*
Riverlands, near Stony Sept
Stony Sept is the ruined castle of the ancient Riverlands family, House Mudd, an old family of First Men kings who lost everything in war, leaving behind only these dilapidated castle ruins.
However, today, this ruined castle has become very lively, with various Riverlands noble banners fluttering on its walls.
At this moment, in the roofless great hall of Stony Sept, countless Riverlands nobles were gathered, discussing the issue of Jon's allied army.
The remaining Riverlands families, such as Raventree Hall, Stone Hedge, Riverrun, Pinkmaiden, and Stoney Sept, had almost all arrived here. As Janos Bracken made a move, all the Riverlands nobles seated around the long table looked at him.
"First, I welcome all the lords to serve our great King Joffrey Baratheon!"
After saying this, Janos Bracken cast his gaze upon the faces of the noble lords present.
Seeing the somewhat displeased expression on a certain old rival's face, Janos Bracken felt very pleased.
"I know some people are dissatisfied with me becoming the commander this time, but I can proudly declare that I am the Iron Throne's most loyal supporter, incomparable to any rebel!"
Upon hearing the words of Lord Janos Bracken, everyone's gaze intentionally or unintentionally fell upon Lord Tytos Blackwood, who remained expressionless, merely staring intently at Janos Bracken.
House Bracken and House Blackwood are two of the oldest families in the Riverlands, with animosity between them accumulating for over a thousand years. Almost every generation of Blackwoods and Brackens has seen someone die at the hands of the other.
"Alright, since I have become the commander of this battle, I hope everyone will work together for the Iron Throne. This is not only to strike down rebels, but also to protect our own lands."
Seeing that he couldn't provoke Tytos Blackwood, Janos Bracken could only turn his gaze to the map on the table.
"Our spies in Seagard have sent back word that the Northern reinforcements have begun to gather towards us. Their target is Stony Sept, so I have already dispatched cavalry to attack those Northerners. I believe we will have news soon."
Janos Bracken spoke with great pride, as if the battle had already been won.
"Thump, thump, thump..."
Just then, the sound of galloping hooves directly interrupted Janos Bracken's eloquent speech.
"Hahaha... Our army has already returned victorious, let's go give them..."
"My Lord!..."
Just as Janos Bracken was happily proclaiming his victory, the knightly squire beside him quietly whispered something in his ear.
Unlike Janos Bracken, his squire quickly discerned something different from the chaotic hoofbeats and shouts.
"What's..."
After hearing the squire's explanation, Janos Bracken seemed agitated, and his voice accidentally grew louder.
At this moment, on the main road outside Stony Sept, countless routed soldiers were crying out, trying to rush into the camp. If the guards outside hadn't brought out the chevaux de frise, these knights would likely have thrown the camp into chaos.
"Help!"
"The dragon is coming..."
"There are monsters!"
"Seven Gods save me!"
...These knights looked disheveled, many with what appeared to be burn marks on their bodies, as if something had scorched them.
Their faces were filled with terror and exhaustion, as if they had just endured a fierce battle.
Soon, Janos Bracken led a large group of noble lords down. At this point, Janos Bracken had completely lost his initial fiery enthusiasm for directing grand strategies, replaced only by disbelief and disappointment.
Janos Bracken quickly appeared menacingly before the routed soldiers. This operation's main force was a cavalry unit composed primarily of his family's knights and hired knights from House Lannister.
After losing this cavalry force of over 2,000 men, his strength would be greatly affected, possibly even impacting his prestige with the Iron Throne.
Upon seeing one of his family's knights, Lord Janos Bracken rushed forward and grabbed the man by his collar.
"What happened? Where is Santos Rivers?"
Janos Bracken's voice was filled with anxiety and rage, his eyes fixed on the knight, as if trying to find the answer in his gaze.
He knew that Santos Rivers was the commander of this raid. This battle-hardened knight had earned his trust, and if anything had happened to him, his subsequent entire operation might be affected.
The knight, his collar gripped by Janos Bracken, was pale and his eyes darted nervously, clearly terrified.
He stammered:
"Ser Santos Rivers, he, he's dead. I saw him swallowed by dragonfire with my own eyes."
Hearing this news, Janos Bracken's face immediately turned ashen. Seeing the routed soldiers around, he immediately ordered:
"Gather the defeated troops! Prepare defenses! The enemy is nearby."
Most of Janos Bracken's group had experienced the War of the Usurper and were not greenhorns. So, upon realizing that his system plan had failed, he immediately ordered the troops to assemble.
"Woo-woo-woo..."
As the horns blared, the camp at Stony Sept instantly erupted into activity. Countless Riverlands soldiers quickly assembled under the command of their officers.
And just as these Riverlands noble allied forces began to assemble, about 70 miles north on the main road, Jon and Robb's grand army finally completed their victorious rendezvous.
"Hiss, hiss, hiss..."
Above this grand army, the young dragon Purple Star soared. By now, Purple Star had grown to the size of the direwolf Grey Wind, looking very majestic.
Robb glanced at the strange creature in the sky, then said to Jon with a hint of sourness:
"I wondered why Ghost wasn't with you. It turns out you already have something better!"
Jon smiled slightly and replied:
"You're wronging me there. Ghost is currently in the Vale, suppressing those rebellious Mountain Clansmen, and my wife Jeyne Arryn is commanding him there."
Purple Star circled in the air, its beautiful purple scales shimmering with a mysterious purple light under the sun.
By now, Purple Star had fully adapted to the sensation of flight, each flap and sweep of its wings stirring up a gust of wind.
And Purple Star, continuously soaring in the sky, also gave the soldiers below an incredibly shocking feeling.
Just moments ago, as the enemy cavalry was about to charge the infantry square, Purple Star suddenly descended from the sky, and a single blast of dragonfire instantly burned and injured several of the enemy's vanguard.
After encountering repeated checks from Robb's army, their momentum had already been significantly reduced, and with the appearance of this dragonfire, the cavalry unit suffered further from a stampede.
Robb looked at Purple Star in the sky and couldn't help but exclaim:
"It's already so formidable in its current state. If it truly grows to the legendary size, then even an entire army wouldn't be enough for it to burn."
Jon nodded and said:
"In the Valyrian Freehold era, the Dragonlords conquered the entire continent of Essos with them. The First Men, Andals, and Rhoynar were all defeated by them before fleeing here."
The two conversed as they rode their Drakons forward.
To commend his convenient cousin for the victory at Moat Cailin, Jon directly gave Robb a Drakon.
"It's time. Those routed soldiers should have already sent our message back. Now is the time for us to attack. Let these fellows feel what true terror is!"
As Purple Star descended, Jon also spoke these words with high spirits.
Soon, Jon's orders were relayed step by step through the heralds. Upon hearing the message, the allied soldiers, now numbering forty thousand, immediately grew excited.
"Long live!"
Cheers like a tsunami echoed through the marching ranks. These soldiers were very excited because Jon had already declared in his pre-war speech that anyone who earned military merits in the war would receive appropriate rewards.
The soldiers and nobles here, upon hearing Jon's motivational speech, were also incredibly excited. As long as the Riverlands were completely taken, some of them might very well become the new masters of this land.
Thus, this powerful army, with soaring morale, began to advance towards the distant Stony Sept. They would eliminate all enemies encountered along the way, turning them into military achievements.
And far behind this road, countless civilians were busy. Behind them, a road that had been repaired and widened by nearly double was gradually being completed.
With its subgrade, stone layer, and cement layer, at first glance, it might still not compare to modern highways, but in this world, it was already a very special existence.
Once such a road is fully constructed, communication throughout the Riverlands will become increasingly close. In the future, this fertile land will supply the food needs of the North and the Vale, instead of mutual plunder and slaughter over food issues as in the past.
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