"It's Desert Fire Ants! Halt the march! Tell everyone to stay on guard!"
At the sight of the writhing expanse of crimson ahead, Earl Tarly hurriedly ordered the army to halt. A battlefield veteran who had dealt with the Dornish countless times, he saw through their scheme at once.
"More of their venomous tricks! Pass the order down. Dig a firebreak trench around the army immediately. Get the oil ready and light it when those poisonous creatures approach."
"Have the rear guard protect the supply train and the merchants traveling with us. The Dornish are probably after our supplies. We must not let them succeed."
Most of the elite troops in The Reach Army came from the Dornish Marches, so they were quite familiar with Dorne's snakes, insects, and vermin, as well as the various tricks the Dornish employed.
The sun was about to set, and it was the hour when snakes, insects, and vermin became active. Though Prince's Pass was already very dark, the army had yet to make camp and set up its defenses. It was an excellent opportunity for those Dornish vipers to unleash their poisonous creatures.
So The Reach Army quickly adjusted its formation, rapidly moving the supply train into the center.
Ser Roxton of Eyriehold was chiefly responsible for protecting the supplies and the merchants accompanying the army. He hurriedly led his troops to form a ring around them.
"Drivers, get those wagons into the center of the army! Everyone else, start digging trenches! Eyriehold Garrison, light your torches and prepare for battle!"
The allied army from the Reach, numbering over twelve thousand, and its two or three thousand accompanying personnel worked efficiently. Before long, they had dug a shallow trench around the army. Countless fires were lit beyond the trench, instantly illuminating the dark