Under the dense rain of arrows from the Kleib longbowmen, the wildlings' coalition began to retreat before they could even reach the phalanx of Kleib spearmen.
The mountain wind was bitterly cold, stinging the skin.
The air was filled with the stench of blood, and the wails of the wounded echoed everywhere.
The slaughter was far from over.
A Kleib clansman caught up with a fleeing mountain wildling. Gripping his longsword tightly, with a thud, he stabbed it fiercely into the wildling's armpit.
The blade pierced through the wildling's ribs and into his heart. As the clansman withdrew the sword, hot blood spurted out.
Ser Mason was bravely charging at the front line.
When a mountain wildling thrust a spear toward him, he easily sidestepped it, grabbed the shaft with one hand, and in a swift motion, swung his sword and cleanly beheaded the wildling.
The Kleib longbowmen were divided into squads of 20 to 30, coordinating the slaughter.
The pursuit of the wildlings felt like a one-sided massacre.
After the battle, a sudden downpour struck.
Inside Green's command tent.
For once enjoying a rare moment of leisure, Green conversed with his commanders. The atmosphere inside the tent was relaxed and harmonious.
But then, Ser Pell burst in, drenched from head to toe, his steps hurried. Usually calm and composed, Pell now wore a trace of anxiety on his face.
Standing before Green, Pell bowed deeply: "Good day, my lord!"
Green's eyes flickered as his brows furrowed slightly. "Loyal Ser Pell, you've had a hard ride. Is there urgent military news?"
Green's calm voice helped ease Pell's anxious mood. "Yes, my lord! The Fortress of the Cave of Terror has made a sudden move. They've contacted allied wildling tribes — at least ten thousand of them. This is a declaration of war!"
Green took the letter Pell handed him and scanned it with mild amusement, his tone laced with mockery: "Ah, the Brun family of the Cave of Terror? Is it the Kleib family that has shattered the peace of the Claw Isle?"
Indeed, the Claw Isle — a royal domain — had always been a lawless land. When conflicts of interest arose among nobles, they went to war without hesitation. No one ever remembered the Red Keep even existed.
According to the laws of the realm, nobles within the royal domain are not permitted to wage war against each other without orders from the Red Keep.
Green rose and walked over to the large map spread out on the table. Everyone quickly gathered around, and the atmosphere instantly turned tense.
They didn't have to wait long. Green, staring at the map, extended his finger and pointed to a location: "Here—Crescent Valley. We'll crush them here!"
Crescent Valley lay approximately twenty miles northeast of Green's current camp. Both the entrance and exit of the valley were about a hundred meters wide. The interior was relatively spacious, flanked by steep slopes. The entire valley curved like a crescent moon, hence the name given by the culturally refined people of Claw Isle.
Green then pointed to a gently sloping area some distance from the valley's entrance. "Pell, send a reply to the Brun family: the Kleib family accepts the challenge. We'll settle this here."
According to the intelligence Pell had provided, the location Green chose was relatively fair in terms of distance for both sides. Green wasn't worried they would refuse.
There were other locations nearby with similar terrain to Crescent Valley—Green simply chose one the Fortress of the Cave of Terror would find acceptable.
If they insisted on rejecting all the proposed locations, Green was ready to abandon the open field altogether and instead fortify his current camp, preparing to fight a defensive war behind fortifications.
The enemy had ten thousand men, while Kleib had fewer than a thousand. Even if it spread, it wouldn't tarnish the family's honor.
Besides, Kleib had already taken the initiative in proposing open battle and had chosen a site in full respect of Claw Isle's traditions.
Just as Green had anticipated, the Fortress of the Cave of Terror and their wildling allies confirmed the location and readily agreed.
The site of the decisive battle was reasonable and in line with Claw Isle traditions. No one suspected any treachery.
Though they scoffed at Green's youthful arrogance and overconfidence on the surface, inwardly, many admired the courage to fight—a very Claw Isle trait.
Three days later, at the agreed time, Green arrived at the battlefield with Amparo, leading the clan warriors, auxiliary troops, and disguised Kleib soldiers posing as surrendered captives.
Among the dense ranks of wildlings, the flag of the Brun family from the Fortress of the Cave of Terror stood out clearly.
Green observed that beneath the Brun family's banner, about 200 soldiers stood in neat formation—far more disciplined than the surrounding wildlings.
The Brun troops had around 50 suits of iron armor and 20 warhorses—clearly wealthier than the Kleib family.
On Kleib's side, the only ones on horseback were Green, Amparo, and a few of Green's personal guards.
The impoverished Lord Green looked at the Brun formation and thought to himself that the armor and horses they had would just about cover the costs of the equipment needed for the upcoming journey to King's Landing. That meant saving a lot of gold dragons.
Indeed, taking by force was more efficient than toiling in hardship.
Suddenly, Green understood—perhaps the Ironborn had come to a similar realization when they coined their proverb.
Amparo, having finished her own observation, commented: "My lord, they have around fifty horses in total. It's a shame Reyna can't ride and shoot—if we had one more archer, it would be even easier to take them down."
Green seemed to be in a good mood, a smile tugging at his lips. "I'll assign two mounted guards to ride with you. Remember to keep a safe distance. Our top priority is their charging cavalry."
No one knew what Green was really thinking. No one would've guessed that what improved his mood was the Brun family's gear. At most, people assumed that the war-loving lord was simply excited about the coming battle.
Amparo replied solemnly, "Understood, my lord. You can count on me."
Green reached out and patted Amparo's arm. "Mhm. I've always believed in you. It's about time you had a suit of plate armor yourself."
Amparo, usually direct and literal-minded, surprisingly understood the implied meaning right away. Together, she and Green turned their gaze toward the Brun family's formation.
In the valley — Seagull Town.
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🔥 The Throne's Last Flame — A Song Forged in Ice and Wrath 🔥
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