Eagle of the Valley of Ice and Fire

Chapter 56 Layout of Riverrun
Tyrion looked at Lord Hoster, who was thin but with firm eyes on the high platform, quietly following Lord Bracken, his sloppy blond hair trailing behind his head like weeds.Tyrion seemed to realize something. He sighed, turned around, and looked at the old Duke of the Riverlands. "This is my outfit." Tyrion pointed to his wet and filthy clothes. "I'm afraid Father will not think that I am a guest in Riverrun." He looked at Duke Hoster with a smile.

Duke Horst nodded to show his understanding and implicit gratitude, "Bachelor." The old Duke said softly.After hearing this, the maester immediately set off and walked to Tyrion's side, "Come with me, Lord Tyrion."

Tyrion winked at the maester, hummed a tune about The Bear and the Maiden, and walked out of the main hall.

Caitlin looked at Tyrion's back as he walked out of the main hall of Riverrun, with tiredness and disappointment written all over her face. She looked back at her father who had regained consciousness, walked forward, and held Hoster's right hand with both hands: "Father, Bless the Seven Gods, you finally wake up."

"Caitlin," Horst looked at her with his calm eyes. Caitlin felt as if she was being stabbed by a sword. She remembered her father's look, which was a look of disappointment.

Horst sighed slightly, "You have brought war to the riverlands, Caitlin." The old Duke reluctantly raised his hand, and Caitlin quickly held it, "From Riverrun to the west, not even an inch of land or a grain of food can be defended. Nothing will be left behind…”

"I'm sorry," Caitlin had tears in her eyes, "but I couldn't let the sin escape from my eyes. At that time, I... I had to do it."

Horst patted the back of Catelyn's hand, "Get up, Catelyn," he forced out a smile, "You are now the Duchess of Winterfell," he looked at Catelyn's eyes that were filled with tears, " But you are still my daughter. If her daughter makes a mistake, the father can only bear responsibility for her, regardless of honor or shame."

"No," Caitlin cried, "Father, you can't go to Casterly Rock, your body can't stand it..."

"A true lord, even if he is old, weak or even seriously ill." Horst held Caitlin's chin with both hands and looked at each other, "He will not die in bed, Caitlin..." His brows gradually furrowed. Above, sadness and disappointment appeared before her eyes again. Caitlin shook her head, "Tully!" Horst let go of Caitlin and gasped for breath.

Regardless of Caitlin's stunned look, Horst looked at everyone. Cowardice and humility were completely gone at this time. The nobles of the Riverlands looked at the old Duke in front of them seriously, as if they were once in their prime, and their prestige surpassed the Trident in the river. The Governor is back again.

Jason Mallister narrowed his eyes slightly. When the Ironborn invaded the Riverlands, Duke Horst had this style when he reviewed the army in Seaside City. It was the style of a true Governor of the Trident.He tensed his upper body and looked at Horst with sharp eyes.

"Military order," Horst said, "Gather the troops under the Golden Tooth City, shrink the defense line, and set up military camps in the two river basins of Riverrun to support each other."

"Recall Edmure Tully, transfer the frontline military control to Lord Tytos Blackwood, and return to defend Riverrun." Horst said calmly, and the bachelor's servant quickly wrote down the Duke's order with a pen and paper.

"Send a message to King's Landing..." Hoster glanced at Caitlin, "Edmure Tully was bewitched and the accusation is invalid. He will go to King's Landing in person to confess to Robert...to King Robert and apologize. To Lord Attis Arryn."

Caitlin was dazed as she listened to her father's orders. She couldn't interrupt, so she could only watch her father give orders.

"Brynden..." Hoster Tully said the name helplessly. Catelyn could see that her father did not want to mention her uncle's name. "Is he still at the Blood Gate?" The people around looked at each other, and the valley was closed. Information is difficult to come out. In fact, the nobles of the Riverlands don't even know whether Blackfish is alive or dead.

"Send him a letter and ask him..." Horst said, he smiled helplessly, "ask him to find out what Duke Attis said about the Riverlands... whether he is a friend or an enemy. If he is an enemy... ….” Duke Hoster looked at Caitlin again, and the riverland nobles exchanged glances, tacitly choosing to remain silent.

"If we are the enemy, there is a way to make amends..." Horst became increasingly weak and he gasped, "If we are the enemy, there is a way to make amends..."

"Father." Caitlin said, and just as she was about to step forward, Horst waved her off.

"Send an envoy to the Twins and let Old Frey guard the ferry. He will set the terms..." Horst felt his eyelids getting heavier and he could only shout: "Go back to the house and disperse!"

The nobles of the Riverlands knelt on one knee and waited quietly for the guards to move Duke Hoster's chair out of the main hall before getting up and leaving.

Caitlin followed her father's chair and saw him lying weakly on the chair, closing his eyes haggardly.Caitlin could no longer bear the impact of her father's lack of vitality. Tears filled her eyes, her throat continued to tremble, and she followed her father in tears.

……

In the frontline military camp of Golden Teeth City, all Lannister's Western Scout prisoners were locked in temporary cages. Edmure Tully looked at the Western captives being escorted in and out with a smile. In three days, he only He just led a cavalry force of less than a thousand people and won consecutive battles, even approaching the Golden Teeth City at the closest time. If he hadn't been calm, he would have listened to the advice of Earl Vance and Earl Piper, considering that the castle was strong. , the evacuation was organized only when there were a large number of people in the Western Territory. Otherwise, if the Western Territory cavalry could be lured out, they might be able to gather together and annihilate them. Edmure couldn't help but smile when he thought that the formation rushing skills he learned in Riverrun could finally be used in actual combat. meaning.

"My lord," Edmure's bodyguard, who had been following him since Riverrun, ran over and looked at Edmure worriedly, "There is an urgent military situation."

Edmure frowned slightly. He glanced at the Western captives in front of him and said to his guards, "We'll talk about it when we get back to camp." When he walked into the camp, he found that the commanders of each army were there, including three thousand Blackwood soldiers. Lord Tytos arrived belatedly.

"What happened?" Edmure looked at the military camp sand table in front of him and found that the blue flag was planted in the lower reaches of the Red Fork River.

"What is this?" Edmure asked.

Tytos didn't speak, just swallowed, as if he didn't want to reveal this fact.

"What's the matter, Lord Earl?" Edmure asked, an ominous premonition welling up in his heart, "Did something happen in the rear of our army?"

Count Vance broke the silence of his military colleagues, "Several valley troops suddenly appeared in the lower reaches of the Red Fork River. According to current reports, more than a dozen villages were burned down, and even several towns and many lords' castles were burned down. It was also destroyed.”

Edmure clenched his fist tightly and said, "My eldest sister is indeed right. The Arryn family has colluded with the Lannister."

Earl Tytos looked at Edmure's solemn expression and said, "Now that this has happened, King Robert must have heard something. The Iron Throne cannot just watch the three guardian families launch a war. The day when the war will end is not far away. "

"Stop the war?" Edmure repeated disdainfully, "I would also like to stop the war, but I'm afraid the Lion and the Eagle won't think so."

"Fighting on two fronts..." Count Vance said hesitantly, "Our army has gathered more than 1 troops here in Golden Teeth City, and there is still half of the main force in Riverrun City. If they are spread out, I am afraid that the forces on both sides will not be stronger than their respective opponents. .”

"We faced the same situation in Golden Teeth City, but we still guarded the mountain pass for many days and repelled countless attacks from the Western Army. Including several groups of Western Scouts who wanted to bypass the rear and ambush were defeated by our army," Ed Mu moved the flag of the Yu family eastward to the lower reaches of the Red Fork River. "There are natural river dangers here. The crossings are all small and cannot accommodate the entry of large-scale troops from the valley. As long as they are commanded properly..."

"It is true that you can control more with less." Count Vance continued.

"What's more, we may not have fewer people, and time is with us," Earl Tytos continued. "The main force of [-] Riverrun City moved eastward to various fords of the Red Fork River, and at the same time searched for the valley soldiers who burned down the villages. The road is narrow and rugged, and the time and baggage spent on the Bleeding Gate will definitely not be small. As long as we hold the ferry before then, the army in the valley will be unable to move an inch."

"What about the people north of the Red Fork River?" Edmure suddenly realized this. "My father is the governor of the Riverlands, and I am the heir to their lord. I cannot leave the people alone."

Tytos frowned and could only helplessly say to Edmure: "It is the lord's duty to protect the people, but once the war begins, there must be a choice. As long as the people of the valley cannot cross the river, the initiative in the war will be in their hands. It’s in our hands.”

"No," Edmure retorted, "The people swear allegiance to the lord, and the lord swears to protect the people. This is the teaching of the gods. As the heir to the lord, my father is unconscious, and I have the obligation to protect them."

Count Vance and Count Tytos looked at each other. Tytos said: "Master Edmure, there is no problem for us to defend here in the West. The army in the West has been peaceful for a long time, and the level of fighting is not high. 1 people are stationed here. , completely capable of defending against the Western Army."

"Master, you, a native of the Red Fork River valley, how do you want to arrange it?" Earl Vance asked.

Edmure thought for a long time and finally gave the answer, "The main force of Riverrun spread out on both sides of the Red Fork River to hunt down the Valley people who infringed on the territory between the rivers and execute them all." He pointed to the north bank of the Red Fork River and continued: "Valley There are a thousand cavalry stationed here, and the banditry on the Red Fork River must have come from here. I led my troops across the river to attack them and catch them by surprise."

"Crossing the river?" Tytos shook his head, "Fighting with the river on your back. If the army is defeated, there will be no way to retreat..."

"There is no need to retreat," Edmure replied confidently. "The army is fighting with its back to the wall and can only give it a try. Behind them is their home. Who wouldn't fight to the death?"

Count Tytos and Count Vance glanced at Edmure's expression suspiciously. Edmure reached out and picked up the flag of the Yu family, moved to the side of the blue flag, pushed the blue flag down, and inserted the flag into the sand table with force. .

　Chapter 3, gone, gone, so tired.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)