The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Chapter 577: Submission or Burning at the Stake

(Guaranteed chapter + bonus chapter for Alliance Master Songzi Ahong's reward, totaling 9200 words)

*

The Hound arrived alone at the Scholar's Tower, his steps growing steadier as he shook off his dazed state.

"Samwell!" The Hound banged on the stairs, making a thumping sound.

Samwell poked his head out from the library on the second floor. The Hound saw him, and despite the distance, he could see the sadness in Samwell's eyes and the grief on his face.

"Slayer Sam, are you crying?" The Hound's tone was mocking and hurtful.

Slayer was Sam's nickname! It was a nickname given to him by Drill Sergeant Alliser Thorne during his recruit days to humiliate him! However, since Sam became the first Night's Watchman to kill a White Walker, the name Slayer didn't seem so contemptible anymore.

Despite the arduous ranging, Sam was still fat, his bulk hardly diminished. He had dark hair and a round, massive face with gray eyes. His large chin completely obscured the fur collar of his embroidered coat, and his round moon face showed traces of tears in his pale eyes.

Samwell's fur-trimmed black coat came from his family, not the Night's Watch. On the left breast, a striding huntsman was embroidered in bright red thread: the sigil of House Tarly.

"…I'm fine…I'm alright…Do you need my help…Ser…"

"Or what?" The Hound's tone was teasing.

Samwell rolled down like a ball, supporting the Hound and noticing the blood soaking the Hound's clothes on his shoulders and back.

"You're injured? Ser!" Samwell exclaimed. "You need to stop the bleeding, disinfect, and bandage it."

"I know! Where is Maester Aemon?"

"In the Shieldhall. Lord Commander Jon sent a guard to summon him; they have an important military meeting to hold."

"Then can you help me with my wounds?"

"I…can!" Samwell's tone lacked confidence.

"Good, I'll let you try. If you hurt me, I'll beat you black and blue."

Fear flashed in Samwell's eyes! But he didn't back down, nor did he dare to. The Hound's unreasonable behavior was notorious in Castle Black. But he worked hard killing White Walkers and wildlings, earning considerable merit, so the brothers of Castle Black indulged him. Jon, Lord Eddard, and Ser Davos were all very tolerant of the Hound.

The two entered the healing room. Samwell had the Hound lie prone while he cleaned the wounds, disinfected them with burning spirits, applied medicine, and bandaged them.

Many warriors would have been unable to bear it. Ten out of ten would have screamed in pain, their faces contorted, or bitten down on wooden sticks or towels, drenched in cold sweat. The Hound, however, didn't utter a sound, showing no reaction. His nerves were like steel wires.

Samwell, on the other hand, was drenched in sweat from nervousness, timidity, and fear!

"Sam, your eyes are red. Who bullied you? Tell me, and I'll avenge you." The Hound was very satisfied with Sam's treatment.

"No one bullied me, Ser!"

"Your eyes don't lie to me. You're sad, Sam," The Hound sat up, touching the back of his head. Sam's movements were gentle, and the bandaging was comfortable.

"…Ser…my father…my brother…were killed by the Mountain…not long ago…" Samwell stammered. His eyes reddened again.

The Hound was stunned! He was very surprised!

The Mountain, his hulking brother.

The Mountain killed Randyll Tarly?!

How could that be?!

Randyll Tarly, a famous general of the Seven Kingdoms. How could the Mountain be his match unless it was a duel or a brawl that broke out over a disagreement!

In terms of individual prowess, the Hound knew that no one was the Mountain's opponent. He was not only powerful but also had superb swordsmanship, cunning, and unexpected tactics.

"Why did the Mountain kill Lord Randyll?"

"…The Mountain went to attack King's Landing…"

"Attack King's Landing?" The Hound raised his voice, shocked.

"Yes, Lord Commander Jon told me that the Mountain led an army from the Westerlands to capture Lord Hand Kevan. To protect himself, Lord Hand ordered my father to lead the army back to defend King's Landing. The Mountain intercepted my father and brother two days' ride from King's Landing, beheaded them, impaled their heads on spears, and stole our family's Valyrian sword: Heartsbane!"

The Hound was speechless! The Mountain had again raised troops to attack King's Landing?! Again to kill the Hand?!

To avenge the thousand-odd lives in Clegane's village and the witch, the Mountain had very secretly killed Tywin, framing the Brotherhood Without Banners. And now, the Mountain was attacking King's Landing again, to capture Kevan Lannister alive. There were many Lannisters in the Westerlands, with deep roots. None of them stood up to stop him? Or killed the Mountain first? Lord Addam Lannister of Lannisport was the most powerful of the Lannister family line, and he hadn't spoken out?

Was the Mountain rebelling?

The Lannisters were the lords to whom the Hound's family had sworn allegiance for generations, and they were still nominally the Hound's lords. However, the Mountain was the Duke of Dragonstone and no longer belonged to the Lannister family's pack of hounds. The hound had become independent and autonomous, possessing the highest title like the Lannister family, owning his private territory, and no one but the king could restrain him.

"That Mountain is crazy; he's capable of anything," the Hound muttered. "Do you want to personally chop off his head to avenge your father and brother?"

Samwell Tarly was stunned!

Although he was grieving, he had never thought about avenging his father and brother.

"My father looked down on me. I was timid and cowardly, disliked martial arts, and only liked reading books, studying poetry, songs, history, and art. I was deeply despised by my father. Father told me either he would take me hunting and let me crash into a tree and break my neck, or I would choose to become a member of the Night's Watch. He sent people and carriages to escort me to the Wall, so I came here."

"Do you hate your father?"

"No, I hate myself, a man who doesn't like martial arts, tarnishing the family's honor."

"No, boy, you're wrong. Maesters are irreplaceable. The glory and splendor of the Citadel surpasses that of the kings of the past. Your bandaging is excellent. To hell with your father's prejudice."

Samwell's eyes widened.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Get me some wine!" the Hound cursed.

Samwell was touched. The Hound's words of encouragement and Maester Aemon's words were different, but the meaning was the same. Hearing affirmation from a barbaric 'martial man' like the Hound gave Samwell great confidence. When Maester Aemon said so, Sam thought it was because Maester Aemon himself was a maester; Jon had also said so, but Jon was his good friend and always liked to comfort him against his will. But the Hound was not his friend, nor was he a maester, yet the Hound thought so too. Samwell was filled with gratitude.

Randyll Tarly despised Samwell, attacking him with the harshest words, giving Samwell very negative and deep shadows. That shadow of inferiority and timidity had always followed Samwell, imprinted in the depths of his soul.

The Hound's casual remark, telling the truth, gave Samwell 'enlightenment'-like help!

Samwell brought wine for the Hound, and he decided to pour himself a cup as well.

"You…might…not be a very bad person…Hound," Samwell said hesitantly.

The Hound heard someone say he was a good person for the first time. The Hound looked at Samwell's hesitant appearance and laughed: "But you are definitely a true slayer, Sam!"

Sam also laughed!

"I am the first person to kill a White Walker in eight thousand years. I am the true slayer!"

The sadness of his father and brother's death unknowingly lessened a lot, and ease and confidence grew in Fatty Sam's heart.

*

The Shieldhall was packed with people.

Several leading figures sat at the high table: Eddard Stark in the center, with Queen Shireen to his left, King-Beyond-the-Wall Mance Rayder to his right, followed by Jon Snow, Davos Seaworth, Melisandre, and Maester Aemon Targaryen.

There were seven people on the high table in total.

The hall beneath the high table was crowded with people.

These people were divided into four legions: the Night's Watch; the Northern Legion; Queen Shireen's Legion; and the Free Folk Legion.

The people north of the Wall called themselves the Free Folk, while the people south of the Wall called the Free Folk north of the Wall wildlings. Jon Snow ordered the three iron gates opened, letting the wildlings in, and ordered the soldiers not to call the northerners wildlings anymore, but to call them Free Folk. Northerners hated southerners calling them wildlings; they thought southerners were hypocritical, ruled by nobles, and bound by hypocritical etiquette, not free at all.

The Free Folk didn't have to kneel when they saw their king, and soldiers could freely choose other leaders if they were dissatisfied with their superiors. Southerners, however, could not, and southerners had to kneel when they saw the king. These were all deeply despised by the northerners.

*

Almost all the officers of the Night's Watch in Castle Black were present: Drill Sergeant Alliser Thorne—he was one of the very few knights in the Night's Watch who had been formally knighted. The drill sergeant straightened his chest, his black onyx-like eyes fixed on Jon. He was very dissatisfied with Jon's military order to let the wildlings in. Beside him was Ser Jaremy Rykker, his brother from the same family.

Steward Bowen Marsh, Alliser's close friend, was also by Alliser's side. Bowen was red and fat, like a pomegranate. His fat hands rested on the hilt of his sword, harboring deep hostility towards Mance Rayder on the high table and the wildling officers around him.

Bowen Marsh, like Alliser, was a senior officer who firmly opposed Jon Snow's alliance with the wildlings, and he had a group of followers in the Night's Watch.

Armorer Donal Noye of Castle Black was also present. His chest was as broad as a barrel, and his stomach was even more astonishingly large. His nose was wide and flat, and his face was covered with a beard that seemed never to have been shaved. The left lapel of his black wool coat was fastened at the shoulder with a longsword-shaped pin.

Armorer Donal Noye had been Stannis's blacksmith, and he had seen the world and experienced great storms. He joined the Night's Watch after losing an arm in the siege of Storm's End eighteen years ago.

Before becoming a member of the Night's Watch, Donal Noye had always been Stannis Baratheon's blacksmith. He had traveled all over the Seven Kingdoms, eaten delicacies, tasted the sweetness of many women, and fought in hundreds of battles, large and small. It was said that the famous warhammer with which King Robert killed Rhaegar Targaryen on the Trident was forged by Donal Noye.

At the age of thirty, Donal's left arm became inflamed and ulcerated from a minor axe wound, and he had to have his entire hand amputated. Stannis Baratheon thought Donal Noye was no longer useful, so he gave Donal Noye the choice of leaving him to become a free blacksmith or choosing to come to the Wall to be a member of the Night's Watch. Donal Noye chose to come to be a member of the Night's Watch.

Although he only had one hand, he was more agile than blacksmiths with two hands. The quality of the weapons he forged was still excellent!

In addition to the knights and elders of Castle Black, two leaders of the Brotherhood Without Banners were also present: Lord Beric Dondarrion, the Lightning Lord. His body had many scars, his left eye was completely blind and bound with a black eye patch, and his neck also had terrible wound marks. He had died many times, each time resurrected by the red priest Thoros through fire prayers. But the scars on his body remained and would not completely disappear with resurrection.

The red priest Thoros, like the red priest Melisandre, was covered in stubble and wore a red robe. Both were believers and propagators of the Red God and had followers with very devout beliefs. However, the Brotherhood Without Banners still joined the Night's Watch, not Queen Shireen's Legion.

Jon's friends were also present, mainly including Toad, Gellan, Hodor, Pyp, and Holly.

*

The Northern Legion's various families had lords following Eddard Stark. The new lord of the Dreadfort, Gym Bolton, led four knights in the ranks of the Northern officers.

After the former patriarch Roose Bolton disappeared at the Red Wedding in the Twins, there was no news of him; Ramsay Bolton, 'the Bastard of Bolton', who fled after the defeat in the North, also disappeared.

During the War of the Five Kings last year, after Eddard and Robb led their troops back to the North and defeated Ramsay Bolton, the Stark family did not exterminate the Roose Bolton family but reappointed a branch of the Roose family to be the new lord and earl of the Dreadfort. The new patriarch of the Bolton family, whose bloodline was dwindling, was the seven-year-old Gym Bolton. He was followed by four sword-bearing guards, and the sigil on his chest was still the flayed man of the Dreadfort.

The representative of Bear Island's House Mormont in the North was Lady Maege Mormont and her eldest daughter and heir, Dacey Mormont.

The number of people in the Northern Legion was the largest at the Wall. Compared to the Brotherhood Without Banners and Queen Shireen's Legion, the Northern Legion's combat power was the strongest. Because northerners were more suited to the extremely cold weather of the Wall, while the soldiers of Queen Shireen's Legion and the brothers of the Brotherhood Without Banners all came from the warm south. Extreme cold weather was a severe test for southerners.

*

There were also many people from the Free Folk Legion in the hall, including Rattleshirt, Tormund Giantsbane and his seven sons, Harma the Dogshead and her brothers, Ygritte, King-Beyond-the-Wall Mance Rayder's wife and beautiful sister Val. There was also the foul-smelling giant king Hagh.

Hundreds of giant warriors were killed by wildfire barrels and stone bombs, and more than two hundred giant warriors were in the Free Folk camp outside the Shieldhall.

No matter how many legions came here, the sixteen abandoned military fortresses of the Wall could accommodate them.

The shield hall was high and wide. The giant leader, Hagh, stood among the free folk leaders, his head almost touching the high ceiling, as if he alone filled the entire hall, giving a sense of extreme oppression.

Among the four major legions, the free folk stood out because of their giant leader Hagh and the beautiful and charming Val, making the aura of the other three legions seem much weaker.

*

“Lord Eddard, we cannot accept the wildling king, Mance Rayder, sitting at the table,” Ser Alliser Thorne, the Night's Watch master-at-arms, said coldly. “Either he surrenders to us, kneels in submission, or we should sentence him to hang and avenge our fallen brothers.”

Among the free folk officers, Rattleshirt said coldly, “The crows cross the Wall every year, entering our territory and killing how many free folk? It's time we settled this blood debt.”

The Night's Watch called the people north of the Wall wildlings, while the people north of the Wall called the Night's Watch crows, both being derogatory and humiliating terms.

“Come and duel, crow!” Tormund Giantsbane, the leader of the Stone Crow tribe, stepped forward. “Which crow dares to duel me?”

“I'll smash your head, wildling!” Master Smith Donal Noye stepped forward. He had only one right hand, but his weapon was a heavy iron hammer, and he was incredibly strong. Although he was nearly fifty years old, he was still brave and unstoppable.

Whoosh!

Tormund drew his axe from his back.

“Stop!” Both Jon and Mance Rayder shouted at the same time.

Jon said coldly, “The Others are outside the Wall. Maybe tonight, maybe tomorrow, they will climb over the Wall. If the tunnel isn't sealed in time, we wouldn't have time to sit here and have a meeting. Everyone is in a life-and-death battle with the Others.”

“Even so, I cannot accept fighting alongside wildlings. For thousands of years, they have been our mortal enemies,” Steward Bowen Marsh said coldly. “All my good brothers died at the hands of wildlings.”

“Since the Lord Commander ordered the wildlings to be let through the gate, he should order them to kneel in submission. Mance Rayder should not sit at the high table and command us,” Lancel Lannister said faintly from the crowd. “Mance Rayder belongs to the North, he is the king of the wildlings. What qualifications does he have? What abilities? What merits can he compare with our Lord Eddard, Lord Commander Jon, Her Majesty Shireen, and High Priestess Melisandre?”

Among the Night's Watch officers, a chorus of voices rose in opposition to Mance Rayder sitting at the table.

There was also a commotion in Her Majesty Shireen's legion. The captain of the guard came from the Florent family of Queen Selyse Florent, named Ser Axell Florent, the leader of the Queen's party, and Queen Selyse's uncle: “Her Majesty Shireen, High Priestess Melisandre, Lord Davos, Mance Rayder must kneel and pledge allegiance to Her Majesty, rather than sit with Her Majesty on the high platform.”

Axell's words won the unanimous approval of the officers of Shireen's legion.

They didn't want to put the wildlings to death—in this respect they were different from the Night's Watch. The Night's Watch was the most resolute in its intolerance of the wildlings. The Night's Watch had fought with the wildlings for generations, with countless blood feuds, back and forth, repaying grievances, and it was difficult to resolve them for a while—the officers of Shireen's legion believed that Mance Rayder had to surrender at the very least.

The call for Mance Rayder to surrender was very high, among the Night's Watch, in Her Majesty Shireen's legion, and in the hearts of the Northern officers.

They could accept the wildlings fighting the Others together, but they had to surrender first. The wildling king Mance Rayder had to kneel in submission first, and not have the qualification to be on equal footing with the Southerners.

Maege Mormont said, “Lord Eddard, the wildlings enter our territory, eat our food, live in our military fortresses, and drink our beer. We gave them a place to stay, saving their tribesmen from the clutches of the Others. They must surrender to us in order to fight alongside us.”

Seeing the surging crowd, while the free folk officers had their hands on their weapons, ready to draw their swords, Melisandre raised her hand to signal everyone to be quiet: “Lords, sirs, knights, centurions, please be quiet, we need to give the King-Beyond-the-Wall some time.” Melisandre looked at Mance Rayder, her beautiful eyes flashing: “King-Beyond-the-Wall, Lord Commander Jon was merciful and ordered the Night's Watch to open the three iron gates to let your warriors and people in. Although we don't have time to block the long tunnel, we have plenty of time to block the exit. We took you in, saving your people from hunger, cold, and the Others' slaughter. You must kneel in submission.”

Melisandre's words won the support of the Night's Watch, Shireen's legion, and the Northerners in the hall, and everyone's clamor rose.

Melisandre scanned the hall, gently waved her hand, and the voices gradually subsided, becoming quiet.

In the hall, everyone's eyes were fixed on Mance Rayder.

Mance Rayder was of medium height, with long legs, a strong build, and broad shoulders and chest. He once had long brown hair, but now it was mostly gray, and laughter lines had crept onto the corners of his mouth. His appearance was unremarkable, but he was the first in centuries to bring together free folk tribes with various killings and blood feuds and be recognized as king by all free folk.

His leadership was unparalleled, and his influence among the free folk was unmatched.

“Lord Jon Snow, what do you think? Should I surrender to you?” Mance Rayder opened his mouth to speak, and the whole place was silent. “As far as I know, Her Majesty Shireen beside me is a queen, Lord Eddard's eldest son Robb Stark is also a king, and Lord Commander Jon Snow is independent of the Seven Kingdoms, not bound or commanded by any king. The Night's Watch also never submits to any king. So, who do you want me to surrender to? Her Majesty Shireen? His Majesty Robb? Lord Commander Jon?”

“Of course, surrender to Her Majesty Shireen!” Melisandre was the first to say. The officers of Shireen's legion cheered in unison.

“High Priestess Melisandre, this is the Wall, Lord Commander Jon is the supreme commander of the Wall,” Night's Watchman Grenn immediately retorted loudly.

“The King in the North is the true king of the North. Mance Rayder should submit to Lord Eddard,” Maege Mormont shouted sharply.

The Northern officers were numerous and powerful, and immediately clamored, suppressing the officers of the Night's Watch and Shireen's legion.

Mance Rayder smiled slightly: “Commander Jon Snow, I am very grateful to you for opening the gate and letting us in. Although we will definitely break through your defenses and enter the Black Castle in the end, our free folk warriors and people will definitely die in large numbers. With Lord Eddard's Northern army and Her Majesty Shireen's Shireen legion stationed in the forests outside, if they counterattack, we may be completely annihilated.”

Everyone fell silent. According to Mance Rayder's meaning, was he going to surrender to Jon Snow?

Jon Snow said, “Lords, we should first gather all our forces to defend the Wall. The wights outside are gathering, and their numbers are increasing. They will attack the Wall in the blink of an eye. We need more manpower.” He looked at Melisandre, “High Priestess, you said that we need to unite everyone to fight against the Others. The struggle for the Iron Throne is just child's play, and the real battle is the battle with the Others at the Wall.”

“Yes, I said that. But if Mance Rayder doesn't submit, our legions cannot be united, there will be very serious divisions within us, and the morale of the army will be unstable,” Melisandre said, staring at Jon.

“I'm sorry, Lady Melisandre, I will not surrender to anyone, nor will I submit to anyone. Commander Jon Snow, my people are no threat to you, my warriors can help you fight the Others, please keep them. As for me, please take my life to avenge the fallen Night's Watch brothers.”

Melisandre said coldly, “King-Beyond-the-Wall, have you thought it through?”

“Yes, madam, I have thought it through very clearly,” Mance Rayder said lightly.

“No!” Mance Rayder's wife, Dalla, cried out sharply among the free folk leaders. “No, Mance, you can't do this, our child cannot be without a father.”

Dalla was already pregnant, her abdomen bulging, and she might give birth next month. Her sister Val hurriedly put her arm around her shoulders and comforted her softly.

“No, Mance, let's surrender, surrender to Lord Commander Jon,” Dalla said.

“Shut up!” Mance Rayder shouted sharply, “The free folk will never surrender, we will not kneel to any king.”

Dalla's tears flowed instantly.

Melisandre's eyes shone brightly, excited and fervent!

“Commander Jon Snow, I hope that after I die, you will personally burn me. I cannot become a wight,” Mance Rayder said, looking at Jon Snow.

“We will burn you,” Melisandre's beautiful eyes sparkled.

A person stood up, cold and sharp, his words like knives: “Lady Melisandre, you have taken a fancy to Mance Rayder's royal bloodline, haven't you? Did you plan to burn him from the beginning, wanting to sacrifice him to the Red God?”

The person who said this was Lord Davos Seaworth, Melisandre's colleague in the court. He had been watching coldly, seeing through Melisandre's tricks. Melisandre had once said that she wanted to go to the Westerlands, where there was a person with royal blood, a blacksmith named Gendry. She wanted to capture Gendry and then keep him by her side for a long time, obtaining his king's blood to sacrifice to the Red God to obtain the Red God's prophecies and enhance her magical powers.

Melisandre obtained king's blood from Stannis, giving birth to shadow assassins who killed Renly I and the castellan of Storm's End. Royal blood had a special effect on her sacrifices and her magic, and Mance Rayder was the King-Beyond-the-Wall.

Davos Seaworth looked at Dalla, and the child in Dalla's belly also had the blood of the King-Beyond-the-Wall. Once the child was born, Melisandre would definitely find a way to get her hands on this child… Melisandre had a crazy obsession with the desire for royal blood.

“King Mance, for the sake of the free folk, the warriors, your child…” Jon said.

“Don't persuade me to surrender, Lord Jon. Mance is a free folk, he will never submit, nor will he ever surrender to any king in the South. Leaders of my tribes, you must protect your people well. There are not many of us left. If the gods bless you to defeat the Others, I want you to return home.”

The free folk tribal leaders were silent, their expressions grief-stricken. The giant leader Hagh was breathing rapidly, his chest heaving, making many people worry that he would suddenly become violent and hurt people.

Eddard Stark was silent. He had long seen that Mance Rayder could not be persuaded to submit. Mance valued freedom as the highest honor.

Maester Aemon's blind eyes looked at the ceiling, tilting his head, as if listening to some mysterious prophecy. He also did not speak. His eyes were blind, but his heart was bright.

Mance Rayder refused to surrender and refused to submit, so he could not reconcile the morale of the Southerners. He chose to die alone in exchange for the survival of the free folk.

Using the blood of the King-Beyond-the-Wall to cleanse the hatred of the Night's Watch brothers, and if there were still people dissatisfied, Jon would have a reason to enforce the law by force. If Mance did not die, civil war would inevitably break out, and the free folk warriors and people would be slaughtered by the Night's Watch, the Northerners, and Shireen's legion.

Prejudice cannot be eliminated with a few words! There were not many people who could see through it, and Lord Eddard, who had not spoken, might be one of them. But perhaps Lord Eddard Stark himself also agreed to kill Mance Rayder. After all, killing the King-Beyond-the-Wall was the best and most convenient way to disintegrate the united free folk forces.

Mance Rayder's death alone would not weaken the power of the free folk warriors, and there was no shortage of people here who could command the battle. Eddard and Jon, Davos and Beric, were all the best commanders. The free folk warriors lost their king who could unify them, and the internal divisions that already existed would naturally split, making them easier to manage.

The free folk tribal leaders did not draw their swords against each other on the spot. Aemon estimated that Mance Rayder had anticipated this situation beforehand. He was an extremely intelligent man, and he must have done ideological work with his subordinates beforehand, analyzed the pros and cons, and then issued orders.

The truly intelligent people who see through the complicated world are not the ones who shout loudly!

*

Night.

Jon Snow and Mance Rayder were drinking. In the training yard, Master-at-Arms Alliser Thorne and Steward Bowen Marsh were building a pyre. After their final discussion, at Melisandre's insistence, they decided to burn Mance Rayder to death. Mance Rayder accepted this form of execution.

“Jon, after I die, I hope you can protect my child!”

Jon Snow looked at Mance Rayder: “Mance, I will do my best to protect your child… uh… won't you name your child beforehand?”

“Free folk children cannot be named in advance, they must wait until they are one year old before they are named, otherwise it is unlucky and they are prone to die young.”

“Uh… you can choose hanging or beheading instead of burning!…”

“Since it's a choice of death, let the people who hate our free folk feel more comfortable.”

“Did you choose death when you entered the gate?”

“Most of the Night's Watch certainly won't accept me alive, I know that very well! After I die, their hostility towards the free folk warriors will not diminish. Commander Jon, you need Lord Eddard's power to control Master-at-Arms Alliser and Ser Bowen's group. Believe me, they won't stop just because they killed me.”

“The Others are outside, I believe my Night's Watch brothers will consider the overall situation.”

“They won't, Commander Jon. I was a Night's Watchman here for more than twenty years. How long have you been here? One year, two years, or three years? Ser Alliser and the others' hatred for the free folk is in their blood and souls, and it can never be eliminated. But you have military orders and Lord Eddard, and after I give my life, you have enough reason to force them to implement government orders. In addition, you need more Southern legions to join. Write letters to the Southern nobles, once the Wall is breached, the Southerners will face the slaughter of the Others!”

*

An hour later, in the training yard of the Black Castle, Mance Rayder was bound to the pyre by Melisandre's supporters. Amidst the loud, chanting prayers of hundreds of her followers, Melisandre lit the pyre. The flames roared, and Mance Rayder began to scream.

Among the onlookers were all the leaders and core subordinates of the Free Folk, Mance's wife Dalla and her sister Val, the giant king Mag Mar Tun Doh Weg and his giants, Eddard Stark and his Northern generals, Queen Shireen, Queen Dowager Selyse, and Davos Seaworth.

Whoosh!

An arrow flew, striking Mance Rayder squarely in the throat, abruptly silencing his screams!

From the second floor of the Shieldhall, Jon Snow had fired the arrow, ending Mance Rayder's suffering prematurely.

Jon Snow said in a deep voice: "My lords, brothers of the Night's Watch, we need more people to join us in fighting the Others. I declare that from this moment on, no one is to engage in conflict with the Free Folk warriors. Anyone who raises a sword against them will be executed!"

That night, in Maester Aemon's tower, Eddard Stark, Jon Snow, Davos Seaworth, and Maester Aemon together signed a letter of appeal to the Iron Throne.

*

King's Landing, the Crownlands. On the Gold Road connecting the Westerlands and King's Landing, the Mountain's infantry was on a forced march.

The three thousand Westerland troops, seven thousand Ironborn surrendered soldiers, two thousand Clegane infantry, and five thousand cavalry-infantry mixed corps from the Mountains of the Moon were in high spirits. The news that Duke Gregor's one thousand heavy cavalry had routed Randyll's three thousand cavalry and beheaded Randyll Tarly and Dickon Tarly had inspired the soldiers.

Among the three thousand Westerland troops, not many were loyal to the Lannisters, numbering less than a thousand. They were coerced amidst the infantry of House Westerling of the Crag, House Serrett of Silverhill, and House Farman of Fair Isle. With seven thousand Ironborn and seven thousand Clegane troops behind them, they could only bravely advance, daring not to slacken.

The Mountain's cavalry had already reached the outskirts of King's Landing, setting up camp outside the Mud Gate, ready to attack the city.

The soldiers of the Royal Navy fleet, led by Master of Whisperers Boros Clegane and Admiral Wagstaff, were erecting siege engines at the Mud Gate and the King's Gate. As soon as the Mountain gave the order, the navy would attack the city.

The two thousand warriors of the King's Landing City Watch, plus the two thousand warriors of House Tyrell, and the two hundred Dornish nobles who had been temporarily conscripted and had not yet left King's Landing, totaling over four thousand warriors, were stationed on the city walls day and night, their morale low.

Commander of the City Watch Bronn was responsible for defending the Gods Gate, while the Knight of Flowers Loras Tyrell was responsible for defending the Mud Gate and the King's Gate.

On the other side of the Blackwater Rush, in the Kingswood, Jaime Lannister, accompanied by Bronn, was rushing towards King's Landing under the starlight.

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