In the evening, somewhere on the east side of Shenyan Lake.
"Hey, I caught you." A Qohor mercenary yelled, then put his finger on his mouth and made a high-pitched whistle.
He rides a tall horse with black and white stripes and wears ancient plate armor inscribed with bronze runes.
In front of him were Gendry, who wore a horned helmet, Arya, a boy with short hair, and Hot Pie, a boy who was too fat to look like a commoner.
The three of them were walking north, preparing to find a boat by the lake to cross the vast Shenyan Lake. They didn't expect to meet such a strange man.
What made them a little panicked was that the weirdo actually blocked their way.
Fat boy Hot Pie muttered, "I bet he's riding a zebra."
"No, this is a kind of war horse that is special to the Essos continent." Gendry, a tall man with brown eyes and black hair, explained to his companions in a low voice.
His master, Tob Mort, came from Qohor in the Essos continent. Naturally, he often told him about the customs there in his daily life.
Arya is the most ancient person in the Stark family. She has the "blood of the wolf" flowing in her body, so she is naturally bold and lively.
Seeing the strange man blocking their way, she asked: "Who are you? Which king do you fight for? Why are you blocking the three of us?"
"I fight for my employer. As for who he fights for, I don't care." The Kohor mercenary made a strange whistle again, seeming to call his companions.
Then he answered the last question, "I blocked you because this man wearing a horn helmet matches the characteristics of the person my employer is looking for."
After the mercenary finished speaking, the three people who were already panicked immediately pulled out their weapons and started running along the lake.
Now that there is no distinction between friend and foe, and the weirdo doesn't seem like a good person, leaving is the best choice.
With only two legs, they couldn't outrun the mercenaries on horseback. Instead, the mercenaries' companions came after hearing the news.
Arthur, who was led by a Qohor mercenary, recognized Arya who was pretending to be a boy at a glance.
He rode up to the three children, made them stop running, lowered his head and smiled at them.
Little did they know that this scene made the three people who raised their necks even more horrified.
Arya tentatively put her left foot forward, brandished her small sword "Sewing Needle" in her right hand, and said viciously: "Come here and I will stab you to death."
Although her tone is very ferocious, her appearance has nothing to do with this word, but adds a touch of cuteness.
Arthur laughed and said to the three of them: "Arry, Gendry, Hot Pie?"
Arya's disguised name is Arli.
Hot Pie and Arya looked at each other, wondering how the rider on the giant golden horse in front of them could recognize them and call them by their names accurately.
Gendry somewhat understood that this person was not an enemy. The golden vest and the broadsword on the rider's back were made by his master more than two months ago, so he was naturally somewhat impressed.
Arthur jumped off the horse and explained to the three of them: "I am Arthur Bracken. I fight for the Fish and Wolf Alliance. We should be friends."
Then he took off the Guandao and showed it to Gendry.
"This is the weapon your master made for me. Now it has been damaged beyond recognition. I ask you to come to my camp and help me make a few more of the same weapon. During this period, I will protect your safety."
Arya suddenly remembered that this man was the two champions of the tourney, and he was also the man who made her sister Sansa become a nymphomaniac.
When she lived in the Chancellor's Tower in the Red Keep, she even mocked Sansa for this. Unexpectedly, in just two months, she turned into a wild girl living outside, and she could no longer tease her sister like a fool.
Gendry nodded and accepted Arthur's invitation.
The fat boy Hot Pie had no idea and naturally followed the eldest man, so the destination of the three of them changed.
Arya was carried by Arthur onto the giant red horse. The other two people and two mercenaries rode on their striped horses, and the group headed towards the camp to the east.
Since the target had been found, the mercenaries and riverland cavalry sent out were called back.
Of course, not all of these soldiers from various river families are cavalry in the true sense.
After several battles, the river cavalry borrowed by Arthur only had a little over two hundred left. But in the battle of Heron Town, they captured more than 900 healthy horses, so when he rescued Earl Harroway's town, he took away all the river cavalry and some infantry, a total of 500 people, and an equal number. war horse.
Therefore, 282 of the river soldiers belonging to Arthur in the coalition army were mounted infantry.
They are skilled in foot combat, but their fighting skills on horseback are rather ordinary.
Halfway through the journey, the group was attracted by the sound of a fight.
"Go over and take a look." Arthur, who took the lead, ordered.
So the team of nearly forty people turned slightly, and after passing through a small forest, the battlefield situation unfolded before their eyes.
On one side were more than twenty Stark soldiers wearing leather armor and round helmets, and on the other side were members of the Brotherhood Without Banners led by Lightning King Berry.
The leader of the former is called Dia, a senior officer who is responsible for two hundred Stark infantry. After helping Arthur defend Harrenhal for a round, the latter went out of the city to fulfill the promise of the Brotherhood Without Banners.
Both parties are acquaintances, so this fight must be resolved.
"Brother Berry, Captain Dia from the North, for the sake of Arthur, don't fight me." He rushed to the middle with his people and created an artificial isolation zone.
The fighting between the two sides stopped.
Earl Berry was originally a warm and cheerful nobleman from the Stormlands, but he became taciturn due to his two months of experience.
However, Captain Dia from the Stark family first explained the reason for this matter to the friendly forces.
They went out to collect military rations while the army was camping. Unexpectedly, they ran into the Brotherhood Without Banners. When the Lightning King saw that farmers' food was forcibly confiscated, he led his men to attack them on the spot.
"You are really a lunatic." Captain Dia spat at everyone in the Brotherhood Without Banners. "You are also a great noble from the Stormlands. What do you mean by going to the Riverlands to protect other farmers?"
On their way south, they collected grain from farmers, and therefore had a lot of dealings with Berry and others who protected farmers.
Now among the fish and wolf coalition forces on the eastern front, the Lightning King has made a name for himself.
Who would have thought that an earl from the south would neglect his good master and go to the Riverlands to become the leader of some kind of brotherhood? He would also take away the military rations that the people in the north had worked hard to collect and then give them back.
"On the orders of King Robert and Lord Eddard, I came to capture the Mountain and his accomplices who were burning, killing and looting in the Riverlands. Although the Mountain was dead, the evil deeds of robbing civilians still existed, so my mission Not finished.
From now on, whether they are people from the north, people from the west, or bandits from the river, whoever robs innocent farmers of their food and property will be chased by our Brotherhood Without Banners. "
The Lightning King whispered.
This was in line with Arthur's wishes, but it made Dia and other northern soldiers very angry.
Because this is tantamount to saying that they are robbers.
Most of the Stark soldiers looked at Arthur coldly, wondering how he would handle the matter.
Arthur jumped off the horse and clapped his hands together, "Brother Berry, what I said is exactly what I want, and I support what you do. In this way, you can take these grains back to the farmers first, and then you can come to the coalition camp. Let's discuss how to solve the problem of military rations."
He put his arm around the Lightning King's shoulders and made a note that could only solve the temporary problem.
This place is already at the southern end of the Riverlands, and there are no big nobles nearby who can provide military supplies for the coalition forces, so logistics begins to become difficult.
But otherwise, Berry might be able to start a fight with the Northerners on the spot, which would end badly.
"You still have some conscience. May the King of Light bless you." After the Lightning King said this, he led his people to push away the cart containing military rations.
He is now influenced by the red-robed monk Thoros and has also converted to the new King of Divine Light.
The northern soldiers and Arthur's men also left here and headed to the camp in the east.
Dia, who was just walking, glanced at the short-haired boy on Arthur's horse from time to time.
He felt like he had seen this boy somewhere, but he just couldn't remember it.
…
Although they are a coalition force, the respective areas of the Northern Soldiers and the Hejian Soldiers are clearly divided.
After returning, Arthur and the Stark soldiers returned to their own areas.
"Hey, young man, the person you want me to find is here." Robert Glover, wearing a crimson cloak, came out of Arthur's tent with his head held high.
A tall, slightly stooped old man followed him.
It was Qyburn who was stripped of his bachelor's necklace and title by the Citadel.
Arthur dismounted, carried Arya down, and asked the soldiers to take away the giant red horse. Then he nodded and greeted Glover.
He had previously entrusted Robert to find Cobain in the Northern Army. Almost seven or eight days later, he finally found this man.
"Thank you, I owe you a big favor. Just ask me when you use me in the future." Arthur said to Robert.
The latter nodded, said nothing, held his head high and left with his soldiers.
If this Grover could lower his head a little, he would definitely see the short-haired "boy" Ali, and then he would have the same doubts as Dia.
It's just that he was used to being arrogant, so he couldn't notice the little man following Arthur.
Arya, who has gone through many things, is naturally not trusting of others, so she has never recognized the people from the North.
"Lord Qyburn, can I hire you as my bachelor?" Arthur extended the invitation.
Cobain, who had gray hair on his head, said kindly: "Of course, I'm just a useless person wandering around now."
The kindness of the voice did not create certain impressions on Arthur.
Did he know that the man in front of him was famous for his love of experiments on living subjects, and usually, these experiments were fatal.
The relationship between the two was finally settled, and Arthur ordered people to arrange dinner and tents for Qyburn, Arya, whose alias was "Arly", Gendry, Hot Pie and others.
After dinner, the servant Meidan called "Ali" to the master's tent and then silently retreated.
"Arya Stark, I have spent a lot of effort looking for you." Arthur held the candle and whispered.
The young Stark girl looked shocked when her name was called, but she quickly denied it.
"You got the wrong person, my name is Ali, I'm a boy."
Arthur smiled evilly and said, "Really? Let me see how you pee standing up."
"Okay, I'm a girl, but my real name is Arry, not the Aya you mentioned." Arya looked a little embarrassed, but insisted not to admit that she was a Stark.
"Okay, you will be my waitress from now on. Your name is indeed Ali." Arthur did not dwell on her identity for long.
Since she doesn't even trust her own soldiers, the little girl won't open her heart until she meets her family.
That's fine, hiding her identity can protect her.
Otherwise, if Roose Bolton finds out, he might do something disgusting.
"Okay, my lord." Arya vaguely remembered that her father and sister had good opinions about this person, so she silently accepted the arrangement.
Arthur put the candle on the small table and was about to go to the Chinese army's tent to discuss it, but suddenly he remembered something.
"Your direwolf, named Nymeria, is operating near Lake God's Eye. If you want it, I will capture it in the name of protecting civilians and bring it back to you."
Most of the Stark children can communicate with their own direwolves.
According to complaints from nearby civilians, the giant wolf was already terrifyingly big.
With the direwolf by her side and her psychic abilities, Arya would be much safer.
The little Stark girl looked at Arthur uneasily, wondering how this man knew everything.
She pursed her lips tightly and said nothing.
Nymeria was indeed very attractive to her, and the little wolf in her memory was almost as kind as family.
And having lost her father and being far away from her family, she really needs the psychological comfort that Xiaolang can give her.
"I don't know anything about wolves, sir, please stop joking." With tears in her eyes, she denied that she knew the wolf.
Arthur smiled, knowing that Stark didn't completely trust him yet.
Without saying a word, he walked out of the tent.
He would get the direwolf back as a surprise for his future sister-in-law.
…
The Chinese military tent.
"Look who is here, a saint like the Lightning King!" Marquis Bolton said coldly and sarcastically when he saw Arthur walking in.
The rest of the northern nobles, such as Earl Meech Severn and Earl Harris Horwood, all treated Arthur with cold eyes.
They already knew about Arthur's involvement in the food collection team and the Brotherhood Without Banners in the evening.
This matter is related to the logistics of the army, so they naturally don't give Arthur a good look.
Several nobles from the Riverlands did not speak, but they stood beside Arthur consciously.
Apparently, they supported the move of the Lords of the Moulin Rouge.
Perhaps because they were concerned about the reputation of the Northern River Alliance, none of the big nobles spoke. However, a small northern noble jumped out and accused Arthur of doing something wrong.
"If Lord Bracken does this, I'm afraid we will have to eat grass on the ground. The problem of food collection must be solved."
Seeing this man's bad attitude, Hosteen Frey suddenly felt angry in his heart, "Solution? When we were along the Green Fork River, you didn't listen to our dissuasion and forcibly confiscated the food of my people. Now that you are still thinking about using this method, are you here to rescue Hejian or rob Hejian? "
Aenys Frey felt bad when he saw that his sixth brother's tone had obviously changed.
He is very familiar with this younger brother's character. When he has a arrogant temper, he can pierce even the sky.
What's more, his fighting power is astonishing. Once he goes crazy, no one except Arthur can control him.
"Okay, okay, just stop saying a few words." Inis patted his brother on the shoulder to calm him down.
However, the people from the North had a hot temper, and when Hosteen retorted, several nobles immediately started to take action.
Master Leech knew very well who his subordinates were. After scanning coldly with his strange eyes, the northerners held back.
Marquis Bolton then asked: "Since you Hejian people do not agree to requisition food, you should come up with a practical plan."
Arthur really had a few plans in mind. He was about to speak out when he heard someone shouting outside the tent:
"Lord Beric Dondarrion has arrived."