The Mountain of Ice and Fire

"What are you doing?" Eddard Stark's voice echoed from the doorway.

Joffrey, holding a lit red candle and dripping wax onto the Hound's fire-scarred left face, looked up, his eyes gleaming with excitement, "Lord Eddard, the Hound is afraid of fire."

He was filled with the joy of uncovering the Hound's secret, hoping to receive Eddard Stark's approval for his 'cleverness'.

"Put that fire away!" Lord Eddard barked.

Joffrey, startled, flinched, and the candle fell from his hand, landing on the Hound's face and igniting his long hair.

The Hound had deliberately kept the hair on the right side long to comb it over and conceal the scars on his left side; once ignited, it blazed up like a whirlwind.

The Hound was terrified, his body convulsing violently, trembling as if he were about to die.

A horrifying, rattling sound came from his throat, sending chills down the spine.

Joffrey and Maester Luwin were both stunned!

Joffrey was caught off guard; his tough exterior concealed his inner weakness, and when faced with a real situation, his inner fragility was exposed.

Maester Luwin was afraid that the Hound would die, and then the Mountain would show him what 'the dance of death' truly meant.

A prince and a maester were both terrified by the Hound's extreme reaction!

Eddard Stark strode forward, his grey-white cloak with its pure white trim billowing out behind him, and with a whoosh, he smothered the Hound's head, instantly extinguishing the flames in his hair.

The Hound's spasms were violent, the entire bed creaking and groaning from his trembling body.

Eddard lifted the cloak, seeing the Hound's face twisted in terror, his eyes almost bulging out of their sockets.

He was taken aback, "Maester, quickly, calm him down."

Maester Luwin wrung his hands in panic, "...Lord Stark...I...I...can only give him poppy milk..."

"How can he drink in this state?" Eddard snapped.

Veins bulged on the Hound's neck, his face turning purplish-blue, his eyes protruding from their sockets, looking as if he would die of shock at any moment.

Eddard made a decisive move, punching the Hound hard in the temple.

The terrifying rattling sound in the Hound's throat turned into a sharp 'oof,' and he lost consciousness.

Watching the Hound's violent trembling gradually subside, Eddard breathed a sigh of relief.

Joffrey laughed, "Haha, Lord Eddard, that punch was amazing.

Tsk, tsk, the Hound fought a duel with the Mountain, and now he's become such a useless wretch.

Alas, such a pity, a good dog of mine!"

Maester Luwin, on the other hand, kept wiping the cold sweat from his forehead!

Eddard Stark wanted to punch Joffrey in the face, but he remained still, his face like an iceberg, "Prince Joffrey, this is the maester's healing room, let's go outside!"

"Go outside? Hmm, let's go.

The Hound is unconscious, so there's nothing fun to see!" Joffrey said listlessly.

"I'm going back to tell Mother that this dog is truly useless; without a doubt, we need to find another dog!"

"Maester Luwin, take good care of Ser Sandor Clegane; he's afraid of fire, please keep that in mind!"

"Yes, Lord Hand!" Luwin replied respectfully.

The back of his shirt was already soaked.

This game cannot continue like this; if Joffrey comes again and brings a barrel of oil to burn the Hound, whom he already considers useless, his little life will be over.

The Mountain wants him to deliver a healthy and strong Hound so that the Mountain can kill him again and finish him off completely; he dares not disobey!

Otherwise, he cannot bear the consequences!

Since there are poisons that can paralyze, there are naturally poisons that can counteract paralysis.

Out of resentment for the Hound, Luwin had originally planned to take good care of him for half a month.

Now it seems that, to avoid accidents, he must detoxify the Hound immediately!

*

Outside the door, Prince Joffrey's surprised voice rang out, "Lord Eddard, are you leaving for King's Landing ahead of us?"

"Yes, Prince Joffrey.

We Northerners will be leaving first," Eddard Stark said in a deep voice.

King Robert had gone to the brothel in this town to drink and carouse, and he had tried to pull Eddard along, but Eddard had flatly refused.

Eddard had already bid farewell to His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen, and the party from the North had decided to leave first.

Throughout the journey, Eddard had had enough of Robert's revelry.

Wherever the King went, if it weren't for the courtiers and Eddard urging him, he would linger indefinitely and could not give a specific departure time.

In the vast Seven Kingdoms, after Lord Renly, the acting King, came out to greet His Majesty the King, there was not a single person in charge in the throne room to handle the daily affairs of the government.

But His Majesty the King and Lord Renly were not worried at all.

Eddard realized that Robert simply didn't care about state affairs.

As for the handsome and young Lord Renly, Eddard was speechless.

Eddard Stark could not be as carefree as King Robert.

Since he was the Hand of the King, he had to hurry to King's Landing to 'work'.

This was the minimum attitude of a Hand, instead of eating, drinking, and having fun on the road, ignoring everything else.

Behind Eddard Stark, fifty elite Northern guards surrounded three carriages, followed by a long line of oxcarts carrying food, meat, and other supplies driven by servants.

The butcher's son and apprentice, Mycah, was hiding in one of the oxcarts filled with pork; he hid whenever he saw Joffrey's shadow.

In the first carriage, Sansa had already drawn back the curtain, looking at the handsome prince with a shy expression.

She had specifically asked to sit in the first carriage so she could see Prince Joffrey.

Joffrey saw her too and waved to her, "Lady Sansa, I will come to see you as soon as I arrive in King's Landing, I wish you a pleasant journey!

If any knights or ladies in the Red Keep in King's Landing bully you, don't be afraid, when I return, I will help you deal with them."

Joffrey stood on the steps, his lips curved upward, his face radiant.

Sansa nodded elegantly and politely, her little heart pounding wildly, her face burning intensely, her beautiful eyes filled with the shimmering light of a lake.

Arya was dressed in leather, looking very much like a young knight.

She wore 'Needle,' the sword Jon Snow had specially made for her, at her waist, her hand on the hilt, glaring at Joffrey!

The King and his courtiers, as well as the Kingsguard and the Master of Laws who had come to greet the King, all continued to stay in the town of Harroway to 'rest,' while Hand Eddard Stark, grumbling, led his guards, two daughters, family officers, and servants alone, leaving His Majesty the King's 'main force' and heading towards King's Landing!

*

Not long after the Prince and the Hand left, Maester Luwin's door was knocked on again.

The Maester opened the door, and outside was a line of cavalry, led by the Mountain, who made him uneasy.

The Mountain and his men were fully armed, each of them looking fierce and menacing.

Maester Luwin could hardly see a 'kind' face.

Judging from the Mountain's attire, there was no doubt that he was also preparing to leave, which made Maester Luwin secretly relieved.

"Maester, is the Hound dead yet?" the Mountain roared.

The Mountain's sudden, fierce roar made Maester Luwin's heart jump.

"Ser Gregor, Ser Sandor has just fallen asleep, he is doing very well."

"Hmph! We're leaving!" the Mountain shouted.

"My Lord, aren't we going to bid farewell to His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen?" Bernie, who had been promoted from wine server to the Mountain's affairs officer, reminded him.

On the night of 'betraying' the Prince and the Queen, Bernie had paid the price, and now he had been rewarded: a promotion.

"No need!" the Mountain said.

The sound of hooves thundered as the band of riders roared away.

Before leaving, the Mountain turned back and gave the Maester a deep look, the threat in his eyes undisguised, naked, causing Maester Luwin to feel a blockage in his throat, a suffocating sensation as if an invisible hand was pressing on his throat!

The Mountain and his men roared away, disappearing from sight, but the Mountain's gaze remained in the air, staring at Luwin, making him feel cold all over!