Lady Anya's eyes flickered slightly as she glanced at the haughty Earl Leonor, and said gently, " The Crabb Wildling are well-equipped and deserve some attention. 🎉💢 ♕🎅"
Earl Leonor, his face etched with barely concealed contempt, said, "When the sun rises, the Wildling without the muddy ground will be no match for the Vale Knights' charge."
Sir Jeywood's voice carried a hint of sarcasm as he said, "They certainly don't have muddy ground, but they do have the towering walls of Gulltown."
Earl Horton shook his head slightly and said, " The Crackclaw Point archers are still resting at their camp outside the city tonight. Lord Crabb couldn't have imagined the counterattack from the Vale would come so quickly. And..."
He looked at Earl Leonor: "If I remember correctly, Lord Baelish once served as a tax collector in Gulltown. I think he probably still has quite a few 'friends' there."
Earl Leonor's lips curled slightly as he said, " Earl Horton, your insight is remarkable."
As he finished speaking, Sir Jeywood laughed heartily and said, "This is another piece of good news I've heard tonight."
Earl Leonor raised his chin, raised his glass in acknowledgment, and said, "Gentlemen, to the honor of the Vale."
Lady Anya wore an elegant smile, but as she reached for the wine glass on the table, she suddenly sensed something amiss. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that the silver glass was trembling slightly!
Lady Anya quickly realized that the strange sensation was coming from the ground beneath her feet. She grabbed the table and stood up from her chair, hurriedly asking, "What's going on?"
Outside the tent, a sudden cacophony of sounds arose, and Sir Jeywood, sensing something amiss, lifted the tent flap and stepped out of the tent first.
He first cursed a few times, then... when his gaze fell on a certain spot, he froze, muttering, " The Seven Hells..."
In the distance, he saw waves of fire surging toward the camp in the Vale, the flames dancing in the night as if they were alive.
The moonlight was obscured by dark clouds, and the earth was shrouded in darkness, with only faint firelight flickering in the camp in the Vale.
Suddenly, a deafening moo and hoofbeats shattered the stillness of the night, and the ground seemed to shake.
Immediately afterwards, countless fire bulls surged out of the darkness like a flood towards the camp in the Vale.
The fire buffalo herd charged into the camp. This sudden turn of events caused the Vale soldiers and mercenaries to collapse almost instantly, and they could only scatter and flee in panic.
The fire bulls were rampaging wildly. Some soldiers were pierced by the sharp blades on the bulls' horns, some were trampled by their hooves, and some were burned by the flames... Screams, howls, and the mooing of the bulls mingled together, plunging the entire camp into chaos.
"Fight for Lord Gryn!"
Ser Pell raised his sword and roared, and the more than 3,000 Crabb Soldiers following the fire buffalo herd charged into the Vale camp at his command.
Lady Anya's pupils dilated. " The Gods, save us..."
Earl Leonor stared blankly at the devastation before him, his gaze unfocused. "It's all... it's all over... this is magic... this is evil magic... uh!"
Suddenly, a massive bull with bloodshot eyes and a tail ablaze charged at him, slamming Earl Leonor into the raging inferno.
That night, as dawn broke, Crabb's soldiers finally put away their blood-stained weapons.
At noon, the gloomy atmosphere of Gulltown was replaced by a grand banquet open to everyone, with roast beef as the main course.
Inside the Lord's Hall.
Lord Gryn always controlled his alcohol intake, but today he drank one glass after another, enjoying himself with everyone.
Ser Pell, his face flushed from drinking, stood up, raised his glass high, and exclaimed, "For Lord Gryn's health!"
The crowd roared in unison, "Long live Lord Gryn!"
Ser Pell shouted again, " The Whispers!"
The crowd roared, "Long live Crabb!"
"Fight for Lord Gryn!"
"Long live! Long live! Long live!"
"Roar! Roar! Roar!"
Ser Pell, swaying unsteadily, led a group of people... and began to dance the < Crabb Victory Dance (Chapter 74)> with a cheerful smile... Watching the dancing crowd below, Gryn leaned back in his chair, a smile involuntarily playing on his lips.
Gryn thought... once he sobers up, if the stern retainer-knight recalls what he did today, his expression will surely be quite interesting.
In the Thorn Legion's seating area, Lena first chuckled, then burst into laughter, patting Amparo on the back. After a moment, she said, " Mother Leopard, this... is he really our Ser Pell? Wahahaha!"
Amparo said, "He must be drunk."
She reached out and ruffled Lena's hair, then said, "Stop laughing, you're spraying wine everywhere."
Lena clutched her stomach and nodded in discomfort. Then she suddenly glanced in the direction of Gryn and whispered, " Amparo, look at our lord. He's trying to laugh too, but he's struggling to hold it in. You have to trust the hunter's eyes."
Upon hearing this, Amparo curiously shifted her gaze, only to find it meeting Gryn's eyes. Her lord smiled and raised his cup in a gesture of respect.
Amparo a slightly guilty look, and Reina, who had seen everything, immediately burst into laughter.
Lena smiled and hugged Amparo, teasingly saying, " Mother Leopard, I don't mind sharing you with others."
Amparo and pushed Lena's forehead with three fingers, saying, "Don't talk nonsense."
Seeing Amparo's serious expression, Lena changed the subject. " Amparo, I've heard that based on Crabb's military achievements, at least 100 people will be knighted."
Amparo took a sip of his drink and said, "Your military achievements are sufficient."
Lena blinked and said, "Will you and Ser Pell preside over our investiture ceremony?"
Amparo glanced at Lena and replied, "I don't know about others, but you should have been personally conferred the title by Lord Gryn."
Lena's eyes lit up. "Really?! Did Lord Gryn tell you this?"
Amparo Thorns shook his head slightly and said, "That's my guess."
As evening approached, Gryn put down his glass, feeling he needed some fresh air. Gryn rose from his chair, gestured to the others who were also getting up, and strode out of the Lord's Hall, Brienne of Tarth close behind him.
As the sun sets, the clouds on the horizon are dyed a golden hue.
The flowers in the garden swayed gently in the breeze, releasing a delicate fragrance that soothed the mind and body.
Seeing Brienne's hesitant expression, the astute Gryn smiled and said as he walked, "Loyal Brienne, you seem to have something to say?"
After a moment of silence, Brienne spoke up, "Lord Gryn, I witnessed a legendary war, and this is my glory."
Gryn stopped in his tracks, stretched, and said, "This victory belongs to everyone in Crabb, including you, Brienne."
He turned to look at Brienne, whose gaze was blank, and smiled, saying, "Whether you're on the battlefield or behind enemy lines, fulfilling your duty is the greatest contribution."
Brienne glanced at Gryn with her deep blue eyes, opened her mouth, and said, "I... I was worried about you..."
Are you worried about being surrounded by enemies from all Seven Kingdoms?
Hearing Gryn's words, Brienne hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
Gryn started walking again, saying as he went, " Brienne, you only saw the Vale Knights bleeding profusely, but you didn't realize that this was actually a continuation of the war sixteen years ago..."
"The war sixteen years ago? The war Robert I waged against the Mad King?"
Gryn nodded slightly and said, "Some people call it the War of the Usurper."
He added, "When Robert slew Prince Rhaegar on the Trident and King's Landing fell, I was still in my mother's womb. When Balon Greyjoy of the Iron Islands raised his army, I was still enjoying a carefree childhood, but I learned the cruelty of war from Maester Al.
He looked at Brienne: "The war sung about in the ballads is beautiful, something to yearn for. There, it's always Summer, all the knights are heroes, all the Maiden are beauties, and the sun shines on the earth forever."
Brienne nodded in agreement and said, "Yes, Lord Gryn."
Gryn smiled and said, "Yesterday's battle... in the context of Westeros's war history, was actually quite ordinary. At least after entering the Vale, Crabb didn't commit any acts of burning, killing, or looting against ordinary people."
He rubbed his head. "The only problem is that we eliminated quite a few nobles... Let's find a place to sit down."
After Gryn sat down on the garden bench, Brienne spoke up, "Lord Gryn, I'm worried they might... repel you out of fear... like... like..."
Gryn chuckled and said, "Like Stannis Baratheon?"
Brienne nodded and said, "Many people in Stormlands hate him..."
After a pause, Gryn said, "Thank you for the reminder, loyal Brienne."
Brienne looked shy, a glimmer of light appearing in her eyes. "Lord Gryn, it is my duty."
Gryn nodded slightly, rubbed his temples, and said slowly, " Crabb's Crackclaw Point only has a population of over 100,000. We cannot withstand the attrition of a prolonged war."
Under Brienne's questioning gaze, he continued, "The duel between the Vale and Crackclaw Point, known throughout the Seven Kingdoms, brings together the elite of the Vale Knights, or rather, they are the backbone of the Vale people. For the sake of Crabb's future strategy, as the ruler, I cannot waste this hard-won opportunity; I must disrupt it with a single battle. Brienne, this is war."
"Lord Gryn, is our war with the Vale not over yet?"
"Yes, I'll keep playing until I'm satisfied."
Three days later, the Runestone, the northern neighbor of Gulltown and owned by the House Royce, was captured in one fell swoop by Crabb Soldiers disguised as remnants of the Declaration of Lords Declarant.
The following day, the Crabb Fleet transported more than 1,000 soldiers to launch a surprise attack on Candle Cave, located on the northwest coast of Crab Bay and Crackclaw Point Wickenden. Upon seeing the Swamp Marigold Banner, the House Waxley immediately surrendered and swore allegiance to the House Crabb.
Legend has it that Lord Gryn, while leading over 8,000 soldiers toward Ironoaks, personally met with many down-on-their-luck knights from the Vale.
When news of Stannis's fleet's arrival at Dragonstone reached King's Landing, noblewomen and ladies of high birth began singing hymns of the Mother's mercy in the magnificent Sept.
The gentle the Mother, the source of mercy.
May your son survive the fierce battle.
Stop the stray arrows, deflect the swords.
Let them see a bright tomorrow.
The gentle the Mother, a woman's hope.
Help your daughter escape suffering.
Calm the anger, tame the madness.
It teaches us to be tolerant of one another.
A huge beam of multicolored light slanted in through the crystal window, and candles were lit all around, their flames twinkling like stars.
Cersei Lannister stood in the crowd, offering perfunctory words of comfort to their fearful faces, but her expression grew increasingly impatient.
The Master of Household had to whisper in her ear, " Your Queen Regent, please..."
The Lannister Lioness gave the Master of Household a cold glance, and he swallowed back his next words.
After a long while, amidst the respectful gazes of the crowd, Queen Regent Cersei walked out of the Sept.
After settling into the sedan chair, Queen Regent Cersei said coldly, "I'd rather face swords than pretend to comfort these frightened hens."
The Master of Household standing beside him longed to tell His Queen Regent that most of the noblewomen there had come at her invitation, but he responded with a silent smile.
He thought for Queen Regent, your decision is wise. Once they return to their husbands and fathers, they will tell you all sorts of stories... about how brave, how strong, how inspiring they are... they will say how steadfast and unwavering you were in the face of powerful enemies."
Queen Regent Cersei revealed a hint of satisfaction and said, "These hens themselves are worthless, but the roosters in their flock are crucial right now; my son needs their protection..."
As she spoke, her expression suddenly turned angry. "I really wish I could take a sword and go to the battlefield!"
Queen Regent Cersei recalled her childhood, when Jaime looked so much like her that even her father often couldn't tell them apart... Sometimes, for pranks, she and Jaime would swap clothes and pretend to be each other for a whole day.
But... when Jaime received his first sword, she discovered that she wasn't entitled to one.
Her father taught Jaime to use a longsword, spear, and mace, while she had to learn how to smile and how to please people... At that time, it was incomprehensible that she and Jaime, who were so similar, were treated so differently.
Jaime was the heir to Casterly Rock, while she was sold to strangers like a horse... The new master could ride her or beat her as he pleased, and if a new mare came along, he would just throw her aside.
Thinking of this, Queen Regent Cersei's anger flared instantly... Just because she was impotent, the Gods bestowed upon Jaime glory and power, while the Gods bestowed upon her only fertility and menstruation.
Bringing herself back to reality, Queen Regent Cersei said coldly, " Master of Household, as soon as Stannis's army appears outside King's Landing, your task is to, in my name... invite all those hens to Maegor's Hold."
"Yes, Your Queen Regent."