The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Arianne Martell, riding the white dragon Vhagar, suddenly turned back, looking behind her.

Her white dragon also abruptly carved an arc in the sky, turning to fly away.

A golden-red cloud flew from the western sky, appearing particularly heavy in the afterglow of the evening.

Below the sky, on the sea, hundreds of ships were heading towards Dragonstone.

From King's Landing's Blackwater Bay harbor to Dragonstone, there were hundreds of miles of sea. Generally, at the speed of a merchant ship, it would take four days and three nights. At the speed of a warship, with a favorable wind, it would take at least two days and one night. This fleet contained a large number of merchant ships, so the speed could not be maximized. The fleet departed last night and traveled for a night and a day, but had not yet entered the Dragonstone sea area.

In the afterglow of the setting sun, the Mountain rode the dragon Sheepstealer.

The dragon did not breathe dragonfire, but Arianne and Vhagar were still sensitive to its presence.

The white dragon Vhagar excitedly turned to greet the arrival of Sheepstealer.

He and Sheepstealer had a close relationship, a male-female partnership.

The two dragons met in the sky, and Vhagar issued a joyful dragon's roar.

Arianne Martell was also concerned about the Mountain's health.

"Mountain, you should stay in the Red Keep to rest," Arianne Martell shouted to the Mountain.

"Arianne, I'm fine, recovering well."

Jaenara said that the Mountain would need to rest for several days to recover his energy after waking up, but the Mountain himself knew his body better. He did feel weak after waking up, but not as serious as Jaenara thought. After flying in the sky for a while, the weakness in the Mountain's body was rapidly fading. At this rate of recovery, his weakness would completely disappear before he even flew to Dragonstone.

A brave, strong, energetic, infinitely powerful Mountain was rapidly recovering.

The two dragons, one large and one small, flew side by side.

"Arianne, how many people did Sheepstealer and Vhagar rescue?"

"Very few."

"How many?"

"Melisandre, Arya, Anguy, Littlefinger, Cromb Wagnar, Landon Ball."

"What about the others? Alyn, Jois, Teemo One-Eye, Podrick Payne, Jon Connington, Littlefinger, Gared Tuttle…"

Alyn, Jois, and Teemo were the three captains of the Mountain's personal guard, brave, skilled in battle, and utterly loyal. Jois was the chief of the Foots of the Claw tribe of the Claw Isle; Teemo was the Red Hand of the Burned Men, and the Mountain was the Red Hand chieftain of the Burned Men. Podrick was a Westerman, the Mountain's favorite honest boy; Jon Connington was the Mountain's most respected old-generation figure, accomplished in both civil and military affairs; Gared Tuttle was the future heir of the Iron Islands' governor, the Mountain's next generation choice for managing the Iron Islands…

"Mountain, at that time we only thought about rescuing you and your sons… Captain Alyn and the others were unwilling to leave, and the two dragons couldn't carry more people…"

Mountain: "…"

"Mountain, are we going to kill all of Daenerys' people?"

"Daenerys is not the main culprit."

"It's Bran Stark."

"Yes."

"Yesterday, when we came back, Lady Melisandre said that Bran Stark was the one who ambushed us."

"Hmph!"

"…He is a greenseer… Lady Melisandre cannot see fragments about him in the flames…"

"Humph!"

"Are you going to kill him?"

"Must be eliminated!"

"Lady Melisandre believes that we may not be able to kill him."

"Are you saying that the prophet's predictive abilities can allow him to anticipate and avoid us?"

"Yes, Mountain, Lady Melisandre is worried that perhaps we cannot kill a prophet. She cannot see Bran's fragments in the flames, but Bran can see us."

"Lady Melisandre overestimates Bran's abilities. A prophet is not a god, he is a man," the Mountain said in a low voice. "We can kill the Night King and defeat the Great Other, why can't we kill a human prophet."

"Lady Melisandre said that the prophet can see the past, present, and future."

"But he cannot decide fate," the Mountain raised his voice slightly, emphasizing his tone. "The Great Other launched a White Walker raid, but also failed to change his fate of defeat. Man can conquer heaven, and sometimes can defeat gods. A prophet sitting in a wheelchair is difficult to deal with, but not impossible to deal with."

"Mountain, have you thought of a way?"

The Mountain looked at Arianne: "Fight!"

*

Below the two dragons, the fleet appeared, the outline becoming larger and clearer—Sheepstealer and Vhagar were decreasing altitude.

On the flagship Lyanna, Rolph Spicer saw Sheepstealer, and he shouted, "The Hand is here!"

Boom!

All the soldiers on the ship looked up at the sky together.

Sheepstealer was golden-red, Vhagar was pure white, two dragons, one large and one small, were slowly decreasing altitude, flying towards them.

Boom!

Cheers rang out on the deck.

The young blacksmith king Gendry Baratheon came out of the cabin. He looked up at the sky. The Mountain, riding a dragon, was majestic and awe-inspiring, like a god descending. The soldiers cheered and shouted in unison, as if the Mountain was their king.

The cheers spread from one ship to another. Soon, the entire sea area was filled with deafening cheers, suppressing the sound of the waves.

Gendry remembered what Littlefinger Petyr Baelish had said to him: Your father, the Mountain, is the chosen one by god, the son of god. Whether he wants to or not, eventually, your father will sit on the Iron Throne. Once a peace agreement with Daenerys is reached, Littlefinger suggested that Gendry give up the Iron Throne to his father, the Mountain: let the fishermen fish, the farmers farm, the generals lead the troops, and let the person who truly knows how to govern sit on the Iron Throne.

The arrival of the Mountain, the cheers and shouts of the soldiers on the entire fleet, made Gendry more deeply appreciate his father's supreme prestige in the army. Littlefinger told him that after internal peace in the kingdom, and after all the external enemies had retreated, the generals under the Mountain would definitely have some ideas, and a bloody risk would arise within the kingdom. Once there was a fluctuation, Gendry's strength and manpower would not be able to stop it at all. The best way was for him to propose a glorious abdication himself, with his father as king and him as the Lord of Storm's End.

The captain of the guard and deputy commander of the city watch and Kingsguard, Bronn, looked at Gendry's expression: "Your Majesty, you don't seem to welcome the arrival of the Mountain very much!"

"No, that's not the case," Gendry's black face turned slightly red.

Bronn chuckled: "Your Majesty, with the Mountain as your father, the Iron Throne is secure. With Sheepstealer around, no one will be a match for the Hand. The Hand eliminates treacherous officials internally, repels enemies externally, and is invincible in battle."

"But Lady Melisandre said that our opponent is a greenseer, and the greenseer knows the past, present, and future."

Bronn laughed: "Your Majesty, whether it's a greenseer or a red priestess, they can't stop a mouthful of golden-red dragonfire."

*

On the bow of the ship, Melisandre and Arya also appeared, they looked up at the sky, their expressions equally surprised.

Lady Jaenara thought that the Mountain would sleep for three days before waking up, but only half that time had passed. Lady Jaenara said that after the Mountain woke up, he would need to rest for several days to recover his physical energy due to being too weak, but looking at the Mountain now, he was no different from his past mighty self, and there was no sign of his weakness.

*

Barristan Selmy and Brienne of Tarth, in white robes, were equally excited on the King's Landing ship… General Zelle, the female general who had been guarding Lady Jaenara with Brienne for a long time, was not on the ship. Zelle and General Lucan, along with Varamyr Sixskins, the wildling the Mountain had newly recruited in Winterfell, were all protecting Lady Jaenara and the noble ladies of the Westerlands in the Red Keep. The Mountain's child was about to come into this world, and the safety of the mother and child was the Mountain's top priority.

*

On the former Joffrey ship, now the Strangers ship, the two leaders of the Crownlands legions, Ser Osmund Kettleblack and Ser Gerold Goodbrook, stood on the bow of the ship with the soldiers, shouting loudly to the Mountain…

*

On the Hurricane ship, Lord Corbray of Heart's Home and Ser Morton Waynwood looked up at the sky, leading the Vale soldiers to raise their swords and cheer for the arrival of the Hand…

The Mountain came riding a dragon, and the morale of the entire fleet soared, as if the water had instantly boiled!

*

The Mountain's face was grim, hovering in the low sky, his power, with the addition of the dragon Sheepstealer, was like a god: "Your Majesty, generals, all the warriors, you should all return. Prince Arianne Martell and I, along with the two dragons, are enough to wipe out the enemy."

Lady Melisandre shouted: "Hand, the real enemy we have to deal with is Bran Stark."

Arya Stark's voice rang out: "Hand, maybe this ambush wasn't Bran's design. There may be some misunderstanding, or it may be that Daenerys violated guest right."

"Arya, Bran Stark is no longer a member of the Stark family. His real identity is Brynden Rivers, a Targaryen. Bloodraven Brynden is a changeling and a greenseer. A greenseer can not only possess any bird or beast, but also possess people at will. Bran Stark's soul and body have been captured by Bloodraven Brynden."

"Please give me time to kill the Three-Eyed Raven Brynden Rivers, instead of killing Bran Stark."

"Arya, if you don't want to be possessed by Brynden Rivers, don't approach him. Sheepstealer's dragonfire is the best weapon to deal with the Three-Eyed Raven Brynden. I will go to kill the Three-Eyed Raven, otherwise, he will inevitably gather more powerful forces to deal with us. Our country, the Iron Throne, nobles and commoners, will all usher in unpredictable disasters."

"Hand…"

"Arya!" the Mountain shouted decisively. He raised his voice, booming like thunder, mighty and unparalleled, interrupting Arya's words, "Don't stop me from doing the right thing!"

Arya: "…"

Gendry came to the bow of the ship, surrounded by Bronn and others. Facing the Mountain and his dragon, Gendry felt pressure and unease. He didn't want this feeling, he was very annoyed by this feeling: "Hand!"

"Your Majesty."

"Let us march quickly under the cover of darkness, and attack the port of Dragonstone at dawn. You are in the sky, we are on the water, catching them off guard."

"The greenseer will not give us the opportunity to sneak attack, Your Majesty. He may already know our plan to counterattack. He can even see our actions a few days in advance. I judge that Bran Stark is no longer in the port of Dragonstone. Daenerys's team is more likely to use the lives of the fleet soldiers I brought to Dragonstone as a threat, and under the pressure of the two dragons, they are holding them hostage and crossing the Narrow Sea."

"Hand, Daenerys's fleet is far inferior to our fleet's strength, she cannot hold our fleet hostage to cross the Narrow Sea."

"With a greenseer and two dragons, the result will be different, Your Majesty," the Mountain said. He didn't intend to continue talking to His Majesty. "Your Majesty, I am the Master of War. Without convening a small council to make a decision, I have the final say on military actions. Now I order General Rolph Spicer, Ser Bronn, Captain Barristan Selmy, General Brienne Tarth, Kingsguard Osmund Kettleblack, Kingsguard Gerold Goodbrook, Lord Corbray, Ser Morton Waynwood, you lead your respective fleets to protect His Majesty and return to King's Landing quickly. The capital of the kingdom is empty. If someone takes advantage of it, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Gendry felt his mouth dry. He was the king, but the Mountain had military power. This was a fact.

"Hand, there are no enemies inside the kingdom."

"Enemies are everywhere, Your Majesty," the Mountain said in a deep voice. "All those who have violated the law and military orders and have been beheaded and hanged by us, their clansmen and loyal vassals, may become our potential enemies. Your Majesty, benevolence cannot be abandoned, but vigilance must not be absent. All soldiers, listen to my orders, return!"

The soldiers looked at each other. They really wanted to follow the Mountain to fight!

Gendry also had a youthful heart and was equally eager to fight.

Fighting with the Mountain and his dragon, killing the enemy and fleeing in panic, abandoning their armor and weapons, how pleasant that would be.

"General Rolph Spicer, turn the ship around, otherwise, I will punish you for violating military orders in the Battle of the Blackwater, and I will cut off your head."

The face of Rolph Spicer, the most determined combatant, suddenly changed!

If the Mountain said he would cut off his head, he would definitely do it, and would never be soft-hearted. He was Lady Jaenara's uncle and also the Mountain's uncle, but if the Mountain said he would kill him, he should not have any illusions.

Rolph raised his hand, and the hornblower next to him immediately blew the horn. The Lyanna took the lead in retreating, followed by Brienne of Tarth on the King's Landing, who ordered the hornblower to blow the retreat horn… The retreat horns also sounded on the two flagships, Hurricane and Strangers…

For a time, the呜呜呜呜 of horns resounded over the sea at sunset…

Gendry Baratheon withdrew his gaze from the retreating warships and looked at the invincible Mountain in the sky. He suddenly realized all the truths Littlefinger had told him. Even if he sat on the Iron Throne, he would definitely feel uncomfortable in his heart for the rest of his life, and this accumulation of discomfort would inevitably breed a bloody danger…

"Your Grace, we only just executed Cersei and Mace, and there are quite a few nobles loyal to them," Bronn said softly. "King's Landing has soldiers and generals, so they naturally wouldn't dare to act rashly, and everything is calm. But once the King, the Hand, the Kingsguard, the City Watch, and even the Royal Guards of the Red Keep leave... things will be hard to say!"

Gendry was chilled by Bronn's words. "We need to go back quickly!" the blacksmith king said.

*

In the sky, the Mountain watched the fleet return, his expression calm and heavy.

"Let's go, Mountain!" Arianne said.

The two dragons flew together towards Dragonstone.

"Mountain, you ordered the army to return. Aren't you afraid His Grace will be displeased?"

"I want him to feel displeased."

"Oh, why?"

"A crippled, kind-hearted, naive Bran Stark could become an all-powerful Green Prophet and almost kill us all. An honest and upright young blacksmith became king, sat on the Iron Throne, and after tasting the taste of supreme power, do you think he will change? Will it be for better or for worse?"

Arianne Martell's big eyes widened as she stared at the Mountain.

"If we want to conquer two continents, we must clear away any possible obstacles."

"You've never mentioned such an idea to me before."

"Arianne, during the battle against the White Walkers in the North, I was already uneasy about Bran Stark, but because I thought he was a Stark, and before he was crippled, he was a kind and innocent little boy, with a good nature. I convinced Melisandre and myself not to secretly kill him. But that moment of soft-heartedness caused Julie Clegane's death and our being trapped this time."

"You want to kill Gendry?" Arianne's voice changed. She looked at the Mountain, feeling that he had suddenly become as cold as ice.

"No, he is my adopted son, and still an honest and upright young man. But I won't let him have power."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'll send someone to say one sentence to him."

"What sentence?"

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