The North, Goathead Mountain
After the White Blade River flows into Goathead Mountain, it forms a slow-flowing area of about 30 kilometers. This area is gentle and wide, allowing flat-bottomed boats and merchant ships to pass.
But the mountains on both sides are very steep, and there are often falling rocks and floating logs falling into the river channel. Therefore, when the fleet passes, the captains will send out small boats in advance to scout, in order to check whether the river channel is blocked.
But this section of the slow-flowing river is destined not to be calm today, because at this moment, a large number of soldiers have been hidden on the steep cliffs on both sides.
These soldiers are wearing special Seven Star Masks, all concealing their faces, and they are also wearing a variety of Studded Armor and Chainmail, and their weapons are also various.
Nearby, a large number of Rolling Logs and Stones have been piled up. Some soldiers are preparing to pile them up in specific locations, looking like they are preparing to use these Rolling Logs and Stones to attack the targets coming from the slow-flowing area.
These soldiers all came from a nearby cave. At this time, there are still many soldiers constantly moving out various weapons from inside.
The mountains near the slow-flowing area are filled with caves, and many places are connected, which is very suitable for hiding. Outsiders generally find it difficult to find this place.
A secret base of the Seven Star Brotherhood was hidden here. Due to the expansion of the Valyrian Empire's territory, Marco's Wolf Spirits were scattered among several major cities.
This significantly weakened the Wolf Spirits' supervision of remote areas. If it weren't for Haworth City nearby, Marco would likely have abandoned the area around Goathead Mountain long ago.
Because of this situation, some rural woodlands outside the cities became the base of the Seven Star Brotherhood. Fortunately, their influence was limited to the Two Rivers Region; they had little power or foundation further north.
But this was a blessing in disguise for Marco. After discovering this problem, Marco reorganized the core members of the Wolf Spirits to support the pacification efforts in the Two Rivers Region.
As the personnel arrived, the soldiers of the Seven Star Brotherhood began to talk among themselves. Many of them actually knew each other; wearing the Seven Star Masks was just to conceal their identities.
Arthur Haven was a wandering knight from Oldtown. Because he devoutly worshipped The Seven Gods, he joined the Seven Star Brotherhood immediately after their "call to faith."
In fact, many of these soldiers came for the faith of the Golden Dragon. After Marco took White Harbor, a large number of mercenaries and guard soldiers of mixed quality were dismissed.
Some ambitious people in The North saw this opportunity and used various means to gather these dregs and establish the Seven Star Brotherhood, their purpose being to cause trouble for Marco.
Although the Seven Star Brotherhood had caused a lot of trouble in the Two Rivers Region during this time, they hadn't managed to significantly harm the Valyrian Empire, which made some people anxious.
So, they had been secretly preparing a major event, all to bring fame to their "faith." Little did they know that the Valyrian Empire had already prepared a deathly welcome ceremony for them.
"Sir Hughes, has that heretic king's fleet arrived yet? Our brothers are ready. This time, we will surely teach him a lesson he'll never forget, making him regret being an enemy of The Seven Gods.
Even Aegon the Conqueror eventually came to believe in The Seven Gods. Why shouldn't that heretic king believe in The Seven Gods? Only by showing him the power of The Seven Gods will he learn to respect us."
Arthur Haven said excitedly to an elderly knight. He was extremely thrilled, the thought of participating in a great event filled him with anticipation.
For wandering knights like them, if they didn't have the chance to achieve great deeds, they would live a life of mediocrity. If he completed this task, Arthur Haven could spread his fame, and most importantly, gain the recognition of the church.
The "well-connected" Arthur Haven had long received information that the church was re-entering the secular world. He knew that with his own strength, he would never become a top-tier knight in his lifetime. Therefore, to make a name for himself, he could only focus on gaining fame.
As long as he could attract the church's attention, Arthur Haven would have hope. He would then have the opportunity to become a legendary Warrior of the Faith, famous throughout Westeros.
"That's right! Arthur, we will fight for our faith. After we wipe out the heretic king's supply train, he'll regret it. He'll regret for the rest of his life not having faith in The Seven Gods."
Standing diagonally across from Arthur Haven was an elderly knight. He wore a special Seven Star helmet but wasn't wearing the colorful rainbow cloak of the Warrior's Sons, probably to avoid revealing his identity.
The elderly knight's name was Sir Hughes Waters. He was a knight from the King's Landing Church. He was dispatched by the High Sparrow to protect the "interests" of the Seven Gods' followers.
At the same time, Sir Hughes Waters was also the head of the Seven Star Brotherhood on Goathead Mountain. He was also the initiator of this plan and held the highest command authority.
The Church didn't put all their eggs in Sir Hughes Waters' basket. They had planted spies all over The North, but their influence was limited to the area near White Harbor.
"Awoo..."
Just as the Seven Star Brotherhood members were getting excited, intermittent howling came from the forest in the distance, causing the soldiers of the Seven Star Brotherhood to pause.
It wasn't that they hadn't seen Dire Wolves before, but the howling they heard was too numerous and frequent, making these soldiers, who were used to hardship, sense something was wrong.
As the beastly roars drew closer, everyone's hearts began to race uncontrollably. Sir Hughes Waters quickly drew the sword from his waist, took his shield from his back, and shouted to the people around him:
"Shield bearers forward, archers ready! The enemy is here. Protect your throats, don't let these beasts bite them off. No one will be able to save you then."
Fortunately, most of these soldiers were made up of roaming knights and mercenaries. Under Sir Hughes Waters' command, they quickly recovered and gathered to form a semi-circular defensive formation.
Some of them placed stones and rolling logs on their flanks, attempting to use this method to resist the wolf pack and compensate for their lack of manpower.
Although many of them were battle-hardened soldiers, their equipment was simply too poor, and their weapons were a motley assortment.
Especially the shield wall in the front. Due to the lack of tower shields, this semi-circular formation looked uneven, like a bucket missing a few planks, as if it would leak everywhere.
"Awoo..."
After a howl, five Dire Wolves burst out of the bushes and appeared before them. Their green eyes were filled with killing intent, making all the soldiers present shiver.
Looking at the Dire Wolves before him, Hughes Waters couldn't help but recall a certain rumor. Many said that the Emperor of the Valyrian Empire had an army composed of fierce beasts.
This team was different from the wargs; they were actual beasts that would attack targets according to their master's commands.
"Archers, ready!"
Thinking of this, Hughes Waters immediately commanded the people around him. He was very afraid at the moment, praying that he wouldn't encounter such a situation.
"Awoo... ah... help..."
Before Hughes Waters could even give the order to fire, the soldiers on his flanks began to scream in agony. Then, Hughes Waters saw a large group of White Tigers and Shadow Lynx suddenly pounce into their defensive formation.
These big cats were incredibly fast, leaping over the defenses built from wood and Stones, and directly charging into the midst of the soldiers.
In the brief moment Hughes Waters was stunned, several warriors had already been knocked to the ground. For a time, the entire battlefield was filled with the roars of the giant beasts and the screams of humans.
As the lines became chaotic, more beasts charged into the battlefield: White Tigers, Dire Wolves, Terror Wolves, Shadow Lynx, and Ice Wolves. They darted back and forth through the Seven Star Brotherhood's ranks, completely disrupting the defensive lines the soldiers had formed.
Arthur Haven swung his longsword, killing a Dire Wolf. The wolf's head flew away, and blood sprayed everywhere. He suppressed the stench of blood, ready to retreat and defend, when he felt something pull at him.
Then, Arthur Haven felt his head spin, followed by a sharp pain in his legs, as if a great force was dragging him backward.
After a moment of disorientation and pain, Arthur Haven saw the monster tearing at him; it was a terrifying giant wolf with a strange appearance.
This terrifying giant wolf seemed to have scales, looking like a hellhound from legends. Arthur Haven felt his legs were completely broken.
Arthur Haven was about to swing his sword, but he found he couldn't move at all. Then he felt a sharp pain, and then he lost consciousness completely.
A White Tiger shook its head violently, tearing at something. With a strong pull, the White Tiger bit off Arthur Haven's head. Then the White Tiger swung again, throwing the deformed and twisted helmet along with Arthur Haven's severed head to the side.
This scene repeated itself on the battlefield. Even though the Seven Star Brotherhood soldiers cooperated well, they still couldn't escape the attacks of these beasts.
Marco's beast troops possessed the talent of being fearless. They weren't afraid, nor would they retreat; they only knew how to eliminate their targets.
Soon, these soldiers were slaughtered, leaving only Sir Hughes Waters, who had lost an arm. He looked at the beasts closing in on him with a face full of terror, his heart filled with regret.
In the end, Sir Hughes Waters had underestimated the strength of the Valyrian Empire. He thought he could secretly complete his revenge against the Valyrian Empire, but now he realized he was wrong, terribly wrong.
"Ah... you heretics! Prepare to die! I will..."
Before Sir Hughes Waters could finish speaking, a Dire Wolf bit through his throat. The rest of his words were stuck in his throat, and blood flowed from the wound. After struggling and convulsing a few times, Sir Hughes Waters became a cold corpse.
White Harbor, Tuna Tavern.
This was a secret base of the Seven Star Brotherhood. At this moment, in a special room in the tavern's cellar, more than twenty people in cloaks seemed to be arguing about something.
Just then, a middle-aged man slammed his hand on the table in front of him, instantly silencing everyone present.
The middle-aged man, about 40 years old, had dark, curly hair and a face etched with determination and resolve. He was powerfully built, radiating strength.
"Brothers, we don't have much time left. Sir Hughes and his men should have already begun their move. We need to take action as well. I believe going after the Golden Dragon is suicide.
That terrifying man, the one who shares a name with the Bloodraven Duke, keeps his Golden Dragon resting near the castle. He never chains it up, as the legends say. We wouldn't stand a chance; we'd just become its meal."
After speaking, the man turned his gaze towards a strangely dressed individual. This person was shrouded in a large cloak, completely concealing their features.
"Brother Allen, I believe this plan is feasible. I have a particularly potent poison. We've tested it; it can kill a whale instantly. It should work on the Golden Dragon."
The cloaked figure addressed the man named Allen, his voice filled with excitement. He was talking about a Golden Dragon, after all. If his poison truly brought down the beast, he would be remembered for all time.
The cloaked man was a novice scholar from the Citadel named Domons. He was a high-level talent cultivated by the Conclave, the group that oversaw the Citadel. Only those with exceptional talent in every field could become scholars specially managed by the Conclave.
Domons was immensely proud of his position, and he longed to dedicate everything to the pursuit of truth within the Citadel. When the Conclave issued this mission, he was the first to arrive.
"But, Messenger, how are we going to poison the dragon? I heard that the dragon's food is all handled by their own chefs, and outsiders can't get close at all."
Allen asked Domons. He'd thought of this from the start, but hadn't had the chance to bring it up. The dragon was right there, but it was impossible to harm it.
"I have a few specially made spears here. They'll take effect as soon as they're inserted into the dragon's body. The poison will be injected into the dragon's body.
These spears are equipped with a special mechanism. Look, if you open this part and this part, you can assemble a powerful crossbow. This crossbow is powerful, but it sacrifices a lot in its design, just to ensure a quick hit.
Do you think I've been hiding here all this time for nothing? I've been putting all the disassembled parts back together. Alright, warriors of the Seven Star Brotherhood, we are going to make history. We will definitely accomplish the feat of slaying a dragon."
Domons introduced it to everyone present. He was confident in the weapon he designed, and he was also good at stirring up the emotions of the crowd.
Domons knew that, for many wandering knights, what they wanted most was to become a legendary knight like "Tall" Duncan, or to become a member of the Kingsguard, or to accomplish something earth-shattering.
Slaying a dragon just happened to satisfy the desire of many of them to make a name for themselves. Sure enough, after Domons said those words, many people's breathing became rapid.
"Clap, clap, clap… Hahaha, I didn't expect this! There are so many people here. I was worried there wouldn't be enough for us to kill! Don't you think so, sister?"
"What does it matter! If we run out, we can always find more prey among our other sisters. As long as we're quick, we can kill several more times!"
Two charming female voices drifted down from the stairs of the secret room. The voices were alluring, and many of the men present reacted to them. Although the voices were pleasant, the words were filled with murderous intent.
"Swish…"
The people in the secret room drew their weapons, surrounding Domons.