The hall was very quiet. After Danny saw Tox's act of squandering his family's wealth, a strong uneasiness arose in his heart. It didn't feel like an apology, but more like a farewell.
Tox was walking back and forth in the hall, looking a little irritable. He touched the back of his head, as if he didn't know how to speak.
After a long time, he stopped and looked at Danny:
"Mr. Danny... please help me leave a letter for your lord."
Danny nodded, took out a piece of clean parchment from the cabinet, spread it on the table, dipped it in ink, and prepared to record. Tox cleared his throat and began to dictate.
"I knew I had committed a crime, so I did not resist Hek's behavior, otherwise I would just rely on that dirty and despicable robber!
There is absolutely no way you can control me!"
Just in the middle of his words, Tox stopped abruptly. No, his strange desire to win sounded like he was showing off his force. He was justifying his crimes rather than repenting.
He strode forward, snatched the parchment from Danny's hand, and tore it into pieces with a tear.
Danny cried out distressedly, "Hey! What are you doing!"
"Parchment is valuable!"
Tox's face turned red, feeling ashamed of his ridiculous desire to win. He quickly ran back to the cabinet, brought out a new piece of parchment, and handed it to Danny with both hands, his posture much more humble.
He took a deep breath, and this time, his voice was full of sincerity and determination. "Sorry, Mr. Danny, let's do it again."
"My family all died under the butcher knife of Wildlings. I should have been dead long ago. It was Lord Suleiman who gave me the opportunity for revenge and gave me new life and dignity."
Danny's pen tip quickly slid across the parchment, recording these heavy words.
"However, I was like a beast that was carried away by desire. I committed an unforgivable sin. I tarnished your reputation and betrayed your trust."
"I don't want you to only remember my crimes...::.. Only death can wash away my shame!"
When he said this, he became a little excited. He stretched out his hand and grabbed Danny's wrist holding the pen. Danny felt that his palm was hot and full of power.
"In this battle, I will be the first to charge and the last to retreat. I only hope to die heroically to repay your kindness!"
"After I die, I hope you can give all my pension to the family I offended until their daughter gets married happily."
After saying this, Tox fell silent. He really had no education and didn't know what more gorgeous words to say.
He let go of Danny's hand and added one last sentence.
.. This letter...Tox This letter is for Mr. Suleiman."
Danny's hand holding the pen was shaking slightly. He knew that the man in front of him had made a big mistake, but he also knew that this rude man was by no means a bad person. He wanted to say a few words of persuasion, but Tox grabbed his hand.
This time, instead of grabbing his wrist, he held his hand tightly.
Tox looked at him with a relieved smile on his face, "Nice to meet you, Mr. Danny."
"Please also help me convey the message to Mr. Duran, the tax officer. I am very happy to meet him."
After saying that, he let go of his hand, turned around and strode out of Office of the Military Officer, heading towards the assembled team outside.
The blue river water lapped at the hull of the long boat, and Sawane. Botley stepped onto the mud on the Vicon Gorge Green Fork shore. The putrid smell of the mud mixed with the smell of grass made him frown, it was really disgusting.
A scout rushed back from the town ahead, with a trace of pity on his face, and loudly reported, "Leader! The town is empty!"
"Not a single person is left, not a single chicken or duck is left! They are all gone!"
Sawane. Botley snorted coldly, turned around, and looked at the corpse hanging on the bottom of the long boat. Amek's body swayed gently with the waves, and it had long since made no sound.
Sawane growled at the first mate beside him, "Did you hear that?"
"This is what he calls the Ironborn on land! The same kind on land!"
He pointed at the empty town, his voice full of mockery.
"What's the difference between those weak cowards who run away when they see us? It's ridiculous!"
The first mate grinned, showing his dark yellow teeth. "Chief, Amek is just a coward, he can only lie to himself.
Ye Sawane withdrew his gaze. The anger in his heart needed an outlet. He issued an order with a cold voice:
"Since he has escaped! Then burn the town to me!"
"Let red flowers! bloom all over this green grassland!"
The torch was thrown into the empty wooden house. The dry wood burned quickly, the flames greedily licked the eaves, and thick black smoke rose into the sky, swallowing up the entire Riverbend Town.
Ironborn were resting in the ruins. The crackle of the fire was their favorite song. The scouts scattered out again, like a group of hounds that smelled blood.
As night fell, new information was brought back. The face of Ironborn who brought back the news was full of excitement:
"Chief! Go north. There is a nice town above Kingsroad!"
"It looks like there are a lot of people, and the torches are lit like stars in the sky!"
Sawane. Botley stood up suddenly, with a bloody light flashing in his eyes, and ordered the first mate, "Leave the ship here, and leave ten people to guard it."
"Gather everyone, let's head inland! Let the Greenlanders see the revenge of Ironborn!!"
More than two hundred Ironborn gathered in the night. They walked struttingly on the wide Kingsroad. Their heavy footsteps were unobstructed. Ironborn's songs echoed in the silent night. The lyrics were vulgar and obscene, full of contempt for the people on the Westeros land.
Halfway through the procession, the team could already see the dense firelight of Crossroads Town in the distance. At this moment, a rapid sound of horse hooves came from the front.
A horse, a rider, a torch, alone, were galloping towards them.
Several Ironborn subconsciously raised the throwing axes in their hands, Sawane. Botley raised their hands to stop them. "Wait."
He found it very interesting and wanted to see what this land man who dared to approach them wanted to do.
The rider reined in his horse at a very close distance, about twenty steps away from them. The horse pawed uneasily, but the rider sat firmly on the horse's back, and the torch in his hand illuminated his young and calm face.
The young rider spoke first, with a loud voice that penetrated the night. "Pirate!"
Sawane. Botley looked at him in surprise. "Aren't you afraid of us?"
There was a trace of confusion on the rider's face, as if Sawane asked a stupid question, "Why should I be afraid of you?"
Sawane narrowed his eyes. "Who are you? A knight?"
The rider shook his head. "No, I'm just an ordinary soldier under Lord Suleiman."
Sawane was silent. It was interesting that an ordinary soldier dared to stand in front of more than two hundred Ironborn alone. "Then what are you doing?"
The rider tightened the reins and said loudly, "You have entered Lord Suleiman's land, retreat immediately!"
These words were like a spark falling into a powder keg. After a brief silence, all the Ironborns burst into loud laughter.
"Hahahaha!"
"Drowned God! Did I hear it right?"
"He said for us to retreat?"
A Ironborn laughed so hard that he bent down and hit his thigh hard with the handle of the axe.
"He told us to retreat!"
The other pointed at the young rider, laughing so hard.
"This little sheep is threatening us wolves!"
Laughter came and went, full of arrogance and disdain.
Sawane. Botley took out his long sword from his waist and inserted it heavily into the ground in front of him. He crossed his hands, leaned on the hilt of the sword, and asked in a mocking tone of cat and mouse:
"What if we don't retreat?"
His voice drowned out all the laughter.
"What can you do?! How dare you do?!"
The rider showed no fear and glanced calmly at the group of laughing Ironborn:
"Lord Suleiman's army is ready."
There was another burst of wild laughter, Sawane. Botley wiped away the tears from laughter, feeling that this trip to the inland was really full of surprises.
"Then you should be ready and wait for us to kill you!"
He shouted loudly, and the Ironborns also shouted in unison.
"Get ready! Wait for us to kill!!"
The rider still looked at them fearlessly, and then he said something that shocked all Ironborn.
His voice was loud and clearly reached everyone's ears:
"You guys have a good rest!"
"Tomorrow morning! We are on the plain in front! Set up our battle array! Face to face!"
The laughter stopped in the summer, and all Ironborn were stunned. They looked at each other and suspected that there was something wrong with their ears. After a few seconds, laughter broke out more violently and wildly than ever before.
"Head-to-head confrontation?!"
"Get ready?!"
"Do these land people have straw in their heads?"
"That's ridiculous! Drowned God, this is really ridiculous!"
Sawane. Botley also laughed so hard that he could not stand up straight. He had never heard of such a stupid proposal in his whole life, conspiracy, sneak attack, beach grabbing, arson, massacre. This is Ironborn's way of war, head-on confrontation. It was a stupid game played by knights and nobles.
Moreover, they had traveled a long distance and needed a rest. He stopped laughing and shouted to the rider, "Okay!"
I promise you!"
"Go back and tell your Master Suleiman to wash his neck and get ready!"
"Tomorrow, we will set up our battle array on the plain and face off! Let's kill them all!"
That night, the Ironborn people camped on the plain outside Crossroads Town. They lit a bonfire, drank the strong wine brought from the ship, and loudly boasted about the killings tomorrow, while holding their hands tightly on their weapons.
Sawane. Botley drank wine and watched all this with cold eyes. The stupid land man, if it were him, would never give the enemy a chance to recharge his batteries. Instead, he would take advantage of this night to launch a surprise attack immediately. However, he was not a stupid man on the green grass and would not give the opponent this chance.