The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Chapter 188: Duke Hoster

(Wishing everyone a Happy New Year and a Happy New Year's Day)

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Riverrun was built on the delta where the Tumblestone River and the Red Fork River converge. According to the terrain, Riverrun was also built into a triangular castle.

The north and south sides of the castle face the river, and on the west side is an artificial moat connecting the Tumblestone River and the Red Fork River.

There are huge iron sluice gates on both sides of the moat. When the sluice gates are opened, the river water on both sides pours in, filling the entire trench and turning the castle into a small island, surrounded by water on three sides, making it indestructible.

Riverrun is a giant rock wall built directly from the water. The battlements on the city wall have crenellations and arrow slits, and the archers on the towers and the catapults on the city wall can cover the opposite bank.

Under normal circumstances, Riverrun's supplies can sustain people and horses for up to two years. And most of the time, more than 200 guards are redundant for Riverrun.

So in peacetime, there are very few soldiers patrolling and guarding Riverrun, especially late at night, there is not a single patrolling soldier on the street. Except for the twelve soldiers guarding the three gates, the rest of the guards are sleeping soundly in the barracks. And most of the garrison in the city was taken outside by Edmure this time to intercept the Mountain at the Kneeling Man, and has not returned yet.

The Mountain and his brothers passed Riverrun before sunset and crossed the Red Fork River. Edmure's scouts completed their surveillance mission and returned to the Kneeling Man to report to Edmure. On the west bank of the Red Fork River, the Mountain and his party used excellent warhorses to 'exchange' weapons from the villagers in the village: kitchen knives for cutting vegetables, wood knives for chopping firewood, rusty long swords, chipped machetes, and some very dull daggers. In the fishing village by the river, they exchanged a few dilapidated small boats for warhorses. In the middle of the night, everyone rowed to the south gate of Riverrun. Bronn's ventriloquism was unparalleled in the world, and he imitated Edmure Tully's voice flawlessly, deceiving the gate open. The Mountain led his brothers in and killed them.

Under the leadership of the Mountain, the group rushed silently towards the inner city.

Riverrun is divided into inner and outer cities. A fortress more solid than the outer city wall blocks the connection between the inner and outer parts. If the Mountain and others want to kill into the inner city to capture Duke Hoster Tully, Edmure Tully's father, they need to break through the only military fortress in this city.

The military fortress is very strong, with city walls tens of meters thick, and can only be entered through an arched gate. It is impossible to climb the city wall without passing through the arched gate. With the manpower of the Mountain and others, there are no siege machines to break the door.

However, the Mountain had foresight. When he was recruiting troops in his father-in-law's Casterly Rock, he discovered Bronn, who had unparalleled ventriloquism talent. He knew he had found a treasure.

Bronn's skills can exceed the role of an army at critical moments.

So, in the silence of the night and the shadows of the flickering torches on the city wall, the voice of the young city lord Edmure Tully sounded: Open the door quickly and let me in.

There were eight soldiers guarding the fortress, six of whom were sleeping in the temporary barracks next door, and only two were sleeping in the gatehouse. The two soldiers were awakened by the knock on the door and the roar of the young city lord, and hurriedly opened the door. Two big hands grabbed them by the chest, gently lifted them up, and smashed them against the thick giant rock wall. The brains of the two soldiers burst.

The brothers rushed into the temporary barracks next to the gatehouse and killed the six soldiers inside.

So, the Mountain's brothers got eight good swords, eight short knives, and eight daggers.

After entering the fortress, the brothers went straight to Duke Hoster's main fort: a tall triangular stone tower. The four guards guarding the gate of the stone tower had just reacted when they were hacked to death by the Mountain's brothers.

The Mountain rushed into the main fort, and thirty-one people were like devils released from hell, killing their way up. The servants, nannies, and guards in the main fort were basically hacked to death in their sleep.

They slaughtered all the way to the top floor of the castle.

The Mountain kicked open the door and broke into this warm bedroom burning with charcoal fire. The group came to the bed with blood and filth all over their bodies, panting heavily, their chests rising and falling sharply.

Under the light of the big red candle, on the bed, 'a head facing the wall' had snow-white hair.

The old man was obviously awake. Many old people wake up in the middle of the night and can no longer fall asleep.

"Edmure, are you fighting with someone again?" the old man said angrily, "Did you kill someone this time? The smell of blood is so strong!"

"I am the Mountain of the Westerlands, Duke Hoster, you are now my prisoner!" the Mountain said.

The old man's body shook, as if struck by a heavy blow. Then, the head full of white hair slowly turned around, and the old man's body also turned around.

The Mountain saw the old man's eyes sunken in their sockets, his cheekbones protruding, his skin wrapped around his bones, and his skin was as white as his hair and beard.

An old man who looked seriously ill.

The Mountain and his party looked at each other.

The Duke Hoster Tully they came to capture alive was such a seriously ill old man?

Although the Mountain was mentally prepared, knowing from the memories of his transmigrated life that Duke Hoster Tully was a patient, he did not expect the old man's illness to be so serious. The old man looked very thin and small, like a severely shrunken version of the Duke.

"Duke Hoster Tully, I am the Mountain, you are now my prisoner!" The Mountain stated his identity again and hoped that the old man could understand his current situation.

"The Mountain? Ah, I know your great name, can I ask you for a glass of water?" Hoster Tully said, his voice weak, his voice hoarse, and his body trembling.

The old man looked very shocked! His body was shaking a little badly. This worried the Mountain. He came to capture Duke Hoster Tully, hoping that the Duke could live. Only with a living Duke in his hands could he extract the greatest benefits. If Duke Hoster Tully died, it would be difficult for their party to leave Riverrun alive.

The whole city would fight them desperately. Even if they could kill their way out, the entire Riverlands would be their enemy.

Only if the Duke is alive can they act recklessly, demand exorbitant prices, and do whatever they want!

Controlling Duke Hoster Tully means controlling Edmure, controlling Riverrun, and even controlling the Riverlands.

The Mountain said to Bronn: "Take twenty people to the maester's tower, ten people guard the entrance of the tower, and ten people go up to arrest people. Arrest the maester, and kill all the apprentices and servants! Be careful along the way, maybe someone will soon discover the killed city gate guards, and then the garrison will come soon."

"Yes, sir!" Bronn immediately led twenty brothers away.

"Blackstone, take the rest of the brothers to guard the gate and close the gate tightly."

"Yes, sir!" Blackstone led nine brothers away.

Only the Mountain and Duke Hoster Tully were left in the bedroom.

The Mountain poured a glass of hot water for Duke Hoster Tully.

The old man tried hard to sit up from the bed. Seeing him struggling so hard, the Mountain stretched out his hand and gently lifted the old man's shoulder. The old man was as light as a feather. The Mountain helped the old man sit up and then supported the old man's back with a velvet pillow so that he could sit more comfortably.

The Mountain knew that Hoster was very tall when he was young and liked to travel around the world. After he married Minisa Whent of the House Whent of Harrenhal, he had two daughters and a son: the eldest daughter Catelyn (the Lady of Winterfell), the second daughter Lysa (the Lady of the Eyrie), and the youngest son Edmure; When she was giving birth to her second son, Minisa died in childbirth, and the child could not be saved. Since then, Duke Hoster has never been able to get out of the pain of his deceased wife.

Hoster Tully was born in 235 AC, and this year he is 63 years old. If nothing unexpected happens, Duke Hoster will die of illness in the War of the Five Kings next year.

"Duke, how long have you been sick?"

"Three years, Ser Gregor!"

"Call me the Mountain!"

"You are really majestic, Ser!" Duke Hoster said, "My whole body hurts, can you get me some poppy milk?"

"I'd be happy to!"

The Mountain was deeply harmed by poppy milk, but poppy milk is the elixir in this world that helps people sleep and relieve pain.

The Mountain poured a cup of poppy milk for the old man. He served the old man a bowl, and the old man's energy and spirit improved a lot.

"You broke through my Riverrun?" the old man said, "Has the war begun?"

"No, I'm here to ask you for a small favor!" The Mountain didn't want the Duke to die from excitement. The Duke can die, but not now.

"Ser Gregor, you are too polite to a prisoner!" Duke Hoster said, "I don't have to hide my illness anymore."

"Oh, why should the Duke hide his illness?"

"I don't want my subordinates to see my current weak appearance, and I don't want the people of the Westerlands to know, so that it will help the stability of the border. Well, it's mainly to prevent Lord Gregor from wantonly looting the borderlands of our Riverlands."

The Mountain said politely: "I am a good person, Duke. I came to see you specifically because I have something to ask of you, Duke, can you do me a small favor?"

Hoster looked at the Mountain with a strange expression: "Ser Gregor, you speak with a smile hidden in your words, like a poisonous snake smeared with honey. Are you really Ser Gregor?"

"Yes!"

"You are different from the Mountain in the rumors, I can feel it!"

"Rumors always have more exaggerated and fabricated elements, just like praise, most of the praise is false!"

Duke Hoster looked at the Mountain with a strange look: "I agree, Ser Gregor, did you study with a maester?"

"No, but I am learning to read."

Duke Hoster was stunned again. He looked at the Mountain's face very carefully: "Ser Gregor, are you learning to read now?"

"Yes, Duke."

Duke Hoster was silent for a while, as if thinking about some difficult problem to understand. After a while, he said: "Ser Gregor, tell me, what is your purpose in breaking through Riverrun and capturing me?"

"Duke, I'll tell you after your maester comes!"

"Why?"

"I don't want these little things to make you angry."

"Is it related to Edmure?"

"Yes, Duke Hoster."

"Speak, I just drank a bowl of poppy milk, and there is no time when I feel better than now."

The Mountain looked carefully at the Duke's expression and said, "Okay, Duke, since you insist on listening, I will tell you."

Duke Hoster looked at the Mountain with a serious expression.

The Mountain said: "Duke, I was ordered by Duke Tywin to lead thirty Clegane riders from the Westerlands, passing through your Riverrun, to meet His Majesty the King in Lord Harroway's Town."

"Well, I received Duke Tywin's letter!"

"Duke, on the way back, after passing the Kneeling Man, I was stopped by Ser Edmure Tully leading more than six hundred archers, more than four hundred cavalry, and a dozen noble knights. They robbed our saddles, armor, swords, money, food, and wine. Even the horseshoes under the horses' hooves were knocked off by Ser Edmure's orders. We were driven away from the Kneeling Man and had nowhere to settle down. In desperation, we could only decide to come to Riverrun and ask the Duke to uphold justice for me."

Duke Hoster looked at the Mountain and said, "Ser Gregor, Edmure did make a mistake in this matter. I apologize to you on his behalf first. Please forgive my son's recklessness and ignorance. Riverrun will compensate double for the losses suffered by the Ser."

"No, Duke, I only accept Ser Edmure's apology!" The Mountain said lightly, his tone firm, "The Mountain and his brothers cannot accept the Duke's apology. As for our losses, Riverrun must show sincerity to compensate!"

Thank you: 'Natural Peace, Cheap Society, Dian Yi Old Swindler' for the reward, thank you, handshake! Happy New Year's Day, Happy New Year!