Chapter 16 The Dreadfort
The allied Wildling army, under a dense rain of arrows from the Clegane longbows, began to rout before they even reached the formation of the Clegane longspearmen.
The mountain wind was cold, stinging the skin.
The air was thick with the stench of blood, and the sounds of wailing were incessant across the land.
The slaughter would continue.
A Household Guard of Clegane chased down a fleeing mountain Wildling. The Household Guard gripped his longsword tightly and, with a squelch, plunged it viciously under the mountain Wildling's arm.
The longsword pierced through the Wildling's ribs and into his heart. When the Household Guard pulled the blade out, warm, fresh blood gushed forth.
Knight Ma charged bravely on the front line.
Facing a longspear thrust at him by a mountain Wildling, Knight Ma easily sidestepped it, seized the spear's shaft, and with a swift slash of his longsword, lopped off the Wildling's head.
The Clegane longbowmen, divided into small groups of 20 to 30 men, coordinated their hunt.
The pursuit of the Wildlings was like a one-sided massacre.
...
After the battle, a heavy rain suddenly began to fall.
Glyn's encampment.
In a rare moment of leisure, Glyn chatted with his commanders. The atmosphere inside the tent was congenial.
Ser Pell, drenched to the bone by the heavy rain, strode hastily into Glyn's tent. The usually composed Ser Pell wore a trace of anxiety on his face.
Ser Pell stood before Glyn and bowed. "Good day, my lord!"
Glyn's eyes shifted, his brow furrowing slightly. "Faithful Ser Pell, you've had a long journey. Is there urgent military intelligence?"
Glyn's steady voice calmed Ser Pell's anxious mood. "Yes, my lord! The Dreadfort has made a sudden move. The Dreadfort has allied with friendly Wildling tribes, and they number at least ten thousand. This is their challenge!"
Glyn took the war letter from Ser Pell with great interest and glanced at it, his tone tinged with mockery. "Heh, House Bolton of the Dreadfort, you say? Has House Clegane disturbed the peace of the Crab's Claw Peninsula?"
The Crab's Claw Peninsula, though part of the Crownlands, was truly a lawless place. When a conflict of interest arose between nobles, they fought whenever they pleased, and no one would think to consult the Red Keep.
According to the laws of the realm, nobles of the Crownlands were forbidden from warring against each other without an order from the Red Keep.
...
Glyn rose and walked to a table covered with a large map. The others quickly gathered around, and the atmosphere instantly grew tense.
The men did not have to wait long. Glyn, staring at the map, stretched out his hand and pointed to a spot. "Here. Moonfang Valley. We will crush them here!"
Moonfang Valley was located about twenty miles northeast of Glyn's current encampment. The valley's entrance and exit were about 100 meters wide, while the interior was relatively open, flanked by steep cliffs. The entire valley was shaped like a crescent moon's fang, earning it the name Moonfang Valley from the culturally sophisticated people of the Crab's Claw Peninsula.
Glyn then pointed to a place with gentle terrain some distance from the entrance to Moonfang Valley. "Ser Pell, send a man back to House Bolton. Tell them House Clegane accepts the challenge. We will decide victory and defeat here."
According to the intelligence Ser Pell provided, the battle site Glyn had chosen was relatively fair in terms of distance for both sides. Glyn wasn't worried they would refuse.
There were other locations nearby with terrain similar to Moonfang Valley, but Glyn simply chose a place the Dreadfort would find easy to accept.
If the Dreadfort were to refuse all the locations Glyn proposed, he would simply abandon the field battle, fortify his camp on the spot, and rely on engineering to fight a defensive war.
The enemy had ten thousand men, while House Clegane had less than a thousand. Word of this would not damage the house's reputation.
Besides, House Clegane had already taken the initiative to offer a field battle, and the chosen location fully respected the traditions of the Crab's Claw Peninsula.
...
Just as Glyn had predicted, after confirming the location, the allied forces of the Dreadfort and the Wildlings readily agreed.
The location for the decisive battle was very reasonable and aligned with the traditions of the Crab's Claw Peninsula. No one suspected any treachery.
Although they outwardly mocked Glyn's youthful arrogance and overconfidence, they inwardly admired his courage to fight. This was very much the way of the Crab's Claw Peninsula.
Three days later, at the appointed time, Glyn and Aemparoa led the Household Guards, along with auxiliary troops and Clegane soldiers disguised as surrendered captives, to the designated battlefield.
Amidst the massive formation of Wildlings, the banner bearing the sigil of House Bolton of the Dreadfort was exceptionally conspicuous.
Glyn observed that under the House Bolton banner, there were about 200 soldiers in a neat formation, a stark contrast to the surrounding Wildlings.
The House Bolton soldiers had about 50 sets of iron armor and 20 warhorses, making them wealthier than House Clegane.
On the Clegane side, only Glyn, Aemparoa, and a few of Glyn's guards were mounted on warhorses.
The poor Lord Glyn looked at the House Bolton formation and sighed to himself. The armor and warhorses needed for the journey to King's Landing were almost accounted for. There would be no need for extra expenditure, saving a good number of Gold Dragons.
Truly, plunder is better than toil.
Glyn suddenly understood. The Ironborn must have come to this profound truth under circumstances similar to his own.
Aemparoa had also finished her observation. "Lord Glyn, they have about 50 horses in total. It's a pity Reina isn't skilled in mounted archery. If we had one more person, taking them down would be much easier."
Glyn seemed to be in a good mood, a faint smile on his face. "I will assign two mounted guards to follow you. Remember to maintain a safe distance. Our primary target will be their charging cavalry."
No one knew what Glyn was truly thinking. They would never have guessed that his sudden good mood was due to House Bolton's equipment. At most, they would assume their battle-loving lord was excited about the impending fight.
Aemparoa said solemnly, "Understood, my lord. Please rest assured!"
Glyn reached out and lightly patted Aemparoa's arm. "Good. I have always believed in you. You should have a suit of plate armor soon, too."
For once, the straightforward Aemparoa instantly understood the meaning behind Glyn's words. She joined him in focusing her gaze on the House Bolton formation.
...
...
The Vale, Gulltown.
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