The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Chapter: Tremble or Submit

“That is a dragon.” Blood Gate knight Donnel Waynwood muttered to himself, standing on the roof of the Blood Gate Keep.

“A dragon?” Family knight David’s face was filled with shock.

“Yes, a dragon.” The shock in Donnel's heart caused him to stammer. The shock the dragon gave him was indescribable. It was like a flying mountain. Who could defeat that monster? What worried him even more was why the dragon would suddenly appear above the Blood Gate. Before this, for more than a hundred years, there had been no rumors of dragons appearing anywhere on the continent of Westeros.

“Haven’t dragons been extinct for a hundred years?” David’s voice was still虚幻and飘渺, as if he were sleepwalking.

“Yes, dragons are extinct, more than a hundred years ago.”

“Ser Donnel, why would a dragon suddenly appear in our Mountains of the Moon… Mountains of the Moon… Mountains of the Moon… Could it be that this dragon has been living in the depths of the Mountains of the Moon all along?” David was startled by his own words.

“That’s not reasonable.” Another family knight, Toth, seemed to react with a dazed expression. “A dragon isn’t a wolf or a fox. It couldn’t hide in the Mountains of the Moon for more than a hundred years without showing itself. If we Vale men didn’t discover it, wouldn’t the natives in the Mountains of the Moon have discovered it?”

“That’s a dragon, Ser,” David said. His words and Toth's words had no inherent logical order, they were all nonsense. This nonsense was meaningless, but David couldn't stop the urge to talk nonsense. His heart was pounding, and he felt like his throat was filled with words, with the urge and anxiety to pour them all out.

Blood Gate – on the watchtower, on the city walls, in the battlements, in the small streets and houses, people couldn’t suppress their excitement. They were scrambling to talk about the huge flying beast they had just seen. Everyone wanted others to listen to them, and many people argued with certainty about who saw the beast first.

Soon, the idea that the flying beast just now was a dragon came from the mouth of Knight Donnel, and quickly spread through the mouths of several knowledgeable knights to hundreds of Blood Gate soldiers. Everyone quickly reached a complete consensus that the huge and狰狞flying beast that had just flown over the Blood Gate was the dragon that had been extinct for a hundred years.

As the highest commander of the Blood Gate, Ser Donnel Waynwood called for the maester amidst the noise. He ordered the maester to immediately release a raven to send the news of the dragon appearing at the Blood Gate to the Eyrie.

This was shocking news. An extinct dragon suddenly appeared above the Blood Gate. No one knew where it came from or where it flew to. Did this dragon have an owner? If so, who would its owner be? What kind of omen was the dragon's sudden appearance? What impact would this have on the various forces in the kingdom? If it was a wild dragon, there would probably be ambitious people who wanted to tame it.

Whoever possessed that dragon would possess the capital to be invincible. He would become powerful in an instant!

Three hundred years ago, Aegon Targaryen, a count from the Valyrian Empire across the Narrow Sea, came with his two wives and three dragons. Without much support from soldiers and nobles, Aegon relied on his three dragons to conquer the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros and forged the current Iron Throne with the thousands of swords of the defeated and surrendered nobles. For three hundred years, the Iron Throne had become the symbol of the highest royal power in Westeros. An outsider with no foundation could become the king of Westeros because of the fighting power of the three dragons.

The dragon suddenly appeared in the sky above the Blood Gate in the Vale. Was this a lucky signal for the Vale men or an ominous omen?

Donnel Waynwood felt very uneasy. Once this kingdom changed, the Blood Gate was the Vale men’s natural barrier. No one could break through the Blood Gate, but if the opponent had a dragon, the natural barrier of the Blood Gate would be useless.

No natural barrier could not be crossed by a dragon!

After Donnel ordered the maester to release a raven to the Eyrie, he then asked the maester to release another raven to his mother, Countess Anya Waynwood of Iron Oaks.

*

On the ramp connecting the Bloody Gate's narrow passage, Littlefinger Petyr Baelish suddenly felt something was wrong. He looked around warily. At the foot of the mountain, the plains were endless, the birds were singing, the flowers were fragrant, and fruits were everywhere. Ahead was a sloping ramp. The sunlight filled the hills. At the end of the ramp was the entrance to the Bloody Gate's narrow passage, and there was nothing unusual. In the sky, there were white clouds and blue sky, a peaceful scene.

The guard knight, Roso, also felt an ominous feeling. The cavalrymen all looked alert. This unusual alertness came from the horses. More than a hundred horses stopped almost at the same time. Then they tilted their heads, their hooves pawing the ground uneasily, and they listened with surprised expressions, as if something terrible was approaching invisibly.

“Be alert!” The captain of the guard, Roso, drew his long sword. As soon as he finished speaking, Littlefinger’s war horse suddenly neighed in fright, stood up, threw Littlefinger to the ground, and ran wildly down the mountain… Bang bang bang… Boom boom boom… The other horses were also frightened and ran wildly, throwing many soldiers off their horses and running towards the foot of the mountain.

Only the knights and soldiers with excellent horsemanship firmly controlled their war horses, and whipped and scolded them, but they could not stabilize the horses’ panic. A team of a hundred men was in complete chaos.

“Look, what is that?” A soldier suddenly pointed to the sky and shouted, his voice full of panic and fear.

Littlefinger Petyr had just gotten up, his face full of surprise and uncertainty. He heard the sound and looked up at the sky. He was immediately as if an arrow had shot him in the heart. After a shock, his body stiffened and he stood motionless, his eyes staring straight ahead, as呆如木鸡.

The knights and soldiers were all greatly shocked. More war horses broke free from their masters and ran wildly down the mountain… A few horses lost their footing and fell off the hillside, and a few horses were so frightened that they lay directly on the ground, shivering…

A huge flying beast flew down close to the ridge. Its outstretched wings were incredibly huge, like a cloud… Its head was very狰狞and huge, with a long neck, its whole body covered with scales, and its two eyes flashed with fierce light. The aura of killing and brutality swept over like a hurricane, enveloping everyone in Petyr’s team.

The knights and soldiers were completely呆住… Everyone maintained a stiff posture, standing still, while the war horses that had broken free from their masters let out wounded neighs. Several horses lost their footing and fell down the hillside, and a few horses were directly frightened and趴在了地上, shivering…

“Dragon!” Littlefinger Petyr Baelish shouted. But he didn't actually make any sound. That shocked shout was in his heart.

“Dragon, a giant dragon!” In Littlefinger’s heart, there was a翻江倒海般的shock, which words could not describe.

No one had seen a real dragon. No one in this generation had seen a real dragon flying in the sky, but nobles had seen dragon graphics in books, and many works of art were carved with dragon shapes.

Littlefinger Petyr Baelish had been the Minister of Finance in the royal palace for many years. On the walls of the royal palace, there were dragon paintings in many places. In the underground of the Red Keep, there were also the bones of the first generation of dragons. On Rhaenys’s Hill in King's Landing, there was also a hill called Dragonpit. The Dragonpit’s building was specially used to imprison dragons. On the huge bronze door there, the dilapidated stone carvings and the incomplete paintings on the walls all had works about dragons.

The Sheepstealer, flying at low altitude, saw the stunned crowd and the horses fleeing in panic on the ground. He had no intention of killing. As for the horses, his stomach was full of the fragrant roasted sheep sacrificed by the Mountain. He flew out according to the dragon language command, just to turn around first.

However, those horses running around looked unpleasant. Just stop honestly. Sheepstealer let out a soft dragon roar. The metallic sound penetrated time and space and traveled far, full of warning. The war horses that were running wildly felt their bones soften and they fell down, their eyes showing fear and pleading. Sheepstealer flapped his wings, rose higher, and flew leisurely into the distance.

He had no intention of killing, and he didn't like to eat horses. His stomach was full!

*

Cloud Mountain, in front of the Mountain’s cabin, a wooden fence enclosed a small pasture. Hundreds of sheep were sent here to graze. The Mountain added another hundred-man team to be stationed here, one team led by One-Eye Tormund and one team led by Captain Joyce Follard. The two hundred-man teams practiced foot combat and mounted formations every day on the edge of the Sheepstealer’s black zone, so that the Sheepstealer could adapt to their existence and feel the atmosphere of battle.

Another hundred members of the Burned Men tribe were responsible for guarding the sheep here, and slaughtering, washing, peeling, and marinating the mutton every day. Then there were special people responsible for roasting whole sheep. After roasting them fragrant and thoroughly cooked, the Mountain sent the sheep to the Sheepstealer’s cave or mouth.

Outside the Burned Men tribe’s village, several mountains away, a grassland was circled into a large-scale pasture, occupying almost an entire valley, where thousands of sheep purchased from various places were raised. The members of the Burned Men tribe were responsible for guarding and grazing.

Old Chieftain Redhand Tormund had just returned to the village from the Cloud Mountain camp. The remaining elders and tribal warriors of more than forty tribes, including the Howlers, Wild Horses, Tree Men, Stone Winds, Painted Dogs, Snake Teeth, Mist Milks, and Cannibals, came to the Burned Men tribe’s village one after another, along with the chieftains, elders, tribal leaders, and warriors. There were also more than a thousand members of each tribe.

This team that came to the Burned Men tribe exceeded two thousand people, half of whom were warriors from each tribe. The team was led by a toothless old man with wolf teeth, shadow lynx teeth, lion teeth, and cheetah teeth hanging around his neck. His name was Elfrede. He was the oldest elder of the Howlers and was also recognized by the elders of the Mountains of the Moon as the most respected wizard.

Elfrede was already one hundred and two years old this year and was the longest-lived elder in the native tribes. Elfrede was respected by the chieftains, leaders, and warriors of each tribe because he could cure diseases, interpret the prophecies of the gods, and sing hymns at festival ceremonies. When there were major events that were difficult to decide in each tribe, they would invite him out of the cave and ask Elfrede to preside over and interpret the oracle.

Old Man Tormund did not dare to neglect Elder Elfrede. The strength of the Howlers was not strong, but Elder Elfrede did not only belong to the Howlers. He transcended the limitations between tribes and became a rare wise man in the Mountains of the Moon tribes who transcended the animosity between tribes.

Old Man Elfrede was barefoot, with a black and shiny cane in his hand, wearing the soft armor given by the Mountain. The warriors behind him were all wearing armor and helmets, with sword belts and long swords hanging around their waists. These things were all gifts from the Mountain to each tribe.

The Mountain’s generosity was unprecedented in the Mountains of the Moon tribes for dozens of generations. The Mountain’s popularity among the natives of the Mountains of the Moon was unimaginable.

“Tormund Redhand, is Lord Mountain taming the dragon on Cloud Mountain?” Old Man Elfrede was as straightforward as ever.

There was no doubt that the news had spread throughout the native tribes of the Mountains of the Moon. There were not many tribesmen left in the Mountains of the Moon. The total number of warriors and tribesmen was less than three thousand.

“Lord Mountain is already the highest Redhand of our Burned Men tribe. He sacrifices the son of the Fire God, and everything follows the will of the Fire God,” Old Tormund replied.

Elfrede looked back at the team composed of the chieftains, elders, and leaders. His eyes swept over everyone. No one spoke, but their eyes had already explained everything.

“Tormund Redhand, the elders of each tribe hope that Lord Mountain will allow them to follow him, and these warriors and tribesmen all hope to migrate to Castamere in the Westerlands,” Old Man Elfrede waved his hand, including all the two thousand people behind him.

Old Tormund was quite surprised: “Elder Elfrede, leaders, are you all willing to leave the Mountains of the Moon?”

Old Man Elfrede answered for everyone: “I and some elders will not leave, but the children of the tribe all hope to have the opportunity to follow Lord Mountain to gain glory.”

The last group of people who stayed behind were the most determined to stay and守下来坚守村落传统. They had now changed their minds, which must be related to the dragon.

The dragon that reappeared in the world was too powerful, and in the hearts of the tribesmen of the Mountains of the Moon, it was as invincible as a god. This group of people was very rigid and守旧, but they also respected the strong the most. The main reason why they had now changed their minds was of course due to the birth of the dragon, but if the Mountain had not accumulated so much gratitude and kindness before this, this last group of people would not have chosen to follow the Mountain.

The Mountain followed the will of the Fire God to sacrifice the dragon, and with the help of the red priestess Melisandre, he unlocked the secret of the dragon language. In the hearts of the Burned Men tribe and Old Man Tormund, he was already the son of the god of faith, and the strongest member of the tribe since the establishment of the Burned Men tribe.

“Elder Elfrede, chieftains, elders, leaders, and warriors, and tribesmen of each tribe, please give me time to report to Mountain Redhand. He is now the highest chieftain Redhand of the Burned Men tribe, in charge of all tribal affairs. He is also the most honorable duke in the outside world. I need to report your request to him,” Old Man Tormund said.

“Tormund Redhand, let the last group of children of the Mountains of the Moon follow Mountain Redhand. The warriors in this last group of children are the best warriors, and the tribesmen are also the most勤劳忠诚tribesmen. It is time for them to leave these mountains and闯出自己的荣耀outside. We originally belonged to the outside world and did not belong to the Mountains of the Moon. Our ancestors avoided the flames of war and refused to surrender to be slaves, so they were forced to enter the Mountains of the Moon.” Old Elder Elfrede spoke with a漏风mouth, but no one laughed at him. He was the most prestigious old wizard, wise man, and doctor in the Mountains of the Moon tribes. There were tears in the old man’s eyes. What did he think of? When all the young people left with their children and women, there would only be less than a hundred old people left in these mountains.

The natives of the Bright Moon Mountains had lived in these forests for six thousand years. Now, the final moment had arrived. As a wise elder, the old man's heart must have been filled with emotion at the vicissitudes of time in his last moments of life. Although they had lived for thousands of years, they had not formed their own civilization, nor did they have their own unique writing system. Their people were raggedly clothed, and their warriors didn't even have decent swords. A warrior with a helmet and two pieces of armor was someone to be proud of.

Elder Ti Mei was somewhat agitated: "Elder Elf, I dare not promise you on behalf of Red Hand of Demon Mountain, but I know that Red Hand of Demon Mountain will welcome all of us. His generosity and kindness, like his bravery and fearlessness, are glories bestowed by the God of Fire."

Jiu!

A loud and sharp dragon roar came from the distant horizon, as if piercing through everything and reaching the depths of people's hearts. This strange whistling sound made more than two thousand people look up at the sky. Everyone's eyes were filled with awe. After flying around the Bright Moon Mountains, the Sheep Thief had returned…

Thank you to [Feng Qian Yue] for the reward, thank you, handshake!