hotmtlnovel Chapter 409: The Bear and the Maiden Fair
Chapter 409: The Bear and the Maiden Fair
Chapter 409: The Bear and the Maiden Fair
Stormlands.
Southern Rainwood, Mistwood.
"Roar..."
The light silver dragon roared triumphantly, swooping low and unleashing a torrent of dragonfire. Outside the lapis lazuli-piled city walls, countless Dornish soldiers scattered in all directions, their screams and wails filling the air.
"Retreat! Hide in the Rainwood!"
"Scorpion crossbows... aim at the dragon..."
The battlefield was shrouded in smoke, littered with broken wheels and charred corpses. Scorpion crossbows, crucial siege equipment, became the dragon’s first target, quickly followed by stone throwers and siege vehicles.
Woooooooo—
The stirring horn blew, signaling the light of victory. From the southwest direction of the Rainwood, a group of storm knights, numbering in the thousands, charged like a steel torrent.
With their lines collapsing, the Dornish soldiers were reduced to lambs for the slaughter. In a single round of charging, they were decimated.
"Open the city gates! Counterattack!"
On the women’s wall of Mistwood, a large banner bearing a white owl was raised, signaling a counterattack amid loud shouts.
The gates slowly opened, and dozens of knights charged forward, followed by hundreds of infantrymen. Leading them was a tall, burly man with black hair and brown skin, cutting down the Dornish soldiers.Alll latest novels at novelhall.com
"Sea Smoke, don't let them escape!" Laenor shouted from the dragon’s back, his eyes glowing with intensity.
"Roar..."
Sea Smoke hissed melodiously, deftly swooping and raining dragonfire upon the fleeing soldiers.
"Hahaha, good job..." Laenor laughed heartily, nearly choking as the wind rushed into his open mouth. Coughing violently, he steadied his shaking helmet.
Sea Smoke squinted, deliberately slowing to intercept the Dornish soldiers fleeing towards the forest.
With thousands of elite cavalry and an adult dragon, there was no doubt about the outcome of the battle.
The Dornish fled desperately, continuing until midday when they scattered from the Rainwood to hide. Even so, nearly two thousand dead littered the battlefield.
After the battle, soldiers cleaned up the area while reinforcements entered Mistwood.
The leading house of Mistwood, the House Mertyns, was led by Lord Mertyns, the burly man who had valiantly led the counterattack. He warmly welcomed the reinforcements.
"Ser Laenor, thank you for your aid with Sea Smoke!" Lord Mertyns took Laenor’s hand warmly.
During the First Dornish War, the House Mertyns had been poisoned by the Dornish, losing all their family members. The hatred persisted through the years.
Laenor's dragonfire had decimated many Dornish soldiers, earning Lord Mertyns’ deep admiration.
"Lord, allow me to send a message to the main force before accepting your hospitality," Laenor said, all smiles but ever mindful of the battlefield.
With the teachings of the Sea Snake, Corlys, Laenor's abilities were not to be underestimated.
Lord Mertyns quickly ordered someone to fetch a pen and paper, while servants prepared cattle, sheep, and wine to reward the army.
Laenor, with a serious expression, wrote two letters and delivered them to Lord Royce in Crow’s Nest and Aemond in the Rain House.
With Mistwood successfully rescued, an encirclement was formed against the Dornish forces besieging Stonehelm. With a single order, the war could be won.
...
Time flashed by, and soon it was noon.
The raven was the first to reach Rain House, which was much closer, and the letter was handed over to Aemond.
"Roar..."
The ugly, rotten mud dragon hissed shrilly, flapping its wide brown wings and hovering over the camp. On idle days, patrolling the camp was the responsibility of Sheepstealer, strictly supervising every goat in the area.
In the clearing, Aemond stood, filled with annoyance, holding two letters. One was from King's Landing, detailing Aegon and Helaena's "Matchmaking."
Aemond frowned in displeasure. "Mother is so mean. Why does she want to marry off my sister?"
Davos, still uncertain, pressed on, "Prince, what’s happening in Mistwood?"
"Don't worry about it; we’ll know soon enough," Qoren replied with a cold smile. "I’ve sent people to Pentos specifically to deal with that Velaryon."
"Father!"
Aliandra ran over and jumped into her father's arms.
"What is it, my little princess?" Qoren’s smile immediately turned from cold to warm, affectionately tipping his daughter's cheek with his chin.
"Father, I want a dragon," Aliandra pleaded playfully.
"Ahem..." Qoren nearly choked, coughing repeatedly. A dragon? His daughter dared to ask for one when he still longed for one himself.
Regaining his composure, he said, "The dragons are in the hands of the Targaryens. Martell only has lances and wisdom."
"Then catch me a Targaryen," Aliandra said, her eyes bright with excitement.
Qoren felt a mix of helplessness and amusement. Setting his daughter down, he indulged her briefly before sending her off with a pat on the back.
Turning back to the unblinking Davos, Qoren’s demeanor grew serious. "Inform Lord Uller that the Vulture Mountains are ready for a general attack."
Winning the war would require more than just one battlefield, especially not just Cape Wrath. The Prince’s Pass and the Boneway were crucial. The Reach had been rich since ancient times, and Qoren had coveted it for a long time.
"Yes, Prince," Davos replied, retreating to find the maester and release the raven.
...
Stormlands.
That night.
In gratitude for the reinforcements that rescued him, Lord Mertyns hosted a celebratory feast at Mistwood Castle. Except for the standing army units guarding the gates, the castle was alive with chaos and merriment.
"Roar..."
Sea Smoke crept into the back garden, enjoying a goat brought by the attendants. Accompanying the dragon was Cole, searching for his lover.
Laenor had left the party alone midway through, and was now nowhere to be found.
Cole circled the light silver Sea Smoke but saw no sign of Laenor.
"That guy, where did he go again?" Cole sighed deeply, annoyed at his lover's evasiveness.
Since the battlefield had shifted from the disputed lands to the Stormlands, Cole found it increasingly difficult to catch Laenor. Those unaware might think he had been abandoned.
Casually tugging on a squire, he inquired, "Have you seen Ser Laenor?"
The squire trembled and pointed in a direction.
Without a word, Cole looked where the squire indicated. There, an artificial lake was surrounded by a lawn and several wigwams.
From a distance, a familiar singing voice reached his ears.
"A bear there was, a bear, a bear! All black and brown, and covered with hair. The bear! The bear!"
It was a song widely popular among both nobles and commoners, "The Bear and the Maiden Fair."
Cole blushed, recognizing Laenor's voice.
He had taken only two steps before stopping again, hearing another familiar voice.
Besides Laenor, another man was singing with him. Cole's eyes flickered as he cautiously approached, parting the flowers to peer behind the wigwam.
To his dismay, Laenor, flushed and shirtless, held a bottle of wine. A handsome blond man, also bare-chested, wrapped his arms tightly around Laenor's waist. The two men were intimate, acting as if they had been friends for years.
Cole's face darkened instantly, as black as the bottom of a pot. He recognized the blond man.
Laenor, drunk and joyous, called out, "Joffrey, to celebrate your return to my side."
The blond man's pale hands began to move uncontrollably over Laenor. Soothed by the touch, Laenor continued singing, "Oh come they said, oh come to the fair! The fair? Said he, but I'm a bear! All black and brown, and covered with hair!"