The Mountain of Ice and Fire

For the first time, the people on the deck saw a three-eyed raven.

It was astonishing that this raven did not collapse in the birdcage in the face of the dragon's aura.

Just as the Mountain was about to control the dragon to descend and retrieve the birdcage, a soft murmur was heard, and Drogon, carrying Daenerys, arrived.

"Your Majesty, could you let me see the three-eyed raven first?" Daenerys asked.

Faced with Daenerys' request, the Mountain nodded expressionlessly.

In front of his people, the Mountain had to maintain the majesty of the new Sea King.

The black dragon flew down to the ship's side, flapping its wings gently to land, careful not to let its weight unbalance the large ship.

Daenerys leaped off the dragon's back, reached out, and took the birdcage: "Do you have anything to say to me?"

Everyone on the deck was astonished, barely daring to breathe.

The Dragon Mother Daenerys had a great reputation on the continent of Essos, her beauty and her dragons were widely known, and the people had all heard stories about her and the dragons. The people on the Daughter of Lys were seeing Daenerys for the first time, but from her accent, the black dragon, her beauty, and her demeanor, they all knew that the stunning woman before them was undoubtedly the legendary Dragon Mother.

The Dragon Mother was standing on the deck, talking to a raven?!

Can ravens talk?

It seemed that besides liking to eat corn and cawing, it didn't speak.

Sure enough, although the raven was surprisingly brave, and was not frightened under the black dragon's ferocious head, it did not answer the Dragon Mother, but only walked around in the birdcage, turning its three eyes to look outside.

How could a raven speak?

The crowd was astonished, puzzled, silent, and fearful.

"I have changed my mind about seizing the Iron Throne. I have been to the Westerlands and seen the villages under the rule of Ser Gregor Clegane. His people all have clean and tidy houses, and every family has livestock pens, wells, and latrines. In Castamere, there are also remarkable aerial aqueducts. In his territory, every commoner's child can go to school to learn mathematics and writing. And you and I both know that only nobles can afford to pay for maesters to learn mathematics and literacy. Commoner children cannot read or write from a young age, they have to pay apprenticeship fees, and then become apprentices in blacksmith shops, construction sites, fishing boats, or cake shops at a young age."

The three-eyed raven tilted its head, its three eyes turning nimbly.

"The brutal and terrifying Gregor Clegane I had in mind does not exist. The people and nobles in his territory support and love him very much. I am very happy to see the people living and working in peace and contentment, without any worries about food and clothing. Tailors, fishermen, farmers, hunters, silversmiths, they enjoy their work and life, freely and with dignity. Brynden Rivers, I have surrendered to Ser Gregor."

"Daenerys, are you trying to persuade me to surrender to the Mountain too?" the three-eyed raven spoke. It was human language, but the voice was the clear sound of a bird.

*

Everyone on the deck was shocked!

A raven spoke human language?!

They had never seen such a miracle!

The Mountain in the low sky was moved, he had heard the three-eyed raven speak, it was not this clear bird sound, but the voice of an old man with a sense of vicissitudes.

The three-eyed raven was still the same three-eyed raven, but the green prophet Brynden Rivers was not necessarily in the raven's body. The body of a talking raven does not necessarily house a human soul. Lord Commander Mormont of the Night's Watch had a talking raven. In Oldtown, a group of white ravens that could speak human language were specially raised. These talking birds did not have a human soul living in their bodies.

The three-eyed raven is the incarnation of Brynden Rivers, it has been one with Brynden Rivers for a long time, it is not surprising that this raven is proficient in human nature and can talk to people, it is the norm of its past life.

The Mountain stared at the three-eyed raven. Perhaps, his speculation that Bran and Bloodraven had become allies was correct. If this is the case, this is a hidden danger hanging over the Mountain's head.

The Mountain was faintly worried.

If his guess was correct, finding Bloodraven again would not be possible without the help of Bran Stark.

This three-eyed raven seems to be just a talking bird. Of course, it is still a rare miracle that it can conduct conversations that fit the meaning of Daenerys' words.

*

"I will not persuade you to surrender to Ser Gregor, I just want you to understand why I chose to surrender to Ser Gregor, instead of continuing to fight him to the end. He will bring abundance, peace, and progress to this world. He is the light messenger of the Red God. He is the king of this world, this is the will of the gods."

The three-eyed raven's head tilted back and forth, extremely flexible.

"Daenerys, burn me to death," the three-eyed raven said, "Burn me to death, burn me to death."

"I cannot decide how to deal with you."

"Either let me go, let me return to the Land of Always Winter, and no longer participate in any disputes in this world; or, burn me to death, I am a Targaryen, I hope to die in dragonfire."

Daenerys stopped talking, she silently looked at the three-eyed raven, and the three-eyed raven also looked at her. After a while, Daenerys opened the door of the birdcage, and then put the birdcage on the deck: "Drogon, lie low."

Drogon, circling in the low sky, flew down to the deck, Daenerys rode on the dragon's back, and with a roar, the black dragon soared into the air and flew to the Mountain's side.

"He hopes to return to the Thenn Mountains in the Land of Always Winter, and from then on not participate in any disputes in the world," Daenerys said to the Mountain.

The Mountain remained noncommittal.

Daenerys could not see the Mountain's intentions from the Mountain's expression.

Whoosh!

The three-eyed raven flew out of the birdcage, like a small black arrow, flying into the air.

Daenerys handed the fate of the three-eyed raven to the Mountain.

If the Mountain wanted to kill it, he would naturally order Sheepstealer to spew out dragonfire. No bird can escape in front of a dragon.

"Dragonfire!" the Mountain shouted.

A bright red light pierced Sheepstealer's neck, the dragon's mouth opened, full of ferocious teeth, and a golden-red fireball, like a small sun, spewed out, hitting the three-eyed raven. The small raven was instantly engulfed by dragonfire, without making a dying cry.

A black three-eyed raven disappeared in a ball of dragonfire, without a trace, burned to ashes.

On the deck, everyone was still kneeling on one knee, looking up at this scene, gaping, dumbfounded.

A talking raven was actually the new Sea King's enemy!

Daenerys' breathing became heavy in an instant.

Bloodraven was, after all, of the Targaryen family's bloodline, and she didn't seem to have tried her best to fight for a way out for him.

The Mountain looked at Daenerys: "You seem a little uncomfortable."

"He was my kin," Daenerys' tone was heavy.

"It is not Bloodraven, it is just a raven that is intelligent, wise, and can speak human language."

"Oh? How did you see that?!"

"The voice!"

"The voice?"

"I have heard the three-eyed raven's voice, in the battle of Winterfell against the Night King, the three-eyed raven stayed with us for a not short time."

"He has two kinds of voices, Your Majesty."

"Oh?"

"One is human speech made with a bird's voice, and the other is human speech made by a vicissitudes old man."

"But I have only heard Bloodraven's vicissitudes voice. In Winterfell, whenever the three-eyed raven spoke, there was never the crispness of a bird."

"I heard him speak in both voices on Dragonstone."

"Well, the secret of Bloodraven lies with Bran Stark."

Daenerys nodded silently.

"You don't have to kneel anymore, all of you get up," the Mountain shouted.

On the deck of the Daughter of Lys, the captain, mercenaries, sailors, crew, and merchants stood up one after another, looking at the Mountain. The dragon was right above their heads.

"I hope your goods can fetch a good price in White Harbor," the Mountain said.

Everyone thanked and paid their respects!

The Mountain patted the dragon's head: "Fly, Sheepstealer."

Sheepstealer flew forward.

Daenerys drove the dragon closely behind.

The people on the Daughter of Lys saw the dragon and the black dragon getting smaller and smaller in the sky, they were motionless, as if they had an incredible dream.

*

The Mountain went south, not east back to Braavos.

He saw a fleet of warships coming from the sea, with the Clegane family's military flag, the city flag of Pentos, and the royal flag of Westeros.

The fleet that came had one hundred ships, all from Pentos, and the leading general was Ser Steven Clegane, whom the Mountain had subdued in the sea battle. Steven was a pirate from the Stepstones, the Mountain subdued him, and granted him the Clegane surname and knighthood.

When the Mountain and Daenerys drove the dragons to Braavos to save Arya Stark, they sent ravens to Pentos, giving orders to Prince Isidore to guard Pentos, and to have Ser Steven Clegane lead a hundred warships to Braavos as reinforcements.

After the dragon conquered Braavos, the Mountain needed a legion of trusted forces by his side.

Steven Clegane was the general the Mountain could trust.

When the Mountain's dragon appeared, Steven Clegane's fleet erupted in deafening cheers.

This was the atmosphere the Mountain liked, this was the legion the Mountain had won over.

This was completely different from the reaction of the Braavosi naval soldiers.

The people of Braavos had only surrendered recently, and the naval soldiers had not had close contact with the Mountain before being sent out to conquer Lorath, they had almost no sense of closeness in their hearts. It would take time for the Mountain to have the Braavosi naval soldiers support him like the Clegane legion.

Steven Clegane was wearing fine armor and a helmet, completely different from when he had just surrendered to the Mountain.

Naval soldiers were afraid of wearing armor, but Steven wore armor. His weapon was a long-handled heavy axe. Any general who dared to wear armor on the sea was absolutely not to be trifled with. Steven Clegane was a desperado with crazy attributes.

Seeing Steven Clegane, the Mountain smiled. The protection of the Iron Bank required entrusting trusted soldiers to the key keepers, and Steven's confidants were the ones.

The Mountain drove the dragon to hover above the hundred warships, the hundred warships stopped together, Steven Clegane took the lead in kneeling on one knee on the deck, and the thousand soldiers on the hundred warships knelt on one knee together, calling 'Your Majesty'.

"My warriors, rise."

The generals stood up together, making a neat sound.

"Tell you a good news worth celebrating, Queen Daenerys Targaryen and I have taken Braavos. The Iron Bank belongs to us, the Sealord's Palace belongs to us, the Braavosi naval fleet has sworn allegiance to me, and the House of Black and White on the Isle of Gods has become our best ally," the Mountain's voice was like a bell, resounding through the sea.

On the hundred warships, the soldiers were all overjoyed. Braavos was the most powerful military force among the nine Free Cities, but it had been easily conquered by their king. The soldiers drew their swords and took out their shields. A thousand swords struck hundreds of shields, making a -- Boom! Boom! Boom! -- a neat rhythmic sound!

"Long live Ser Gregor Clegane!"

"Long live Westeros!"

"Long live King's Landing!"

The cheers came in waves, like the waves of the sea!

The Mountain also joined in the cheers, his voice like thunder: "Long live the Clegane army! Long live the warriors!" The Mountain drew his greatsword and pointed it to the sky.

*

The Iron Bank's castle, the Iron Bank's barracks, and the council hall were all burned into black liquid by the Mountain's dragons, and the military fortress garrisoning the Iron Bank's vault became the only intact military defense on the island.

Iron Bank military fortress. In a small side room in the council hall.

Arya Stark and Bran Stark face to face.

There were only two siblings in the room.

"Are you Bran, or Bloodraven?" Arya stared at Bran, her face serious, cold, like her sword.

"I am no longer Bran, but I am not Bloodraven either. In this world, there is no Bloodraven anymore, only Bran." Bran's indifferent expression returned to his face, and the emotions as a person disappeared. Replaced by a blank expression.

Arya stared at Bran, and was silent for a while: "I only hope to find the Bran of the Stark family."

"I am."

"But you said you are no longer Bran."

"You are no longer the Arya Stark of the past either. The world is changing, and we are all changing."

"But I am still Arya of the Stark family, this will never change."

"I am too."

"Do you swear?"

"There is no weirwood tree here, I have to swear in the godswood of Winterfell, facing three weirwood trees, I am not the Bran of the past, but I am the Stark forever."

"Then, are you a prophet?"

"I am!"

"Can you foresee everything?"

"There are always some people and things that even a prophet cannot foresee."

"Are you talking about the Mountain?"

Bran did not answer, his eyes stared at somewhere on the ceiling with the same indifference as before. After a while, he sighed: "Arya, I am very happy that everything is finally over, and I can finally go back to Winterfell."

"You want to go back to Winterfell?"

"That is our home."

"Yes, that is our home. Bran, I want you to see if our Winterfell will have any more disasters in the future?"

The Mountain's ambition is to conquer the entire world, but he won't conquer the North by force. However, our honorable and selfless father will proactively submit to the Mountain at Sansa's wedding, and the North will return to the rule of the Iron Throne, just like in Robert's time.