"Arya Stark!!!"
At that name, everyone's heart skipped a beat without exception!
Brienne in particular gave a violent shudder, her towering frame shaking. She did not even have time to wonder why Lady Stark, who was far away in King's Landing, would appear in the Riverlands, or why men of House Karstark would be hunting her.
"Lady Stark is in danger!"
She merely let out an instinctive growl. Since swearing allegiance to Catelyn Tully, Brienne had regarded rescuing the two Lady Stark as her most important honor and duty.
She kicked her horse hard in the belly without waiting for Corleone's command. The tall warhorse neighed and shot toward the shouting like an arrow loosed from a bow!
"Damn it! Follow her!"
Seeing this, Corleone had no time to rebuke Brienne for her recklessness and immediately spurred his mount.
Jaime, Yego, and Walton followed close behind without hesitation.
Whatever else, they were now a fragile unit. They could not let Brienne plunge into danger alone.
They rode off and soon charged onto a sparsely wooded rise. Looking down from above, they could take in the entire scene below.
More than twenty Soldiers of the North had formed a relatively tight ring, trapping a knight mounted on a tall black warhorse in the middle.
The knight was exceptionally burly, wearing filthy armor and no helmet, exposing that unmistakable, savage face with half of it hideously disfigured by burns!
It was none other than the Hound, Sandor Clegane!
At that moment, he held a child tightly in his arms, dressed as a little boy with short hair.
Having read the original work, Corleone understood at once. It really was Arya Stark!
But... according to the timeline, the two of them should have been on their way to Riverrun or the Twins. Why were they on the shores of the Gods Eye?
Corleone frowned deeply. Had his appearance caused a butterfly effect, or was it something else?
He could not work it out.
"Lady Stark!"
While Corleone was pondering this, Brienne cried out again, gripping her reins and preparing to charge down the slope once more.
With her overwhelming sense of justice and responsibility, she simply could not stand by and watch the person she was tasked with rescuing surrounded by more than twenty Soldiers of the North right before her eyes.
"Calm down, Brienne!"
Fortunately, Corleone reacted quickly this time. He seized her reins in a firm grip and rebuked her sternly, "Look down there!"
"With just the few of us, charging down now won't save anyone. It'll only get us killed too!"
"But that's Lady Stark!"
Brienne's blue eyes went wide. Gritting her teeth, she protested, "I promised Lady Catelyn Tully that I would bring both her daughters back safely..."
"I know!"
Corleone gave her a grave look. "I'm not saying we won't save her, but we need a plan. Understand?"
"Don't forget, that son of a bitch still has my hundred Gold Dragons!"
Beside them, Jaime also calmly tried to reason with her. "She's right, Brienne."
"Though I don't know why Lady Stark is with the Dog, there are more than twenty blood-crazed Soldiers of the North down there. We have no chance of winning."
"Trust Corleone. He always finds a way."
Their persuasion calmed Brienne somewhat. Her chest heaved as she looked at Arya, surrounded below, then at Corleone's and Jaime's serious faces.
Taking a deep breath, she forcibly suppressed the protective urge boiling within her and finally loosened her grip on the reins.
Throughout their journey, every judgment and decision Corleone had made had proven correct. She had long since grown accustomed to following his commands.
And just moments ago, even someone as proud and quick-tempered as Jaime had chosen to endure the most extreme humiliation.
She had no reason to drag everyone into danger because of her own impulsiveness.
Seeing her calm down, Corleone breathed a temporary sigh of relief.
He turned and watched the battle below intently, his mind working all the while.
He had to admit that Sandor Clegane's prowess was truly astonishing.
Wielding his sword in one hand, he charged back and forth within the encirclement, his movements swift and fierce. Every stroke carried tremendous force, cutting down three to five Soldiers of the North in succession. For a short time, his ferocity actually cowed his enemies.
Yet one man could not fight so many, especially with a burden still held in his arms.
Just as the Hound cut down another man, a warhammer slammed squarely into the middle of his back!
"Take my hammer, you mad dog!"
As Harag Stow's voice rang out, the Hound toppled, falling from his horse with Arya still in his arms.
Blood spurted from his mouth, staining Arya's shoulder red.
"Hound!"
Arya cried out and struggled out of his arms.
Because the Hound had held Arya tightly as they fell, cushioning her with his own body, the little girl was unhurt.
Seeing blood spill from his mouth and nose as he lay on the ground gasping violently, clearly no longer able to fight, the fierce little wolf cub immediately drew the slender blade hidden at her waist and assumed a peculiar stance.
It was what the First Sword of Braavos had taught her.
But in the end, Arya was only a child. Against more than twenty Soldiers of the North eyeing her like predators, it was of no use at all.
Sure enough, the moment she stood, Harag Stow rode up and punched her to the ground, leaving her unable to get up again.
"Ha ha ha!"
Stow laughed triumphantly. "Do you see, Earl Rickard? I've caught House Stark's little wolf cub!"
"The King in the North, Robb Stark, killed you! I'll bind his sister and bring her before him, and make him admit his mistake before all the northern bannermen!"
"I'll make him kneel and repent before the Karstark Sunburst banner!"
But just as Stow was reveling in his triumph, a Soldier of the North hurried over to him in a panic, his voice urgent. "Captain! Something's wrong!"
"Hogg... Hogg took a sword to the thigh! The wound's deep, and the bleeding won't stop!"
"What?!"
The wild grin on Stow's face froze instantly.
Hogg was a companion he had grown up with, his most trusted right-hand man. The bond between them went far beyond that of an ordinary superior and subordinate.
"Damn it... go find someone!"
He immediately bellowed in fury, "A maester, a doctor, a septon, a monk, I don't care what he is! As long as he can save Hogg, bring him to me!"
"Hogg can't die! He absolutely cannot die!"
On the rise not far away, Corleone heard every word of the exchange between Stow and the soldier.
A gleam flashed in his eyes, and a bold plan instantly took shape.
"Looks like... I'll have to return to my old trade."
He turned and grinned at Jaime, then motioned for him to put his cloak back on.
He took a deep breath and deliberately shouted in an anxious, disgruntled tone, "Don't move, Derek!"
"Trust me! No one in the Riverlands can cure your illness except me!"
"Because I... am the best doctor in all the Riverlands!"
Before you continue