The Mountain of Ice and Fire

King's Landing, Mud Gate army camp. Morning.

The banners of the four teams from the Mountains of the Moon fluttered in the wind.

The King's stag and lion banner, the Clegane army's red smoke beast and ice sword banner, the Burning Men's one-eyed demon fire banner, the Black Ears tribe's little beauty Qila's black ear banner, the Stone Crows' heavy axe banner, the Moon Brothers' stone hammer banner...

Army Commander Gavin Westerling blew his military whistle, and the four tribal legions raised their swords together, shouting towards Lady Jeyne on the high platform: Ho!

The roar was like thunder!

King's Landing had just awakened in the first ray of sunshine in the morning, the Mud Gate creaked open, and the citizens entering and exiting began to busy themselves.

Not far from the Mud Gate was a fish market, and the fishermen who had been fishing in the Blackwater Rush last night had come to the city gate early to wait for it to open.

One thousand two hundred warriors from the Mountains of the Moon roared with military might.

They were completely different from when they had been coaxed down the mountain by the Imp. Back then, even the chiefs didn't have a decent set of armor, but now, ordinary soldiers all had a complete set of valuable armor, sword belts, long swords, and short knives.

Each item, if taken back to their hometown, would be a 'treasure' worth sacrificing several lives to snatch.

"Warriors of the Mountains of the Moon, depart," Jeyne said.

So, the messenger shouted the military order, the chiefs saluted Jeyne together, and then, the four teams formed four columns, the chiefs walking in the front, heading towards the Mud Gate.

Yesterday, Jeyne had agreed to abide by the Hand's decree and withdraw the Clegane army from King's Landing, with five days to withdraw all troops.

The first legion to withdraw was the mountain tribe legion from the Mountains of the Moon.

The chiefs' small ponies, suitable for narrow mountain roads, were given to the soldiers, and all were replaced with tall horses.

Chiefs, captains, squad leaders, and brave guards all had horses, about two hundred people in total. The remaining one thousand warriors were infantry.

This was an infantry legion.

The guards of the Mud Gate watched the team leave King's Landing, and smiles of relief appeared on their faces.

This was a very troublesome army in King's Landing. Chief Shagga of the Stone Crows on the far right had chopped off the hand of a casino owner in a gambling den because he had lost all his money and thought the owner was cheating.

Conn, next to him, not only liked to gamble, but also liked to provoke people. Many of the guards' gamblers had clashed with him. Back then, when these two guys were still following the Imp, they had already become ruthless characters that no one dared to provoke in the underground casinos of King's Landing.

As for Chief Timeh of the Burning Men, that one eye was frightening to look at; the little beauty Qila, who made necklaces out of people's ears, exuded an aura of evil...

The brothers of the guard were all in a good mood to see this fierce legion leave King's Landing.

Jeyne personally escorted the team out of the Mud Gate with Zelli, Brienne, Earl Gavin, Maester Dalt, and others.

To the left of the Mud Gate, in the southeast direction, by the Blackwater Rush, was the port of King's Landing's Royal Navy fleet. This team was supposed to follow the Hand's decree to return to Lord Mountain's fiefdom: Dragonstone, so they would turn left after leaving the gate.

However, with a command, the team turned to the right and walked onto the riverside avenue, heading north!

Many guard brothers stood on the city wall of the Mud Gate, happily watching the departure of this barbarian legion. Everyone discussed and laughed, and then some people began to realize that something was wrong: if the team was returning to the Dragonstone fiefdom, why weren't they heading east to the Royal Navy warship port by the Blackwater Rush?

Shagga, Conn, Timeh, Qila, Gonsor, and other chiefs rode their horses in the front, leading the way, heading north along the riverside avenue under the city wall, and onto the Rosby Road.

Were these people going to Crackclaw Point?

Absolutely impossible!

The Crackclaw Point tribes could not tolerate any other tribal legions, and besides, Crackclaw Point was very poor. As long as the young people inside had ever left Crackclaw Point, they were basically unwilling to go back.

Could it be that the Mountains of the Moon tribes were preparing to go home—back to the Vale—there were far more than these four tribes in the Mountains of the Moon, many.

The formation of these clans and tribes originated during the Andals' invasion of the Vale. The First Men who were unwilling to submit to the Andals fled into the Mountains of the Moon, where they multiplied in the mountains and forests, forming clans and tribes. Therefore, they retained many First Men traditions, worshipped the Old Gods like the Northmen, and had customs similar to the wildlings beyond the Wall—raiding and insubordination.

This was an army that never recognized the rule of House Arryn of the Eyrie, independent of the Seven Kingdoms and their economic and political system. They did not have the concept of gender distinction, and many women in the legion were capable fighters.

The chief of the Black Ears, Qila, was a middle-aged woman, accompanied by seven fierce sons, seven young men as strong as rocks.

Jeyne reined in her horse, watching the team pass along the riverside avenue with their banners, pass through the Steel Gate, and onto the Rosby Road.

Such a powerful team did not board a ship to Dragonstone, but headed north!

The news quickly reached the Hand's Tower, the Master of Whisperers' small stone house, the Dornishmen's stone fortress, the Maidengardens where House Tyrell resided...

The Imp's one black and one green eyes turned, holding a wine glass in his hand. This was a new situation. With the Mountain having received the Hand's decree to return to King's Landing from the north, why was this mountain tribe under his command heading north?

Randyll Tarly was in charge of the war in the Riverlands, and he had won successive victories. House Tyrell would not allow the Clegane legion to participate and take a share of the spoils...

It was impossible for the Mountain to disband this legion.

In order to increase his strength, on the eve of attacking Dragonstone, the Mountain had 'cleverly and forcibly' taken the Stone Crows from the Imp...

The Dornishmen in the Stone Keep were even more confused, and Master of Whisperers Kevan did not understand Jeyne's intentions, and the allied House Tyrell was also puzzled...

*

Then the second legion left the Mud Gate army camp: Crackclaw Point warriors, led by Lady Dalt Quentina, accompanied by eight centurions, leading eight hundred-man companies, each hundred-man company belonging to a different peninsula tribe.

This team also left the Mud Gate, turned right, and still headed north.

The mountain tribe legion from the Mountains of the Moon headed north: one thousand two hundred people; the eight hundred warriors from Crackclaw Point headed north; the two legions totaled two thousand people, reaching the Hand's requirement that at least two thousand people must be withdrawn every day.

*

The next day, three thousand two hundred warriors withdrew from King's Landing. This time, all two thousand two hundred warriors from Crackclaw Point and one thousand Westerling infantry were withdrawn. The team was led by Earl Gavin Westerling, and the team did not head north again, but turned left after leaving the Mud Gate, went to the Royal Navy fleet to board ships, left the port, passed through the Water Gate of the Blackwater Rush, and went straight to Dragonstone.

On the third day, there was no movement in the team; on the fourth day, there was still no movement. The several warships that had sailed out had not yet returned, and the Master of Ships, Wagoner Gull, did not ask about it, but continued to step up the recruitment of the navy and the construction of warships.

The Kingswood on the opposite bank of the Blackwater Rush—a vast primeval forest hundreds of miles deep—was not short of timber.

*

Night. Mud Gate army camp. Jeyne's central tent.

Hand Tyrion came with Prince Oberyn Martell and Master of Whisperers Kevan Lannister.

Since the Mountain left King's Landing, Jeyne had never entered the stone house in the Red Keep to live again. She lived in the army camp, guarded by the tents of generals on both sides.

The Imp had come to urge Jeyne to withdraw her troops. According to the Hand's decree, Jeyne should have withdrawn at least eight thousand people, but she had only withdrawn five thousand warriors: the Mountains of the Moon tribes, the Crackclaw Point tribes, and one thousand Westerling infantry.

"Madam, tomorrow is the last day of the deadline, and the Clegane army must all withdraw from King's Landing."

"As you command, Lord Hand," Jeyne said.

Jeyne had already finished all the conversation with just one sentence.

When it came to the level of killing conversations, Jeyne was simply a genius.

*

Oberyn was uneasy and suspicious. It had been four days, and Jeyne showed no signs of discomfort at all.

Oberyn was very confident in his poisoning. He used chronic poisoning. On the fourth day, she should be feeling weak, sweating, feverish, and in pain. Eating some dreamwine or poppy milk would provide good relief, but of course that was just a false appearance of alleviating the illness.

It was impossible for a noble woman to not be poisoned after using a wine glass he had tampered with!

But seeing Jeyne without any discomfort, as healthy as a normal person, Oberyn felt cold sweat breaking out in his palms.

Oberyn's eyes could not see any discomfort in Jeyne at all.

Was there a problem with Maester Qyburn? Or was there a problem with Jeyne?

Generally speaking, maesters do not study dark magic and poisons, but they understand poisons. Studying medicine is studying poison. If you don't understand poison, you don't understand medicine. The more skilled a doctor is, the greater his ability to use poison. Just by slightly adjusting the dosage and ratio of the medicine, the life-saving medicine becomes a deadly medicine: poison!

If Qyburn saw his little trick, it was possible that he cleaned the wine glass, or simply replaced it. Could it be that Qyburn was the Mountain's man?

*

"Lord Hand, would you like a cup?" Jeyne said.

"Thank you, madam," the Imp said with a smile.

After killing the political affairs with one sentence, the Imp felt that he could not leave immediately. Since the matter had been resolved, it would be good to have a cup and exchange pleasantries.

Zelli brought the wine glasses and wine, and Brienne stood beside Jeyne with her hand on her sword.

Jeyne poured four glasses of wine, three for the Imp, Oberyn, and Kevan, and one for herself.

Oberyn kept staring at Jeyne's hand.

Since she was drinking with the Hand, there would definitely be no problem with the wine. The problem would be on the wine glass, or on Jeyne's hand.

Oberyn's poison had failed to poison Jeyne, and the vigilance in his heart immediately rose up, like a shield.

Could it be that the noble lady in front of him was a poison expert—a witch?

Oberyn had asked the Imp and confirmed that Jeyne was not a witch.

Although Oberyn had dealt with many witches, he himself was not a witch. Compared to real witches, he still had a certain gap. Compared to ordinary people, he was naturally crushing. But even a witch would be poisoned if they were unprepared and did not know in advance.

Jeyne distributed the four glasses of wine, raised her glass: "The Clegane army will leave King's Landing early tomorrow morning, so I will use this glass of wine to bid farewell to the three adults."

The Imp raised his glass to salute Jeyne: "Madam can stay in the stone house of the Red Keep. Lord Mountain will arrive in King's Landing the day after tomorrow."

"I won't wait for him." Jeyne clinked glasses one by one, "Please!"

The Imp drank it all in one gulp, Kevan only touched his lips to it, Oberyn raised his glass, hesitating whether to drink it or not?

Jeyne looked at Oberyn and said: "Lord Hand, the Dornishmen not only nail horseshoes with nine nails, but also dare not drink wine!"

Oberyn's face twisted slightly. He was an extremely competitive person, but, what if he drank a glass of poisoned wine, was it necessary? Just for a little dignity.

The Imp looked at Oberyn with a strange look. He knew that Oberyn was arrogant and unruly, and bold, but he was actually—losing his composure because of a glass of wine.

The Imp took Oberyn's wine glass and drank it all in one gulp, and said with a smile: "Prince, when did you give up drinking?"

"The Prince has not given up drinking, but is afraid that there is poison in my wine. The Dornish heroes are as dense as sand, but only this one is the best in the world! Hehe, the best Dornish hero in the world does not even dare to drink a cup of wine from a little girl. Since he is so frightened and timid, then, Brienne, send Prince Oberyn away!"

"As you command, madam!" Brienne stood out, looking coldly at Oberyn, with one hand on the hilt of her sword and the other pointing out of the tent, "Prince, please leave!"

Thanks to [Rabbit Must Die] for the reward, thank you, handshake!