iron throne of ice and fire

Chapter 529 King and King 5
The war horn in front of him was particularly large, almost as long as a normal man's height, and its opening was so wide that it seemed like one could fit his hand below the elbow in.

Duke Ed thought that if the horn came from a bison, it must be the largest bull that ever lived.

It was inlaid with gold and engraved with ancient runes.

The old man couldn't hide his emotion in his voice: "It's really big, who can blow it?"

The King-Beyond-the-Wall had a strange smile on his face. "To the Giants-Beyond-the-Wall, the Horn of Winter is nothing more than a cute little toy."

[A humanoid race that now lives only north of the Wall of Westeros, generally between ten and twelve feet tall (between 3 and 3.7 meters)]

As soon as the words fell, Duke Eddard and Old Bear frowned almost at the same time. According to the information obtained by the rangers, the leader of the giants, Mag Maz Tundo dor Wegur, has formed an alliance with the wildlings led by Mance Rayder.

After a pause, Duke Eddard spoke for the first time after entering the tent: "Mance Rayder, since you have mastered it, why do you still have to go to the trouble of building engineering weapons and scattering soldiers under the castles of the Wall?"

"Edard Stark, are you suspecting that I'm lying?"

Mance ran a hand along the curve of the warhorn. "The free folk remember what you who kneel forget. Sometimes the quickest way is not the safest. As the Horned King once said—witchcraft is a hiltless sword that cannot be wielded."

Facing Duke Eddard's sharp gaze, the King-Beyond-the-Wall continued, "You have too few men, and I have too many. We can use a feint to confuse your defense deployment, and then really attack your weakest fortress. At the same time, I can also send 10,000 people on rafts across the Bay of Seals to attack Eastwatch from behind. Don't think you can stop us. I know the Great Wall very well."

Duke Eddard's voice was cold: "Breaking an oath is not something you should show off."

"Yes, I was a member of the Night's Watch..."

Mance's expression remained calm: "The gods created the world for humans to share, but the king with the crown and the sword claimed that those rivers and forests belonged to him. Others could not fish in his rivers or hunt in his forests."

His voice was full of sarcasm. "It's all his land. The food, houses, women... everything on it has become the king's property. If others don't take their hands away, he will chop it off with his steel sword. Unless you kneel down to him, only those who kneel down may be allowed to smell what originally belonged to them."

The corners of his mouth curled up. “You call us wildlings from beyond the wall, but we don’t need to kneel before the so-called king. You who kneel only kneel.”

"Ah--"

After the laughter, Jeor Mormont was like a bear on the verge of rage: "Is this why you betrayed your sacred oath? For the so-called not to kneel? I remember that the Night's Watch did not need to kneel to the king of the Seven Kingdoms?"

The old bear's anger did not affect the King-Beyond-the-Wall. He touched the Horn of Winter and said slowly: "I heard that you have knelt before a king from the south, Jeor Mormont."

He was referring to Stannis. The old bear, who was only good at swinging a sword, choked and the veins on his fists bulged.

At this time, Duke Eddard's hoarse and low voice came over: "Why did you bring your people south? There are already fishermen and hunters in the rivers and forests there. If your original intention is not to require them to 'kneel' to you, then how will you settle those who followed you south? They also need new land and houses."

Xiong Laoyu, who was still furious, said, "Of course the King of the Outer Wall must learn from the kings he dislikes, brandishing swords and claiming that everything they have is theirs. Although they don't have to kneel, they will be allowed to smell the things that were taken away."

Ignoring the old bear, the King-Beyond-the-Wall, Mance, carefully observed Lord Eddard's face, paused, and said in a calm tone: "We free folk have shed enough blood, so I want to talk to you, Eddard Stark, Jeor Mormont."

Duke Ed frowned: "Bleeding?"

"I think the crows have noticed it too..."

Mance looked toward the north with a solemn expression, and continued, "As the days grow shorter and the nights grow colder, they grow stronger. They kill people first, then drive the dead. We free folk are forced to move south."

His voice was filled with anger and deep bitterness: "Raymond the Redbeard, Bael the Bard, Jandel, Gorni, the Horned King... these former Kings-Beyond-the-Wall went south to conquer. To sweep the Seven Kingdoms, I have to hide behind the Wall with my tail between my legs."

Duke Ed and Old Bear looked at each other and said almost at the same time: "They?"

Mance nodded with a heavy face: "Yes, White Walker."

The door of the tent was suddenly opened, and a woman's voice came over: "If the Great Wall collapses, what can stop the White Walkers?"

The person who came was a pregnant woman with long blonde hair and wearing a gray-black fur coat. Mance smiled gently at her and introduced her: "Dana, my favorite, the wisest queen of the free people."

When Queen Dana approached, he reached out and touched her bulging belly, and smiled at her: "She is about to give birth."

Then the King-Beyond-the-Wall turned his gaze to Lord Eddard, his smile faded, and he said, "My terms remain the same. Open the gates of the Wall and let us pass. If you are willing to do so, I will give you the Horn of Winter."

Hearing this, Duke Eddard's serious face did not change: "After letting you listen to this, what do you think? Mance Rayder, if I give you a piece of land, can you restrain your free people to maintain the peace of the kingdom and abide by the laws of the kingdom?"

"Law? Whose law?"

After asking back, Mance laughed and said, "If we free people need laws, we will make them ourselves. As for your laws and taxes, that is your business. Eddard Stark, what I want to hand over is the Horn of Winter, not our freedom. We will not kneel to those who kneel."

Old Xiong said in a deep voice: "It seems that I can confirm that you, as a king, cannot control your own people."

Mance looked over. He rubbed the belly of the woman beside him again and responded, "I have no castle. My queen wears skins and amber, not the silk and gems of those you kneel down. I have no crown, nor the damned throne... No King Beyond the Wall relies on blood. Free folk do not follow surnames, nor do they care which brother is born first. They only believe in the strong."

The atmosphere was as heavy as a lead block. Duke Ed's face was stern. He raised his hand to stop Old Bear, whose anger was flaring up again.

His cold grey eyes fixed on the King-Beyond-the-Wall, and his voice was cold and unquestionable: "We will never let a hundred thousand bandits pass through the Wall."

The King Beyond the Wall stared straight at Eddard with a deep gaze: "Since you are so determined, then our negotiations can end here. At dawn three days later, the giant will blow the trumpet..."

Lord Eddard interrupted the King-Beyond-the-Wall's declaration of war: "If the White Walkers are really driving the wights south, I can let your old and weak pass through the Wall and promise to protect them until the war between the living and the dead is over. This is not a conspiracy, but a joint fight against the power of darkness."

The King Beyond the Wall was stunned at first, as if he was a little surprised and confused by Duke Eddard's sudden proposal. Then... a loud, sarcastic laugh broke out from his chest, and he laughed so hard that several tears came out of the corners of his eyes.

He finally stopped laughing. "What a ridiculous mercy! Are you going to make all the strong free folk become shields against the White Walkers and become victims of your kneeling people?"

Lord Eddard's brows twisted into a knot. "White Walkers are the mortal enemy of all living people. Northerners will not hide behind the Wall, including myself." Old Bear then said, "The Night's Watch has been waiting for them here for thousands of years. Mance Rayder, this is a real battle for survival. If we lose, this world will no longer exist. Everything will be swallowed by darkness, regardless of you or me, north or south."

The King Beyond the Wall stood there quietly with a tense expression. His queen seemed to sense his inner struggle and conflict. She gently reached out her hand and placed it on his arm, trying to give him a little strength of her own.

After a pause, he slowly glanced at Ed and Old Xiong: "I can't convince myself to trust you yet."

Duke Eddard took a step forward and extended his arm to the King-Beyond-the-Wall. His hand seemed particularly firm and powerful. "Yes, trust needs to be established."

The Queen of the King-Beyond-the-Wall looked at him with a gentle expression and nodded her chin lightly.

"Perhaps I should consider your suggestion, Stark." The King Beyond the Wall slowly raised his right arm, as if he wanted to hold the hand extended by Duke Eddard...

Beep—beep, beep—beep, beep—beep beep beep.

At this moment, a hurried military bugle call suddenly came from across the leather tent. Everyone in the tent turned towards the direction of the sound, their faces full of confusion and vigilance.

Mance quickly retracted his outstretched hand and strode towards the tent door; Duke Ed frowned, listening to the very familiar military bugle call, a bad premonition surged in his heart, and he also took a step forward.

Outside, the shrill blasts of trumpets grew louder and louder. Strong men and women of the free folk ran past with spears in hand, their footsteps were disorderly, and the horses were neighing anxiously. The entire wildling camp had already fallen into chaos, with shouts, running, and the sound of weapons clashing everywhere, and it was a mess.

The King-Beyond-the-Wall cried out, "What happened?"

Tormund, standing on a high ground, shouted back, "Enemy's coming! From the east, west, south, and north!"

A scout came galloping from a distance: "Mance! There are a lot of enemies! They surround us! Iron men! Iron men! Iron cavalry!"

"The sinister kneeling man!"

The King-Beyond-the-Wall looked viciously at Duke Eddard and Old Bear, who were already being protected by the Grey Robes and the Night's Watch, and shouted angrily, "A sneak attack during the negotiation? Is this your plan? You despicable, shameless kneelers!"

Beep—beep beep beep.

Lord Eddard looked into the distance and said, "This is not our plan. We are only here to negotiate with you, Mance Rayder."

The King-Beyond-the-Wall snorted coldly, obviously not believing this explanation. He suddenly drew out his sword, pointed the sharp tip of the sword straight at Duke Ed, and roared: "Keep a close eye on them. If they try to escape, slit their throats!"

"Tormund, protect Dalla."

After saying this, Mance swung his leg onto the horse, put on his crowwing helmet, and shouted: "Follow me! To meet the enemy!"

The King-Beyond-the-Wall gave a spur, and his horse neighed as it galloped out, with the surrounding free folk cavalry following in a disorderly manner.

Beep—beep—beep.

Shrill horns sounded from all directions, and the free people ran around in confusion. Some drove their sheep, but the sheep also fled in the chaos; others were shrouded in fear and fled far away.

The war drums sounded, and the free folks frantically tried to form a defensive formation, but... their actions were too late, and their organization was extremely chaotic.

Armored cavalry appeared in the forest. From the east, northeast and north, three neat teams of cavalrymen wearing gleaming black steel armor and bright wool coats appeared.

The free people rushed forward quickly, shouting, waving wooden sticks, bronze swords and stone axes, and rushed towards the enemy desperately.

With a shout and a blow of the sword, the free people died heroically. In the face of the powerful impact of the armored cavalry, their resistance seemed so insignificant.

More and more "raiders" emerged from the forest, crossing tree roots, rocks and bushes. They were not only heavy cavalry, but also free riders wearing chain mail vests and round helmets, mounted archers and ordinary spearmen.

The fragile line of defense was crushed, the free people were in complete panic, hundreds of women and children fled in a hurry, their cries and shouts intertwined and mixed together.

They fled in a line from the defensive formation of Ed and others. Most of them were frightened old people, women and children, but there were also quite a few strong men among them.

Beep—beep—beep beep beep.

Groups of free folk were still resisting stubbornly. They tried to block with their flesh and blood, but they were trampled straight over by the armored cavalry, and the cold land was stained red with blood.

The King-Beyond-the-Wall stood high in his stirrups, sword raised, and the free folk gathered around him, conspicuous by his red and black cloaks and raven-wing helmets.

When the free people saw his figure, they seemed to have seen their last hope and gathered around him.

however.

The music of death sounded, and the cavalry, arranged in a wedge-shaped formation, rushed forward with spears, swords and long-handled axes. The King-Beyond-the-Wall and the free people were soon overwhelmed by the torrent of steel.

The King-Beyond-the-Wall fell, and the free folks collapsed instantly, dropping their weapons. They fled desperately, but behind them were the knights' spears shining coldly. One after another, they fell on the road of escape.

The fire in the camp spread, the flames jumped from one tent to another, and ignited the nearby large pine trees. The raging fire burned fiercely in the cold wind.

Beep—beep—beep—beep.

In the smoke, a wedge-shaped team of knights came on armored horses. A huge golden flag fluttered above their heads. The emblem on it was a burning red heart outlined by long, pointed tongues of fire.

"Flaming Red Heart Flag!"

Lord Eddard stepped out of the guard formation and stared at the slowly approaching cavalry with a frown: "Stannis!"

(End of this chapter)