9:30 in the morning.
Five kilometers north of the Trident River crossing, on the banks of the Green Fork.
Galon stood atop a massive boulder by the riverbank, his fiery red eyes gazing down at the rushing waters below.
Behind him, a hundred elite Glover cavalrymen were scattered throughout the surrounding area, keeping watch for any suspicious movement.
After a moment, Galon took a deep breath and quietly recited several syllables in the Ancient Tongue, each one carrying a strange and beautiful resonance.
"Water of the sea..."
The final syllable faded.
The next instant, a thread of his mental power slipped into the Green Fork like a water snake, disappearing beneath the surface.
Hum...
A faint tremor came from deep within the earth.
None of the Glover cavalry noticed anything unusual.
Only Galon could sense it.
In an instant, his vision reversed, and his consciousness entered the Green Sight.
From his perspective, several thick, invisible root-like phantoms suddenly emerged from the mud beneath the riverbed.
Galon quietly observed them as the river continued rushing over them.
'Hmm...'
'The Ancient Tongue of the Children of the Forest can actually draw upon this world's magic and cast spells directly.'
'Truly incredible...'
Recalling the magical knowledge he had received when the power of the Old Gods awakened within him, Galon instinctively uttered several more syllables in the Ancient Tongue.
The instant he finished—
Galon's expression suddenly changed.
His mental power surged toward the Green Fork like a flood breaking through a dam.
In just a few breaths, countless thick, invisible root-like phantoms erupted from the mud beneath the riverbed.
They intertwined with one another, rapidly forming an invisible barrier across the rushing river.
The waters of the Green Fork slammed violently against the invisible dam, producing a deep, muffled roar.
The water level upstream began to rise gradually.
Downstream, the water level slowly fell.
The current was visibly slowing.
However, maintaining such a spell, one that forcibly altered the natural flow of the river, placed an enormous burden on Galon's mental strength.
Just as his mental power was about to be completely drained, the spell finally stabilized.
The invisible dam that had been trembling beneath the waters of the Green Fork became completely solid.
"Whoo..."
Galon exhaled heavily and slowly withdrew what little mental strength remained.
His consciousness once again left the Green Sight.
'It worked!'
Looking at the Green Fork, now blocked by the magical dam, excitement flashed through Galon's eyes.
'This weakened version of the Hammer of the Waters can't shatter the Arm of Dorne like the legendary spell, nor can it flood the Neck.'
'But as long as this magical dam remains for several days, the accumulated water will be enough to create a massive flood once the spell disappears.'
'Tywin, even if you have more soldiers than I do, how long can they possibly withstand the power of nature?!'
He took a deep breath, a cold smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.
Five days had passed since he became the Hand of the King.
During those five days, Galon had repeatedly sent troops across the river to engage Gregor Clegane, hoping to inflict heavy losses on the Lannister vanguard before Tywin arrived.
But the Mountain was extremely cautious.
The moment he saw that the allied army had superior numbers, Gregor immediately withdrew his forces without hesitation.
He had no intention of fighting a prolonged battle.
Even if it meant abandoning a portion of his men, Gregor would disengage as quickly as possible.
It was obvious that he intended to wait for Tywin to arrive before launching a counterattack.
Therefore, apart from capturing some prisoners, Galon had been unable to expand his gains.
What surprised him even more was that, for five entire days, the scouts he had dispatched had failed to discover any movement from Tywin's main army.
Aside from a few civilians fleeing in panic after learning that war had broken out, even Gregor Clegane had withdrawn toward the area around Lord Halloway's town.
The region around the Trident River crossing had practically become a deserted land.
Faced with this strange situation, Galon felt a faint sense of unease.
To guard against any unexpected developments, he had sent Lady Mormont and several hundred soldiers from Bear Island to escort Catelyn and Arya back to Winterfell ahead of the main army.
Afterward, Galon dispatched even more scouts deep toward Harrenhal to locate Tywin and his forces.
So far, however, he had received no reliable information.
It was only when Ser Davos came to ask Galon about his future arrangements that he inadvertently revealed that the Redwyne fleet had already reached the vicinity of the Bay of Crabs while pursuing Stannis's remaining forces.
Only then did Galon vaguely figure out Tywin's plan.
He immediately ordered Lord Royce to send a raven to House Waynwood at Ironoaks in the Vale.
Ironoaks stood near the Bay of Crabs.
If the Redwyne fleet really intended to travel from the Bay of Crabs toward Saltpans, House Waynwood would certainly be able to observe them.
So far, however, no further message had arrived.
'Whether the Redwyne fleet is there or not, Tywin still has a huge advantage in numbers.'
'I need to find a way to weaken them as much as possible.'
After considerable thought, Galon came up with an idea.
He would use the magic of the Children of the Forest together with the natural terrain of the Trident to artificially create a massive flood.
If he could lure Tywin's army into the river channel before the Ruby Ford, then release the magical dam at the right moment, the water accumulated in the Green Fork over several days would surge down the channel and sweep away the Lannister army.
Once that happened, victory would be assured.
There was only one unfortunate problem.
After testing the spell, Galon discovered that each casting could only maintain the magical dam for one day.
If he wanted the dam to remain for several days, he would have to return here and recast the spell every day.
'Then I'll come every day. As long as the spell works, that's all that matters.'
'Fortunately, I can sense when the spell is about to end and prepare accordingly.'
'Otherwise, the accumulated floodwater could end up sweeping away our own army.'
Galon's face was pale as he stared at the rising water level upstream, slowly accumulating behind the magical dam.
'Everything is ready. All that's missing is the right opportunity.'
'Now I just need to carefully consider how to lure Tywin into the trap.'
At that moment, hurried hoofbeats suddenly came from behind him.
Galon turned around.
A Northern soldier was riding toward him at full speed.
"Lord Hand!"
"The scouts we sent toward Harrenhal have returned!"
A sharp glint flashed through Galon's eyes. He immediately jumped down from the boulder and mounted his horse.
"Back to camp!"
The horses' hooves thundered against the earth.
Twenty minutes later, Galon returned to the crossing camp with a hundred cavalrymen.
He handed his horse to a stablehand and walked toward the command tent surrounded by his guards.
A moment later, Galon lifted the tent flap and entered.
Everyone else had already arrived.
His gaze swept across the tent.
Gendry, now crowned King, sat upon the raised seat, with Barristan standing guard beside him.
Edmure and Lord Royce stood at the foremost positions on either side.
The other leading nobles of the North, Vale, Riverlands, and Iron Islands stood below or behind them according to their rank and status.
"Lord Hand!"
"Lord Hand!"
Everyone immediately lowered their heads in greeting when Galon entered.
Galon returned their salute and walked forward.
"Your Grace."
Gendry smiled.
"Lord Hand, the situation is urgent. There's no need for formalities."
Galon nodded slightly before turning toward Edmure.
"What did the Riverlands scouts discover? And where is Jaime Lannister now?"
Edmure answered:
"The scouts discovered that Tywin's army has been steadily advancing toward the Trident, but they're moving very slowly, almost as though they're waiting for something.
They aren't expected to arrive until tomorrow at the earliest.
As for Jaime Lannister, he was brought here while you were away this morning. I've ordered him to be kept under heavy guard."
"Tomorrow? Waiting?"
Galon raised an eyebrow as though he had realized something.
He turned toward Lord Royce. "Has there been any news from Ironoaks?"
Lord Royce nodded.
"A raven arrived just now.
House Waynwood spotted ships flying deep-purple grape banners. They have confirmed that it is the Redwyne fleet."
The moment he finished speaking, the command tent erupted into discussion.
"Damn it. Tywin really is waiting for the Redwyne fleet!"
"If the forces from King's Landing are reinforced by the Redwyne fleet, their army may already exceed sixty thousand men."
"Yes. We only have nearly fifty thousand. How are we supposed to fight this battle?"
"How? We can't!"
"They outnumber us by nearly twenty thousand!"
The anxiety and unrest among the commanders affected Gendry, who had been listening quietly.
When he heard that the enemy had more than sixty thousand men, a flash of panic crossed his face.
It had only been a few days since Gendry had been crowned king.
Yet he had already experienced the pleasures of kingship.
Countless people fawned over him and did everything they could to please him.
Even though they were in the middle of a war and living in a military camp, several minor Riverlands nobles had secretly sent their daughters or nieces into the king's tent in an attempt to curry favor.
They completely ignored the fact that Gendry had only just entered into a marriage alliance with the North.
If Barristan and Ser Hully had not intervened and stopped them, Gendry might already have lost himself in endless celebrations and pleasures.
Having tasted the sweetness of power, Gendry desperately did not want to lose it.
He looked around the tent and anxiously asked:
"My lords, do any of you have a plan for defeating the enemy?
The enemy has such overwhelming numbers. Should we perhaps withdraw for now..."
Before he could finish, Barristan coughed lightly.
"Your Grace."
Gendry realized that he had spoken out of turn and immediately fell silent.
But his words had already shaken the confidence of some Riverlands nobles.
Lord Bracken shook his head and sighed.
"His Grace is right.
That lion Tywin has assembled an army of more than sixty thousand men. He clearly intends to swallow us in one bite.
At this point, it seems... Our only option is to withdraw."
Lord Piper of Pinkmaiden also nodded.
"Indeed. We could retreat toward Riverrun, recruit more soldiers, and then fight the decisive battle."
Lord Royce, however, gave a cold snort.
"Recruit more soldiers? By the time we've finished raising an army, Tywin will have already crushed us with his forces."
Lord Rickard also objected.
"Our provisions can only last another ten days. After that, we must find a way to bring in supplies from elsewhere.
If we retreat, what happens to our provisions? Can the Twins even support so many people?"
Lord Bracken immediately challenged him.
"If we don't retreat, can we defeat Tywin? That's an army of more than sixty thousand men!"
The command tent descended into chaos.
Gendry was completely at a loss.
He could neither decide to fight nor retreat.
Fortunately, Edmure remained clear-headed. He had witnessed Galon's strategies at Riverrun long ago.
He coughed heavily, suppressing the voices around him, then turned toward Galon.
"Lord Hand, what do you think we should do?"
Only then did Gendry remember that he still had the undefeated Glover.
He, like everyone else, immediately turned toward Galon with expectation in his eyes.
Galon sighed inwardly.
'The Riverlands men are always talking about running away. They really are impossible to support.'
'It's time to give them a little Northern wisdom about warfare.'
After making up his mind, Galon stepped forward.
His sharp gaze swept across everyone.
His voice remained calm.
"Throughout history, commanders have believed themselves naturally gifted with the talents of a general.
Yet they fail to understand that the art of command is vast and profound, beyond the comprehension of ordinary men."
He paused and met Gendry's confused gaze before explaining.
"Your Grace, do you know?
A mediocre commander focuses on the number of soldiers he possesses and how brave those soldiers are.
But a truly capable commander must not only know himself and his enemy and make proper use of his soldiers and officers.
He must also observe the heavens, understand the terrain, comprehend the human heart, predict events with uncanny accuracy, study military strategy, command thousands of troops, and maneuver them with ease."
When he finished speaking, the people inside the tent reacted differently.
Those who understood, such as Lord Royce and the other men experienced in warfare, were visibly excited.
They listened intently, eager to hear more about the legendary military strategies that had made Galon undefeated.
Those who did not understand looked displeased, believing that Galon was mocking them.
As for Gendry, his eyes were blank.
He had no idea what Galon was getting at.
"Yet even this is still not enough to fully understand the way of the commander."
Galon smiled faintly.
Facing the displeased gazes of Lord Piper and the others, he remained perfectly composed.
"Take the word 'soldier,' for example. There is much to learn from it."
Lord Piper finally could not hold himself back.
He gave a cold snort.
"A soldier is a soldier. What's there to study? At the end of the day, they're just people."
Lord Bracken nodded in agreement.
"I know the Hand of the King has achieved great victories. But a man is still only one man.
Can the Hand somehow conjure tens of thousands of soldiers out of thin air?"
Galon nodded.
His gaze fell upon the two men.
"Of course. Do you know that there are visible soldiers and invisible soldiers?"
This time, even Gendry, Lord Royce, and Barristan were somewhat bewildered.
Fortunately, Galon had never expected them to understand immediately.
He simply explained.
"Visible soldiers are those who wear armor and carry spears, soldiers of flesh and blood.
Invisible soldiers are the sun, moon, and stars, the wind, clouds, water, and fire, the spiritual power of mountains and rivers.
All things and all phenomena can become soldiers.
When the rainbow disappears, when thunder falls silent, when mist and haze rise, when rivers swell and recede.
If you understand all of these things thoroughly, absorb them into your heart, and use them properly, they can be worth more than a million warriors."
His words were so mysterious that everyone inside the tent exchanged glances.
They could not understand how such things, matters more suited to the teachings of maesters, could possibly stand against a million soldiers.
But Galon's authority was so great that no one immediately dared to question him.
"Since last night, I have traveled along the Trident River.
I have determined that within several days, the waters of the Green Fork will inevitably rise dramatically.
When that happens, the rising waters will flow into the Ruby Ford and create a massive flood.
That will be our million-man army."
Galon did not mention his magic.
Instead, he patiently guided them toward the conclusion.
"Imagine this, my lords.
If we choose the shallow river channel before the Ruby Ford as our battlefield and lure as many Lannister soldiers as possible into the river.
Then, when the flood suddenly arrives..."
He did not even need to finish.
Everyone's eyes lit up.
They understood.
"The Lannister army will be swept away by the flood, and we..."
Lord Royce was about to say that they would easily win. Then he suddenly realized something.
"Lord Hand, but we will be in the river too. If the flood really comes, won't our own men be swept away as well?"
The others also froze.
They turned toward Galon.
Galon nodded.
"That is correct.
So first, we will fight the Lannister army in the river. Then we will retreat while fighting.
On one hand, this is to avoid the coming flood.
On the other, it is to make Tywin believe that we are losing, encouraging him to commit even more troops to the pursuit."
Lord Royce suddenly understood.
"I see...
That way, once the flood arrives, the enemy troops in the river will be swept away instantly.
We only need to deal with the enemy who follows us onto the bank.
Those on the opposite bank will be forced to watch while we slaughter their comrades!"
Lord Royce finally understood the entirety of Galon's plan.
He slapped his thigh and exclaimed,
"Brilliant!
Not only will the Hand's plan inflict tremendous losses upon the enemy, it will also minimize our own casualties.
A perfect plan that accomplishes both goals!"
The others became excited as well.
Their gazes toward Galon were filled with admiration and awe.
At that moment, Barristan raised a question.
"The only problem now is when the flood will arrive.
Too early, and the flood will sweep away our own troops.
Too late, and if Tywin continues avoiding battle, the flood will be useless.
And what about the Redwyne fleet, Lord Hand?"
Galon had already considered all of this.
"The timing of the flood is already within my grasp.
Before the flood arrives, I will use Jaime Lannister to force Tywin into a decisive battle with us."
Everyone nodded.
They all understood how important Jaime was to Tywin. They were confident that Tywin would take the bait.
"As for the Redwyne fleet..."
Galon paused before speaking with absolute confidence.
"The Redwyne fleet consists of seagoing ships.
Their ships can travel at most as far as Saltpans.
Those men have no horses and must travel on foot. It will take them at least three or four days to reach the battlefield.
We only need to send two thousand cavalrymen to intercept them halfway through their forced march.
I don't think our cavalry is incapable of defeating a group of exhausted sailors who are traveling on foot."
The entire tent erupted into laughter.
Two thousand cavalry against sailors without heavy armor who had already exhausted themselves through a forced march.
Even if the Redwyne force numbered ten thousand, any knight leading cavalry would be able to probe their formation and charge them several times before easily breaking them.
Gendry knew little about warfare.
Seeing everyone laughing, he laughed along with them.
Then he eagerly asked, "Lord Hand, when will the decisive battle take place?"
"Three days from now."
Galon gave the answer without hesitation.
"At that time, I will personally lead fifteen thousand soldiers from the North and Vale as the vanguard and lure the Lannister army into the river.
Lord Royce, you will command part of the Riverlands forces and the remaining soldiers from the Vale and hold the center.
Lord Edmure, have your men gather and build as many boats as possible over the next few days.
Once the flood subsides, we need enough boats to cross the river.
Ser Andar, you will lead two thousand Vale cavalrymen toward Saltpans and conduct reconnaissance.
Captain Harlaw, you and your men will remain here and guard the boats."
After that, Galon meticulously arranged every detail of the army's deployment for the decisive battle.
Everyone listened attentively and repeatedly accepted their orders.
Finally, Galon swept his gaze across the assembled commanders and raised their spirits.
"My lords, win this battle!
There will be no more war north of the Riverlands!
Most of Westeros will soon be in our hands.
Once we take King's Landing, King Gendry will surely reward us generously!"
At that moment, Gendry seemed to see himself sitting upon the Iron Throne. He was filled with excitement.
"Exactly!"
"Whatever the Hand says is exactly what I say!"
He rose and imitated Galon's manner, shouting, "For the Seven Kingdoms!"
"For the Seven Kingdoms!"
Everyone echoed the king's words.
The meeting ended.
After the others left the command tent, Galon exchanged a few words with Gendry before returning to his own tent.
The moment he entered, he saw Ser Davos waiting for him.
"Lord Hand!"
Davos looked exhausted as he hurriedly bowed.
Galon nodded slightly and got straight to the point.
"Ser Davos, I intend to send you to Tywin's camp to negotiate their surrender. Are you willing?"
Davos froze for a moment before answering, "I would gladly serve the Hand."
"But what should I say?"
Galon smiled.
"It's simple.
You only need to tell Tywin and the men of the Stormlands that Gendry Baratheon, the legitimized son of King Robert, has been crowned king.
Tell them to surrender as soon as possible. Tell them that their past offenses can be forgiven.
And tell Tywin that if he wants Jaime Lannister to live, surrender is his only option."
Davos's entire body trembled.
"Of course, Ser Davos, if you believe this mission is too dangerous, you may refuse. I will not force you."
Galon studied his expression with hidden meaning.
He wanted to see whether Davos was truly willing to serve him and whether his abilities were worthy of trust.
If he proved himself capable, Galon intended to eventually make him an ally for Mya's control of the Stormlands.
"I am willing to give my life in your service, Hand of the King!"
Davos immediately dropped to one knee and accepted.
"Good.
If you can accomplish this task, I will petition the king to pardon your previous offenses.
You will not only retain your lands in the Stormlands, I will also see that you receive additional rewards.
I believe you have heard about my reputation.
I have never been stingy when rewarding those who have earned merit."
Galon helped Davos to his feet with a smile.
Davos nodded heavily.
Seeing that the Hand had no further instructions, he wisely returned to prepare for the journey to Tywin's camp.
When he finally returned, two more days had passed.
During that time, Tywin seemed to have been provoked. Every day, he sent men forward to harass and provoke Galon's army.
Galon refused to tolerate it.
The two sides fought several small-scale engagements.
Now, Davos stood before Galon and truthfully reported everything he had seen and heard in Tywin's camp.
When Galon heard Davos describe Tywin and the others' furious reaction upon hearing about Gendry and Jaime, a satisfied smile appeared on his face.
"Very good."
"From today onward, stay by my side."
Galon fulfilled his promise and temporarily made Davos a member of his personal guard.
After Davos gratefully departed, Galon once again went to the Green Fork to inspect the magical dam.
After confirming that everything was in order, he returned to camp and made his final preparations for the decisive battle.
One day later.
Both armies assembled at the Ruby Ford.
The decisive battle was about to begin.
__________
Upto 20 chapters ahead on patreon :-
patreon.com/Xorath