Chapter 99 Northern Army (5.2k)

Twenty-four days after Lord Eddard Stark faced off against the false king in King's Landing, honor did not triumph over the sword.

Robert Stark, the young master of the North, summoned his vassals at Winterfell, commanded about 16,000 Northern troops, left Winterfell, and quickly headed south along the King's Road.

One of them is to find his father, Lord Eddard, who was lost near Harrenhal. More importantly, this army will fight for the honor of Eddard Stark.

The North will never surrender to the throne of the false king.

Kill the false king and send out the army!

Now, this army is stationed north of the Neck, waiting for the Stark family's extremely important vassal, the young heir of the Mandalay family, Clay Manderly, and the 2,300 northern soldiers under his command. .

Moat Cailin, Camp of the Northern Legion

The young army commander, Robb Stark, was leaning on the table with both hands at this time. The table in front of him was filled with scattered maps. He was surrounded by the seals of his father, Eddard Stark. minister.

Joffrey didn't chop off Eddard's head, so they were Eddard's vassals, not Robb's.

He originally held the discussion in the hall of Carlin Bay, but the young commander believed that he should stay with the army. This was an offer that these old nobles could not refuse, so the meeting was changed to It was carried out in the camp in the center of the legion.

In a dark stove, the burning wood made a harsh explosion. Although it was very warm, it was far from the passion of the adults in the tent.

"That old guy Weiman actually let a kid lead the army this time. Are you confused?"

The loud-voiced, grumbling patriarch of the Umber family, Jon Umber, known as "Greatjon".

This tall man, nearly seven feet tall, was standing in front of a table covered with maps, shouting loudly, without realizing that the commander of the army in front of him was also a child.

Mrs. Caitlin, who was standing next to Rob, heard these uncomfortable words and stabbed her directly:

"My lord, I think I need to remind you that there is probably someone younger than the "child" you call me in this tent."

After being stunned for a moment, Jon Amber, who had been subdued by Robb and his direwolf Gray Wind, realized his gaffe, smiled, and quickly gave Robb an apologetic look.

Unexpectedly, Rob didn't even raise his head, as if he didn't hear what he just said.

"Clay and the others should be arriving soon. The leading scouts arrived yesterday."

Rob raised his head and said to his mother that he was looking forward to meeting his good friend.

In his mind, both of them are young leaders, so they naturally have similar feelings.

Catelyn was also deeply impressed by the young man who became famous with one sword in Winterfell. She nodded and said:

"When he comes, you should go and greet him. I remember that we have a good relationship."

At this time, Jon Amber reacted. He touched his head and asked:

"Is that the boy who killed the Lannister in front of King Robert?"

Rob glanced at him and showed a faint smile:

"There is no more suitable young commander in the Mandalay family than him."

…

As the protagonist of their conversation, Clay was currently riding a horse, walking at the front of the team, talking to Sir Malone who was riding side by side.

Among the surrounding witcher guards, four were protecting the two in the middle, and the remaining one was guarding back and forth, even though Clay was much stronger than them.

Because there are a large number of infantry, the speed of the Mandalay family army cannot be too fast, not to mention whether the quality of this army can support a forced march.

Even if they were able to forcefully march to Carlin Bay, they would have to rush south again without much rest. Clay was the commander-in-chief and would not do such a stupid thing.

Recalling all the details that he could remember in a normal war, Clay was now concerned about one issue.

"Sir Malone, where do we rank among the two thousand people in the northern army?"

Clay put away the map in his hand and asked a question to the old knight beside him.

The old knight touched his chin, looked back at the steel jungle behind him, thought for a moment, and gave an answer:

"Not counting Stark, he is definitely in the top five."

This answer does not satisfy Clay, because in this kind of joint venture army, whoever has more troops actually equals a larger share in the company.

The right to speak is sometimes very important.

Why was Roose Bolton the leader of the Eastern Route Army after the Twins divided their forces?

The Bolton family sent more than 3,000 troops in this war, making it the largest army under the Stark family.

Without Stark, the commander of the Eastern Route Army could only be Bolton, and this was not what Clay wanted to see.

Luce Burton is a good person at planning bloody weddings, plotting and backstabbing, but his fighting skills are indeed a bit trendy.

Clay doesn't want to hand over his soldiers to such a person to lead him. This is simply giving away.

If there is a chance, Clay will find a way to seize control of an army. To put it another way, the army in his hand cannot be lost.

"Then do you think that if the troops are divided, can we in Mandalay serve as the commander-in-chief of one side?"

Clay asked his second question.

Stunned by this question, Sir Malone didn't follow Clay's idea at all. Split the troops? Why divide the troops? Where to divide the troops?

The old Jazz, whose mind was full of question marks, forced himself to consider this question. He didn't let Clay wait too long and gave his own answer.

"If the troops are divided into two groups, I can clearly say that we can't fight. One will definitely be Stark, and the other will be either Bolton, Karstark or Amber."

"If we talk about military strength alone, except for Bolton, we have some advantages over the rest. But the problem is Clay, you have never been on the battlefield. It is impossible to hand over this second army to you, Lord of the North. They won't agree."

The old knight's answer did not surprise Clay. However, to change his thinking, if dividing the troops into two groups is not possible, what about dividing the troops into three groups?

The Twins divided their forces so that Robb could command his cavalry to surprise Jaime Lannister, while the remaining infantry went to meet Tywin who was heading north.

But now, the situation of this war is different. The last news of Eddard Stark was near Harrenhal. According to the intelligence, it is now an area controlled by Lannister.

Perhaps, a high-mobility cavalry with a small number of people but a strong offensive ability will be needed to bypass Tywin's army and go straight to Harrenhal. After clearing the Lannister skirmishers, they will wait for an opportunity to pick up Ed Smith. Duke Tucker.

With the Lannister blocking the King's Road, Eddard Stark could only remain anonymous and his men were reduced to pieces. Otherwise, the remnants of the northern army in his hands would not be able to stop Tywin's army no matter what. .

If he falls into Tywin's hands, then the North will have lost half of this war, because Robb Stark will throw the rat away. After all, he has not yet won the battle of the Whispering Forest and has not captured James. Tom Lannister.

Without equal amounts of chips, the game would be unplayable.

Three days later, the dusty Clay could already see the Northern Legion camp that occupied the entire hillside.

The so-called ten thousand people are boundless. Clay had already felt that the more than two thousand people in his hands had given him enough visual impact.

But when he really saw this magnificent army garrison, he could only lament how insignificant an individual's power was in the face of war.

He saw a group of cavalry holding the gray-white direwolf flag and the red-backed steel-framed Iron Fist flag, heading towards his army.

"They are from the Glover family." Sir Malone reminded him with a smile.

Clay nodded. As a young man with a good aristocratic education, he certainly knew the flag of the Glover family.

He wanted to know who Robb sent to greet him. It seemed that the member of the Stark family who followed him south was just his mother Caitlin.

Could it be that Bran Stark is coming too? It shouldn't be.

But soon his doubts were answered, because he recognized the leader of the cavalry, a tall young man wearing a gray and black cloak.

"Ser, Robb Stark has come to greet us in person."

Clay was a little surprised, but he still reminded Sir Malone.

Next to Rob was a middle-aged man with a gray beard. Clay didn't recognize him, but it was obvious that this man must be a member of the Glover family.

The cavalry approached quickly, and Clay also rode out of the crowd.

The young masters from the north have come to greet him, so naturally he cannot stay in the army.

From a distance, Clay raised his arms and said hello to Rob.

Ten seconds later, under the control of his superb equestrian skills, Rob's horse stopped steadily in front of Clay.

The two young heirs clasped their arms together and laughed. Clay looked at Rob, who had not changed at all, and joked:

"Sure, Master Rob. It didn't take long before you became the master of an army of nearly 20,000 people."

After hearing this, Rob smiled and gave Clay a slap on the shoulder. Then, he stepped aside slightly and pointed at the middle-aged man who was half a horse behind him and introduced:

"Galbert Glover, Lord of Deepwood Motte."

Is this the owner of the Glover family of Deepwood Castle? Clay looked at the strong man in front of him, smiled and stretched out his hand:

"My lord, Clay Manderly, I would like to send my regards to you on behalf of my grandfather."

Galbert Glover, who has been observing Robb and Clay, is now certain that the Mandalay heir in front of him probably has a very good relationship with Robb Stark, and Lady Catelyn also knows it very well. at this point.

At that time, it was Lady Caitlin's idea to ask Rob to meet Clay.

Rob and Clay are similar in age, which attracts Earl Glover's attention even more. In this war, I am afraid that Clay will gain Rob's trust.

Stretching out his hand and shaking it with Clay's hand, Earl Glover smiled and exchanged greetings with Clay, then said nothing more. After all, the owner here was still Stark.

Seeing that the two of them knew each other, Robert ordered to Earl Glover:

"Your Majesty, please find a dry and flat place for the Mandalay family's army. I will take Clay to see my mother first. After you have made the arrangements, come to the big tent. Everyone is almost here. Let's It’s time to discuss what to do next.”

"As you command, my lord." Earl Glover agreed. Clay originally thought of calling Sir Malone to arrange the garrison. Unexpectedly, Sir Malone rode out on his own.

Earl Glover seemed to know Sir Malone, and he laughed and replicated the actions of Clay and Rob just now.

"Let's go to the big tent, and I will introduce you to my father's vassals."

Robert took Clay away, but Clay noticed that when Robert mentioned these vassals, his tone was not as relaxed as before.

"What, adults, can you handle it?" Clay probably guessed the situation Rob encountered, so he asked.

Rob didn't hide his thoughts at all before his good brother. He said with some distress:

"They are all people who followed my father and won the Usurper's War. Although this time I summoned them to go south to rescue my father, none of them said anything. However, I can see that in their hearts, they still only want to I’m a kid.”

"Honestly, you and I are just children in their eyes." Clay shrugged, his tone rather helpless.

Clay finally understood what happened to Robert. It was a typical situation where the master and the young minister were strong. If Robert hadn't established his reputation as a Stark on the battlefield, these old guys might have done something wrong long ago.

"Daeron Targaryen was only fourteen years old when he conquered Dorne!" Robb expressed his dissatisfaction with the old guys talking about age.

"Forget it... The Young Dragon King did conquer Dorne at the age of fourteen, but so what? Ten thousand people died for the Iron Throne for this battlefield, and finally, in order to maintain its rule there, More than 50,000 people were damaged."

Clay understood Rob's mood, but the example he gave was really inappropriate.

"In the end, the Young Dragon King Daeron Targaryen himself died in the war he started with his own hands. Robert, war is not just about blood and fire. Sometimes, women and garlands can... It plays a much greater role than the former.”

After humming twice, Rob couldn't find a reason to refute Clay's words.

Along the way, Robb muttered and shared with Clay what happened in Winterfell.

The two of them brought their own personal guards, and the flag behind them also turned into a direwolf and a mermaid holding a trident.

In the chaos, Clay followed Rob and stepped into the military camp composed of more than 10,000 northern soldiers.

Along the way, there were soldiers with weapons and equipment everywhere. Clay saw the family emblems of various northern families. The closer to the center of the camp, the more soldiers from the Stark family.

The two of them dismounted their horses at the gate of the camp. Clay's personal guards were taken to rest by Stark's soldiers. Here, they were not qualified to enter.

"Let's go, let you see how many unpleasant things a child will hear in this camp."

Rob raised the curtain of the big tent and walked in with Clay.

As soon as they entered, there were many people standing or sitting inside, and their eyes were all attracted to Rob and Clay.

Looking around, sure enough, all the people here were as old as his father.

He saw Lady Catelyn, who was sitting in the back, nodding and smiling at him. Clay had left a very good impression on Catelyn during his stay at Winterfell.

The northern nobles present all understood Clay's identity.

Clay, who had just found an empty chair and sat down, saw a rugged man who was taller than him and yelled at him:

"Boy Mandalay, how many troops did you bring in response to the call this time?!"

The voice is very loud. The tone is very impolite.

Clay frowned. He didn't know who this person was. Caitlin introduced him aloud:

"He is Jon Umber, the last Lord of Hearth."

Nodding to Caitlin to show that he understood, Clay returned his attention to Jon Amber, his tone not polite at all:

"Lord Amber, in what capacity do you ask me this question?"

The tent became quiet, and everyone was quietly listening to the conversation between the two.

Jon Amber didn't understand what Clay meant, and frowned with some white eyebrows and shouted:

"Boy, what do you mean?"

"If you ask this question as the master of the Amber family, then, as the heir of White Harbor, I don't have to answer your question. If you ask me as the vassal of the Stark family, then the same Vassal, I don’t need to answer you.”

Clay stared coldly at Jon Amber's angry face and continued:

"If you are asking this question as a military commander who is more experienced than me, then I can tell you, but be careful my lord, a teenager can let a wolf bite off two of your fingers, then I , you can also use swords to make you lose two more!"

With a clang, Jon Amber kicked the chair away, and reached for the giant sword at his waist with his big hand.

Sitting next to him, a thin, middle-aged man with pale skin pulled Jon Umber's arm to prevent him from drawing his sword.

"What do you want to do! Lord Umber?" Robb shouted, and Jon Umber angrily let go of the hilt of his sword, picked up the chair and sat in with a bang.

A pair of bull's eyes stared at Clay angrily, as if they wanted to eat him.

"My lord, I haven't asked you your name yet?"

Clay smiled at the man who just stopped Jon Amber and asked:

But when he heard the answer, the smile on his face became very unnatural for a moment, because the name was:

"Roose Bolton."

It is indeed a new experience to write such a large chapter for the first time, but from my own feeling, I can really describe more things, and I have more opportunities to lay out some things I like.

By the way, didn’t the heroine reveal her identity before? Some people have their own ideas. Let me tell you my understanding. In the entire Game of Thrones, the Dragon Queen is definitely the most distinctive female character. She is not a vase, she is a queen. Not the queen.

Of course, I can let the protagonist go to Essos before and kill the Horse King directly, but the question is, is this Daenerys still her?

Maybe, this becomes a vase with this name. It has never seen blood and fire, and has never experienced pain or loss. It is estimated that it will be like Myrcella, just a flower in the greenhouse.

This is no longer interesting.

I don’t know if I can write emotional scenes. I’ll try it in the future. If it doesn’t work, I won’t write it. It would definitely be inappropriate to cut off such an important character like Daenerys.

I think it's less important whether the protagonist has true feelings for her or not. Regardless of whether he has true feelings for her, her claim to the throne is real.

The protagonist married three idiots. Assuming that all the male Starks are useless, it is equivalent to gaining a claim to the North. The same is true for Daenerys.

As for what happens next, it depends on my pen.