The Mountain of Ice and Fire

The people of Ironmark City heard that the Mountain had breached the city, and the roar of Adam Marbrand's name, like a thunderous rumble, swept over Ironmark, filling everyone with fear.

Ordinary people trembled with fear. Some hid their daughters, others took refuge in cellars, some sought weapons, and others roused their families to join their neighbors. A chaotic clamor filled the air.

The city garrison of a thousand men scrambled out of their beds in the barracks, military whistles blared everywhere, centurions gathered their troops, and the mournful sound of horns signaling an enemy attack echoed from the city walls.

After sixteen years of lax comfort, soldiers in the barracks scrambled to put on armor, find weapons, boots, sword belts, and helmets, creating utter chaos.

By the time the garrison had assembled and set off in three directions towards the south gate, Adam Marbrand, heir to Ironmark, had already gathered fifty family knights and soldiers from the main castle and rushed to the south gate, where they encountered the Mountain and his party.

The Mountain's group, led by the Mountain himself, consisted of twenty-two people formed in a wedge formation.

The Mountain, giant sword in hand, sat astride his horse, a mountain of menace. Lord Damon Marbrand had been awakened and lay across the horse's back, face down and back up, with the Mountain's left hand gripping the back of his neck.

The Mountain was at the forefront, followed by two men in the second row: the executioner Dunsen on the left, and the large-headed Chiswyck on the right.

The third row consisted of three men. On the left was Jory Cassel (who already had a repeating crossbow in the original work), reloading his short crossbow with bolts; in the middle was a fierce-looking member of the sellsword company, Chiswyck's capable lieutenant, Tumbert, the one who had given Chiswyck the prominent scar on his forehead. Before submitting to Chiswyck, Tumbert had been the leader of the ruffians in the east of Lannisport; and on the far right was Polliver, his right face twitching, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

The fourth row had four people. Pia was in this row.

The fifth row had five people.

The last row had eight people. Thomas, an old horse soldier mainly responsible for taking care of the Mountain's horses, was in the center of the last row.

Adam Marbrand, awakened from his sleep, had expected the Mountain to arrive with hundreds of men. But when he arrived and saw only twenty-three, he did not breathe a sigh of relief at the Mountain's small numbers. Instead, a chill ran down his spine.

Ironmark City was tall-walled and heavily fortified, easy to defend and difficult to attack, with a garrison of over a thousand men. The Mountain dared to break through the city with just over twenty men. This courage and audacity made Adam's heart involuntarily shrink!

It's not the tough you fear, but the one who doesn't value his life!

The Mountain was not only tough, but also didn't value his life, and was even shameless, which made him even more frightening!

The soldiers on the city wall had already assembled and were timidly confronting the Mountain's small team from a distance before Adam arrived, but no one dared to step forward to challenge him. First, no one was the Mountain's opponent; second, Lord Damon was in the Mountain's hands, who the hell dared to move!

Adam Marbrand didn't dare to move either!

Under the illumination of countless torches and bonfires, the south gate was as bright as day.

The Mountain said calmly, "Adam, do you dare to come and exchange yourself for your father?"

Adam was furious, but he forced himself to endure it and said, "Mountain, if you release my father, I will come and submit to your disposal."

The Mountain snorted coldly, "Adam, this is your city, your territory, surrounded by your soldiers, and your people outside the city. Do you think it's possible for me to release your father first? As a son, you dare not exchange yourself for your father. You have neither courage nor filial piety. What face do you have to call yourself a knight? You are not even as brave as a little girl. If I were you, I would have committed suicide!"

Adam could no longer restrain himself. He immediately jumped off his horse, unsheathed his sword belt with a click, and threw it on the ground with a clatter, "Mountain, I am not afraid of death, will I be afraid of you!"

Youth is full of vigor; when vigor is provoked, it is easy for the brain to overheat and blood to boil!

Lord Damon hurriedly said, "Adam, don't come over, the Mountain won't dare to kill me."

Before he finished speaking, the Mountain flipped Lord Damon over on the horse, face up. He sheathed his giant sword, freed his right hand, and with a loud slap, struck Lord Damon a resounding blow in the face in full view of everyone.

"Father!" Adam, unable to bear the public humiliation of his father, Lord Damon, immediately strode to the Mountain, "Mountain, release my father, I will be your hostage."

The Mountain raised his right hand, and Dunsen and Chiswyck immediately dismounted, pressed Adam Marbrand to the ground, and tied him up with ropes that had been prepared long ago.

Adam did not struggle, "Mountain, in the name of your family's honor and the knight's faith, in the name of the old and new gods, quickly release my father!"

The Mountain, sitting on his horse, looked askance at Adam, like a lion looking at a lamb. He was too lazy to answer.

Damon said, "Mountain..."

Slap!

The Mountain slapped him again, this time adding injury to injury, pain upon pain. Lord Damon was knocked unconscious.

Adam was furious, as if flames were erupting from the top of his head, "Mountain... you..."

Bang!

Chiswyck was a rough man. He raised his hand and punched him. His fist was as hard as iron, breaking Adam's lip and knocking out several teeth.

The knights and guards of the Marbrand family were furious and drew their swords one after another, the sound of clanging ringing out. The Mountain lifted Lord Damon with one hand, as if carrying a small toy, "Anyone who dares to move, I will tear the Lord in two."

In just a moment, more than a dozen family knights dared not move.

The garrison, which had taken a few steps forward, also stopped immediately, and no one dared to step forward half a step.

The knights and soldiers would not have been so fearful of anyone else, but the key was that this person was the Mountain!

The Mountain's brutality, bloodiness, and infamy were well-known, and no one dared to test his patience.

When more than a thousand regular armored soldiers of the city garrison came roaring in from three directions, the Mountain was slowly retreating from the city gate with Adam and Damon. He covered the rear with one man and one sword, and more than a thousand Ironmark warriors watched the Mountain retreat from the city gate, onto the drawbridge, and into the night.

The sound of horses' hooves beat like rain. The Mountain and his party left with Adam Marbrand and Damon Marbrand. The Mountain's voice carried far into the city, "Tell the Lady of Ironmark to quickly bring the land sale agreement of the Westerling family to Casterly Rock to redeem them."

Apart from the knights of Ironmark, who were in a state of confusion, the person with the most confused mood in the night, wrapped in the Clegane team and running fast, was—Lord Leo Lefford.

*

The closest powerful city to Ironmark was Angers.

Although called a city, it was actually more like a fort. Only a three-meter-high stone wall, strictly speaking, it couldn't be called a city wall!

What could truly be called a city in the north of the Westerlands were Ironmark of the Marbrand family and the Crag of the Westerling family. Although the Westerling family had declined, the urban foundation of the Crag was still there, worthy of the name of city.

A lean camel is bigger than a horse!

Outside the gate of Angers.

Dunsen's short knife was against Damon Marbrand's back, and Chiswyck was on Damon's side, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

The Mountain grabbed Adam behind Lord Damon. The Mountain said in a low and polite voice, "Lord Damon, immediately call to open the city gate, otherwise, I will chop off Adam's right hand, so that he will never be able to use a sword again. If you don't believe me, you can try it right now."

Lord Damon wisely did not try to test the truth of the Mountain's words.

"Lord Angers!" Damon stepped forward to knock on the door and shouted, "I am Lord Damon, quickly open the door. I was hunting late and came to rest!"

A torch was extended from the three-meter-high wall. In the flickering of the torch, the person asked, "Is that Lord Damon?"

Chiswyck was furious and cursed, "Which dog thing is on guard, doesn't even recognize Lord Damon? Open the door quickly. The Lord was injured while hunting and needs to rest. If you dare to talk nonsense again, I will break this rotten door!"

After Chiswyck finished cursing, he jumped off his horse, found a stone on the ground, and without any politeness, smashed the door with the stone: Bang bang bang!

"Open the door quickly!" Lord Damon shouted sternly, steeling himself.

As soon as the oak door wrapped in iron sheet opened a crack, the Mountain crashed in. He stood at the open gate. Dunsen and Chiswyck broke in and killed two soldiers who had been knocked over by the door with two swords. The Clegane people drove straight into the main castle on horseback, taking Damon and his son straight to the main castle. By the time Lord Angers was awakened from his sleep and climbed out of bed, a sword was pointing at his chest full of black hair.

Lightning speed!

Angers City was breached! The Lord was captured!

That night, the Mountain and his party did not stop, driving Lord Damon to call the door, sweeping across the northern nobles gathered under the Marbrand banner, capturing twenty-seven lords of various sizes, fighting until dawn, traveling two hundred miles, and breaking twenty cities of various sizes in a row. When the news spread, the entire Westerlands nobility, large and small, were shaken.

The Mountain's strength, ruthlessness, hegemony, cruelty, and terror reached a new level from then on.

That night, the Lady of Ironmark was sleepless all night, releasing ravens overnight. The next morning, the Marbrand family's raven flew to Casterly Rock with a weeping letter.

After Duke Tywin received the letter, he immediately replied to the Lady of Ironmark!

In the evening, the Lady of Ironmark opened the letter and her eyes widened, her breathing stopped, and she could not speak!