Knights of the Vale

"A sixteen-year-old War Chief?" Timett Son of Timett's voice wavered; he could not believe his ears. "Three hundred kneeling men who till the soil."

"Yes! Yes!" another bound Flatlander cried out, "It was all him, leading those few hundred farmers!"

The fire burned brighter, and the scent of roasting meat began to drift through the air.

The Wildlings began to swallow their saliva.

They had left everything behind at the Stone City walls.

They had been hungry for a long time.

Timett Son of Timett's head buzzed and roared, as if struck by a heavy hammer.

He recalled the desperate flight of the past few days, the confusion and loss within his heart.

"Impossible!! I don't believe it!!!" Timett Son of Timett roared through gritted teeth, "You are deceiving Timett Son of Timett!"

"We had over five hundred clansmen pursue them!"

"Wiped out by three hundred kneeling men who till the soil?!"

"I will eat you all!!!"

"We dare not lie, Timett Son of Timett!" the lead Flatlander wailed, "Everything we say is true! You can send men to see exactly how many of them there are!!!!"

Timett Son of Timett stared at him intensely: "There are over a hundred Flatlanders following us right now!!!"

"You damn Wildling! You absolute fool! You coward!!" another bound Flatlander, now desperate, bellowed, "What of it, you damn Wildling!!!"

"Send men to see those who tracked you! See how many there really are!"

"You and your clansmen are absolute fools! They were all drowned by Lord Suleiman!—drowned in water!"

"I curse you!!!"

"Curse you!!!!"

"Timett Son of Timett!!!"

"Sooner or later!!!"

"You will watch with your own eyes as your clansmen are consumed by raging fire!!!!!"

Timett Son of Timett stared fixedly at the Flatlander who cursed him, and the Flatlander glared back with eyes full of rage.

He hated hearing the word coward!

Timett Son of Timett was never afraid!

Not now!

Not ever!!!

A voice deep within him told him that this might be true.

Timett Son of Timett's eyes flickered with uncertainty.

He even hoped it was true now!!

He wanted to gamble!

If what these Vale Flatlanders said was not a lie!

Then perhaps he still had a chance!!

"Extinguish the fire!!" Timett Son of Timett pointed at the three Flatlanders, then pointed at the one who had just cursed him, "Except for his!!!"

The three men, their ropes cut, fell and struggled to crawl away from the flames.

Only that one man remained in the fire, letting out miserable screams!

Yet he begged no more!

Timett Son of Timett waved his hand violently: "Go! Scatter the scouts! Go and see for me!!!"

A group of Wildlings vanished into the forest.

The wait became agonizingly long.

Timett Son of Timett felt as if his heart were about to leap out of his chest.

He hoped it was all true.

If so, he still had a chance to salvage everything!!

Just then, the scouts he had sent out came running back at full speed.

Their faces wore expressions of disbelief: "Timett Son of Timett... they... they were telling the truth!"

"The Flatlanders who tracked us... the tracks really... the tracks really only show twenty-some people!"

Timett Son of Timett felt as if his head had exploded.

Rage, humiliation, unwillingness, and regret—countless emotions flooded his brain, driving him to the brink of madness.

He had been deceived! Played for a fool by a sixteen-year-old War Chief leading three hundred kneeling men who till the soil!

He had lost so many Champions, sacrificed so many of his kin.

And now, he was fleeing in a frenzy, all to escape a bluffing deception!

"Ah----!" Timett Son of Timett let out a beast-like roar as he violently drew the longsword from his waist.

He hacked fiercely at the wailing Flatlander in the flames, granting him a swift end.

"Su--lei--man!" He gritted his teeth as he spat out the name, every syllable dripping with bone-deep hatred. "Su--lei--man!"

"I will tear you into ten thousand pieces!"

"I will hack off your head and mount it on the leg of my chair!!"

"Please... let... us... leave, Timett Son of Timett!" Three Vale Flatlanders crawled over, trembling weakly as they begged. "Our... mission... is complete!"

"We must... return to... report... to our lord!"

Timett Son of Timett turned to look at the three terrified Flatlanders, his eyes filled with violence.

But in the end, he waved his hand. "Tell your lord! The Burned Men require grain to survive the winter!!"

"Get out!!!"

Far away from the Wildling troop.

Yet still in a mountain forest from which they could observe the Wildlings.

Bronn was leaning against a tree, toying with a dagger in his hand.

Around him sat more than twenty of Suleiman's soldiers, their faces and bodies covered in bloody scratches from tree branches.

Their armor and clothes were shredded to rags.

They were currently watching the relaxed and comfortable Bronn.

Bronn had led them through the rugged, dense forest, darting left and right.

They had suffered greatly.

Yet, shockingly, Bronn remained so relaxed and at ease.

His lean frame and stride made this terrain look like his own backyard.

Moreover, he had managed to lead them to keep pace with the Mountain Clans Wildlings.

Sometimes he even intentionally overtook them!

Then deliberately slowed down to fall behind.

He even circled the perimeter of the Wildling force.

Just moments ago, they had spotted four Vale knights appearing ahead of the Wildlings.

They had prepared to go and warn them to avoid the Wildlings' path.

But they were stopped by Bronn.

With a dark face, he had forced them to abandon their original position.

And then, those four Vale knights were dragged into the Wildlings' clutches!

Toman leaned in and asked in a low voice, "Lord Bronn, why didn't we warn the Vale knights?"

"And why did we intentionally leave tracks suggesting we were few in number?"

"Aren't you afraid they'll realize how small our force is?"

He found it strange, as Bronn had previously ordered them to create tracks suggesting a large number of men.

But ever since Bronn discovered there were only about three hundred Wildlings, he had told them not to bother hiding their small numbers.

Following that, after the four Vale knights were captured, Bronn had them leave tracks for exactly twenty men in a hurry.

Then, the Wildlings had split up to scout.

And discovered their true situation.

Bronn glanced at him, a mocking smile curling his lips. "Discovered? I wanted them to discover it."

"Why?" Toman was puzzled. "And isn't our mission already complete?"

"Why not head back?"

Bronn did not say much. "Send two men to return to Valleydeep Town at top speed! Tell Suleiman!"

"There are only about three hundred Wildlings!!"

He felt that Suleiman would likely make the same choice as Timett Son of Timett!

It gave him a certain feeling.

Gamblers!

Only, this group of Wildlings were gamblers who had no choice but to call the bet.

Otherwise, they would lose everything!

"The way the noble lords of Westeros trip each other up," Bronn pointed in a certain direction, "is just like whores fighting over a client."

"Stupid and unsightly."

Toman followed the direction of the finger and looked over.

Three knights of the Vale galloped their steeds, charging away from the midst of the Wildlings.

The soldiers looked toward Bronn.

They knew what this meant.

Bronn looked at them and commanded.

"Follow me!"