The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Mya Stone was the first to emerge from the 'ladder' inside the mountain's belly. The outside was filled with howling wind and ice on the ground. This place was two hundred meters vertically above the Longbow Hall below.

Mya Stone was tall and well-proportioned, with a perfect figure, agile movements, and vigorous steps. The curves a woman should have were perfectly displayed under her tight black leather clothes and pants. Her smile was pure, her eyes innocent, and nothing seemed to sadden her.

Behind her, Michelle Redfort had a similar figure. Mya loved Michelle deeply, and she believed Michelle loved her just as deeply. In another year, Michelle would no longer be Lyn Corbray's squire. He would end his squirehood, and then they would marry.

"My lords, it's still an hour's journey from here to Longbow Hall. The ice and snow here never melt, and the road is steep, winding back and forth. It will pass through a three-foot-wide, dozens-of-feet-long path. On both sides of the road are bottomless abysses covered with thin ice. Mules cannot walk on it. Please stay close to me. Those who are afraid of the cold should cover their mouths and noses with towels. Extreme cold will make it difficult for us to breathe. I advise you to take off your cloaks and wrap yourselves tightly in your fur coats. Strong winds are common on this stretch of road."

The nobles and squires shut their mouths and perked up, concentrating on the descent.

The road from the Eyrie's ladder was above the snow line and very dangerous. Even Mya Stone herself became cautious, her face serious.

The Eyrie is an impregnable city—this saying originated from this treacherous snowy mountain road.

The Eyrie was too high, and the summit was covered with snow all year round, never melting. The snow line started from Longbow Hall, where the team would spend the night.

Longbow Hall was the closest defensive castle to the Eyrie, and the snow line of the Giant's Lance mountains started from there. Above the snow line was a world of ice and snow. Below the snow line was a world of spring, and at the foot of the mountain, it was hot summer, where thin clothes were enough.

Bronze Yohn Royce and Lord Horton Redfort both kept their mouths shut, took off their cloaks, wrapped themselves tightly in their fur coats, and perked up for the descent.

They had left the Eyrie after lunch and spent an hour walking down the ladder by torchlight, but the real test had just begun.

The strong wind was a living thing, howling like a lone wolf in the wilderness, as if it had never been calm. Looking down from the cliff on one side of the road, Longbow Hall looked like a palm-sized box.

After hundreds of years of freezing, melting, and countless tramplings, the stone steps were badly damaged. Under Mya Stone's guidance, everyone proceeded cautiously and nervously. The gale haunted and roared among the mountain streams, forests, and ice pillars, occasionally rushing out to pull at everyone, trying to drag them down the cliff.

When everyone finally passed a three-foot-wide path between two small hills, they all realized they were covered in sweat.

Looking back, both sides of the mountain road were bottomless abysses, dizzying to look at, but Mya Stone stood at the very edge of the road and happily announced, "My lords, the most dangerous section has been successfully passed. We will soon reach Longbow Hall."

The girl had a perfect figure, great courage, and a free and cheerful personality. Her short hair and just the right amount of wildness added to her soft and beautiful charm.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and smiles appeared on everyone's faces. Many people untied the towels covering their mouths and noses to resist the cold and began to talk and laugh.

Longbow Hall was crescent-shaped, built along the mountain wall behind a towering city wall made of rough stones. The snow line started here, and the weathered walls of Longbow Hall were covered with frost, its slopes hung with long, transparent or hazy ice pillars. Looking around, it was a beautiful world of ice and snow.

Mya Stone greeted the guards, and the city gate opened in front of her. Behind the city wall was a series of slopes, and various sizes of rocks looked precarious.

A passage was opened in the rock wall, and livestock, stables, and barracks were all inside.

Everyone entered Longbow Hall—a place built using natural mountain caves. The main hall had a roaring fire and was very warm.

After dinner, Michelle Redfort and Mya Stone secretly disappeared to a place for a passionate date. In Lord Royce's room, Horton Redfort and Lord Royce were exchanging betrothal gifts.

Both sides were very satisfied with this marriage!

Michelle Redfort was one of the best swordsmen among the young men of the Vale. He followed Ser Lyn, and his swordsmanship improved quickly. He was also handsome and worthy of Miss Ysilla Royce's beauty.

*

Ysilla Royce, like Jeyne Westerling and Sansa Stark, was a true noble lady.

In her chamber in Runestone, under the candlelight, Ysilla Royce looked at the portraits of her three brothers that she had painted on the wall.

She hated her third brother, Waymar Royce, the most, and he seemed to be staring at Ysilla from the painting.

To avoid fratricide over Runestone, Waymar had gone to the Wall and joined the Night's Watch, but his fate was now unknown.

Definite news had returned that Waymar Royce, sent to the Wall by his father, had disappeared not long after becoming a ranger during a routine patrol of the haunted forest with two veteran rangers. One of the rangers, named Will, deserted and was captured and beheaded by Eddard Stark. The other, a ranger named Gared with forty years of experience, disappeared with Waymar, and their whereabouts were still unknown.

The second painting was of Ysilla's second brother, Robar Royce.

Unable to inherit the family's lands and his father's title, her second brother had gone out to make a name for himself, becoming a Rainbow Guard of Renly Baratheon I, known as Robar the Red. When Renly I was murdered by the rumored shadow assassin, her second brother Robar, as the king's red guard, was killed on the spot by Loras Tyrell, the Knight of Flowers.

The third painting was of Ysilla's eldest brother, Andar Royce. In the picture, Andar Royce was being knocked to the ground by a knight in golden armor.

In the picture, the golden-armored knight looked even more vivid.

The scene was from the joust at King's Landing two years ago, when her eldest brother Andar faced Jaime Lannister and was unhorsed by Jaime.

At that time, Ysilla was also among the many noble ladies at the tournament, and she was deeply impressed by the handsome and extraordinary Jaime in his golden armor.

"My lady, it's time to rest," the maid Maria said softly.

Ysilla nodded. She herself was surprised that she was always restless and sleepless tonight, and an unprecedented strange feeling lingered in her heart.

"Maria, go see if Lord Andar has rested."

"Yes, my lady."

Watching the maid move out, Ysilla felt her words were abrupt. Why did she suddenly care about her eldest brother? She looked out of the dark window, listening to the sound of the waves in the distant sea, and the unease in her heart grew stronger and stronger.

But Ysilla couldn't see or touch what was causing the unease, inexplicable and inexplicably irritable!

Tonight, would something ominous happen?! Or, would she hear some bad news?!

A moment later, Maria returned from Andar Royce's residence: "My lady, Lord Andar has fallen asleep."

"So early?"

"It's not early, my lady. Lord Andar drank a lot of wine at dinner."

"Well, let's sleep then."

"It's late, my lady, you should sleep too!"

The maid Maria saw that Ysilla was restless. She didn't know what was on her lady's mind, but no matter what, it was time to rest.

Ysilla was awakened from a hazy sleep by a loud rumbling sound. When she turned over, the window reflected a raging fire. In the distance and nearby, countless sounds were ringing, including dense footsteps, horses' hooves, men's roars and women's screams, the crackling of a burning fire, the sound of swords clashing, hysterical shouts, malicious laughter, the rumbling of collapsing houses... all kinds of sounds, converging into a strange and terrifying torrent, completely submerging Ysilla...

Ysilla was completely stunned!

What happened outside?

Was she dreaming?

In the courtyard, all kinds of shouts were ringing. She seemed to hear her eldest brother Andar's voice, she seemed to hear the voice of the instructor Fielder, she seemed to hear the voice of the maid Maria. Outside the window, dark shadows flickered, torches flickered, it was a chaotic world.

"My lady, open the door, open the door!" It was Maria's voice, the door was shaking, and the sound of knocking on the door was clear and real.

This was not a dream?!

Ysilla found she couldn't move!

What happened to Runestone?!

Boom!

The wooden door in front of her suddenly shattered, wood chips flying, and Ysilla heard her own scream, the sound sharp and high-pitched, like a sharp blade piercing into the torrent of various sounds.

Andar Royce stood at the door, holding a long sword and covered in blood. He had kicked the door open: "Ysilla, the Mountain has entered the city, run!"

The maid Maria ran to Ysilla's side and took her hand. Her lady's hand was cold.

"Miss Ysilla, run, the Mountain has invaded," Instructor Fielder appeared, leading a team of family guards.

The sound of horses' hooves, several warhorses appeared at the gate, Andar jumped on his horse: "Ser Fielder, I'm entrusting the lady to you, run."

"What about you, my lord?" Fielder exclaimed, "Let's go together!"

"You protect the lady and leave first, I'll block the Mountain!"

"Lord Andar, I'm afraid no one can block the Mountain!" Fielder grabbed Andar Royce's horse's reins, "My lord, let's go together."

"Stop talking, leave through the west gate immediately, or I'll kill you!" Andar shouted sharply.

The sound of horses' hooves rang, and a general rode into the courtyard: "Lord Andar, the Mountain has broken through the inner city and will soon rush to the main castle gate."

The person who came was Daniel Royce, a branch knight of the family!

"Are all the men gathered?"

"Yes, my lord, all the main castle guards have been assembled."

"Follow me and kill our way out!"

"Yes, my lord!"

Andar and Daniel rode out of the courtyard, and in the instant of galloping out of the courtyard, Andar looked back at Ysilla: "Sister, leave through the west gate, don't look back, keep going, enter the mountain forest, Father will soon fight back."

The last sentence was conveyed, and Andar's people and horses were no longer visible!

Ysilla was still standing, unable to move, unable to speak. Suddenly her body lightened, and she had been picked up by Instructor Fielder and placed on a warhorse.

Fielder also jumped on his horse, Maria also jumped on her horse, and there were also two maids in the company, everyone got on their horses. A team of twelve family guards had been waiting in the courtyard, everyone got on their horses, Instructor Fielder gave a low shout, drew his long sword, took the lead and rushed out towards the back door of the courtyard.

The courtyard door had been opened, and suddenly, Ysilla found herself on the street.

There were fires everywhere, the sound of fighting everywhere, screams resounded through the night sky, front and back, there were unknown numbers of enemies, they seemed to be hiding in every dark corner, ready to come out and kill the city's people and soldiers.

Ysilla didn't know that she was holding the reins tightly and crouching low on the horse's back, galloping forward. The night wind blew past her ears, and she couldn't feel it. She only felt that her whole heart was about to jump out of her chest.

Suddenly, a thunderous voice rang out: "People and soldiers of Runestone, I am the Mountain, your Lord Andar Royce has been beheaded by me, no one should resist anymore, don't run away, or I will slaughter the city."

The voice was thunderous, and it exploded in Ysilla's ears.

Ysilla almost fell from the horse. From childhood to adulthood, she had lived in luxury and had never heard such a fierce voice. The pressure brought by that voice was like an invisible iron plate smashing down.

"My lady, hold on tight!" Instructor Fielder's voice was surprisingly calm, "Don't look back, hold on to the saddle."

Pa!

A crisp sound, the whip was slammed hard on the horse's rump, the horse was in pain, and ran forward like an arrow.

Beside her, black shadows retreated backwards like lightning, and the wind whistled. The voices of Maria and the two maids gradually faded away, the sound of hooves, Fielder and twelve riders escorted Ysilla Royce galloping on the street.

At the west gate, the garrison soldiers formed a small square formation, a hundred-man team, waiting in battle.

"Open the city gate and protect the lady into the west mountain forest," Fielder shouted.

The instructor had extremely high prestige, and the family's knights and centurions were all his swordsmanship students.

The city gate opened quickly, Fielder gave an order, the hundred-man team joined the team protecting the lady, Fielder led the way, riding out of the city.

Runestone was located in a narrow bay that could well resist sea storms. The island was hundreds of miles around, with mountains, forests, small rivers, plains, and hills. Because the climate was suitable, the island was rich in products, with many farmers and fishermen. As long as they escaped into the mountain forest in the west, they could hide well and find local fishermen to have them take Miss Ysilla across the bay in fishing boats overnight and send her into the Vale's basin plain.

Boom!

With a loud noise, Instructor Fielder, who was at the very front, suddenly flew up, and the horse also stumbled and rushed out, crashing a long way away.

The horses behind the instructor also fell down one after another, and the warriors on the horses screamed and flew into the air.

They were running too fast.

"There's a tripping rope!" Centurion Julian, who was guarding Miss Ysilla, shouted and reached out to pull the reins of Miss Ysilla's warhorse.

The lesson of the front horse. When the horses of Instructor Fielder and others fell forward, the warhorses behind had spontaneously slowed down, and some horses had spontaneously stopped and prepared to turn.

Horses are very spiritual animals!

"Draw your swords and meet the enemy!" Julian shouted.

Swish!

An arrow shot from the darkness, hitting Julian's right shoulder.

Swish, swish, swish!

Amidst the sound of arrows cutting through the air, seven or eight guards who were at the front, defending against the enemy and protecting the young lady, fell from their horses.

Julian endured the pain and switched his sword to his left hand: "Protect the young lady!"

Clang, clang, clang! The guards drew their long swords one after another, holding them upright, their cold light glinting. The round shields on their backs were already in their hands.

"Young lady? Miss Yaxina Royce?" A voice rang out from the darkness, laced with frivolity. Torches were lit one by one, blocking the entire road.

A dense array of torches illuminated the area; there were at least three hundred.

In the center was a young general with a wild look on his face. The warhorse beneath him was exceptionally strong and tall, and unusually magnificent.