The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Mountain looked towards the entrance. A young boy in full armor stood there with a smile. Behind him, more armored helmets and several stern, cold faces could be seen.

The boy's collar was embroidered with a family crest: a flock of ravens circling a dead weirwood tree on a black shield.

This was the sigil of House Blackwood of Raventree Hall, a vassal of House Tully of the Riverlands. The Blackwood family motto is: "Loyal to the End!"

They were an ancient noble house with First Men blood, who once ruled as kings in the Riverlands, their influence extending into the wolfswood of the North. Later, their family's power declined, much like House Westerling of the Westerlands.

At the start of Aegon's Conquest three hundred years ago, House Blackwood sided with Aegon the Conqueror in rebellion against Harren the Black, the King of the Isles and the Rivers. After the war, they submitted to the new lords of the Riverlands – House Tully.

This was a family that still adhered to the Old Gods, sharing the same faith as House Stark of the North. This made them an absolute anomaly among the Riverlands nobility. While everyone else worshiped the Seven, House Blackwood never changed their faith, continuing to worship the Old Gods.

The weirwood tree was the heart tree where the people of the North prayed to the Old Gods. House Blackwood used the dead weirwood tree as their sigil to commemorate the First Men's faith that had been abandoned by those 'south of the Neck'.

This young boy hailed from House Blackwood, the most loyal and righteous ancient family in the Riverlands. After announcing that he would be taking over the 'Bend Knee Inn,' he tossed a gold dragon to the stunned innkeeper: "Innkeeper, this is a deposit. We'll settle the bill when we leave tomorrow."

The innkeeper instinctively caught the gold dragon, glanced at Mountain, and didn't dare answer the noble boy.

The boy smiled and said, "Mountain, take your men and leave. We have more people, so yield a little; it won't hurt you. We Riverlanders aren't as crude as the Westerlanders; we won't throw you into the Red Fork. But if you don't know what's good for you, then that's not certain."

The brothers were furious and all looked at Mountain, waiting for his command.

They wouldn't mind hacking this noble boy to death!

Mountain seemed not to have heard the Blackwood boy's words. He said to Polliver, "Go get some wine!"

"Yes, Lord Mountain!" Polliver said.

Polliver went behind the counter to fetch the wine and poured it for Mountain.

Mountain took a big gulp, set down the wine bowl, and looked at the trembling innkeeper: "Innkeeper, first bring some appetizers and snacks; tell your baker not to burn the bread, just bake it golden. My brothers and I are delicate and don't like black bread. Add more honey to the millet porridge, and no bacon soup; just trout soup. The various river fish of the Trident are delicious, and we want a full fish feast today."

"If your cook is afraid of House Blackwood's power and dares not cook, we'll kill him and cook noodles and roast ham ourselves. If you don't cooperate, well, your daughter is still young, so forget about her, but I'll have my brothers rape your wife first. The width of this table in front of me is quite nice." This displeased Polliver, who reached out and gave the innkeeper a resounding slap. As expected, the innkeeper quickened his pace and almost ran into the kitchen. Who knew a slap could have such magical power.

"Hah!"

Mountain's brothers cheered, raising their swords and banging them on the table, creating a rhythmic beat.

One of these beasts' favorite things to do, it had been a long time since they had this kind of brotherhood entertainment!

"Aren't you going yet?" Mountain picked up the wine bowl again and said to the innkeeper indifferently.

The innkeeper looked fearfully at the Blackwood boy at the entrance. He started to move, but his pace was slow and hesitant.

The noble boy at the entrance's expression turned ugly. Although he was very brave, and his guards seemed to be quite numerous, the exact number of people was uncertain because he could only see out from the entrance.

The boy said, "Mountain, I am Brynden Blackwood of Raventree Hall. If you don't leave, your horses in the stables might not be safe."

Mountain and his brothers' faces changed instantly.

The enemy was going to target the horses in their stables?!

Sure enough, neighing and shouting could be heard from the stables. Someone was driving their horses away.

This was a very vicious move. If Mountain and his group had to walk from the Bend Knee Inn to the Golden Tooth in the Westerlands to borrow horses from Lord Lefford, the journey would be over a thousand miles. From Riverrun, the capital of the Riverlands, to the Golden Tooth in the Westerlands, it was over six hundred miles.

Mountain's brothers 'whooshed' and stood up. Clang, clang, clang, swords were drawn, revealing fierce expressions.

Mountain slowly stood up: "Brynden Blackwood, the Bend Knee Inn is yours!"

The brothers were all stunned!

Brynden Blackwood was also taken aback.

He didn't see Mountain's rage, but he had made thorough preparations. Mountain was very powerful, but he was no match for arrows and fire; this was certain.

Mountain took a silver stag, threw it on the table, and said to his brothers, "Brothers, the Riverlanders don't like us. Let's go! The wine and food on our horses are enough for us to return to the Westerlands with full bellies!"

The brothers were all filled with resentment, but they had no choice but to sheath their swords heavily.

At the entrance, Brynden Blackwood had already made way and retreated far away. He knew how unwise it would be to block Mountain's path. Letting Mountain get close, even just one punch, would mean certain death!

Mountain led the way out of the inn. Outside the gate, the two roads east and west were blocked by soldiers in clear armor and banners. On both sides of the road, there were at least six hundred archers.

With one command, six hundred arrows would be fired at Mountain and his thirty riders. On average, each person would share twenty arrows in one volley. Two volleys, and each person would enjoy the special treatment of forty arrows. It wouldn't be long before everyone resembled a hedgehog!

Besides the six hundred archers, there were about two hundred cavalry on each side.

Archers would fire from a distance, and then four hundred cavalry would attack from the left and right; a good strategy.

Although Mountain was invincible, being covered in arrows on his shell wouldn't be a pleasant experience.

At the front of the two formations were several tall knights on horseback, all with their visors down, obviously prepared for a charge.

The general at the right intersection was not wearing a helmet, with a large beard, looking rough and mighty, completely different from the pale and weak actors in the TV series. He was the heir of Riverrun, the future Lord Paramount of the Riverlands: Ser Edmure Tully.

Mountain was very tall, and he could also see that the infantry and cavalry were carrying buckets of wildfire. This was the prelude to a fire attack on him.

If Mountain had not calmed down in the inn lobby just now and had furiously attacked Brynden Blackwood at the entrance, Brynden and his guards would have retreated, and Mountain and his brothers would have suffered a rain of arrows and wildfire buckets. Hundreds of wildfire buckets thrown over, just one flaming arrow could instantly turn this place into a sea of fire.

Mountain was not easy to provoke, and he was unmatched, but that was the result of you competing with Mountain's brute force.

Using his brain to fight, Mountain was just a fool with a hundred or so extra pounds of meat – that was what Edmure Tully thought, and that was what he did.

"Ser Edmure Tully, are you trying to kill me in the Riverlands?" Mountain shouted.

Edmure Tully said indifferently, "Mountain, you burned hundreds of miles of crops, forests, and hundreds of villages in my Riverrun plains. I will only leave you and your men your saddles, reins, food, wine, horseshoes, and banners, as well as the armor, cloaks, swords, gold dragons, silver stags, and copper stars you are wearing, so that you and your horses can safely cross the border and return to the Westerlands. Do you have any objections?"