Mountain Clans

The soldiers of Deddings Town stared in astonishment at Suleiman, who acted as though no one else was there, along with his two guards, Lushen and Roslyn.

They were utterly stunned. A noble lord with hereditary lands was lining up in the soldiers' camp to collect food, accompanied by two guards!

Was he used to eating rich meals and wanted to try common soldiers' fare? This Lord Foulkeep certainly had an unusual hobby!

Suleiman led Lushen and Roslyn over to a table, carrying their trays, and sat down.

He completely ignored the curious, appraising looks the soldiers around them were giving him.

Once the three of them had sat down, Suleiman took two bags from his clothes and tossed one to each of them.

As he ate the food on his plate, he said, "These are your wages."

The money was from Lord Raymun Darry, who wanted to thank him for sharing his experience fighting the Ironborn with the soldiers of Darry. In truth, Lushen and Roslyn had done the work.

Lushen and Roslyn froze, their faces showing utter disbelief.

"Lord Suleiman... what, what, what are you doing?" Lushen stammered.

Roslyn had also come to his senses and stared blankly at Suleiman.

Suleiman set down his tray and frowned at the two of them. He repeated, "Didn't I tell you? These are your wages!"

His tone was as casual as if he were talking about something perfectly ordinary.

But in Lushen and Roslyn's understanding, the lord already provided his people with shelter and land. Joining the lord's wars was therefore their duty as his subjects, a way to repay his kindness. If they died in battle, then they had simply been unlucky.

"You gave our families a place on your land, so we wouldn't have to wander. You gave us land to farm, so we wouldn't starve." Their fathers had taught them those words, and now they repeated them to Suleiman.

Their eyes were red, and they stumbled over their words, as if taking the money would be a terrible sin.

"L-L-Lord Suleiman... we, we can't take your 'wages.'"

"Besides, we have sinned against your family. The old Lady Foulkeep... your mother..."

Seeing that the two of them were about to go on and on again,

Suleiman finally lost his temper. He slapped the table.

"You deserve a reward for your efforts. Understand?!"

"You're my soldiers! Soldiers of House Foulkeep! You're not ordinary farmers anymore! You're my swords!"

"I need you to stand on your own and fight for me!"

Suleiman saw how frightened and stiff they looked and realized he had gotten carried away.

He felt he was becoming less and less like the man he used to be, and more and more like a true noble lord of Westeros.

Suleiman softened his tone, though he remained firm. "Remember this! Reward merit, and punish wrongdoing!"

"These wages are yours by right, earned through your own skill and hard work."

"You serve me, and I've seen your efforts and sacrifices. This is your reward for serving me!"

He glanced at the two bags. His voice grew gentler, but his words were absolute.

"Take the money back and buy something in Deddings Town for your families and your children."

"Let them know! Let all my people know! Following Lord Suleiman doesn't mean throwing your lives away for nothing!"

"It means using your own abilities and hard work to give your families a better life!"

Lushen and Roslyn finally stopped staring blankly. They began to take in what Lord Suleiman was saying.

His words, along with the unexpected wages, his direct and unreserved recognition of the two of them, and the reward for their efforts, felt more genuine than any grand speech.

Lushen and Roslyn's hearts pounded. From that moment on, they were soldiers recognized by Lord Suleiman, serving Lord Suleiman! Soldiers serving House Foulkeep!

Lord Suleiman didn't mean that he had no need of their gratitude. He wanted them to turn that gratitude into something more tangible than words.

Seeing that they had finally stopped resisting, Suleiman picked up his food.

This is exhausting. Look at the world we live in—it's made people into this.

Suleiman picked up a piece of black bread and put it in his mouth. Speaking indistinctly, he said, "Eat."

His gaze passed over the two of them without a hint of emotion, yet Lushen and Roslyn felt an invisible pressure.

Roslyn swallowed and struggled to put the bag away.

Lushen silently put away the other bag.

There wasn't much money in the bags, and they weren't heavy, yet Lushen and Roslyn felt they weighed more in their hands than the swords they carried.

The two of them silently swore to the Seven: "We will serve Lord Suleiman, even if it costs us our lives!"

The Council Chamber in Deddings Town Castle was dimly lit.

The firewood in the hearth crackled softly.

A map of the Riverlands lay spread across the long wooden table, complete with the great houses, mountains, strategic passes, rivers, castles, and even fords.

Inside Deddings Town Castle, Lady Roslin pressed her finger against the map at House Deddings' position on the Green Fork. Her brows were knitted with worry.

Maester Walder stood beside her, his gray robe hanging down. His chain glimmered in the enclosed room.

The maester's voice was just as low and weary. "Messengers and ravens bearing pleas for help from all over House Deddings' lands keep arriving in Deddings Town, my lady."

As he spoke, his thin fingers pressed against the mountain range where the Riverlands met the Vale on the map.

"The Mountain Clans have come down from the Mountains of the Moon to burn, kill, and loot. There are around a thousand of them, perhaps even more."

Lady Roslin clenched her fingers and lowered her head slightly without saying a word.

"They've scattered, and many villages have already been burned to ash."

Lady Roslin finally spoke, but her voice was heavy with helplessness.

"How many men do we have left?"

Maester Walder was silent for a moment before answering.

"Fewer than four hundred, my lady. Lord Balon took the army to Seaguard. We can hold our own behind the city walls, but we have no strength to send out a relief force."

"What about the Tullys, our liege lords? Or the other Riverlands lords?" Roslin rubbed her temples.

Maester Walder laid out the grim truth.

"The Riverlands army is deployed along the long coastline between Barrowtown and Eagle's Point. The Ironborn pose a greater threat than these Wildlings."

"We can only rely on ourselves, and right now, there's nothing we can do."

The Council Chamber fell silent.

At last, Lady Roslin broke the silence.

She struck the wooden table in anger. "We have to find a way, Maester Walder!"

"We can't let things go on like this!"

"What will our vassals and people think if we ignore the Wildling invasion and their pleas for help?"

"They'll think House Deddings can't protect them, and the consequences will be disastrous!"

Maester Walder did not try to placate Lady Roslin in response to her anger. He sighed.

"My lady, you should be more concerned about ourselves than about them."

"Once Valleydeep Town falls, Deddings Town will face the Wildlings directly."

Maester Walder changed tack.

"I have an idea..."

"There's no noble left in the city who can lead an army, but I heard that Suleiman Foulkeep, the one who survived the battlefield, is here."

"We can urgently raise three hundred soldiers and place them under his command, then announce that House Deddings has answered its people's pleas for help."

"If he fails to suppress the Wildlings, or hesitates to act..."

Lady Roslin's heart sank. She understood what the maester meant.

"Maester Walder, how can we do this?"

"To a young man who has lost every blood relative..."

Maester Walder's expression did not change.

Lady Roslin looked at Maester Walder and paced back and forth. At last, she stopped and looked up at the House Deddings banner hanging on the wall, her gaze somber. It bore a shield, symbolizing House Deddings' duty to protect its lands. And now, the barbarians of the Mountain Clans were burning, killing, and looting across House Deddings' territory!

Finally, she turned around, her expression utterly resolute.

"Raise three hundred soldiers at once! Send them to help Valleydeep Town hold out! Abandon the effort to aid the rest of our lands!"

"Send for Suleiman!"