On the plains outside Wolfs Den, four banners fluttered, and behind the Knights were their guards: Wolf Pack guards in black cloaks, and Unsullied guards with spiked helmets.
Gendry led a horse for Daenerys. The Old Knight Ser Barristan, Anguy, and Grey Wolf were around them.
Gendry wore a black studded jerkin, black breeches, and tall boots, with an emblem on his chest and a small silver horse in his hand.
Daenerys had silver-gold hair and purple eyes. Dany wore a deep purple silk gown that accentuated her violet eyes. The last true dragon indeed possessed inhuman beauty, unparalleled. However, by age, she was still a maiden.
The silver horse was brought to Daenerys by Gendry's dothraki vassal, a young mare, spirited and gleaming. This was no ordinary steed. It had a quality that made Daenerys catch her breath, its coat grey like a winter sea, its mane like silver smoke.
"She's so beautiful!" Daenerys murmured. The silver mane perfectly matched her silver hair.
"As long as you like her," Gendry smiled. Many good dothraki horses originally belonged to Drogo; since Drogo's death, Gendry had acquired a large number of fine horses. This was the charm of zero-cost acquisition, the spoils of the victor. Currently, Gendry also had many excellent steeds: Dornish horses from The Red Viper, Ghiscari person's Blood Steeds, and tall dothraki horses, perfect for arming cavalry.
Gendry stepped forward, wrapped his arm around Daenerys's waist, and easily lifted her like a Child, placing her on the narrow dothraki saddle.
Dany gripped the reins with both hands and put her feet into the low stirrups. Her horsemanship had once been mediocre, but now it had improved by leaps and bounds. And the silver-grey mare's gait was steady and light as silk, and Daenerys was soon galloping.
Ser Barristan smiled, "The Princess is very fond of your gift, Your Grace."
Gendry had given Ser Barristan a new suit of armor, gilded on the outside, finely forged, hard as ice, bright as snow, seemingly glowing in the sun. A dagger hung at his hip, and on the other side was his longsword, both attached to a white leather belt with gold buckles. He also had a white robe over his shoulders. On Barristan's helmet, one side bore a leaping stag, the other a soaring dragon.
"This is the wind, the power of freedom," Gendry said, watching the joyful Dany gallop across the plains.
Gendry rode his black steed behind Daenerys. They galloped across the plains for a while, then Daenerys decided to stop and see her little dragons, a bond of blood.
After Daenerys dismounted, she continued to tend to Vhagar and Viserion. Gendry, carrying Balerion on his shoulder like a black and red scarf, walked directly towards Ser Barristan.
"Your Grace, I traveled with the longships to Arbor, and I have done my best to disseminate the will and declaration. But I am sorry, many Lords are still observing," Ser Barristan said apologetically.
"It's alright. For Dorne and The Reach, their strength allows them the opportunity to wait. The Reach is too rich, and Dorne is too perilous," Gendry said indifferently.
The Baratheon dynasty had long since collapsed, and with the death of The late King Robert, it was even more fragmented. This could not be salvaged by a will; he would reshape it with his own strength. Dorne was still choosing to remain inactive, while The Reach was beginning to consider and deliberate, not yet going all-in; this was a change.
"The situation with your two uncles also seems less than optimistic," Barristan said. "They know of The late King's passing and the contents of the will, but they are still acting independently. It is said that Lord Renly is planning to declare himself King, and Lord Stannis has remained silent."
Now that the King was dead, two powder kegs exploded simultaneously: first, House Lannister's recklessness, with the lion and the trout going to war, which was also a provocation to the Direwolf and the Arryn. Second, Renly's independent actions; Renly's outrageous behavior was also significant, as there had never been such rebellious acts before. Renly was only the third son, Renly had older brothers, and his older brothers had children; his place in the line of succession was negligible, but relying on military strength to rebel only showed how truly mad this era was. However, because The Reach became indecisive, Renly's momentum greatly diminished.
"Let Renly cause trouble. As for Lord Stannis, I will find an opportunity to talk to him," Gendry said. "Currently, Stormlands is not the core of the war; the core of the war is in Riverlands."
"Your Grace, the situation in Riverlands is too dire. House Tully has been utterly defeated. Jaime Lannister is besieging Riverrun, and Lord Tywin is marching towards Harrenhal. Unless House Arryn or House Stark sends troops to relieve them," Ser Barristan stated bluntly. The Old Knight was white-haired, with deep crow's feet around his pale blue eyes, yet age had not bent his straight back nor dulled his exquisite martial skill.
"I've heard about it too. How can Edmure, that foolish trout, be so incompetent?" Anguy couldn't help but complain. "The Kingslayer is besieging Riverrun, and Lord Tywin, with twenty thousand troops, has crossed the Red Fork along the Gold Road, sweeping through Riverlands, aiming to take all strongholds except Riverrun, The Twins, and Seaguard. These three cities are relatively northern, and House Harroway of Harrenhal has few men, so they will likely surrender soon."
"It wasn't like this before," Ser Barristan sighed. "In the era when Minisa Harroway married Lord Hoster Tully, House Harroway was one of the most prominent and wealthy noble families in The Three Rivers area, House Tully's largest vassal. During the false spring, the Tourney at Harrenhal was also a grand event, and House Harroway's wealth and glory were enviable. Who would have thought that House Harroway would be like this now, and the Tully-Harroway alliance would also collapse."
"It seems the curse of Harrenhal is at work again," Anguy said. The facts seemed to confirm this, as before the war, only a handful of people remained in the main line of the entire family.
"Is there really a curse on Harrenhal?" Gendry wondered. Perhaps this question could be asked of Qyburn.
"Ser Edmure lacks the political acumen of his father, Lord Hoster, and his martial skill and command ability are mediocre," Ser Barristan bluntly criticized. "However, even Lord Hoster's vision was probably only slightly better than his son's, gaining many benefits through marriage alliances. Catelyn married Lord Eddard, and Lysa married Lord Jon. But in terms of war, Hoster was not such an outstanding commander back then. In the Usurper's War, The late King and Eddard Stark performed the best."
"You mean Edmure should emulate the tactics of the Dance of the Dragons and ambush Lannister forces on the Red Fork bank," Gendry replied.
"Yes. Ser Edmure certainly cares for his people, but his tactical vision is too poor," Ser Barristan said, looking at Gendry. It seemed only a genius could create great deeds; though Gendry was young, he had already seen many battles. "Stationing at the Red Fork might not be much better, but at least it's better than stacking four thousand troops below Gold Tooth and then being swept away by the elevated Lannister army."
"I want to go to Riverlands and give Tywin a taste of his own medicine," Gendry said.
"Now?" Ser Barristan asked, startled. "The difficulty is a bit high." He had originally thought Gendry wanted to deploy troops in Stormlands or Dragonstone, first reclaiming the ancestral lands of House Baratheon or Targaryen, and dealing with the ambitious Lord Renly.
"Indeed," Gendry nodded. "Robb Stark is preparing to march south, but his speed will certainly not be too fast. Stark wants to relieve Riverrun, but I can do it faster than them."
The Old Knight looked at Gendry, "To rescue the people ravaged by war, but entering now is somewhat difficult. We need to send a fleet to transport soldiers and warhorses, then choose a suitable landing place. If Lord Stannis obstructs us, the risk is too great."
"Without the Myr, Tyrosh Two Cities taxi soldiers, perhaps I can choose Westeros's own taxi soldiers," Gendry smiled.
"Claw Peninsula? The Vale?" Barristan thought for a moment. It seemed Gendry wanted to rapidly raise an army in Westeros.
"The risk is greater, but the reward is also huge. The people are like water; they will only follow those who love them," Gendry said. House Tully was incompetent, and most of the Riverlands Lords were fence-sitters. Whoever struck first, whoever could defeat Lannister, would win the hearts of The Three Rivers people.
After Robb Stark won, he was crowned King by both the Northmen and The Three Rivers people, not Edmure, which already indicated that Riverlands was a territory that needed strong protection. Riverlands had indeed suffered many misfortunes, being served in turn by the Storm King and the Ironborn, before finally falling into the hands of House Tully.
"Then how will House Tully be dealt with in the future?" Barristan asked again.
"Since House Tully is so incompetent, they should no longer manage The Three Rivers, and Riverlands was not originally an existing geographical unit," Gendry snorted. He was relieving the people of The Three Rivers, not just for House Tully. Moreover, once the mouth of The Three Rivers was blocked, the Northmen's throat would also be squeezed.
----------------------------------
I've already uploaded over 70 new chapters on Patreon!
If you're enjoying the story and want to read ahead, feel free to check it out.
Your support truly means a lot to me!
patreon.com/Kazenova223
Thank you so much for being here!
And if you're having fun with the story, don't forget to drop a Power Stone for me!