*
Riverlands, the road near Stony Sept
In the faint light of dawn, an army was slowly advancing along a somewhat muddy road toward Stony Sept, their armor glinting faintly under the rising sun.
This troop, composed of knights, infantry, and archers, mostly appeared weary, having just completed a long and treacherous voyage at sea.
Leading the way, the Vale knights were clad in heavy armor and steel helms, looking quite imposing—provided one overlooked their somewhat ragged formation; they were still very spirited.
Their horses wore simple barding, but a closer look revealed the animals seemed restless, likely due to being confined in cramped ship cabins for so long.
The infantry were equipped with spears and shields; though their steps were heavy, they seemed very excited. Most of them came from Moat Cailin, and for many, it was their first time here.
While the faces of these soldiers were etched with the marks of wind, frost, and fatigue, they all bore expressions of excitement. Jon's strategy differed from other kings: anyone who performed meritorious service under him could obtain land and resources.
There was still much land in the Seven Kingdoms, but most of it was held by certain Great Lords. Jon's goal was to resolve these issues bit by bit.
The Young Wolf of the North, Robb Stark, was currently riding at the very front of the column in high spirits, and beside him was Lord Yohn Royce of the Vale.
Their cavalry force was quite large, numbering around 5,000 riders, with several mounted servants following behind driving spare horses.
In that great battle at Moat Cailin, Robb had raided the Ironborn camps with the help of the direwolf Grey Wind, throwing the Ironborn into chaos.
Those who were nearly invincible at sea were no match for the local Northmen on the soil of the North; they were beaten into a steady retreat by the army led by Robb.
"Unbelievable, Robb! Last time I saw you, you were just a child, and now you already have the ability to lead an army on your own."
Hearing Yohn Royce's praise, Robb blushed slightly, while his gratitude toward Jon grew even stronger.
Without Jon, he might not have had the chance to lead an army until after inheriting Winterfell. But now, though not yet the Lord of the North, his prestige was already no less than his father's.
"Thank you for the praise, Lord Royce! I still have much to learn!"
"You..."
Just as Lord Yohn Royce was about to say more, his warhorse began to shift restlessly beneath him.
"Grrr..."
Grey Wind, the direwolf who had been following Robb, also let out a low, warning growl, as if something were approaching them.
Rumble...
At that moment, the sound of galloping hooves suddenly drifted from the distant horizon.
Soon after, clouds of dust and black dots appeared before everyone's eyes.
"Enemy attack!"... The scouts searching ahead quickly shouted as they rushed back to their positions. The enemy was moving very fast, and they were entirely composed of cavalry.
Upon hearing the scouts' warning, Lord Yohn Royce's expression instantly became solemn.
He knew this enemy was no ordinary opponent; otherwise, their horses and the direwolf would not be so uneasy.
Thus, the old lord immediately ordered:
"All units, prepare for battle!"
"Defend!"
Under the heralds' commands, the soldiers further back who were still advancing also moved quickly, taking up their weapons and preparing for combat.
They all understood that against such an enemy, only by giving their all could they hope for victory.
"Lord Yohn! Do we need to retreat to the flanks first?"
After reining in his horse, Robb quickly asked Yohn Royce.
"No, the enemy is already charging. If we try to redeploy our cavalry now, they will just smash straight through our defenses!"
Watching the enemy cavalry draw closer, Yohn Royce suppressed the agitation in his heart. In this situation, if they didn't respond correctly, the favorable position they had worked so hard to achieve would be compromised.
In fact, at the beginning, Robb had asked him if they should spread the scouts further out, but Yohn Royce had rejected the suggestion.
"Now we have no choice but to charge directly. Only then can we blunt their momentum and buy more time for the units behind us."
After saying this, Yohn Royce turned his gaze directly to Robb.
"Are you afraid? This should be your first time facing an enemy independently."
"Hahaha, Lord Yohn! Do not forget, I am the son of Eddard Stark. The wolf blood of House Stark flows in my veins. These fellows have underestimated me; today, I shall show them what true winter looks like!"
As Robb's voice fell, his guards immediately blew the assembly horn at his command.
"Woo... woo... woo..."
To the rhythm of three steady horn blasts, all the Northmen cavalry turned their horses to face the direction of the enemy charge.
At that moment, the dust and black dots finally became clearer, and a massive enemy cavalry force appeared before their eyes.
This enemy force was numerous and well-equipped, clearly well-prepared; their goal was simple: to defeat the army of Lord Yohn Royce and Robb.
"Charge!"
At Robb's command, the Northmen cavalry, wielding spears, battle-axes, and massive greatswords, charged directly toward the enemy.
Their eyes were filled with determination and courage, as if no force could stop their advance.
Facing these well-equipped southern knights, the Northmen cavalry showed no fear; the courage inherited from their ancestors flowed through their veins.
Rumble...
After gaining momentum, the speed of the Northmen cavalry increased; the tall and powerful Northern horses possessed incredible explosive power.
On the wasteland-like soil of the North, these horses were naturally superior to the current Riverlands steeds.
Led by Robb, the Northmen cavalry crashed into the Riverlands knights, with spear-wielding riders leading the way, their weapons glinting in the sunlight.
The Northmen cavalry charge used a specialized configuration, with spear-wielding riders in front, their horses being the fastest and most enduring.
As the charge continued, the Northmen's spears thrust like lightning into the enemies' chests.
Crack...
Boom...
Whinny...
Amidst the violent collisions and the neighing of horses, many lives were lost instantly; as the opposing vanguards clashed, the enemy's momentum faltered.
Despite this, the battle was far from over; such is a cavalry charge—one either breaks through the enemy lines or dies on the path.
Soon, the following Northmen cavalry units caught up, wielding massive greatswords and battle-axes; these powerful weapons claimed several lives with every swing.
Though well-equipped, the Riverlands knights could not withstand the overwhelming impact of the Northmen cavalry; while the front-line knights caused significant casualties...
...as time passed and their momentum waned, their advantage became less apparent when they encountered the following Northmen cavalry.
Just as the Riverlands knights prepared to charge the infantry phalanxes, the charge of the Vale knights dealt them a heavy blow.
Unlike the "wolf pack" style and numerical superiority of the Northmen, the Vale knights' charge was more traditional; fully armored heavy knights led the way, with light or horse archers on the flanks, as Jon had entrusted the elite Vale knights to Robb.
Thus, the knights appearing at the rear were mostly the elite of the Vale; when those 1,000-plus knights acting as the vanguard attacked, the Riverlands knights had little strength left to maintain their overwhelming momentum.
Crack...
Boom...
Whinny...
After another clash, the Riverlands knights finally realized the importance of numerical superiority, but the knights charging in front had no time for further thought.
For directly ahead of them, dense infantry phalanxes had already formed up, waiting to deliver a crushing blow to the charging knights.
"Roar! Roar! Roar!"
Just as the Riverlands knights thought they could manage, dragon roars echoed from the sky; at the sound, their horses whinnied in distress, as if sensing something coming.
Santos Rivers was the commander of this operation; as a hedge knight, he possessed highly skilled combat techniques, having killed over ten enemies in the previous charge, including a knight with a sigil.
Unfortunately, just as he joyfully prepared to lead his knights through the enemy lines, a terrifying wave of dragonfire suddenly fell from the sky.
Under the assault of this terrifying dragonfire, the knights behind Santos Rivers were instantly engulfed in flames.
"Aaaargh!"
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