The stream babbled, and the moonlight shimmered.
The rapidly flowing stream shattered the full moon, and the rustling of leaves in the woods, stirred by the wind, and the soft neighing of warhorses echoed in their ears.
After a long journey, the Wolf Cavalry finally found a place to rest temporarily in the Whispering Forest near Riverrun.
Grey Wind was slightly agitated, constantly moving back and forth among the soldiers, causing a commotion and the sound of armor clashing and rubbing.
"Good boy, you need to be quiet for a while," Robb grabbed Grey Wind, making him stay obediently by his side.
At this moment, Blackfish emerged from the forest; he had been incredibly busy today, not daring to rest for a moment to conceal the troop's movements, always in a state of high tension.
"Jaime has no idea of our movements; not a single raven has flown back to his camp, and all Lannister scouts we encountered have been killed by me."
Robb now trusted Blackfish greatly; in the past two days, he had proven himself to Robb with his own strength, he was a rare talent and also his great-uncle.
"Tell me about Jaime's army."
Blackfish hesitated for a moment: "They... probably have three thousand cavalry and about ten thousand infantry. I barely managed to establish contact with Riverrun; currently, the army inside Riverrun is commanded by Lord Blackwood of Raventree Hall, and there are still about three to four thousand men."
Robb chuckled: "Heh, four thousand against thirteen thousand, it seems the advantage is with the enemy."
Blackfish didn't know whether his grand-nephew was arrogant or confident, but his relaxed expression still slightly eased Blackfish's wildly beating heart.
"It's not without good news," Blackfish drew a map on the sand for Robb, "Because of Riverrun's special geographical location, situated in the angle between the Red Fork and the Tumblestone, to besiege Riverrun, the Kingslayer had to divide his army into three encampments, so their forces are very dispersed."
Robb thought for a moment: "Cavalry is far more important than infantry; we must first find a way to swallow the Lannister cavalry whole."
Blackfish immediately offered a plan: "All three thousand Lannister cavalry are led by the Kingslayer. These precious units will not participate in the siege; they usually clear scattered resistance in the Riverlands near the battlefield.
Count Blackwood, who is defending the city, sometimes sends troops to harass the besieging Lannister army, but they are all chased down and annihilated by the Kingslayer's cavalry. The Kingslayer is strong and also very temperamental; we can disguise ourselves as Riverrun's defenders and lure Jaime here."
Robb thought this plan was feasible, but he saw that Blackfish's expression was somewhat hesitant and asked: "What's wrong, is there a problem?"
Blackfish looked around: "But we only have three hundred men, my Lord. The enemy has three thousand cavalry, a ten-to-one ratio."
"So, you think we will be defeated?"
Blackfish carefully chose his words: "I don't know, but this will definitely be a tough fight. The Kingslayer is very powerful; he almost single-handedly shattered the entire Riverlands. You've seen the devastation along the way. Jaime's army has won two consecutive major victories, their morale is high, and our numbers are too small."
Robb patted his shoulder: "Don't worry, no matter how strong the Kingslayer is, he's still just one man."
Blackfish wanted to say, aren't you also just one man?
Robb looked at Theon, who understood Robb's meaning, put his fingers to his mouth, and let out a whistle.
Whoosh—
Upon hearing this whistle, all Wolf Cavalry in the Whispering Forest instantly sprang into action. Their movements were like actors who had rehearsed countless times, a beautiful blend of chaos and order. Within ten seconds, all Wolf Cavalry had found their horses.
Their armor was put on neatly at some unknown moment, and they held long spears or halberds, their sharp points aligned perfectly, quickly forming a neat square formation. They were silent, their eyes fixed on their commander.
The atmosphere in the forest suddenly turned grim, and the temperature seemed to drop.
The somewhat bewildered Blackfish and Ser Steffon Frey were at a loss; they were shocked by what was happening before their eyes. What kind of army was this?
They had never seen such an army. In such a short time, if they were to face such an opponent, they might not even have their armor on properly before this so-called Wolf Cavalry could strike them down at any moment!
The two seemed to understand why Robb was so confident.
Robb came before the Wolf Cavalry formation: "We are about to enter battle. The enemy has approximately three thousand men, all cavalry."
The Wolf Cavalry formation did not waver in the slightest; their eyes remained sharp.
Robb took a deep breath: "This is your first battle, Whispering Forest. You must remember this place, and the world will remember this place, because here, the first undefeated army in history, the Wolf Cavalry, will begin their first battle."
"No matter who the enemy is, let them understand: Winter is Coming."
The Wolf Cavalry formation remained motionless, no one spoke a word, and there was nothing in the forest but the sound of the stream flowing.
But Blackfish and Ser Steffon Frey, standing by, seemed to hear thunder and fire roaring, and gales and ice howling, a surge of power and momentum flowing through this army.
At this moment, both believed without reservation that this battle would surely be won!
Although the enemy's numbers were ten times their own, although the enemy had won battle after battle, although they themselves were exhausted from the long journey, still...
This battle would surely be won!
"Blackfish, send a raven to Count Blackwood in Riverrun, instructing them to immediately dispatch troops to harass the Lannister army besieging them."
Little Jon Umber, Torren Karstark, Ed Karstark, Clay Seven, Theon Greyjoy, and Daisy Mormont—Lady Maege's eldest daughter and heir to Bear Island...
Robb also carefully selected a dozen or so noble-born soldiers from the Wolf Cavalry, preparing to use them as bait to lure the enemy deeper.
Noble scions generally had much better physical conditioning, making their survival rate as bait higher. Robb also wanted to use this opportunity to give them a stage to perform, preparing for their subsequent promotion and to win over the families behind them.
Robb watched them leave: "I'll be waiting for you here. Don't disappoint me."
Theon and Little Jon, carrying a long spear with a Tully Family banner, disappeared into the night with a dozen or so men.
Robb and the remaining Wolf Cavalry were ambushed on the reverse slope of the hill, waiting for the enemy to enter the hollow on the front side of the hill, where the Wolf Cavalry would launch their most deadly charge.
After a deathly silence, a faint sound came from afar.
"They're coming." Blackfish heard his own voice tremble slightly.