Capítulo 29: Nature of War
My map grew increasingly extensive with each stop I made to figure out what my general location was.
This was often because I didn't use any of the roads or paths on my journey.
Instead, I opted to cut straight through the hills and plains in a bid to cut off the Lannister forces before they could cause any extensive damage... well, more than they already had.
Assuming that they'd crossed at the same time, or perhaps, earlier than Jaime Lannister, the Lannister host under his father had ample time to burn and pillage as they sought... The divided river lords and their individual forces would be smashed.
The Lannister host was better armed, better trained, and fully unified under an iron fist, much like the Tarnished under Lord Godfrey, first Elden Lord... While the rivermen quarrelled amongst themselves over the smallest things and hated each other for reasons they'd long forgotten themselves.
Sure they were loyal to House Tully but... that was about it.
Their loyalty to their oaths was the one thing keeping them afloat... well, that and the rich and fertile soil along with the populous and central nature of the region itself.
My suspicions were confirmed when I came across what was formerly a small village.
What had once been a simple settlement was nothing but charred earth, the shoddy houses had fallen into themselves while faint, dark smoke billowed into the air... Soot entered my lungs with each breath, something that I didn't consider, my attention more drawn to the pile of charred corpses near the well at the centre of the village.
Men, women, elderly... children.
"Ah... war." I sighed, dismounting Roach, and walked around with my hands on my belt... I sauntered off, curious but somewhat dismayed.
This happened in all wars, rare were the ones where it didn't.
It spread intimidation, discontent, sowed discord and hurt morale.
But it was dishonorable, something Lord Godfrey and even Radagon frowned upon... Even Queen Marika had forsaken these ways, putting a stop to True Death altogether even if it made the fate of some more grim than death. It didn't make her any better when one considered her past actions.
I, myself, had continuously failed to see the point in their disdain.
But now... for some odd reason... Some small part of me felt distraught at the sight before me.
I put a hand over my heart, narrowing my eyes in thought.
It felt... wrong.
Was it because I knew that had I helped them I wouldn't be met with disdain and hate but admiration and gratuity instead?
"What do you think, Roach? Why do I feel kinda bad?" I spoke curiously, making my way to the stream that flowed beside a burning mill. I looked down at the corpses that littered it, washed up against rocks, blood and bile flowing from them and polluting clear water.
I held up my palm and stared at it in silence.
It started as a bare flicker, a flicker that quietly morphed into a dense red flame that heated up the very air. It slid from my palm to the tips of my fingers before I tossed it with a snap of my fingers.
In the blink of an eye, it fell on the corpses and hungrily ate away like a swarm of locusts until not even ash remained.
"Marika, I hope you all end up in whatever passes for heaven in this world."
I didn't pray for them to enter mine for my home had none.
Roach nudged my shoulder with a soft neigh. I chuckled and stroked his neck.
"You're right, boy. Let's get going."
Flame flared from his nostrils as he snorted and we shot off.
On the way, I encountered many other such villages... dead men, women and children on the roads, burning fields of crop, waylaid carts, corpses that had been mangled by wildlife.
Nothing I hadn't seen before.
A few brigands had also had the misfortune of trying to stop me, but they were quite smart and turned tail as soon as they understood their predicament.
Eventually, I came to my destination, a vast, haunting castle that frowned upon open fields from beside a lake, casting an imposing shadow that swallowed up trees and plains... Its dark curtain walls were incredibly tall, its five towers taller still but what stood out most wasn't its size, no, it was the fact that the castle was in ruin.
Many segments of walls were melted, the towers leaned, ramshod with cracks and molten stone... The main keep itself also wasn't spared.
Maybe because of the open nature of the surroundings, strong winds shrieked like horrid ghasts as they passed the many crevices and cracks in the castle.
"Dragonflame, eh? Still, that thing is fucking huge."
Harrenhal... I knew it was big but the gatehouse alone was larger than Winterfell's Great Keep, the walls were so immense that they obscured much of the towers they protected, revealing only melted tops... tops melted by dragonflame when Aegon the Conqueror attacked it atop a dragon.
Truly, I was extremely curious to meet these so-called dragons... a shame that they were all long dead.
But... exploring it would have to be for another day, maybe with Addam, it'd be amusing to see him run around thinking the place was haunted or some such.
With a tug on the reins, I turned Roach southward.
I wagered the Lannister host would march up, and take Harrenhal... it'd give them a strategic position that could easily be used to assault the deeper parts of the Riverlands while keeping the Northern Host in check at the same time if they used the Kingsroad to cross over.
At the same time, the castle was vast and taking it would be downright impossible if they ended up taking hold of it regardless of the difference in numbers.
But... they weren't here yet.
That meant that they were somewhere along the South and the burnt villages and death I came across was the work of the Mountain That Rides... He was burning and killing to draw out and spread the rivermen so that his liege would have an easier time smashing their forces.
With a sigh, I once again started riding.
There'd be no easy rout this time... because I'd have to meet them on an open field.
At the same time, with these tactics, they'd proved that they didn't deserve the mercy I'd unwittingly granted them at the 'battle' under the Golden Tooth so I didn't have to hold back that much either.
Roach was fast, incredibly so, and we made the journey southward far faster than living creature on this world had the right to, leaving a trail of dust and smoke as we cut through vast open fields and hills, past a lake and a walled settlement, until we reached a wide river, the Blackwater Rush, bursting with strong currents that could easily drown a man.
Grey clouds had rolled in again, bringing with them a light drizzle that did nothing to halt me as I made my way up the river, the currents slowly slowing, to a bend in its path that made me stop Roach and grin.
"Gotcha."
Droves of soldiers in red armour marched down a hill, crossing the river with care while men on armoured warhorses barked orders... They marched with a decorum of a proper army, not a ragtag gathering of men, with pikemen by the sides to account for a sudden cavalry charge while scouts patrolled their immediate surroundings.
The knights wore plate armor, carried spears and swords, while foot soldiers wore chainmail under what seemed to be a standard issue armour... And there were way too many of them, maybe tens of thousands or some such.
"Like little red ants." I chuckled to myself before turning my head to stare at the retinue of men on horses standing atop a hill, looking down at the soldiers... commanders, nobility perhaps... or if I was lucky enough, Lord Tywin Lannister himself.
Still... These were some mighty unlucky people.
I stepped off Roach with a grin and walked over to the river flowing beside us, stepping into the water.
"The pass last time and a river this time... Marika, I think their Gods hate them or something."
I supposed if their Gods were anything like mine, then that made sense considering the nature of their cause and their methods.
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