thefictionvixens Chapter 110 The Griffin's Proof
Chapter 110 The Griffin's Proof
Chapter 110 The Griffin's Proof
Red Roland sheathed her sword and looked around.
Whether it was fleeing soldiers or figures lying haphazardly on the ground, their fates unknown.
These people were his allies not long ago, but now they are his most hateful enemies.
The consequences of choosing the wrong side are surprisingly high.
He thought of Ser Barristan Selmy, the legendary captain of the Kingsguard and commander of their army.
During the War of the Usurper, Barristan felled many of Robert's comrades on the battlefield and fought to the last for the Targaryen dynasty.
After the war, he was seriously wounded and should have been executed, but Robert sent a maester to save him.
After recovering from his injuries, he readily accepted the pardon and continued to wear the white robe with a clear conscience, serving a new king who had overthrown his own.
Yet, throughout the seven kingdoms, not a single person accused him of being a chameleon.
Barristan is still regarded as a symbol of loyalty, and considered one of the most dedicated and respectable knights.
His story with Robert has even become a legend.
That year, Red Roland was not even ten years old.
Because their cousin Jon Snow chose the wrong side, House Clinton was demoted from Earl to Knight, its lands were reduced, and it lost all its glory.
From that time on, Red Roland began to ponder something.
That is, how to jump back at the most appropriate time.
Unfortunately, he never mastered the essence of this subject.
Red Roland abandoned his castle and his ailing father, spending all his wealth to raise an army to fight for the Iron Throne, yet people still spoke ill of him behind his back.
Many people say he's a fence-sitter, and that red beard is the mark of a traitor.
Who knows when they might betray them again? They could just tie a knot in their beard and hang it on the city wall.
Red Roland always harbored a deep resentment.
Fortunately, the king did not mistreat him.
He had been content with just regaining a small piece of land, but he never expected King Joffrey to be so generous.
In front of the feudal lords, he not only returned the Clinton family’s territories to them, but also bestowed several extra pieces in the name of the gods.
Red Roland's illegitimate son was about the same age as the king, and everyone said that the child was very fierce, which made him quite proud.
But after meeting Joffrey, he understood what it meant to be extraordinary, decisive, and never dragging his feet on keeping promises.
No wonder he was so grateful to King Robert even when his father was dying, without uttering a single complaint.
On the day of the victory in the defense of King's Landing, King Joffrey personally rewarded the soldiers, toasted with each of them, and poured wine for those who had contributed.
Red Roland was already drunk and incoherent, but the king remained sober.
He still remembered him, and he still remembered the promise he made back then.
"You must be Roland?" the king said. "The Stormlands are counting on you."
"Work hard with Sir Barristan, and your reward will be yours once the war is over."
Red Roland was so tongue-tied that she couldn't utter a complete sentence and could only nod vigorously.
He was very satisfied with this arrangement.
Sir Barristan was his idol, and he knew the old knight's deeds by heart.
He borrowed a suit of armor to participate in a tournament at the age of ten, defeated Sir Duncan the Tall at sixteen, killed the last Blackfyre, the ferocious Marius, in the Battle of the Nine-Pound King, and joined the Kingsguard at the age of twenty-three.
Most importantly, he served four kings without a single stain on his record.
Now, with King Joffrey's influence, he could easily get close to Ser Barristan and learn from him.
The story of a pardoned traitor who learns to fight and be a person from a pardoned Imperial Guard seems to have been written specifically for him.
Two months passed, and Red Roland hadn't learned anything.
Renly transferred all of his main forces from Stormlands, leaving the remaining troops leaderless, and the lords were unable to elect a strong commander.
Barristan essentially swept through the area.
They advanced steadily south along the King's Road, and after taking control of several castles along the way, they ceased their advance.
There are no legendary one-on-one battles, nor any legendary examples of defeating the many with the few.
Red Roland had suggested that he lead his troops to break through from Eagle's Nest Fortress.
He knew the path there led directly to the rainforest, allowing him to take over Windfury Point.
But Barristan refused, instead assigning him to escort supplies and transferring him from the front lines to the rear.
This task made Red Roland very uncomfortable.
Knights valued charging into battle; transporting supplies was a servant's job, and had nothing to do with glory or military achievements.
He couldn't capture flags and kill enemy generals in decisive battles, his name wouldn't be written into songs, and his spoils and reputation were far inferior to those of the soldiers on the front lines.
What frustrated Red Roland even more was that the supply convoy was the enemy's top priority target.
If anything goes wrong, no matter the reason, he is the person primarily responsible.
The scattered remnants of the enemy army fled into the imperial forest and countryside, and would occasionally dart out to attack the transport convoy, like a group of rats that could not be driven away.
It seems that people still don't trust him.
The old knight saw through his thoughts.
“The king trusts you,” Barristan advised him, “which is why I dare to entrust the lifeline of the army to you.”
"What we value is not how brave or skilled you are at killing enemies, but your loyalty, prudence, and reliability."
Hong Luolan's resentment had subsided considerably.
But deep down, he just can't stay idle.
Those routed soldiers would occasionally dart out, take a bite, and run away.
Barristan didn't seem to be in a hurry to deal with them, but Red Roland felt that these people would be a menace sooner or later if left unchecked.
He told the old knight his plan, and Barristan readily agreed, putting him in full charge.
Red Roland found several companions in charge of transportation, who had long been suffering from the harassment.
Hearing that he had an idea, everyone was willing to help.
The strongest soldiers were assigned to the command of Red Roland, and a total of more than 300 men were assembled, all disguised as laborers.
He then had word spread that a large quantity of grain was going to pass through the edge of the Imperial Forest.
The enemy didn't react at all and fell right into the trap.
Now that the battlefield has been cleared, Red Roland has dragged Dermot away.
This mercenary knight from the rainforest is quite famous in the Stormlands; the two had met before.
"Sir, how come you've become a robber too?"
Dermot's eyes darted around.
"We surrender, we surrender. Sir Roland, we have no other choice."
"Do prisoners get food?" He licked his lips and glanced at the cart beside him. "It would be even better if there was some wine."
"That depends on how much you know." Red Roland released his grip, letting him fall back into the mud.
It is reported that King Joffrey has breached the city of Goldtree and is pressing on High Pavilion with a large army.
The tyrant had recently taken a shipment of supplies from him and was now traveling along the East River Bay under the cover of night.
When the king discovered that Renly had attacked Lannister Harbor by sea, he knew that the decisive battle would begin sometime soon, so he ordered Ser Barristan to send troops there as needed.
I really want to go to Red Roland.
Therefore, one of his purposes on this trip was to capture a prisoner in order to find out the enemy's deployment.
But Dermot's eyes darted around again, and in the end, he only managed to utter one sentence.
"I have no idea."
"Damn it. Besides you guys, how many other people are in the Imperial Guard?"
"have no idea."
Red Rose accidentally stepped on a piece of a finger.
"I know, I know—oh, there are several more. I'll take you there."
Gaoting.
Joffrey accepted the letter from the maester.
"There are no more organized enemy forces in Stormlands." He looked at Ed.
"But Sir Barristan probably won't make it."
"Reports indicate that Renly's army has begun its nighttime march south."