"Understood." Rickard and Maege nodded, and the two armies parted ways. Under cover of the deep night, the force heading east out of the Bloody Gate also had to set off.
The journey east through the Mountains of the Moon was bound to be rough and arduous. The Vale had the most formidable natural defenses in the realm. In times of chaos or peace alike, the Vale could always afford to sit things out.
"I heard the Imp once came up with the unusual idea of recruiting a band of Wildlings. That's good news for us."
"They should have followed him into King's Landing, those Wildlings and that little lion."
"The Dwarf might be no good at fighting battles, but he has a good head on his shoulders."
Remembering the subtle bond of friendship between himself and the Imp, Jon felt a pang of distress. He had so few friends, yet in the blink of an eye, they would be meeting with weapons drawn.
Gendry and the others set out under cover of darkness. Heading east after leaving the inn, they gradually encountered hard, cold, rocky ground that made the journey uncomfortable. The terrain here was rugged and treacherous, and the so-called high road was no more than a stony trail.
But then Gendry thought of it another way. Great achievements sprang from hardship. If they struck by such a roundabout route, the Eyrie would surely be taken by surprise.
They advanced slowly through the deep night. The road was so rough that even with the most suitable guides, they would lose quite a few horses.
"Once we reach the Bloody Gate, I'll need to write to Runestone again at once," Bronze Yohn said. They had already settled on a plan and sent a letter, but matters still needed to