The Mountain of Ice and Fire

“I not only know that a large amount of dragon crystal is buried under Dragon Mountain on Dragonstone, but I also know more.” The Mountain answered evasively, cleverly deflecting Melisandre's words.

It seemed that he had answered Melisandre's words, but in reality, he had said nothing.

Melisandre stared at the Mountain, her eyes seeming to have two flames dancing within: “Since you have transported a large number of dragon crystal weapons and dragon crystal ore to Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, why not send your legions to fight? Once the Wall falls, the White Walker army will become incredibly powerful, and no one will be able to escape the pursuit of the White Walkers in winter. If humanity cannot unite and remains fragmented, an White Walker King—the Night King—will sit on the Iron Throne in the winter season, and we will all be his wight warriors.”

The Mountain was unimpressed by Melisandre's words. He knew that as long as Daenerys had not brought her dragons to the Wall, the Night King could not cross it. The magic circles in the base of the Wall and the ice and snow could block all dark creatures like White Walkers outside the Wall.

In fact, the Mountain had already decided not to fight at the Wall or in the North. He was a transmigrator without any lofty ideals. The great cause of resisting the White Walkers and saving humanity should be left to Daenerys Targaryen. The Mountain had no intention of stealing such a great achievement. The Mountain hoped to preserve his strength and develop his 'technological civilization' 'after the autumn harvest,' thereby dominating this world.

Going north to fight the White Walkers could easily cost him his life.

“Lady Melisandre, has the Wall fallen?” The Mountain asked lightly.

He knew that the Wall would not fall until Daenerys arrived in the North, which was the original course of the world.

“Yes, Eastwatch-by-the-Sea has fallen.” Melisandre looked at the Mountain with a playful gaze, as if she had seen through his intention to preserve his strength. However, any powerful noble would do the same as the Mountain, letting others take the lead in difficult situations.

But as soon as Melisandre said this, everyone in the hall was awe-stricken.

“Eastwatch-by-the-Sea has fallen?” The Mountain's voice suddenly rose. He was just asking casually to reject Melisandre's argument.

“Yes.” Melisandre looked calmly at the Mountain's surprise.

The Mountain was indeed very surprised. Daenerys was still across the Narrow Sea, and the Wall had already fallen! This was no longer the original course of the world. Could it be that everything had changed drastically?

The Mountain felt a chill in his heart. He didn't like this change. Unknown changes always made people feel uneasy.

In the Mountain's seemingly certain world trajectory, Daenerys was supposed to cross the Wall with her dragons. One of her dragons was killed by the Night King's thrown ice spear and resurrected by the Night King into an ice dragon. The ice dragon spewed blue flames, burning down the walls of Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, thereby breaking through the Night's Watch defense line, and the White Walker army smoothly entered the Night's Watch territory.

The news of the fall of Eastwatch-by-the-Sea made Sansa's face turn pale, and her small hands turned white from gripping them tightly.

Janei and Daurte were equally surprised!

Melisandre's charming gaze swept across the room, her raised neck slender and beautiful: “Lord Mountain, Ladies, Generals, on the second night after boarding Earl Gavin's 'Titan' and leaving Eastwatch-by-the-Sea with Earl Gavin, the White Walkers crossed the section of the Wall near Eastwatch-by-the-Sea by sea, attacking the unprepared Eastwatch-by-the-Sea fleet. After the port was occupied by the White Walkers, they obtained more ships, and a large number of wights crossed the Wall by ship and entered the Night's Watch territory. More than a thousand warriors who went to reinforce the Eastwatch-by-the-Sea garrison all died in battle.”

“Couldn't you see this attack by the Night King in the flames?” The Mountain shouted. He didn't want to believe it.

“I didn't see R'hllor's warning,” Melisandre said frankly. “My magical power was strengthened at the Wall, because the Wall itself is a huge magic circle that strengthens the magic power of wizards, but I still couldn't foresee the Night King's attack in advance. I think this may be related to the will of the Great Other. The Wall actually belongs to the North, and the North is the territory of the Great Other.”

The Mountain looked at Janei, looked at Lady Daurte, and everyone looked at each other.

Both Janei and Daurte were good at predicting the future, but they had not seen any prophetic hints about the fall of Eastwatch-by-the-Sea.

The gods of Janei and Melisandre did not give any warnings at that moment. Or they did, but Janei and Melisandre didn't see them.

The Mountain asked, “Lady Melisandre, how many days after the fall of Eastwatch-by-the-Sea did you know about this news?”

“On the fourth day after Eastwatch-by-the-Sea was occupied by the White Walkers, Jon Snow, who had fled back to Castle Black, wrote me a letter asking me to return to the Wall as soon as possible to help defend it.”

Janei glanced at Sansa Stark and asked for her what she wanted to ask: “I heard that Eddard Stark is also at the Wall. Is he alright?”

“Eddard Stark was in Eastwatch-by-the-Sea at the time. The wagons transporting dragon crystal weapons from Castle Black had just left for a day when the White Walkers attacked Eastwatch-by-the-Sea. The dragon crystal weapons and dragon crystal that had not had time to be transported were all taken away by the White Walkers.”

“Eddard Stark fled back to Castle Black?”

“Yes. At Castle Black at that time was also our Shireen's Hand, Davos Seaworth. He returned from Hardhome, warning Jon Snow and Eddard Stark that the White Walkers might launch an attack on Eastwatch-by-the-Sea. Jon sent out scouts, but they did not discover any movement of the White Walkers. They thought Davos was too suspicious and eventually ignored Davos's warning. Davos believed that the White Walkers had intelligence and that the real purpose of the White Walkers besieging Hardhome was not to capture Hardhome, but to seize the ships of the Eastwatch-by-the-Sea fleet. Davos's words were ridiculed by the Night's Watch brothers, and then soon, the tragedy happened. The White Walkers indeed attacked the port of Eastwatch-by-the-Sea and seized the ships.”

In the hall, everyone listened in stunned silence, unable to speak.

“The scouts sent by Jon only paid attention to the Haunted Forest and did not consider the sea route at all,” The Mountain said in a deep voice. His mood became grave.

“Yes, in all our minds, we thought that the White Walkers could not wade through water,” Melisandre said coldly. “Unfortunately, we were all wrong. The White Walkers not only have the same intelligence as humans, but they can also wade through water.”

The Mountain almost stood up from his seat, but on the surface, he remained unmoved.

The White Walkers in this world that he knew before transmigration did not seem to wade through water, and the wights would not steer ships. But now that he thought about it, there was an obvious loophole in this. Since the White Walkers had intelligence, they could naturally order the wights to steer ships. Even if the wights could not steer ships, they could do so under the guidance of the White Walkers. At the very least, letting the ship drift downstream could also cross the Wall and enter the Night's Watch territory.

To the east of Eastwatch-by-the-Sea is the Bay of Seals, a vast sea that is the end of the Wall. The White Walkers cannot cross the Wall, but now it seems easy to go by sea.

“Lady Melisandre, where did the White Walkers get the ships?” Sansa Stark finally asked the question that had been lingering in her mind for a long time.

“The White Walkers besieged Hardhome, a Free Folk settlement at the mouth of the Thenn River. Ranger scouts in Hardhome sent out a request for help to Eastwatch-by-the-Sea. The Eastwatch-by-the-Sea garrison commander Cotter Pyke and your brother Sandor Clegane personally sailed to Hardhome to rescue people. They fell into the White Walkers' ambush and were completely wiped out. The first batch of warships was seized by the White Walkers.”

“The Hound is dead?” The Mountain asked hoarsely.

The Hound was the only blood relative he had in this world, a good man with a very bad temper. No matter how fierce he was and how many damned and undeserving guys he killed, he actually had a good man living deep inside his heart. The Mountain had done many things to try to redeem this brother, but in the end, he only managed to get him to give up his decision to kill the Mountain. Because of his hatred for the Mountain, the Hound eventually left the Mountain and went to the Wall to become a maverick Night's Watchman.

“After I received Jon Snow's letter, I lit the flames. I hoped to see the situation of Cotter Pyke and Sandor Clegane in Hardhome and to find out some of the White Walkers' movements. I didn't see any fighting in the flames, only the bodies of Night's Watchmen lying all over the ground. I saw Cotter Pyke and his brothers, but I didn't see Sandor Clegane. When I hoped to see Sandor Clegane, I saw several small unicorn ships and the shadow of the Isle of Skagos superimposed on the unicorn ships. I used magic powder, but I still couldn't see Sandor Clegane. Only the unicorn ships and the Isle of Skagos were constantly changing.”

“Sandor Clegane is probably still alive,” Janei comforted the Mountain. “Lady Melisandre didn't see the Hound's death, so he is probably still alive.”

The Mountain was silent! After a long while, he slowly said: “Unicorn ships are the ships of the Skagosi people. Skagos is a large island in the Bay of Seals. The ancestors of the red smoke beasts on the Claw Peninsula came from the island of Skagos. In ancient times, the Skagosi people's mounts were unicorns.”

“You are very knowledgeable, Mountain!” Melisandre's eyes flickered like flames.

The Mountain was silent again.

The Hound's life and death were unknown. Melisandre saw unicorn ships and the island of Skagos. Did this mean that the Hound jumped into the sea in a critical moment and was rescued by several unicorn ships?!

The people of Skagos are also called unicorn people, just like the people of House Targaryen are called dragon people.

The Hound went to the island of Skagos, where no one dared to go?!

The Skagosi are the real wildlings that no one dares to provoke. They are still in the most primitive world. They are also mysterious and terrifying real cannibals.

“The White Walkers used a military strategy.” Janei changed the topic, diverting the Mountain's attention. “Duke Gregor, if the White Walkers know how to use military tactics and go by sea, the natural barrier of the Wall is actually useless.”

The Mountain nodded!

The Mountain had never imagined before that the White Walkers would attack Eastwatch-by-the-Sea through the Bay of Seals and then break through the natural barrier of the Wall.

This world has changed. The timing of many things has been advanced, and many world trajectories that the Mountain could determine have become complex and uncertain as a result. This was not what the Mountain wanted. He liked the feeling of being able to predict the future.

But many things in the North happened earlier. Daenerys was still across the Narrow Sea, but Eastwatch-by-the-Sea on the Wall had already fallen. The natural barrier of the Wall has been severely weakened.

The only thing that could be felt a little comforting was that the White Walkers had too many wight warriors and could not transport a large number of wights to this side of the Wall in the short term through the small fleet of Eastwatch-by-the-Sea.

But as long as there is a breakthrough, the Wall will eventually fall.

“Lady Melisandre, how long will it take for the White Walkers to take Castle Black and the Shadow Tower after they take Eastwatch-by-the-Sea?”

“Mountain, perhaps Castle Black has already fallen while we are talking,” Melisandre tilted her head slightly, scrutinizing the Mountain's expression nakedly, as if trying to see into the Mountain's heart.

The Mountain was silent.

This was too fast!

If the White Walkers won a major victory, the North would become a land of ghosts.

“Mountain, when the warriors of the North die in battle, they will all become wights and become members of the White Walker army. If the North is completely lost and the White Walkers march south, winter will come early. All your efforts in the Westerlands will be forced to be useless.”

If the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold!

The Mountain understood this principle.

“Lady Melisandre, there is a person in my prophecy who can truly defeat the White Walkers: Daenerys Targaryen. She has three dragons, and she also has a strong army. She will soon cross the Narrow Sea and go to King's Landing to seize the Iron Throne. I saw in the prophecy that she is likely to be Azor Ahai reborn.”

“Mountain, we need to unite all the power of humanity. This is a battle that does not distinguish between races, ethnicities, and countries. Humanity can only unite to defeat the White Walkers. Once we fail, everyone will become a wight enslaved by the White Walkers. No one on the continent of Westeros can escape this disaster. In winter, the power of the White Walkers and wights will also be strengthened. The Great Other will destroy the faith of the Old Gods, the Seven, the God of Death, and the Red God, turning the world into a world of ice and snow.”

The Mountain looked at Melisandre, as if he saw a superwoman who would save all mankind standing in front of him, trying to persuade him to donate his 'money'.

He had just transformed from a poor person into a 'petty rich', and as soon as a poor person had a sum of 'savings', someone asked him to take it out for 'charity'. He was really unwilling in his heart.

No one who has suffered hardship would be willing!

The Mountain believed that there were very few truly selfless philanthropists!

Daurte Quentina suddenly walked towards Melisandre. She drew out a silver needle and pierced Melisandre's arm. The silver needle was drawn out, and the needle was stained with Melisandre's blood. Lady Daurte put the silver needle into her mouth and sucked the blood from the silver needle.

Melisandre's blood!

Everyone in the hall looked at Lady Daurte, everyone's expression was solemn, waiting for Lady Daurte's judgment.

The mysterious red priestess suddenly came to the Westerlands. Was the news she brought a lie?!

Lady Daurte stepped back, withdrew the silver needle, and looked at Lord Mountain and Lady Janei, nodding slightly.

The Mountain's chin was slightly raised, which was a subconscious action: he understood that what Melisandre said was true, she was not lying.

Everyone understood that what Melisandre said was true!

“Lords, Ladies, Knights, Eastwatch-by-the-Sea fell a month ago, the Wall is in urgent need of help, if the North falls again, once winter arrives, the continent of Westeros will be covered in snow, and the White Walkers will lead the wights. The Riverlands, the Westerlands, the Vale, the Crownlands, the Reach, Dorne, no kingdom will be able to stay out of it.”

The hall was utterly silent, with only the heavy breathing of the people audible.

Melisandre had arrived. Although she was alone, she was not someone to be trifled with.

She could travel twenty thousand leagues, exuding charm and beauty, safely traversing various countries. She was indeed a remarkable priestess of the Red God.

Jeyne and Dolorous Edd, Sansa and Raynald, Zeri and Brienne, Jekko Rocke, Weapons Master Tobho Mott, Gendry Clegane… everyone watched the Mountain with solemn expressions… awaiting his decision… Perhaps, it was time for the Westerlands army to march north… This was much earlier than the Mountain had planned… The Mountain had intended to use Daenerys's army as cannon fodder first, not his own.

In fact, the Mountain had a second plan: to sail away from Westeros!

But the powerful legion and territory he had painstakingly built up in Westeros over three years would all be for naught, and if mankind won the great war against the Others, he would lose his reputation and valiant name for abandoning the fight. On this land, the warriors who were willing to stay still accounted for the vast majority. After all, this was the home of their ancestors.

The Mountain's gaze slowly swept over his generals, all of whom were brave and fierce, with not a hint of fear in their eyes.

These damned bastards, brave as they were, lacked any strategy.

Whoever led the troops to resist the Others first would become cannon fodder.

"Lord Mountain, you decide, we'll listen to you! You told me that we will all die, but we are warriors, and the most honorable way for us to die is in battle!" Captain Eryn stood out and said.

That damned Northerner, he was a Northerner after all. Once the North was in danger, he immediately thought of the North and wanted to return to the North to fight.

Sansa Stark also looked at the Mountain with anticipation!

The Mountain felt a bitter taste in his mouth. The trajectory of the world was not supposed to be like this. Daenerys and the Northerners were supposed to fight to the end, with their forces exhausted, and then he would lead the Westerlands army to deliver the final blow. However, the situation had suddenly changed. This was just too damn…

Captain Eryn's words aroused a strong response from the Northerners in the guards!

The Mountain looked at the leaders of the Mountains of the Moon, the leaders of Crackclaw Point, and everyone was stirred by the damned Eryn's words: We are warriors, and the most honorable way for us to die is in battle!

This was also the Mountain's famous saying to encourage his men to fight to the death!—He himself said it, and then it was regarded as a principle by the warriors!

The Mountain had created a true iron-blooded legion! This legion feared nothing, only death in battle. There was no retreat or escape.

Damn it, Melisandre was really not simple! She came alone and, with a few words, stirred up the generals' fighting spirit. Had her flames foreseen this result?

The Mountain looked at Jeyne. At this moment, the Lady seemed to have a sense of urgency and courage as well.

She was also a kind-hearted, unselfish, decisive person.

Then let's do it!

"Lady Melisandre, Captain Eryn, all you brave and invincible generals, I have decided to lead you north to resist the Others, but before that, Lady Melisandre, I have a plan that needs your and the Burned Men's full support. I want to first obtain a dragon from the Mountains of the Moon: Sheepstealer."