Lofor of Valleydeep

Timett Son of Timett's chest heaved with rage.

Like a wounded wild bear.

"How many Burned Men are left!" Timett Son of Timett's voice was hoarse. "How many are left among all the tribes combined!"

A Burned Men warrior whose face was charred black on one side, burned so badly that his original features were unrecognizable.

He replied in a low voice, "Timett Son of Timett! We have only a little over a hundred of our people left! All the tribes together number no more than six hundred!"

"Six hundred!" Timett Son of Timett repeated the number, grinding his teeth.

At last, he spoke slowly. "Send every last one of them up!"

"Timett Son of Timett! What are you saying!" Though the Burned Men warrior couldn't see his face, he could tell from the man's voice that he was shocked.

Timett Son of Timett seized him by the throat. His blood-red single eye was terrifying. "Don't make Timett Son of Timett repeat himself!"

He had no other choice. This large-scale raid had already failed!

But he couldn't fail!

Or rather, he couldn't fail as the Red Hand!

At the very least, he had to take this stone castle!

And slaughter every Flatlander inside!

Only then could he retreat to the High Mountains!

Otherwise, he would lose his authority over the tribes!

Timett Son of Timett had become the Burned Men's "Red Hand" because of that single eye.

At the tribe's coming-of-age ceremony, he had gouged out one of his eyes with a dagger heated red-hot.

He hadn't made a sound, astonishing everyone.

They had all come to fear him.

From then on, he had become the tribe's war leader—the Red Hand!

If he failed! If he lost the power to make people fear him!

A tremendous war cry burst from Timett Son of Timett's throat. "Everyone! Charge!"

"Take that stone house! Kill every Flatlander inside!"

"Let them taste the fury of the Mountain Clans!"

"Leave no one alive!"

"Kill!!!!"

The tribes obeyed, launching a fierce assault on the stone walls.

But Timett Son of Timett failed to notice that the Stone Crow Tribe, led by Shagga son of Dolf, had quietly slipped away from the camp.

Meanwhile, Chella daughter of Chek of the Black Ears Tribe shook her head beside him and gave him a strange smile.

On the walls of Valleydeep Town, Lofor of Valleydeep stared down with bloodshot eyes.

He watched the Wildlings climbing up again.

The corpses beneath the walls had yet to be cleared away.

The Wildlings were even using them as stepping stones to launch their attack.

The stench of blood mingled with the reek of sweat, making him want to retch.

Most of the soldiers defending the castle were wounded. They leaned exhausted against the battlements, tensely watching the enemy's movements.

They hadn't eaten in two days!

Their arrows were nearly gone!

Every building in the castle that could be dismantled without compromising its defenses had been broken apart for stones. Now they had nothing left to throw!

"They're coming again." Lofor of Valleydeep's voice was hoarse, heavy with exhaustion.

The unrelenting fighting had drained every last bit of his strength.

He looked at his son, Heluo of Valleydeep, and asked through gritted teeth, "Have Suleiman of Foulkeep's reinforcements still not arrived!"

The town was surrounded on all sides, with no way in or out.

They had kept in contact with the lord of Deddings Town by raven.

All they knew was that Lady Roslin had sent a relief force.

But they hadn't seen so much as a shadow of it.

They had repeatedly sent messages to Lady Roslin.

In response, Lady Roslin told them she couldn't reach Suleiman of Foulkeep either.

She said his army kept appearing here one moment, then somewhere else the next!

If half the Wildlings' army hadn't withdrawn a few days ago, they would have died here already!

Heluo of Valleydeep cursed loudly. "How did his family ever earn its title! They have no honor!"

"That cowardly rat must have taken his men and gone into hiding!"

Lofor of Valleydeep sneered.

"If we die, he won't live either!"

"Sending three hundred peasants to support us is nothing more than the lord of Deddings not wanting to be blamed for abandoning his bannermen!"

"When the time comes, that coward who never dared show his face will go with us!"

Lofor of Valleydeep knew perfectly well that three hundred men couldn't save Valleydeep Town.

His family was already finished.

There was no one in the Riverlands who could stand against this Wildling army.

He simply didn't want his family to be the only ones to bear this tragedy.

Since the "coward" commanding those peasants had been ordered to come,

since the lord wanted to make a show of it,

then those so-called reinforcements had to die here!

They would die beneath the walls of Valleydeep Town!

Suleiman had to be buried with him!

With him, House Valleydeep, and Valleydeep Town!

"Father! Father!! The Wildlings are all charging up!!!" Heluo of Valleydeep cried out in terror!

Startled by his son's shout, Lofor of Valleydeep snapped to attention and looked beyond the walls again. The Wildlings were already advancing.

This time, every Wildling was charging. They came in a dense, frenzied mass.

Lofor of Valleydeep noticed it too, and the unease and fear in his heart grew stronger.

He didn't know what had happened.

The Wildlings seemed to have gone mad today.

They were launching one relentless assault after another on the castle!

He took a deep breath and drew the longsword at his waist. Its blade was already full of notches.

"Pass down the order! Everyone, prepare to fight!"

"Archers, conserve your arrows. Don't shoot until they get close!"

"If anyone dares to hold back, I'll hang him!"

"I'll hang his whole family!!!!!" Lofor of Valleydeep roared.

The soldiers hated Lofor of Valleydeep's threats.

But they had no choice. They weren't fighting for House Valleydeep.

They were fighting for themselves!

If the castle fell,

they would die!

The Wildlings weren't ordinary people of Westeros!

The Wildlings began their assault.

This time, they surged forward as one great torrent.

They charged at the walls, heedless of the cost.

Arrows fell like raindrops, claiming Wildling after Wildling.

But those behind them trampled over their companions' corpses, drawing ever closer to the top of the wall.

They carried ladders and kept scrambling up in a frenzy.

One ladder after another was set against the walls.

Arrows and stones rained down, while screams rang out all around.

"Hold them! Hold them!" Lofor of Valleydeep swung his sword.

He cut down a Wildling who had climbed onto the wall, and hot blood splashed across his face.

The battle had reached its fiercest point.

The Wildlings seemed mad, heedless of death.

The defenders fought bravely for their lives, but beneath the enemy's overwhelming assault,

they were gradually losing strength.

"Father! The eastern wall is about to give way!" Heluo of Valleydeep hurried over with a group of soldiers to reinforce it. His armor was spattered with blood.

"I know!" Lofor of Valleydeep roared, kicking a Wildling who was trying to climb up back down.

A tremendous crashing sound came from the gates. The Wildlings were battering them with a massive wooden ram.

Every blow made the entire gatehouse shudder.

"Quick! Reinforce the gates!"

The soldiers used their bodies, wooden stakes, and anything else they could find to brace the crumbling gates.

A Wildling with a face covered in burn scars roared as he climbed onto the wall.

"It's over!!" Lofor of Valleydeep felt his heart turn to ice.

Once they lost the advantage of the higher ground, his conscripts would be no match for the Wildlings!

He watched his soldiers fall one by one.

More Wildlings surged up, and the breach grew wider.

Suddenly.

Lofor of Valleydeep turned around.

He had heard something!!

Everyone on the battlefield, whether attacking Wildlings or defending soldiers,

stopped what they were doing and turned to look toward the sound.

A long, clear blast of a horn suddenly rang out in the distance.

It cut through the din of battle.

The horn sounded nothing like the Wildlings' rough bone horns.

It had the piercing power and authority unique to metal.

"Wooo!! Wooo!! Wooo!! Wooo!! Wooo!! Wooo!! Wooo!! Wooo!! Wooo!!"