Several black hounds followed Willas, and two mountain eagles stood on his shoulders and the back of the wheelchair.

Training dogs and raising eagles was Willas' greatest pleasure.

He only hoped to protect his ancestral property and live in peace, but after killing his father, brothers, and sister, the Mountain did not intend to let him go.

He had knelt before the Mountain and sworn allegiance. He really didn't expect that the Mountain would still find an excuse to kill him on the grounds of rebellion.

"General Reynard Westerling, I am Willas Tyrell. I will go with you to King's Landing to see His Majesty the King. I admit to the rebellion, but it has nothing to do with the people, soldiers, and nobles of Highgarden."