章 233: Chapter 234: Out of the Woods
"My lord, may I ride into battle with you?" asked Noah Rowan, Samwell's squire, with a look of longing.
"You may," Samwell agreed, "but stay close and don't wander off."
"Yes, my lord!"
As Cleopatra, the white dragon, moved as if wanting to join, Samwell shook his head and gestured for her to stay. She was still too young, not yet strong enough to help much in a real battle, and in the dense forest, she couldn't fly high. If she were struck by a crossbow, Samwell would be heartbroken.
The fighting at the rear of the formation grew increasingly intense, and the Stormlanders launched a fierce, almost maddened assault, their war cries echoing with intensity.
Samwell glanced back and noticed several distinct banners emerging from the enemy ranks—it was the banners of the great Stormland houses: House Selmy, House Fell, House Penrose, and House Buckler, all from the northern Stormlands.
As expected, the enemy had taken the bait, just as Lord Randyll had predicted.
Samwell donned his helmet, mounted his horse, and prepared for battle.
The frenzied assault from the Stormlanders was inflicting heavy casualties on the Reach's rear formation, causing instability and disruption. The officers enforcing military discipline had to step in, even executing a few soldiers who showed signs of wavering, in an attempt to restore order.
But once things begin to spiral out of control, maintaining order becomes increasingly difficult.
It was hard to blame the soldiers at the rear for their lack of resolve; they had suffered enormous losses. Frustratingly, due to Lord Randyll's strict orders and the army's ongoing advance, they couldn't mount an effective counterattack and were forced to endure the onslaught.
Just then, the Stormlander noble banners advanced swiftly, and with a deep blast of their horns, the Stormlander cavalry surged forward for a full-scale assault on the Reach's rear lines.
Seeing this, Lord Randyll immediately ordered the entire army to halt and sounded the horn for a counterattack.
At this moment, the battle entered its final, decisive stage.
Upon receiving the signal, Samwell led his cavalry forward, charging through gaps in the infantry lines to launch a full counterattack on the Stormlanders.
The bloodthirsty Stormlanders, undeterred by the oncoming Reach forces, charged head-on to meet them.
In the clash of steel that followed, countless factors determined the outcome: the general's tactics, the knights' orders, the soldiers' courage, and even the occasional miracle, such as a horse stumbling.
But when both sides met face-to-face, victory was ultimately decided by cold, hard factors—equipment, weapons, and the quality of the soldiers.
In this respect, the Reach forces held a clear advantage over the Stormlanders.
Thus, when the two sides clashed in the forest, the Reach soldiers emerged on top.
And on top of that, they had Samwell himself, who became a terrifying force on the battlefield. With each swing of his massive sword, Dawn, he cut through enemies like the morning sun dispelling darkness. Steel armor, flesh and bone, even large trees fell under the burning blade.
The psychological impact on the enemy was devastating.
"The tales of Skyreach are true…" Ser Quentyn Buckler, horrified, watched this unstoppable knight who seemed more like a demon than a man. Just days ago, he had dismissed the story of Caesar from Eagle's Point slaying four Kingsguard knights with one blow as mere exaggeration.
But now, seeing it with his own eyes, he couldn't deny the truth.
"How can we hope to fight against him?"
"He can't keep swinging that sword forever!" said Harwood Fell with forced confidence, his eyes locked on the knight whose burning blade cast the battlefield in blood and fire.
Samwell had indeed stopped swinging his greatsword.
Because he didn't need to.
After the first three strikes, the Stormlanders were terrified, fleeing him as though death itself had appeared, and no one dared challenge his blade.
Samwell looked at the gap that had opened before him, lowering his sword as its fire dimmed.
The sight emboldened Lord Harwood Fell, who decided to press forward.
He had no choice. Behind him lay his family's castle, Felwood. Others could retreat, but he could not.
"He can't keep swinging that sword!" he repeated, as if trying to convince himself and his allies.
Arstan Selmy, however, was hesitant. Judging from the Reach's maneuvers, he suspected that this weakness in their rear had been deliberately left by Randyll Tarly as a trap.
But he couldn't order a retreat now.
If he withdrew, the Reach forces would be free to exit the Kingswood, and once they were out, his troops alone would be unable to hinder them. If the Reach intercepted the King's army before it reached Bronze Gate, the war would be lost, and the northern Stormlands would fall into Reach hands.
Gritting his teeth, Lord Arstan shouted, "Lord Fell is right! That Lord from Eagle's Point must be exhausted. Everyone, charge with me!"
With that, he rode forward, followed closely by Lord Harwood Fell and the knights and soldiers behind him, charging with grim determination.
By this time, Samwell had broken through the enemy lines, and the Stormlander assault was on the verge of collapsing. But then, he heard the blast of horns as the Stormlanders launched a desperate, all-out attack.
Seeing the enemy surge forward, Samwell felt exhilaration rather than fear.
He turned to his brother riding beside him and asked, "Ready for another charge?"
"Of course!" Dickon nodded without hesitation, though the red-gold glow in his eyes made Samwell frown slightly.
But he had no time to ponder this; raising Dawn high above his head, he reignited the flames, holding it like a torch to guide the way.
"Everyone, follow me!"
With that, he spurred his horse and charged toward the crowned stag banner of the Stormlanders.
Arstan Selmy saw Caesar's flaming greatsword rekindle, and any hope he held drained away.
But he could no longer retreat.
He was the nephew of Barristan Selmy, the famed White Knight known as "Barristan the Bold." To flee from battle would dishonor his family's name.
Steeling himself, Arstan lowered his lance, recalling his uncle's words:
"There is nothing more terrible than war, nothing more glorious, and nothing more absurd. Yet there is nothing more fitting as a knight's final destination."
As he charged through the trees, Arstan caught sight of the Reach knight in bronze armor, etched with strange runes, wielding a burning greatsword.
The blade swung down, and his vision filled with red.
The lord of Harvest Hall closed his stinging eyes, wondering if his uncle, at the Trident long ago, had had the same thought.
War is the knight's true end.
Flames roared, consuming the Selmy banner of blue and brass.
Samwell did not pause, urging his horse forward as the Reach cavalry followed, unstoppable.
Blood sprayed, flames blazed, and lives were spent as easily as paper.
Finally, the Stormlanders began to break.
Ser Quentyn Buckler of Bronze Gate was the first to flee, his heart failing him after witnessing the death of Arstan Selmy. Spinning his horse around, he bolted for safety.
With him went any discipline in the Bronze Gate forces.
Then, as if in a chain reaction, panic spread, and soon the entire Stormlands formation began to collapse. Many soldiers turned and fled into the depths of the forest.
Meanwhile, under Lord Randyll's command, the Reach forces began to close in, encircling the main body of Stormlander troops to crush them completely.
Samwell had by then reined in his horse at the edge of the battlefield, surrounded by Reach knights bloodied from the fight.
"Lord Caesar, shall we pursue?" asked a Tarly knight, barely containing his excitement.
"No need." Samwell sheathed his greatsword, feeling almost completely drained.
At the same time, Lord Randyll ordered the army to stand down.
Only then did the Reach soldiers, their bloodlust fading, snap out of the brutal frenzy, regrouping with the main force.
After a brief sweep of the battlefield, Lord Randyll wasted no time and ordered the march to continue.
The following day, after another day's march, the Reach army finally exited the Kingswood.
To the south lay Fellwood, nestled against the hills, while to the north stood Bronze Gate, the strategic fortress of the northern Stormlands.
This fortress guarded the Kingsroad, serving as Storm's End's northern gateway, and was the key passage to other castles in northeastern Stormlands, such as Haystack Hall and Harvest Hall.
According to the intelligence Samwell had previously gathered, over fifty thousand of the King's forces were heading south toward Bronze Gate. If they made it there, besieging the fortress would come at a high price.
Following their original plan, Lord Randyll led the main infantry force with supplies north toward Bronze Gate, while Samwell led a contingent of 4,000 Reach cavalry, hoping to intercept and possibly defeat the King's army before they reached the fortress.
With a simple farewell, Samwell rode off with his cavalry in a cloud of dust, the sound of hooves thundering.
Finally free of the forest, Cleopatra took to the skies above the cavalry, soaring with joy and letting out a triumphant screech.
(End of Chapter)
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