The Bloody Gate had fallen, but the process had unfolded in a completely unexpected manner.

Due to unforeseen complications, Aegor’s plan to send elite troops into the mountains to hunt down and subdue the mountain clans did not go as smoothly as anticipated. These clansmen had taken guerrilla tactics to the extreme. Familiar with the terrain, they avoided direct confrontation and instead relied on hit-and-run tactics, never engaging Robert’s forces head-on. Their scouts spotted approaching soldiers from a distance and immediately fled with their families and belongings, vanishing into the wilderness before the army could even close in. Despite sending thousands of men into the mountains over several days, not a single captive was taken. If this continued, the fifteen-day deadline given by Robert would prove impossible to meet.

Just as the campaign seemed to be stalling, Robb Stark’s forces unexpectedly encountered an old yet formidable figure, Brynden Tully, better known as the “Blackfish.” The younger brother of Hoster Tully, Lord of Riverrun.

Years ago, due to disagreements with his brother, Brynden had left the Riverlands and gone to the Vale to serve Lysa Arryn. Her husband, Jon Arryn, had appointed him as the Knight of the Bloody Gate, entrusting him with guarding the Vale’s most important pass. When the so-called Alliance of the Righteous launched their rebellion, Brynden had attempted to rally his men and resist, but the situation quickly proved untenable. Knowing the battle was lost, he made a swift retreat, escaping through a secret passage within the Bloody Gate and disappearing into the Mountains of the Moon. He had spent over a month evading the mountain clans when, by sheer luck, he crossed paths with Robb Stark, who was searching the mountains.

Having defended the Bloody Gate for over a decade, Brynden may not have been an expert in breaching it from the front but when it came to finding a way around to its rear, few in Westeros could match his knowledge. The true former commander of the garrison led a force of several hundred elite soldiers through the hidden mountain paths as if he were strolling through his own keep, slipping past enemy lines unnoticed until they began scaling the gate tower itself.

—

In the end, while Aegor’s strategy had paved the way for Robert’s victory, the true credit belonged to a man who had never set foot in the rebel camp or attended a single war council.

This was hardly surprising. In the television series, Brynden had escaped the Red Wedding by leaving to relieve himself. In the books, he had vanished from Riverrun before its surrender to Jaime Lannister. Though the world of ice and fire had been altered by countless ripples of fate, his uncanny ability to slip away unscathed remained unchanged. Aegor mused that “Blackfish” was an ill-fitting name for him, perhaps “Loach” would be more appropriate.

—

Once the Bloody Gate was secured, it took only half a day for the rebels to clear the blocked passage. Hundreds of men worked in shifts, digging from both inside and out, completing the task far sooner than expected. Upon hearing this, Aegor couldn’t help but feel a chill run down his spine.

When Robert’s forces took the Bloody Gate, they discovered that the defenders had already cleared most of the passage themselves. Captured prisoners revealed that the work had begun the moment the rebel army appeared to “disband.” Had the flanking force failed to intercept the original garrison of the Bloody Gate, or if Brynden Tully’s detour had been delayed by just a few days, the rebel army stationed at the valley’s entrance might have faced a devastating nighttime assault.

A scenario was easy to imagine: a camp of tens of thousands, made up of men from different banners, lacking experienced commanders, battle-hardened veterans, and knightly discipline, if attacked in the dead of night, the outcome would have been nothing short of catastrophic. Even non-combatants like Aegor and Yoren might not have escaped unscathed.

Fortunately, history has no room for “ifs.”

—

With the Bloody Gate secured, the entire Vale lay open before them. The thousand-odd rebels stationed at the valley and the foot of the Giant’s Lance quickly realized their position was hopeless. Seeing that the gate had fallen, they surrendered without hesitation. Within two days, the entirety of the Vale had fallen into Robert’s hands.

The only remaining stronghold was the Eyrie itself. However, reaching it required passing through the Gates of the Moon, another formidable fortress. This castle, too, was held by a member of House Royce, though not of the same branch that had pledged loyalty to the rebels.

When Robert’s forces arrived at the Gates of the Moon, they found that its lords had yet to declare open support for the Alliance of the Righteous, nor had the castle fallen into enemy hands. This was a fortunate turn of events.

Beyond the Gates of the Moon lay the final obstacle—the winding, treacherous path leading up to the Eyrie. The ascent, even under normal circumstances, took half a day. Along the way, attackers would be exposed to enemy fire from not only the Eyrie itself but also its three satellite strongholds: Stone, Snow, and Sky. The good news was that the commanders of these fortresses had refrained from officially siding with the rebels. While they may have once sympathized with the cause or even secretly supported it, the arrival of Robert’s combined army, bearing the stag banner of House Baratheon, had swiftly reminded them of their true loyalties.

Lysa Arryn, however, refused to accept reality. She remained holed up in the Eyrie, unwilling to descend. Yet with supplies dwindling inside the castle, the outcome of this rebellion, which had shaken the Seven Kingdoms for nearly two months was already clear. It was only a matter of time before it came to its inevitable, anticlimactic end.

—

The victory feast was held in a field within the Vale of Arryn, overlooking the towering peak of the Giant’s Lance. By day, the view was breathtaking, majestic mountains stretched across the horizon, and the ghostly torrent known as Alyssa’s Tears cascaded from the heights of the western range. The silvery stream gleamed in the sunlight, starkly contrasting against the dark, jagged cliffs.

By night, this tranquil place became the setting for the largest bonfire celebration in the history of the Seven Kingdoms. With the fall of the Bloody Gate, the vast wealth and supplies that the lords of the so-called Alliance of the Righteous had hidden throughout the Vale were now seized as spoils of war. Many of these noble houses were among the most powerful in the region, and the total value of their plundered riches was estimated to exceed 100,000 gold dragons. Even Jon Arryn, Lord of the Vale, would struggle to produce such a sum on short notice. While this fortune was insignificant compared to the vast wealth of Houses Lannister and Tyrell, it was more than enough to pay the army’s wages for at least ten days, leaving a sizable surplus after accounts were settled.

In a grand display of generosity, Robert distributed all these riches as rewards to the coalition’s soldiers and lords.

A king who was not short on gold such a thing was rare indeed! Rather than diminishing due to the early setbacks in his campaign, Robert’s reputation had only grown stronger.

—

After bestowing honors and rewards upon the battle’s greatest hero, Ser Brynden “Blackfish” Tully, the second hero of the war, Aegor, was called to stand at the center of the tent. This time, not only was Robert smiling at him, but the rulers of the six kingdoms seated around the tent also watched him with interest.

For the sharp-eyed politicians among them, it was clear that the fragile peace between the Seven Kingdoms was on the verge of collapse. If war were to break out once more, having a man skilled in strategy and planning could tip the scales of victory. And this was no ordinary strategist—Aegor was the central figure in a legendary adventure, a warrior who had fought the famed Red Viper of Dorne for dozens of rounds without falling.

A man of both wisdom and martial prowess, his mere presence in a faction would serve as a rallying force for allies and a deterrent to enemies.

It was a pity, then, that he was bound by oath to the Night’s Watch. No one could recruit him.

—

“White Walker Slayer!” Robert bellowed, clearly fond of the title he had bestowed upon Aegor. Perhaps he simply thought it sounded impressive. “Ser Blackfish may have led the way to the Bloody Gate, but your ideas were indispensable in this victory. Name your reward, so long as it isn’t too outrageous, I swear as king that I shall grant it!”

A promise from Robert Baratheon. The words were spoken with the arrogance of a conqueror, but from his mouth, they carried undeniable weight.

The once lively tent fell silent in an instant. All eyes turned to the young man clad in black, standing at the center of the gathering.

What would a sworn brother of the Night’s Watch desire?

***

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep