Clang, clang, clang… The Valley Knights in full plate armor, to prevent the dense arrows from penetrating through the gaps in their visors, had no choice but to advance slowly with their heads down.
As fewer and fewer startled horses, crashing like stones thrown by a trebuchet, came their way, the Valley Knight's heavy infantry formation became denser.
Many full plate armored knights from the vanguard cavalry also became part of the Valley Knight's heavy infantry, while the knightly squires wearing only breastplates and chainmail were almost completely wiped out.
During the advance, people occasionally slipped and fell; the increasingly dense heavy infantry formation had no time to attend to their fallen comrades.
Earl Bennard Belmore gasped, roaring loudly: "Brave Valley Knights, advance! Advance! Keep advancing!"
Only about 100 yards left… A distance that would normally be covered in the blink of an eye was now incredibly difficult.
Their armor, plus the mud clinging to it, felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, and more and more Valley Knights fell to the ground from exhaustion.
As they neared the palisade of pointed wooden stakes, Earl Bennard Belmore roared: "The wildlings are right in front of us, advance! Advan…"
To raise his voice, he instinctively lifted his head, and then… through the slit of his visor, he saw a tall woman in black leather armor, aiming her bow at him.
Time suddenly slowed down; not only did he see the arrow flying towards him, but he also noticed that the woman had beautiful brown hair that shimmered golden in the sunlight.
Thwack! The arrow shot by Ser Aempa Thorness pierced through the gap in Earl Bennard Belmore's visor, and his corpulent body fell into the mud.
The Hongge City Earl, commander of the Valley Knight's "heavy infantry," Bennard Belmore, was dead!
Having struggled so hard to get close to the palisade in front of the Kleber's archers, over 1,000 Valley Knight's "heavy infantry" collapsed almost instantly.
Seven Hells… Bronze Yohn painfully closed his eyes.
The gentle voice of the Red Keep Earl, Horton Redfort (a member of the Alliance of the Righteous), sounded: "Lord Yohn, they are ready over there and can go into battle at any time."
He paused, then added: "Perhaps… you could leave this attack to me; you are needed here."
Bronze Yohn shook his head slightly; he took the helmet from his squire and put it on, saying in a deep voice: "The Kleber's Earl is a cunning fox; I will hunt him myself."
Earl Horton Redfort pointed to three young men nearby and said: "Lord Yohn, please allow my three sons to join you in battle; victory belongs to the Valley Knight's."
Bronze Yohn glanced at Earl Redfort's three robust sons, nodded slightly, and said: "Victory belongs to the Valley Knight's."
Besides Earl Redfort's second son Clayton, third son Jon, and fourth son Michel, Bronze Yohn's second son Robert and third son Waymar also joined this attack.
The Valley Knight's war horn sounded, a series of long and short blasts.
Over 6,000 dismounted Valley Knight's heavy armored knights advanced in a dense formation under Bronze Yohn's banner.
Bronze Yohn shouted: "Long live the Vale of Arryn!"
The knights responded: "Long live the Vale of Arryn!"
"Long live Earl Royce!"
"Long live Runestone!"
"Long live Iron Oaks!"
"Long live Red Keep!"
"Long live Hongge City!"
"Long live Ninestars!"
Gathered around Bronze Yohn were the descendants of knights who had inherited their lineage for thousands of years in the Vale of Arryn; they could also be called the most excellent and precious Valley Knights.
The two waves of attacks by the Valley Knights had suffered heavy setbacks, which had already made him a sinner of the Vale of Arryn.
But… the Valley Knights must not lose to the wildlings of the Crab Claw Peninsula!
If the Valley Knights lost to the wildlings of the Crab Claw Peninsula in this widely known duel across the Seven Kingdoms, it would be their eternal shame!
The proud Valley Knights must not lose; Bronze Yohn's gaze was incredibly firm… even if it meant death, they must win this battle!
Swish, swish, swish… Clang, clang, clang… As if the previous scene was repeating, the infantry formed by the Valley Knights endured the Kleber's arrow rain, moving slowly through the mud pit with incredible courage.
When Bronze Yohn personally experienced the "Seven Hells" here, a deep despair surged within him.
Clang, clang, clang… Bronze Yohn, advancing with his knight's shield, was filled with immense regret; why had he not ordered every Valley Knight to prepare a shield in advance?!
They had only collected a mere few hundred knight's shields… Indeed, underestimating the enemy was a shortcut to embracing the stranger.
Clang, clang, clang… Hiss, hiss, hiss… The dense Kleber's arrow rain occasionally pierced through the ventilation holes and observation slits of their helmets, and one after another, the Valley Knights, struggling to advance, fell.
The ground was covered with "mud men" wailing in the mud; they were the survivors left by Ser Symon Templeton and Earl Bennard Belmore.
Bronze Yohn shouted coldly: "Valley Knights! Advance!"
Only by defeating the Crab Claw Peninsula people in front of them as quickly as possible could they be rescued from here, gods willing!
Or surrender to the Crab Claw Peninsula people… Bronze Yohn immediately shook off the absurd thought that had surged in his heart… If they had to surrender to wildlings, the glorious Valley Knights would rather die in battle!
When the distance between the two sides approached 100 yards, the Cley Cerwyn longbowmen stopped shooting in high arcs and began to aim and shoot directly.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh… Those standing in the front ranks of the formation were the most outstanding archers of Kleber; they shot their arrows directly into the gaps of the Valley Knight's armor, and the Valley Knights fell one after another.
Their formation was too dense; after a large number of people fell, those behind were tripped, and the Valley Knight's casualties suddenly increased.
When they finally reached the palisade of wooden stakes, the Valley Knights could be said to have exhausted their strength.
The wooden stakes, sunk into the mud, were exceptionally sturdy, and behind them were the soldiers of the Crab Claw Peninsula who had put down their longbows and picked up various long weapons.
Bronze Yohn roared with immense despair in his heart, giving the order: "Jump over! Attack! Attack! Attack! Attack!"
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