Chapter 6: Stealing Money and Men!
The twenty-year-old Aelopa was tall and slender, only half a head shorter than Glyn, standing at about 1.75 meters tall.
Her light brown hair was casually tied back, giving her an elegant yet heroic aura.
Her slightly tanned, wheat-colored skin was a bit rough.
Her muscles were well-defined and smooth, not appearing overly bulky.
Most women in the Clegane lands tilled the fields and hunted, just like the men. For a woman like Aelopa to be so well-maintained was considered exceptional.
Aelopa wore a drab, rough linen gown that exposed both her arms. The hem of the gown reached her mid-thigh, and a thick rope was tied around her waist.
Wrappings were bound around her calves, and she wore straw sandals woven from wheat stalks on her feet.
Perhaps noticing Glyn's gaze, Aelopa flexed her toes a few times.
It was her first time being personally summoned by the lord, and it was quite sudden. Aelopa, the skilled huntress, was very nervous.
"Aelopa, is it true that you once hunted a black bear?"
Though Glyn's voice carried a hint of youth, it was steady enough, emanating a maturity beyond his years. Aelopa's tension seemed to calm significantly.
"I had help, but I was the one who shot it the most."
After a brief exchange, seeing that Aelopa had relaxed, Glyn asked, "Are you willing to fight for me?"
Aelopa was puzzled. "Fight wildlings? I've killed quite a few, at least ten. The wildlings often sneak into our hunting grounds and try to steal our prey."
Seeing her single-mindedness, Glyn changed his approach.
"You are very brave. What I'm asking is if you wish to become one of my household soldiers? Like those men in the training yard. I will grant you iron armor and a sword."
Aelopa was stunned. Glyn continued, "At least two gold dragons a year."
"It will mainly depend on your performance. There will be even greater rewards from the spoils of war."
Aelopa quickly replied, "I am willing, my lord."
As if to confirm she hadn't misheard, Aelopa asked again, "But I'm a woman, and they are all men. Won't it...?"
The household soldiers of House Clegane were all men. Aelopa was worried about being ostracized by them. As a woman, she wasn't concerned about harassment—at most, she'd face some lewd remarks. If anyone dared to go too far, she would cut them down. *I'm very strong!* she thought.
Glyn affirmed, "That's a fair point. The spearwives in my lands sometimes accompany my soldiers into battle, but they don't officially fight, only assisting with simple tasks. That's a temporary arrangement, so no one minds, but formally joining the ranks is different."
"Besides, mixing men and women together all day will lead to many unnecessary troubles."
Aelopa nodded in agreement. *That's what I thought, but I didn't know how to say it. The lord is very wise.*
"You are well-known among the spearwives. If I were to send you to recruit, how many could you gather?"
"Could they all become household soldiers? I'm familiar with twenty or thirty of them, all excellent hunters."
"I want to establish a corps in my lands composed entirely of spearwives. It will be called the Thorn Corps."
(A tribute to the Queen of Thorns.)
"We're going to war soon. Recruit as many as you can—especially those brave enough to fight, and those without husbands. Most importantly, they must be able to follow your command. You will serve as the commander of the Thorn Corps."
Glyn was very patient. After his detailed explanation, Aelopa understood completely. Her chest heaved as she suppressed her excitement, her eyes shining brightly as she gazed at Glyn.
...
Glyn's tone grew serious. "Aelopa, can I trust you?"
At that moment, only Glyn, Aelopa, and Maester Al were in the study. Maester Al had been sitting quietly in a corner, as if asleep.
*How do I prove it?*
Aelopa stared at the quiet Maester Al for a moment, her eyes darting from side to side. She bit her lip, as if having made up her mind. "Prove it now?"
Facing Aelopa's strange question, Glyn raised an eyebrow and nodded silently.
*Swoosh!*
All the clothes on Aelopa's body fell away from her delicate frame.
Looking at Aelopa, whose face was flushed crimson as she stared at him, Glyn was reminded of a leopardess.
Glyn's pupils dilated then constricted. He turned his face to the side. "Ahem, a fine figure."
Maester Al, who had woken up at some unknown point, revealed his few remaining teeth. He sat there, shaking with silent laughter, and even winked at Glyn.
The thick-skinned Aelopa finally sensed something was wrong. She hastily covered the important parts of her body with her hands.
"That's not what I meant. Put your clothes on. I am honored to have admired your charms. It has made this a pleasant day."
Aelopa, dressed again, her face still crimson, was so embarrassed her toes felt as if they had dug two castles into the floorboards.
"Aelopa, kneel. Ahem, you are my warrior. Kneel on one knee."
The short interlude passed, and the lord's work had to continue.
"Repeat after me, 'I, Aelopa.'"
"I, Aelopa..."
"I swear fealty, to love what he loves, and to hate what he hates."
"I swear fealty, to love what he loves, and to hate what he hates..."
"I swear my words and deeds, every action, shall be guided by the will of Glyn Clegane, without defiance."
"I swear my words and deeds, every action, shall be guided by the will of Glyn Clegane, without defiance."
"From this day, until my last day."
"From this day, until my last day."
"I swear it by the old gods and the new."
"I swear it by the old gods and the new."
...
A silken drizzle enveloped the entirety of The Whispers.
Outside the city gate.
A sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl, wearing a short orange jacket under her leather armor, carried an old hunting bow on her back.
The girl was not tall and was rather slender, yet she gave off a lean and capable impression.
The girl's name was Reina. She had brown skin and silver hair tied in a high ponytail.
Reina waited out of boredom, constantly peering inside the city gate.
Aelopa's figure finally appeared in the gateway. Reina nimbly jumped to her feet.
"Heh, Leopardess, did Lord Glyn finally let you out? How was the taste?!"
Aelopa walked up to Reina and said impatiently, "Little Reina, are you in heat again?"
After speaking, she turned to the side to display a deep blue cloak embroidered with a golden bog-moss flower.
Reina forcefully wiped the rainwater from her face, her wide eyes opening even wider.
"A golden bog-moss flower? Isn't that the sigil of House Clegane? Aelopa, are you crazy? You'll be hanged! Even if the lord pardons you, the Others will bite off your neck. You need to return it quickly... Don't pull me, let's run away! Let's leave this place, now!"
"Stop, stop, stop! It's not what you think."
"Oh, right, then..."
Reina raised an eyebrow, her expression ambiguous. "Did the leopardess's passion please the lord? Was this a reward?"
Aelopa's face flushed a deep crimson. She covered her face with one hand and sighed, "Reina, stop guessing. Shut your mouth and listen to me. Just listen."
The cloak embroidered with the Clegane sigil was a gift from Glyn. Within the Clegane lands, wearing this cloak symbolized status. Before now, the only ones in the entire territory who wore cloaks bearing the sigil were Ser Pyle and Knight Ma.
Aelopa's mission was urgent. The cloak was an advance reward from Glyn to enhance her authority in recruiting spearwives and to make her task easier.
Whether she could keep this cloak afterward would depend on her abilities.
Glyn's test had already quietly begun.
...
After Aelopa finished explaining everything, Reina said excitedly, "That's amazing! That's really good news! Many of our sisters will surely want to join."
"Hurry, what are you waiting for? As long as you deal with a few troublemakers, you could gather one or two hundred people."
"Haha, time to steal money and steal men!"
"Oh, right, Commander of the Thorn Corps, I'm the first to sign up!"
Reina's words tumbled out one after another, leaving Aelopa no chance to interrupt.
But Reina's good mood was infectious, even to the usually reserved Aelopa.
Aelopa smiled and nodded, and the two of them unconsciously quickened their pace.
(end of chapter)