The Mountain Clans

The soldiers of Deddings Town watched in astonishment as Suleiman walked by as if no one were there, accompanied by his two guards, Lushen and Roslyn.

They were shocked beyond measure; a hereditary noble lord was queuing up for food in the soldiers' mess hall alongside his guards!

Accustomed to fine wine and rich meats, he actually wanted to taste the commoners' fare? This Lord of House Foulkeep certainly had peculiar tastes!

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

He completely ignored the curious and scrutinizing gazes cast by the surrounding soldiers.

Once the three were seated, Suleiman pulled two cloth bags containing items from his person and tossed them to Lushen and Roslyn.

While eating the food on his tray, he said to them, "This is your military pay."

This money was provided by Lord Raymun Darry to thank him for sharing his combat experience against the Ironborn with the soldiers of Darry; in truth, it was Lushen and Roslyn who had performed the actual work.

Lushen and Roslyn froze, their faces displaying expressions of incredulous shock.

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

Roslyn also snapped out of his daze, staring blankly at Suleiman.

Suleiman set down his tray, frowned at the two of them, and repeated, "Didn't I tell you? This is your military pay!"

His tone was as natural as if he were speaking of the most mundane matter.

However, in the minds of Lushen and Roslyn, the lord had already provided shelter and land for his subjects, so participating in the lord's wars was their duty as subjects, a way to repay the lord's grace; even if they died in battle, it would simply be their bad luck.

"You gave our families a place to dwell on your land to keep us from wandering, and gave us your land to till to keep us from starving." These were the words their fathers had taught them, and now they spoke them to Suleiman.

The two men's eyes were red and swollen, their speech stuttering, as if accepting this money would be a grave sin.

"Lord... Lord Suleiman... we, we cannot take your 'military pay'."

"Besides, we owe a debt of sin to your house; the old Lady... your mother..."

Seeing that the two were about to start another endless display of sentimentality.

Suleiman was truly a bit angry this time, and he slapped the table:

"Effort must be rewarded, understand?!"

"You are my soldiers! You are soldiers of House Foulkeep! You are no longer mere farmers! You are my blades!"

"I need you to stand your ground for me!"

Suleiman looked at their fearful, stiff expressions and realized he had been a bit too agitated just now.

He felt that he was becoming less and less like his former self, and was truly acting like a noble lord of Westeros.

Suleiman softened his tone, yet it remained unquestionable: "Remember this! Merit must be rewarded! Transgression must be punished!"

"This military pay is what you deserve, earned by your own skills and your own hard work."

"You serve me, and I have seen your effort and dedication; this is the reward for your service!"

He looked at the two cloth bags, his voice becoming calm yet resolute:

"Take this money back, buy something in Deddings Town, for your families, for your children."

"Let them know! Let all my subjects know! Following Lord Suleiman does not mean going to die in vain!"

"It means earning a better life for your family through your own ability and hard work!"

Lushen and Roslyn finally stopped freezing; they began to digest the meaning behind Lord Suleiman's words.

His words, coupled with this sudden military pay, this direct and frank recognition of them, and this reward for their efforts, were more genuine than any high-sounding rhetoric.

The hearts of Lushen and Roslyn were racing; from this moment on, they were soldiers recognized by Lord Suleiman, soldiers serving Lord Suleiman! Soldiers serving House Foulkeep!

Lord Suleiman did not need their empty gratitude; he wanted to transform that gratitude from mere words into something more practical.

Suleiman watched as they finally stopped struggling and picked up the money bags.

How tiring, he thought. Look at what this world has turned people into!

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

His gaze swept over the two, devoid of any emotional color, yet it made Lushen and Roslyn feel an invisible pressure.

Roslyn swallowed hard and with great difficulty tucked the cloth bag away.

Lushen also silently put away the other bag.

The money was not much, and the bags were not heavy, yet to Lushen and Roslyn, they felt heavier than the swords in their hands.

Both of them silently swore an oath to the Seven in their hearts: "Loyalty to Lord Suleiman, until death!"

The meeting hall of Deddings Town castle was dimly lit.

The firewood in the fireplace crackled softly.

A map of the Riverlands was spread out on the long wooden table, complete with every great house, mountain, strategic pass, river, castle, and even ferry crossing.

Inside Deddings Town castle, Lady Roslin's fingers pressed against the map at the location of House Deddings on the Green Fork, her brows furrowed in deep worry.

Maester Walder stood at her side, his grey robes hanging low, his maester's chain glinting in the dim environment.

The Maester's voice was equally low and weary: "Messengers and ravens from all corners of the House Deddings lands have been arriving at Deddings Town in a constant stream, my lady."

As he spoke, his withered fingers pressed down upon the wooden table, marking the mountain range that connected the Riverlands to the Vale.

"The Mountain Clans have descended from the Mountains of the Moon to pillage and slaughter; there are over a thousand of them, perhaps even more."

Lady Roslin's fingers tightened, her head bowing slightly as she remained silent.

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

Lady Roslin finally spoke, her voice laced 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 the castle against a siege, but we lack the strength to sally forth and provide relief."

"What of the Tully protection? Or the other lords of the Riverlands?" Roslin rubbed her temples.

Maester Walder stated the cruel reality.

"The Riverlands army is stretched thin, defending the long coastline between Barrowtown and Eagle's Point. The threat of the Ironborn is far greater than that of these wildlings."

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

The atmosphere in the council chamber grew heavy with silence.

Eventually, Lady Roslin was the first to break the stillness.

Her hand struck the wooden table in anger: "We must find a way! Maester Walder!"

"We cannot let things continue like this!"

"If we ignore the pleas for help from our vassals and our people regarding this wildling invasion, what will they think of us?"

"They will believe that House Deddings is incapable of protecting them, and the consequences of that are unthinkable!"

Maester Walder did not pander to Lady Roslin's fury; he merely sighed:

"My lady, rather than worrying about them, you should be worrying about ourselves."

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

Maester Walder shifted his tone:

"I do have a plan..."

"There are no noble commanders left in the city, but I hear that Suleiman, the survivor from Foulkeep, is currently in the city."

"We can urgently conscript three hundred soldiers and hand them over to him, announcing to the public that House Deddings is responding to the pleas of our people."

"If he fails to suppress the barbarians, or if he hesitates..."

Roslin's heart sank; she understood the Maester's implication:

"Maester Walder, how could we do such a thing!"

"To a young man who has lost all his kin..."

Maester Walder's expression remained unchanged.

Lady Roslin looked at Maester Walder, pacing back and forth until she finally stopped, looking up with a heavy gaze at the House Deddings crest hanging on the wall—a shield, symbolizing the protection House Deddings provided to its lands, yet now, the barbarians of the Mountain Clans were burning and pillaging across those very territories!

Finally, she turned around, her expression resolute.

"Urgently conscript three hundred soldiers! Support the defense of Valleydeep Town! Abandon the attempt to support the rest of the territory!"

"Bring Suleiman to me!"