The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Chapter 441: No Boats to Cross, a Dead End (2) (Seeking Subscriptions for 10,000 Words)

(Greetings to all the brothers who subscribe and give rewards, Happy Dragon Boat Festival!)

*

Duke Tywin looked at the mud in the yard. The heavy rain had not stopped since dinner, and the roar of the river in the distance stirred his emotions.

On the eaves, strings of water droplets dripped continuously.

The owner of the inn was a middle-aged man who hired two handymen and ran the inn with his wife. The landlady was a knowledgeable person. Amidst the knights' teasing, Tywin learned the landlady's name: Eddie. The landlady had three children, a boy and two girls. The boy, named Dan, was twelve years old and was responsible for serving dishes; the eldest daughter, eight years old, named Atlee, added wine for the guests; the little girl, five years old, named Nina, poured tea for the guests and sang to please them.

The Duke was not a person who liked children; he was cold and ruthless. But during dinner, amidst the jokes of the knights and the innkeeper and his wife, and in the conversations between the knights and the landlady after dinner, he heard these names. The girl named Nina was very beautiful and sensible. The Duke, as stern as iron, rarely praised her without expression when she brought him tea.

The accompanying guards were all asleep. After entering the Riverlands, they encountered heavy rain, and everyone was exhausted.

Knight Hault Lannister, who had been out for two days, had not yet returned. The Duke had a bad feeling; he felt that if Hault Lannister did not return by tomorrow, he might never return.

Perhaps Hault was too reckless, and his horse lost its footing, throwing him into the rolling river. The river was swollen, and it was said that many sections of the River Road were flooded.

At the entrance of the yard, two black-clothed brothers stood guard under the eaves.

The dining hall door was closed. Inside, Ser Daved and Knight Litton, in armor, longswords, and black cloaks, without helmets, sat on tables on either side of the entrance, responsible for the second line of defense.

Candles and torches were lit on the walls of the dining hall, illuminating the dining hall as bright as day. Extra money was paid for the lighting of the candles and torches.

Tywin was in a bedroom on the second floor, standing in front of the window, looking at the heavy rain in the yard, and many things in his life involuntarily echoed in his mind.

The second floor and the first floor were full of the Duke's attendants.

The stables were behind the accommodation building, and the accommodation building was above the dining hall. To enter the accommodation building, one must first enter the dining hall and come up from a narrow wooden staircase.

Tom o' Sevenstrings had no room to live in. The landlady charged him two copper stars and gave him a woodshed. Tom o' Sevenstrings took a blanket and went to sleep contentedly.

The Duke felt that he would have insomnia tonight. There was wine on the table, authentic Riverlands apple wine.

But the Duke found that he had no appetite.

He also ate very little tonight.

The failure of the Red Wedding was like a huge rock pressing on his heart, an invisible boulder, without substance, so it could not be moved.

*

"There are cavalry coming from a distance," Lucky Jack, the sentry in the tree, reminded Luke, his comrade sitting under the tree.

Lucky Jack only had one eye. The other eye was blinded in the battle against the Westerlands army last year. After surviving the hand of death, his remaining eye became more acute, as if the ability of the blinded eye had been superimposed on the single eye.

Luke used to be a soldier. Because of his bravery in battle and his inability to lie, he was called Reliable Luke by his brothers.

Luke turned over and stood up, looking towards Harrenhal.

The sound of hooves came from the direction of Harrenhal.

"Northmen?" Luke wasn't sure. A Northern army had attacked Duskendale. He didn't know if it was them returning.

Lucky Jack did not answer. He decided to observe for a while.

The sound of hooves was like thunder, as if it had instantly exploded beside them, startling both Jack and Luke. The cavalry came too fast.

Lucky Jack immediately slipped down, not daring to neglect, and ran quickly into the woods with Luke to notify Beric Dondarrion, the Lightning Lord in the woods.

The cavalry was coming, which would interfere with the 'capture' of Tywin tonight. On this road, the only place to stay was the Crossroads Inn at the ferry.

Whether the cavalry coming was friend or foe, they didn't know!

The booming explosion passed through this forest. Beric and Thoros received the report and came out with their brothers to see. The cavalry had already passed.

This was unbelievable!

Such fast cavalry, especially at night, in the rain.

An extraordinary steed could do this, but an entire cavalry, each riding an unparalleled steed, was absolutely impossible.

However, this incredible thing happened. Beric and Thoros, who rushed out to see if the other party was friend or foe, only saw a rushing black shadow. By the time they arrived at the roadside with their weapons, the only thing left for them was a faint silhouette and the echo of hooves floating in the air.

Beric, Thoros, and the brothers looked at each other.

*

Crossroads Inn, the two Lannister knights guarding the entrance to the yard heard the sound of hooves. At first, there was only a little. They looked alert, their hands on their sword hilts. After only a few heartbeats, the sound of hooves came very close. The two men's hearts were shaken, and their faces showed surprise. What kind of cavalry was this? The speed was too fast.

In surprise and doubt, they exchanged glances. What kind of cavalry came from the south and traveled to the Crossroads Inn on a rainy night? Suddenly, the sound of hooves exploded in their ears, as if there were thousands of troops.

The two were shocked. Before they could warn, the door of the dining hall opened, and Ser Daved's questioning voice came through the muddy yard, through the rain: "Who's coming?"

Knight Litton's face changed drastically. "I'll go wake up the brothers."

Daved drew his longsword and stood at the entrance of the dining hall. Litton ran through the dining hall and into the wooden building: "Get up, get up, cavalry is coming, cavalry is coming."

On the second floor, Tywin stood by the window, looking at the yard, but he couldn't see the situation outside the yard wall.

Suddenly, the sound of hooves exploded outside the yard. The shouts of the two sentries turned into terrified screams, and then the sound stopped abruptly, the echo of the screams floating in the night sky.

The screams were the order. The sergeants, knights, and warriors on the first and second floors got up one after another, fumbling to grab their sword belts. They couldn't care about armor and helmets. Sword belts and combat boots were essential items.

The gate of the yard flew up with a bang, knocked open by a huge force, hitting the big tree in the middle of the yard. The two door panels shattered into pieces. A man and a beast flew in, even the gate frame was broken with a bang, the momentum was amazing—the Mountain!

The giant-like Mountain, astride the Red Smoke Beast, with blood-red eyes, black chain mail, and sharp, dagger-like horns.

Tywin's expression on the second floor shook, his body swayed, and he quickly stretched out his hands to grab the window lattice to steady himself.

"The Mountain!" Ser Daved exclaimed!

The Mountain crashed open the gate of the yard like a fierce god. The Red Smoke Beast's hooves flew, landing on the bluestone slabs in the yard, the sound of hooves crisp and dense, heading straight for Daved at the entrance of the dining hall.

Daved was shocked and shouted, "The Mountain, what are you doing?"

The Mountain was clearly still far away from Daved. Daved watched helplessly as the Mountain swung his sword in front of the big tree, at least ten meters away from him, but the ice giant sword arrived in front of him before he could finish speaking. Daved was horrified, his longsword stabbed straight at the Mountain, but his neck felt cold, and his head had already flown up... and his standing body was still holding the longsword straight, a single-handed sword distance away from the Mountain's body...

Behind the Mountain, dozens of unusually handsome tall horses rushed in, the generals and cavalry on horseback were all fully armed, wearing helmets, and putting down their masks.

The weapons of these people were not uniform, there were spiked maces, iron hammers, chain hammers, longswords, spears, heavy axes with double-edged openings, and heavy axes with single-edged openings and spikes at the front, bows and arrows... This was a motley crew that looked like a complete ragtag group...

However, no one dared to underestimate this group of rabble. The warhorses under their crotches were taller than the warhorses people were used to seeing. Each one was either white or black, gray, red, brown... all pure colors, with absolutely no mixed colors, each one was exceptionally handsome...

The Mountain killed Daved with one sword, the giant sword split vertically, the door frame was split in half with one sword, and then slashed horizontally, the door frame fell down, he rode the Red Smoke Beast into the dining hall, Knight Litton Lannister had finished notifying his comrades, and was coming out with his sword, saw the Mountain breaking into the dining hall in full plate armor, the flat-topped helmet almost touched the ceiling, majestic like a god, he immediately stopped, his face showing horror, not knowing whether to advance or retreat.

Whoosh!

An arrow shot from behind the Mountain, hitting Litton's left eye, Litton fell over...

A group of warriors rushed down the stairs, longswords shining, scattered, and confronted the Mountain at both ends of the dining hall, separated by dozens of tables and chairs.

*

On the first floor, the sound of hooves rang, the Clegane cavalry was breaking through the doors on horseback, the sound of cracking was chaotic, wood chips were flying, the doors were being split open and falling down... many Lannisters were directly tumbling out of the windows, some wearing helmets, some only wearing armguards, no one had time to put on full armor...

The Mountain's cavalry came too fast! Moreover, they were unparalleled in power, and any obstruction was smashed and chopped down...

The two sides engaged in close combat, the Crabs Claw Peninsula people wielded chain hammers, spiked maces, iron hammers, spears, spiked heavy axes, long-handled double-edged axes, bows and arrows, and a burst of hacking and killing, the Lannisters fell one after another, screams were continuous, severed limbs, heads, hot blood, twisted into a hellish scene in the heavy rain.

Soon, the bloody and cruel battle ended!

Only two Crabs Claw Peninsula cavalry were slightly injured, and the body of one warhorse was grazed by the edge of a sword, the wound was shallow, but long, dozens of Lannisters were all killed.

A chain hammer leader rode on his horse, making up for the hammers, extremely accurate, smashing all the heads of the Lannisters lying on the ground...

On the second floor window, Tywin watched this tragic scene, the corners of his eyes twitched slightly!

These beasts with no uniform weapons but amazing combat power and cruel and vicious methods must be the beasts of the Crabs Claw Peninsula!

On the second floor, a young Lannister warrior who was watching blood spurt out, held a longsword, flipped over the railing and jumped into the yard to ask for a fight, before he could climb up, several warhorses rushed over, guns and hammers fell, screams sounded... short and tragic... The Lannister sought benevolence and received benevolence, but the Crabs Claw Peninsula people obviously had their own understanding of this provocation, stomping on the Lannister's corpse with chaotic hooves...

*

The Mountain blocked the exit of the dining hall, blocking the Lannisters rushing down from the second floor.

Tywin finally knew why he had been restless all day today, and also knew why he had inexplicably praised a little girl Nina... If he could do it again, he would not have ordered the killing of the witch, nor would he have offered the Mountain's head for the submission of Dorne...

"The Mountain, let them go, I'll stay." Duke Tywin's voice came from the second floor, calm, composed, and majestic, as always.

"Your Grace, if you had seen the tragic situation on the Clegane lands, you wouldn't have said such ignorant words!" The Mountain pushed up his mask, his voice suppressing the noise of the heavy rain.

Tywin was silent, and dozens of Lannisters were silent.

The Lannisters on the second floor had gathered in one place, crowded together, all facing the Mountain, separated by dozens of tables and chairs, they were temporarily safe.

"At the entrance of Clegane Village, seven children died, each with their heads in different places, and some children were gutted, my grandmother, the witch, was also beheaded at the entrance of the village, her head was chopped off, and her left face was trampled by horses. Since the people have already been killed by you, why do you still trample on her head with horses! The children were killed by you, why do you still gut them?" The Mountain said in a deep voice, "You, tonight, every Lannister, must die."

On the second floor, there was no response from Duke Tywin.

Dozens of longswords of the Lannisters squeezed together pointed at the Mountain from afar, a flash of sword light, however, no one dared to rush up, their eyes were all filled with fear.

Behind the Mountain, there were the beasts of the Crabs Claw Peninsula who didn't blink an eye when killing!

The Mountain moved, the giant sword picked up a table and smashed it at the Lannisters, seven or eight swords fell and chopped the table into pieces.

Tywin's voice sounded again, steady, powerful, and full of energy: "The Mountain, we are already Night's Watchmen, when what you have done today spreads throughout the Seven Kingdoms, it will be the time when you fall from glory and your head will be in a different place, letting us go is letting yourself go."

"Unsworn Night's Watchmen?" The Mountain sneered, "As long as you haven't sworn in the Night's Watch Sanctuary, you are not yet Night's Watchmen."

"We have already put on black clothes, and everyone in the Seven Kingdoms knows what it means to put on black clothes."

"Don't worry, no one will find out the truth of the matter in the turbulent river. After you die, if your descendants want to pay homage to you, I guarantee that they won't be able to find a place." The Mountain shouted, "Crossing the Trident in the flood, the ferry capsized, and the bones were gone, this will be a good rumor."

"The Mountain, so you have thought of everything!" The Duke's voice became dry.

A Lannister sergeant jumped out suddenly, waving his sword and slashing at the wooden pillar in the middle of the dining hall, wanting to make the roof collapse. The roof was covered with pieces of bluestone slabs.

Pfft!

Behind the Mountain, a horse jumped out, knocking a table away, a chain hammer flew out, hitting the sergeant's head, knocking the sergeant backwards, his head was rotten. In the clanging of the iron chain, the spiked iron hammer shrank back with a whoosh.

The Lannisters were all frightened. They knew this weapon, but rarely saw it.

After a brief silence, the Lannisters suddenly burst into shouts, several knights rushed out to the left, several knights rushed out to the right, several knights rushed towards the Mountain in front... there were passages between the tables, it was difficult for horses to pass, but walking was no problem, several swordsmen rushed to the wooden pillar again...

The Mountain stood still, the huge and heavy ice sword was held in one hand, as light as nothing in his hand, clearly not yet within attack range, a sword light flashed, and several Lannisters attacking the Mountain were chopped in two.

Ice, the greatsword of the Starks – a Valyrian steel blade, a family heirloom no Stark had ever wielded to kill enemies on the battlefield in family tradition – became a grim reaper's scythe in the Mountain's hands. The greatsword Ice cleaved through several bodies unprotected by plate armor as if a sharp knife were slicing through cheese.

Several Lannisters' other halves rushed forward before collapsing in front of the Mountain... The Mountain's legs shifted slightly, and Red Smoke stepped forward; the width of the passage in the middle was indeed wide enough for a horse...

The Mountain advanced, and immediately warriors from Crackclaw Point rode in behind him to fill the gap. Some heavy axemen, impatient to wait, had already dismounted and charged in with their axes...

The massacre began!

Red Smoke charged into the Lannister ranks, suddenly accelerating with unbelievable speed. The armored Red Smoke's horns pierced a warrior's body, tossing him into the air and slamming him against the stairs, knocking down several Lannisters who had retreated there!

The Mountain's Ice cleaved vertically and horizontally, unstoppable. Armor, swords, bodies – everything it touched was instantly split in two, even smoother than cutting melons and vegetables. The stench of blood choked the air, filling the entire dining hall.

Wherever the light of Ice flashed, gods and men alike were slain without exception!

Soon, the battle was over.

The only sounds in the hall besides the stench of blood were ragged gasps.

Behind him, the leaders and warriors of Crackclaw Point, their visors pushed up, their faces contorted, stood with blood dripping from their weapons. Lannister corpses lay scattered on the ground, many of their heads smashed to a pulp by warhammers, maces, and chain maces...

Upstairs on the second floor, Tywin stood, facing several blood-soaked Lannisters, and said, "Come, give me a hand!" He leaned against the wall, his body weak, trying to maintain his dignity.

He couldn't let the Mountain capture him, humiliate him, and finally execute him!

The Lannisters glared at Tywin, and Tywin closed his eyes.

Thwack, thwack, thwack, thwack!

Four longswords pierced Tywin's body.

The Mountain and his warriors went upstairs. In Tywin's room, four Lannisters knelt before Tywin's corpse, four longswords protruding from his body.

The Mountain was expressionless. With a glance, the young leader, JJoyce Foote, drew his short knife and slit the throats of the last four Lannisters one by one.

The four bodies slumped, hot blood gurgling, flooding the floor.

The Mountain used Ice to sever Tywin's head, then with a vertical slash, he cut open his abdomen!

*

Suddenly, a military whistle blew outside – enemy attack!

"Prepare for battle!" the Mountain said calmly, reaching down to pick up Tywin's head.

The Crackclaw Point warriors thundered down the stairs, through the dining hall, into the courtyard, mounted their warhorses, and roared out. Soon, the sounds of battle erupted outside...

The Crackclaw Point cavalry crashed into a group of infantry in the darkness, unstoppable!

"No!" a woman's voice shrieked from the doorway of the wood shed. "Please, Lord Mountain, I am Editha, the wife of Tobho Mott! Those who are coming are the Brotherhood Without Banners. Jendley and Tobho Mott are among them!"

In the courtyard, the last warrior who had not yet charged out suddenly heard the woman's voice. He reined in his horse, turned, and charged towards Editha at the wood shed doorway, his long-handled great axe raised high...

"Stop!" The Mountain, who had just reached the courtyard and hadn't mounted Red Smoke, roared, his voice like thunder. "Stop! They are allies!"

However, the warrior's long-handled great axe swung down...